Monday, September 30, 2013

Cover Reveal: Ruined by Jus Accardo with Giveaway

Releasing November 11, 2013
from Entangled Embrace
Hell is looking for a way to break loose…
Jax lost the genetic lottery. Descended from Cain, the world's first murderer, he's plagued by a curse that demands violence in exchange for his happiness. He left everything behind, including the girl he loved, but thriving on the pain of others is lonely… And it's killing him.

After a series of heartbreaking losses, Samantha put rubber to pavement and headed for college as fast as her clunker could carry her. But she can't outrun her problems. When an attack at school drives her back home, she's thrown into the path of a past—and a guy—she's been trying to forget.

Sam strains Jax's control over his darkness, but running isn't an option this time. Someone—or, something—followed her home from school: a ruthless monster with a twisted plan centuries in the making. Forced together to survive, and fighting an attraction that could destroy them both, Jax and Sam must stop a killer bent on revenge.
Where to Find Ruined

About the Author

JUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her
grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. At the last minute, she realized her path lay with fiction, not food, and passed on the spot to pursue writing. Jus is the bestselling author the popular Denazen series from Entangled publishing. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.
My Thoughts: I think that this is going to be an action packed novel! I love the darkness of the cover, because it really sets the mood for a dark and dangerous story. I know I have already added it to my TBR list, have you?


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Witchstruck Blog Tour: Interview with Victoria Lamb and Giveaway

Welcome to Unabridged Bookshelf's stop on the Witchstruck Blog Tour! Today I have an interview with the author behind Witchstruck, Victoria Lamb. There is also a big giveaway to enter so make sure to enter. Make sure to check out all the stops on this tour, because there is also a daily giveaway! The full schedule is below or click the banner above to be directed to the tour page.

The Witchstruck Tour Schedule
Monday, September 16th – All Things Urban Fantasy
Wednesday, September 18th - The Book Cellar
Friday, September 20th – Harlequin Tour Stop

Monday, September  23th – Two Chicks on Books
Wednesday, September 25th - Oh Chrys
Friday, September 27th – Magical Urban Fantasy

Monday, September  30th – Unabridged Bookshelf
Wednesday, October 2nd – Such a Novel Idea
Friday, October 4th - Chapter by Chapter

About the Book


Buy Witchstruck:

If she sink, she be no witch and shall be drowned. 
If she float, she be a witch and must be hanged.
Meg Lytton has always known she is different—that she bears a dark and powerful gift. But in 1554 England, in service at Woodstock Palace to the banished Tudor princess Elizabeth, it has never been more dangerous to practise witchcraft. Meg knows she must guard her secret carefully from the many suspicious eyes watching over the princess and her companions. One wrong move could mean her life, and the life of Elizabeth, rightful heir to the English throne.
With witchfinder Marcus Dent determined to have Meg’s hand in marriage, and Meg’s own family conspiring against the English queen, there isn’t a single person Meg can trust. Certainly not the enigmatic young Spanish priest Alejandro de Castillo, despite her undeniable feelings. But when all the world turns against her, Meg must open her heart to a dangerous choice.
The Secret Circle meets The Other Boleyn Girl in Witchstruck, the first book of the magical Tudor Witch trilogy

About the Author
 Victoria Lamb grew up in the peaceful Isle of Man, benefiting from a vast library of books and a family of writers from which to take inspiration. She now lives with her own family in a three-hundred year old farmhouse on the fringes of Cornwall’s Bodmin Moor, where she walks most days and writes in a study overlooking fields of moorland ponies.
She has a serious addiction to Twitter, and invites other such addicts to chat with her there about books and nonsense.

Places To Find Victoria
with author Victoria Lamb

1. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?  
               I love the action scenes best, probably because I was brought up reading westerns and adventure stories. Hard to be specific without giving spoilers, but the scene by the river where Meg meets Alejandro for the first time was also one of my favourites to write. Until I got there, I didn’t really know what kind of hero he would be. But as soon as I started writing that scene, Alejandro came alive for me, and the hairs rose on the back of my neck … a sure sign I was going to love him!

2. What was the hardest part of writing your book? 
              Finishing it. You never want to finish writing your novel because you’ve spent so much time with the characters, it’s like saying farewell to old friends. Though at least with a trilogy, you know it’s not forever!

3. What made you choose the Tudor period? 
               I had already written several books for adult readers set in Elizabethan England, part of the Lucy Morgan series about Shakespeare’s “Dark Lady” – though Lucy is only fifteen in the first book, so a teenager herself. That meant I could use the same research for my YA series. Also, I’m drawn to write about distant times from our own, whether that be past or future or entirely imaginary worlds. One new project I’m working on is an epic fantasy series; writing fantasy can be surprisingly similar at times to writing historical fiction.

4. Where did you come up with the idea for Witchstruck? 
               Witchstruck came out of a lunch conversation between myself, my agent and my agent’s wife. Although I write alone, I’m a team person and like to spark ideas off other people. My agent asked what I would like to do next, and I suggested YA fiction, because I read so much of it. We then started to imagine possibilities, given my knowledge of Tudor England, and I said I’d like to write a story based around the young Princess Elizabeth’s imprisonment during her sister’s tyrannical reign. A few days later I went back to them with the whole plot of the Tudor Witch story: Witchstruck was born!

5. What kind of research did you have to do for Witchstruck? 
               Not much about Tudor England, because I was already writing Tudor fiction for adults, but I did have to research the Catholic-Protestant struggle under Bloody Mary, and also visit some of the locations mentioned in the story. Sadly, nothing but a single plinth remains of Woodstock Palace. So I had to use old pictures and my imagination to conjure up the spooky ruined hunting lodge in Oxfordshire where Elizabeth is imprisoned.

6. Why did you choose to use Queen Elizabeth in your novel?
            My earliest memories of reading historical fiction are dominated by Jean Plaidy, a fantastic novelist who wrote a marvellous story for teen readers called The Young Elizabeth. That novel totally influenced my view of Elizabeth I, so that she became my favourite Queen of England. I had already used her as a major point-of-view character in my Lucy Morgan series. So when I was given a chance to recreate her story as a young princess, accused of treason and in mortal danger, I jumped at it. I hope that older YA readers who enjoy my Tudor Witch trilogy might later go on to discover my older Elizabeth in The Queen’s Secret, which opens my adult trilogy.

7. If you could choose to have any characteristic from one of your characters, what would you choose?
               I would love to have Alejandro’s steady faith. Life can feel so uncertain or unfair at times, it would be wonderful to believe that everything happens for a reason. I don’t share that belief myself, of course. But for a short while, through Alejandro, I can.

8. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
               The unfairness of persecution, perhaps. We may not burn or hang or drown witches anymore. But we still punish and persecute people for being ‘different’ – perhaps because we’re afraid they may change us, and make us different too, simply by existing. Witch hunts also existed for centuries as a way of controlling and oppressing those women who showed any signs of being strong and powerful individuals. And while we may think we’re long past that in modern society, it’s amazing how fast the wheel can spin backwards if we take our hands off it for just a moment …

Thank you Victoria for allowing me to interview you! 

First Giveaway is a daily giveaway for a copy of Witchstruck
Grand Prize Giveaway for personalized astrological birth chart and Amazon gift card for framing!

**Please note that both the daily and grand prize giveaways are for US/Canada participants only.  See full contest rules here.**

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Cover Reveal: The Secret Diamond Sisters

Introducing the first book in the new The Secret Diamond Sisters series by Michelle Madow...

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Coming February 25, 2014 from Harlequin Teen
Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.
The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad—a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite. Suddenly the Strip's most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.
Join Michelle Madow Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Books & Books in Coral Gables, FL to celebrate the release of her first traditionally published novel, The Secret Diamond Sisters! Get all the details at the Release Party Facebook event page

About the Author
Michelle Madow wrote her first novel, Remembrance, in her junior year of college. Remembrance is the first book in the Transcend Time Saga, a three part series about reincarnation and true love that Michelle successfully self-published. The series was inspired by Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video. Michelle's upcoming YA trilogy, The Secret Diamond Sisters, about three sisters who discover they are the secret heirs to a Las Vegas billionaire casino owner will be published by Harlequin TEEN in Spring 2014.

Follow Michelle Madow


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Stacking the Shelves (27)

STSmall
Stacking The Shelves was created and is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is where I will be sharing the books and goodies I have received for the week. This will include both physical and eBooks that are purchased, borrowed, gifted, or for review. 

*Covers take you to Goodreads*

For Review
1351761717149396147413731719648117628640The Howling Heart17397760
Thank you to Scholastic, Balzer & Bray, Spencer Hill Press, Thomas Nelson, April Bostic and Harlequin Teen !!

Bought
130341133:59

Borrowed
13623150Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)

This Week on Unabridged Bookshelf
IDWMA Read Along: The Purge Review
Cover Reveal: Royally Lost by Angie Stanton
Indie-Credible Authors With Laura Smith (Giveaway)
Waiting on Wednesday: Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Happy 2nd Birthday to Unabridged Bookshelf! (Giveaway)
Release Day Blitz and Giveaway: Wicked Thing by Angeline Kace
Cover Reveal: RecruitZ by Karice Bolton

Next Week on Unabridged Bookshelf

Monday

Thursday

What did you get this week?
Make sure to let me know in the comments, so I can come check out all your goodies!

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!

Friday, September 27, 2013

Cover Reveal: RecruitZ by Karice Bolton

*Cover by PhatPuppy Art *
Expected Publication: October 2013
Afterworld Series #1
Scientists are the new rock stars. The infection has been contained for nearly three months, and the world is celebrating. But humans are still dying. Rebekah Taylor has seen it firsthand. Her husband was killed right in front of her by the very creatures that humans were told they no longer had to fear.
Rebekah is determined to find out who is responsible for the death of her husband and the obvious cover-up. Fueled with revenge, she begins to find answers that lead to one frightening conclusion. The apocalypse might be over, but the battles are just beginning.
About the Author
 Karice Bolton is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now, Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book in her new series Witch Avenue, was released in June 2012!
Follow Karice
My Thoughts:
I love the cover with the strong female who looks ready to fight, which works with the synopsis very well. I love the orange and yellows I think i complements the background perfectly. I am looking forward to this book, because it sounds like it is going to be powerful story with a lot of action. 

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Release Day Blitz and Giveaway: Wicked Thing by Angeline Kace


Happy Release Day to Angeline Kace, and Wicked Thing!

About the Book

18005643
Title: Wicked Thing
Author: Angeline Kace
Publisher: Accendo Press
Publication Date: September 26, 2103
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Carmyn Rafferty witnessed the aftermath of her mother's affair. She learned at a young age not to trust anyone. Especially not your spouse. So she's planned. She's planned every detail of her life: who her husband will be, what their careers will be, what their lives will be like. All to avoid the pain of infidelity.
Dallas Brown lives a life all his own. He doesn't do relationships, he doesn't care what anyone thinks of him, and he doesn't live up to anyone's expectations but his own.
When Carmyn's fiancé cheats on her, it sends her into a whirlwind of one-night stands with the most infamous player on campus. She can't seem to stay away from this tough guy and his dangerous motorcycle. Everything about him is the complete opposite of who she'd planned to fall in love with: tattoos, dark stubble along his jawline, and hair that brushes his shoulders.
As Dallas and Carmyn begin to fall deeper and deeper into each other, they learn that love can truly be a wicked, wicked thing.
About the Author
[Angeline+Kace.jpg]
Angeline is a Scorpio living in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and dogs. She loves all things paranormal, believes ghosts are real, werewolves aren't, and vampires? Definitely real! At least in the Vampire Born world they are. She is currently at work on her first New Adult Romance, Wicked Thing, which releases September 2013.

Follow Angeline

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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Happy 2nd Birthday to Unabridged Bookshelf!


Today just two years ago, I started my own book blog hoping to share my thoughts on books, and connect with fellow readers.
What I got was so much more, and I could not be happier! 
I am looking forward to connecting more and growing Unabridged Bookshelf, and I cannot wait to see what it looks like next year at this time. 

Unabridged Bookshelf would not be where it is today, without the wonderful followers I have! I wanted to celebrate my big Blogoversary with you! 
Giveaway is open Internationally!
International winners have the option to purchase 20.00 worth of books from Book Depository in lieu of gift card. 

Thank you to Unabridged Bookshelf!

Waiting on Wednesday: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

10616322
Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #3
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: October 22, 2013
Length: 544 Pages

One choice will define you.
What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.
Who isn't waiting for Allegiant? I have to have it, because after the ending of Insurgent I just have to know what is going to happen! Only one more month, but it is going to be a long month.

Have you read the Divergent series?
Are you excited to read Allegiant?

What you waiting to read?
Leave me a link so I can come check it out!

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf! 

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Indie-Credible Authors With Laura Smith

Welcome to my second Indie-Credible Authors stop! Today I have the pleasure of hosting the author of It's Complicated, Laura Smith. For your enjoyment today, I have not only an interview with Laura, but a book review of her novel It's Complicated. There is also both an author sponsored giveaway and a tour-wide giveaway to enter down below. 
Make sure to check out all of the Indie-Credible Author Events!

Today Schedule for Indie-Credible

Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen – Gabi @ Gabic Reads

About the Book
Title: It's Complicated
Author: Laura Smith
Series: Status Updates #1
Publisher: Playlist Fiction
Publication Date: April 1, 2013
There’s a reason Facebook has the relationship status, “It’s Complicated.” Follow four college roommates, Claire, Palmer, Hannah and Kat as they maneuver crushes, confusion, and the crisis when pushy boys go too far. Complicated as it is, these four friends will pull through, guided by the strength of their friendship and the power of God’s love.
 About the Author
Laura L. Smith loves God, her husband, her four children, writing and speaking. She writes real stories for real girls. Her books include It's Over, It's Complicated, Skinny, Hot, and Angry. She is a featured columnist at Choose Now Ministries and Playlist Fiction. Smith speaks at schools, churches and campuses around the country. Smith lives in the college town of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Follow Laura

If you would like to try on It’s Complicated for size, as well as sample several other fresh indie young adult fiction authors, download the Playlist Fiction Fall Sampler for free here 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Laura L. Smith loves God, her husband, her four children, writing and speaking. She writes real stories for real girls. Her books include It's Over, It's Complicated, Skinny, Hot, and Angry. She is a featured columnist at Choose Now Ministries and speaks at schools, churches and campuses around the country. Smith lives in the college town of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
As a kid I read everything I could get my hands on. I would check out piles of books from the library each month, and if I plowed through those, I’d just start pulling books off our bookshelves, often rereading the books I loved. When I was younger I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder. I always thought it was cool her name was Laura too, and it gave me hope that Lauras could be authors. C.S. Lewis and Madeline L’Engle showed me how to evolve characters and weave hope and faith into story. And of course I read all of the Nancy Drew mysteries. As I got older I read all of J.D. Salinger’s works and S.E. Hinton’s books. These stories drew me into the art of character development – how much each person has to share, how every individual has a story. It surprises a lot of people, but Anne Rice’s books also entranced me. Her descriptions were so beautiful. She made me want to travel to New Orleans and Paris and anywhere her Vampires went. She taught me the power of setting.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
Finding a publisher for my first novel, Skinny, was a two year process. I had a writer friend who suggested I get out a piece of notebook paper and use each line to log submissions. She encouraged me to not give up on my project until every line of that paper was filled. I began researching houses who might be a good fit and networking whenever possible. In the end I met a gifted author, Bethany Pierce, who met her editor because they had both attended Miami University, which is also my alma mater and how I connected with Bethany. She put me in contact with her editor, who couldn’t use my manuscript, but recommended two other publishing houses who might be interested. I never heard back either way from one of those houses. The other one was NavPress who published my first three books.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or is it purely imagination?
My novel, It’s Complicated, tackles the topic of college relationships and date rape. Living in a college town, I am surrounded by college students and through my speaking engagements have had the pleasure of getting to know some amazing young people. It’s Complicated is a combination of events my friends and I experienced during our college years, things I observe around me at the University and stories students have shared with me. Specifically, several girls who had been date raped agreed to let me interview them, so I could tell this story authentically and accurately. It is not the story of any individual, but I wanted to maintain the integrity of common emotional themes and reactions that victims of sexual assault experience.

What project are you working on now?
I am currently writing the third book in The Status Updates series. It’s Complicated is the first book in this series. It’s Over is the second, and the third is slated to release in January.

Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
All four characters; Kat, Claire, Palmer and Hannah (college roommates) who appear in It’s Complicated will appear in all four books of this series. I have gotten so immersed in their characters. They have so much more they need to do and say and learn before I can get them out of my head.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
My biggest challenge of writing It’s Complicated was writing from four different points of view. Each main character gets her chance to be heard, and each of these girls has their own distinct personality. As I switched point of view from chapter to chapter, I had to be extremely cognizant of whose head I was in. I spent a lot of time during the editing phase, refining the individual girls’ voices.

What was your favorite chapter or part of the book to write and why?
That’s a difficult one. On any given day, a certain scene or dialogue might give me a thrill. Paris is one of my favorite places in the world, and writing the chapters set in Paris was great fun, as it allowed me to eat crepes and sit on the steps of Sacre Coeur all over again.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Keep writing. If you truly have the dream in your heart to write, then write. Write and write and write some more and then edit. Edit your work so many times that it shines, and then share it with a few trusted others. Take the advice they give you that resonates and edit again, and then send it out there. And keep sending it out over and over again, until every line on your piece of notebook paper is filled. Dreams take hard work, but they are absolutely worth it. Don’t let anybody stomp on your dreams.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
You are beautiful. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Thank you for all of your support.

For fun, describe It’s Complicated in four words.
Soulful. Honest. Relevant. Real.

Thank you Laura for you wonderful interview, and anyone who grew up reading Nancy Drew is amazing in my book!

My Review of It's Complicated
It’s Complicated is a beautiful story about four girls getting ready to go off to college, and how they deal with the obstacles in their way. It’s Complicated is Christian Fiction, not something that I tend to read because if it is not written just right, to me it can sound too preachy or forced. That is definitely not the case with It’s Complicated. The story about the girls takes the focus of the story, their faith factors in but does not overshadow the story. 

The story is told from alternating views of all four girls, Hannah, Palmer, Claire, and Kat. All four of the girls share a dorm room and bond instantly to each other. As we begin to learn about each character, something life changing happens to one of the girls, and how they deal with it will shape their entire friendship. It’s Complicated is a powerful story, because it deals with real issues and gives them a voice through the characters. 

The surrounding and the characters are very well developed so developed they feel like real people at a real college, because the story is about girls finding themselves and their way through the college experience. With each girl having a completely separate personality, it is beautiful to see it come together and form a tight group of friends. 

Whether you are into Christian fiction or not, It’s Complicated is necessary read especially for those college bound. It is a beautiful insight into the anxiety and fear or moving away from the parents and trying to live for once on your own. I know that I liked It’s Complicated so much that I will be coming back for the next installment in the Status Updates series. 

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

First giveaway is the author sponsored giveaway for an eCopy of It's Complicated via a smashwords coupon. 


Now for the Tour-Wide Giveaway
with over $250 in prizes!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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