Beware the Violet – Maraki Oglou

Tour Schedule:May 25 – Paige @popthebutterflyMay 26 – JP @mr.pink.inkMay 27 – Stacie @borenbooksMay 28 – Nikki @thereadingrebelMay 29 – Jasmine @thefreckledmindSynopsis:Discovering supernatural creatures are real is one thing but learning I have powers and learning to use them is quite a feat. My name is Violet Webb. I live in a small town that nearly worships Halloween but I hate it. I can’t wait until I graduate and get as far as I can from that silliness. Everything changed when I followed the white rabbit. I ended up in a Realm full of vampires, fairies, witches and every creature possible. Oh, Did I mention Jacques? The hot shapeshifter with the French accent that makes me see rabbits everywhere? Now what? Some bloody lady of Fate gave me a prophecy to get home. The only problem is that I must defeat the darkness before it swallows both of our worlds. Can I go through without making the ultimate sacrifice?Bio:My name is Maria Vermisoglou and I’m an International Bestselling fantasy author who loves throwing her heroes into impossible situations. I draw inspiration from books, travels and…the ceiling. (So, blame the ceiling!) I started writing 4 years ago when an idea came to me. That idea started all… When I’m not writing, I love a good riding on the fantasy dragon but a book can also be exciting along with a cup of tea. I’m currently residing in Crete as a librarian, battling monsters and supernatural creatures from overcoming the world.

True Alpha and the Red Moon by L. Wolford Jr.

Disclaimer: I received this e-book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

 

Book: True Alpha and the Red Moon

 

Author: L. Wolford Jr.

 

Book Series: Standalone

 

Rating: 3/5

 

Publication Date: November 3, 2017

 

Genre: Fantasy

 

Recommended Age: 16+ (slight violence and gore, prophecies)

 

Publisher: Indie Published

 

Pages: 119

 

Amazon Link

 

Synopsis: Born into violence, Tyler knew nothing of his birth. Kurt and Amelia raised Tyler as their own, keeping the circumstances of Tyler’s conception and birth a secret. After believing Kurt and Amelia were his real parents, once reaching the age of thirteen, Tyler felt he was different from other vampires and that something wasn’t right, which was later revealed as his past unraveled.
At Redwood, a school for vampires, witches, and wizards, Tyler’s best friends were Max, a vampire, and Emma, a witch, who’d both grown to care so much about Tyler as years went by. They were inseparable, but even they knew nothing of what Tyler really was.
Tyler soon found out how different he really was as secrets came from out the shadows and into the light, leaving Kurt and Amelia no choice but to tell Tyler about the dreadful day he was born. That’s when he hears about the prophecy foretelling that he could be the True Alpha, the true leader of worlds, the one who could unite every supernatural from not only their world but from different realms as well.
Now, tragedy leads Tyler on a journey to find out the truth, but first, he must learn to control his newfound gift.

 

Review: Overall, I thought this was a good book. The characters were engaging. The storyline was unique, albeit borrowed from Star Wars a bit. The book also did well to make the plot intriguing.

 

However, I do feel like the world building wasn’t as detailed as it could have been and that the pacing was too fast in my opinion. The book is also incredibly small and could have been expanded upon.

 

Verdict: it was a good book!

Carla by Michael Gryboski

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

 

Book: Carla

 

Author: Michael Gryboski

 

Book Series: Standalone

 

Rating: 4/5

 

Publication Date: April 4, 2017

 

Genre: Thriller

 

Recommended Age: 17+ (death, violence, gore, terrorism)

 

Publisher: Indie Published

 

Pages: 211

 

Amazon Link

 

Synopsis: Carla al-Hassan lives in two worlds.

In one, she is known as a mild-mannered young woman who dropped out of college to work full time to pay for her grandfather’s medical bills.

In the other, she is a professional killer who does the will of a mysterious domestic terrorist group called the Cicero Organization.

For years, Carla maintained this delicate balance. But a jealous act of betrayal and an investigation by a determined lawyer
threaten this balance…and her life.

 

Review: I really liked this book overall. I liked the characters and I thought the characters and the plot were very well developed. The book was full of plot twists and it really kept you on your toes.

 

However, I think that the writing could have been a bit better and I felt it was a bit too short. Other than that, that was my only complaint!

 

Verdict: A great book!

Cycles of the Phoenix: The Whole Interlaced Souls Series by Charlie Avinash Nicholas

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Cycles of the Phoenix: The Whole Interlaced Souls Series

Author: Charlie Avinash Nicholas

Book Series: Interlaced Souls Series

Rating: 1/5

Publication Date: May 4, 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Recommended Age: Can’t recommend, DNF-ed

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 306

Amazon Link

Synopsis: C.A. Nicholas’s magnum opus symphony is about to begin and he’s reserved a seat for you. So come on in and I’ll lead you to your place of honour as the house lights dim. Yes, your spot is beside the maestro as he teleports you and he through various worlds to befriend diverse souls who’ll reveal the beauty of your life through their stories.

***

C.A. Nicholas’s Interlaced Souls Series has ended and he has collected it into one tome on your behalf. “Cycles of the Phoenix” consists of “Sanity’s War”, “Strange: And Other Accounts from the Taboo War”, and “Kaya: Where Have You Gone?”

Hope, love, and perseverance infuse this art piece; ready to embrace anyone who feels lonely and enchained within the essence of a starless and moonless night. However, not all of his stories of fantasy, humour, and horror within may have happily ever afters though take heart in knowing that there is a humanity enriching purpose to any of the possibly devastating conclusions.

Review: I had to unfortunately DNF this one as well. I felt like that the writing was really stiff and it threw off the whole vibe of the book. The book almost felt like it just threw things out there and didn’t really conclude them either.

Verdict: Not for me.

Keyflame by Tallulah Lucy

Tour Schedule:

May 18 – Paige @popthebutterfly  

May 19 – JP @mr.pink.ink

May 20 – Stacie @borenbooks

May 21 – Vicki @ya_lover_and_reader

May 22 – Jasmine @thefreckledmind

May 23 – Laura @laurathebookunicorn

May 24 – Nikki @thereadingrebel  

book blurb: 

Lilah’s father taught her to be afraid of the world, but now he’s sending her to Grahamstown, a full day’s drive from home, to study.

Then he gets into legal trouble and she’s left stranded without a cent.Her classmate, Kalin, steps in to help. He’s argumentative, brooding and just mysterious enough to be attractive. When they’re ensconced in his study surrounded by old books and strange talismans, it’s easy to forget how many times she’s been warned that he’s bad news.The longer she stays in Grahamstown, and with Kalin, the more she doubts her sanity. Is the town haunted? Are leylines real? And what about the vivid dreams she keeps having of a fantasy world she thought she’d made up?Everyone is keeping secrets, and Lilah’s father may have had good reason for being so overprotective.Who is Kalin really, and what will loving him cost her?

About the author:

Tallulah studied journalism at Rhodes University in Grahamstown and has recurring dreams of returning to that strange and magical place. While working as a technology journalist in Johannesburg, she met a man at a gaming convention and followed him home to Cape Town, where they now live in a small apartment that’s completely overrun with books. If Tallulah ever retired from her career as a social media manager, she would spend her days going to art classes and taking online courses in rare and specific skills so she could bore more people at parties. 

Heir of Doom by Jina S. Bazzar Promo Tour!

 Roxanne Fosch has joined the Hunters. She no longer has to run and hide, but other problems have surfaced. Her clan has other plans for her, and even the combined might of the hunters might not be able to save her.To survive, Roxanne will have to choose between being labeled a traitor and cast out as a rogue – or join hands with the darker powers to save her life, and the lives of her friends.To achieve her goals, she’ll have to risk her life. But can she control the powers she’s still learning to use, and fears so much?

Last Memoria by Rachel Emma Snow

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

 

Book: Last Memoria

 

Author: Rachel Emma Snow

 

Book Series: Memoria Duology

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

Publication Date: May 10, 2020

 

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

Recommended Age: 15+ (memory loss, stealing memories, slight violence, some romance,… did I say memory loss?)

 

Publisher: Indie Published

 

Pages: 253

 

Amazon Link

 

Synopsis: Sarilla has learnt one thing from stealing memories. Everybody lies.

There’s nothing Sarilla hates more than stealing memories, but the king forces her to take them to keep his subjects in line. She wants to escape to where nobody knows what she is or what she can do, but her plans go awry when she runs into Falon.

Falon has a six month void in his memories that he’s desperate to restore. He doesn’t know why they were taken or what they contained, nor why the man he loves is acting so cagily about what happened during that time. He hopes to use Sarilla to get back his stolen memories and doesn’t care what she wants or why she’s desperate to escape. She will help him get them back, whether she wants to or not.

 

Review: Overall, this was a good book. The plot is interesting and the book forces you to think constantly throughout the book. The book had okay character development, I felt it was too rushed though and didn’t give the character enough to realistically make the change. Overall, I really thought the book was intriguing.

 

However, I did have some issues with this book. I feel like it didn’t have any worldbuilding. There was a lot of room to expand on this world and I felt like it wasn’t taken advantage of. The pace was also incredibly fast and it felt like it was running a race.

 

Verdict: It’s a good story, but needs to be polished a bit more.

Falling for Wolfe by Dawn Clifton

Tour Schedule:

May 11 – Paige @popthebutterfly

May 12 – JP @mr.pink.ink

May 13 – Stacie @borenbooks

May 14 – Nikki @thereadingrebel

May 15 – CE @chelscey

Just after the Civil War, 1865.Friendship. Deception. Passion. Obsession. Love. What else can one summer hold?
Julia Wescott, a head-strong and independent widow, is happily married to her work as a healer throughout the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Despite the occasional drama entailed with helping vacationers and locals, Julia is able to maintain a life of peace and balance. That is until a handsome stranger with alluring eyes and a seductive smile makes an uninvited visit to Julia’s secluded cabin. She should have listened to her instincts and stayed clear of Edwin Wolfe, but when her two best friends dare Julia to find answers regarding this man with a questionable past, she has little choice but to play along with his flirtatious advances. To Julia’s dismay, the game between her and Edwin is more exciting than she could have ever imagined, and somewhere along the way she risks breaking her own rule; never fall in love. Should she settle back into her comfortable life of predictability? In the midst of Julia’s dilemma, something unimaginable happens, leaving her without the freedom to choose. Julia’s life transforms into a battle of wit and survival. Will Julia’s faith be enough to keep her hope alive?

Primal Instincts by Peter Gulgowski

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the author! Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Primal Instincts

Author: Peter Gulgowski

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Diversity: LGBT characters, m/m romance

Publication Date: May 8, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (violence, gore, romance)

Publisher: Indie Published

Pages: 211

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Bred for entertainment, designed for war.

Nick Davis awoke in a facility with no recollection of how he got there. Memories of his life before this moment are few and blurred. Now, his survival depends on his ability to shapeshift into a wolf for a televised battle to the death known as The Primal Battle.

His prison—the Institute.

His directive—to be a ruthless hunter.

But where does humanity fit into the merging of science and media?

Desperate to unravel the mysteries of his past, Nick uncovers a sinister secret the Institute would kill to keep hidden. They think they know him down to the very code of his DNA, but true power lies in the unpredictability of freewill.

To survive the Institute, he must play their game. Yet Nick knows the cost may be too high. Can he fight the animalistic rage of his genetic programming to cling to the human roots he knows exist within him? Or will what’s left of his humanity be lost to the allure of violent chaos?

Review: The book was good overall. The characters were well developed and the world building was well done. The plot was intriguing and it kept me interested throughout the novel. I like the storyline overall. It’s unique and definitely for the Hunger Games and Red Rising lovers out there.

However, while I liked the LGBT representation I did feel like it was a bit forced. They weren’t the ideal match and their continued romance felt like it existed for the sake of existing. The ending was also rushed and very open ended, so possibly there’s another book in store but I’m not sure. I also didn’t like the slow pacing of the novel and I think the book could have pulled off a faster pace. Also, it’s a really short book. I think it could have been better if expanded.

Verdict: A good book!

Title: Primal Instincts
Author: Peter Gulgowski
Release Date: May 8th, 2020
Publisher: Self-Published

Genre(s): YOUNG ADULT FICTION–Dystopian, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Primal-Instincts-Peter-Gulgowski-ebook/dp/B085J2H2HX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=31WIEWCM63WWH&dchild=1&keywords=primal+instincts+peter+gulgowski&qid=1588123568&sprefix=Primal+Instincts%2Caps%2C317&sr=8-1

Author Bio: Born in August of 1996, Peter Gulgowski was an avid reader from early on. Having always had a wild imagination, it only came naturally for Gulgowski to come up with imaginary worlds and the people who live within them. Having started writing novels at only fourteen-years-old, Gulgowski published his debut novel, ‘The Government’, at eighteen.
Now, at twenty-three, Peter Gulgowski continues to make a name for himself in young-adult fiction, writing across an entire spectrum of genres.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading, listening to music, cooking, and playing video games.

Links:
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15397371.Peter_Gulgowski
Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Gulgowski/e/B01HH8G0II/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Website – https://www.petergulgowski.com/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/petergulgowski/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/petergulgowski
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsgL-DSJ6VW5I0bXfeom0gA

MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE THE TOUR SCHEDULE AND/OR THE LINK TO THE TOUR SCHEDULE IN YOUR POST! https://bellesbookishtours.wordpress.com/2020/04/28/tour-schedule-primal-instincts/

The Skin of Water: Defending the Dreamcatchers by Cristina Salat

Tour Schedule:

May 4 – Paige @popthebutterfly

May 5 – JP @mr.pink.ink

May 6 – Stacie @borenbooks

May 7 – Jen @3chairsbooks

May 8 – Jasmine @thefreckledmind

THE SKIN OF WATER: DEFENDING THE DREAMCATCHERS SYNOPSIS:Lisel Martinez is not a rough-&-tumble girl, so what is someone more interested in poetry and plants on the mesas of New Mexico than in having a hot social life doing out on the night streets of San Francisco? Is there anything one contemporary pueblo teen who no longer has a home can do to keep herself safe in a place that feels anything but? Empowerment is just a word…until you live it. https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Water-Defending-Dreamcatchers/dp/1523793627ABOUT THE AUTHOR:It has been said that those who choose islands, also choose the sea. Award-winning author Cristina Salat has spent a lifetime traveling between the worlds of writing/publishing, national forests, homeless shelters, movie sets, tropical islands, and her own imagination. When not immersing in ancient sacred sites on this beautiful planet, she presently makes her home on an active volcano and spends much time pondering, researching and writing about the state of the world towards helping it transform into one that is…kinder.Her writing includes the ever-evolving ‘Gathering The Dreamcatchers’ companion novels: Living In Secret, The Skin of Water: Defending The Dreamcatchers, Esoterica, Paradise Found and the forthcoming Living In Light as well as the literary and screen novels: Alias Diamond Jones of the Ghostwriter series, Eleven-Eleven/Huck Finn: Girl Pirates Extraordinaire, W.A.R.P, Swimming Lessons, Like A Mother, and Irresistibly Yours. She is also the author of illustrated children’s books: Peanut’s Emergency, Step-Whales, Witzel’s Wish, Frogdemona: Precious Pest along with numerous Green Flame Omnimedia “Slims” (explorations of life’s defining moments in slender volumes) including: After Titanic, America The Beautiful, Summer Friends, Rabonchone, Going Home, Time of the Bear and Living In Hawaii: A Five Act Adventure (so far!)Most titles available in singular as well as various combo e-pub and trade print editions wherever fine books are found. Personalized collector editions can also be obtained from the author’s cozy corner e-store: http://creativecornucopia.miiduu.com or website: http://cristinasalat.wixsite.com/website/contact where she delights in hearing from readers, writers & thinkers…

THE SKIN OF WATER: DEFENDING THE DREAMCATCHERS SYNOPSIS:Lisel Martinez is not a rough-&-tumble girl, so what is someone more interested in poetry and plants on the mesas of New Mexico than in having a hot social life doing out on the night streets of San Francisco? Is there anything one contemporary pueblo teen who no longer has a home can do to keep herself safe in a place that feels anything but? Empowerment is just a word…until you live it. https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Water-Defending-Dreamcatchers/dp/1523793627ABOUT THE AUTHOR:It has been said that those who choose islands, also choose the sea. Award-winning author Cristina Salat has spent a lifetime traveling between the worlds of writing/publishing, national forests, homeless shelters, movie sets, tropical islands, and her own imagination. When not immersing in ancient sacred sites on this beautiful planet, she presently makes her home on an active volcano and spends much time pondering, researching and writing about the state of the world towards helping it transform into one that is…kinder.Her writing includes the ever-evolving ‘Gathering The Dreamcatchers’ companion novels: Living In Secret, The Skin of Water: Defending The Dreamcatchers, Esoterica, Paradise Found and the forthcoming Living In Light as well as the literary and screen novels: Alias Diamond Jones of the Ghostwriter series, Eleven-Eleven/Huck Finn: Girl Pirates Extraordinaire, W.A.R.P, Swimming Lessons, Like A Mother, and Irresistibly Yours. She is also the author of illustrated children’s books: Peanut’s Emergency, Step-Whales, Witzel’s Wish, Frogdemona: Precious Pest along with numerous Green Flame Omnimedia “Slims” (explorations of life’s defining moments in slender volumes) including: After Titanic, America The Beautiful, Summer Friends, Rabonchone, Going Home, Time of the Bear and Living In Hawaii: A Five Act Adventure (so far!)Most titles available in singular as well as various combo e-pub and trade print editions wherever fine books are found. Personalized collector editions can also be obtained from the author’s cozy corner e-store: http://creativecornucopia.miiduu.com or website: http://cristinasalat.wixsite.com/website/contact where she delights in hearing from readers, writers & thinkers……like YOU! 🙂