Dystopian Giveaway Hop (Int)

I love the Dystopian Genre!  Many thanks to My Shelf Confessions and I am a Reader, Not a Writer for their work in getting this hop together.

For this hop, I am choosing to spotlight books that I have not read, but really want to read.  Since I haven't read them and they look very good to me, I wanted to let another person have the opportunity to read it!

There will be one winner who will get to choose one of the books listed below.  To find out more, click on the picture of the book and you will be taken to it's Goodreads page.

This will be an international contest as long as the Book Depository ships to your address.  Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond.  My terms and conditions are listed to the right.  They will be listed at the bottom of the rafflecopter form.  Entry is through the form.  Using one of the options will gain one entry, you may choose to enter with other following, tweeting, etc.  The odds of winning are based on the number of entries.  Once you have finished here, continue to the other blogs and enter their giveaways also.

Check out the other giveaways I am participating in... links are to the right. :) a Rafflecopter giveaway

"The Guardians of the Finisher's Fury" by Frank Cole ~ read an Excerpt

Silence settled in the room as I thought through my options. Who was I kidding? I needed to be back in the hunt to be truly happy. I could rest once we found the final artifact.
“Okay.” I tucked the tickets back into the envelope. “I’ll do it.”
“You’ll go to Egypt?” he asked, clapping his hands together.
“I’ll go to Egypt.”

Amber and Trendon are on summer break and life seems like it’s finally back to normal. However, their vacation ends abruptly when a mysterious messenger summons them to Egypt. Dorothy and her team have found an ancient artifact, the final Weapon of Might, and they need Amber’s connection with the Shomehr to recover it.

The mission goes smoothly—until they obtain the artifact. Then everything goes wrong—very wrong. Friends become enemies, and enemies become allies. Now Amber and Trendon must race against time before the Weapons of Might are united and the Finisher’s Fury is unleashed.

This action-packed adventure from bestselling author Frank L. Cole promises entertainment, excitement, and enigma as it brings the Guardians series to an electrifying conclusion.

Read an Excerpt

********************

“Boss?” Temel’s voice broke the stream of static. “You may have a problem. Found a pair of tracks that follow as he panted.

Dorothy squeezed the radio harder. “How much time do we have?”

"Dunno. I don't see anyone up ahead."

"Could they have gone elsewhere? Doubled back or walked past the opening?" Her voice sounded urgent, frightened.

“Don’t think so,” Temel answered.

“Are you coming here now?” She signaled to the others and the sound of arming weapons clattered throughout the cave.

“Yes. I should be there in the monastery in twenty, maybe thirty minutes, if nothing else goes wrong. But, boss, there’s something else.”

“What?” She checked the sight of her gun and clicked off the safety. I noticed Trendon eyeballing one of the spare guns lying on the ground next to the cots.

From somewhere out on the other end of the corridor, something growled. Everyone in the room spun around and aimed their weapons toward the opening of the cave.

My breath caught in my throat as the growl increased in volume and transformed into what could only be described as the sound of a woman howling in agony. A breeze blew through the opening carrying with it the musty scent of a wet animal. In an instant, all the lanterns in the room dimmed to where I could barely see in front of me.

“The tracks aren’t human,” Temel said, right before Dorothy switched off the knob of the radio and the room plunged into silence.

********************

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

I have had the opportunity to read the first two books in the series.  I found them to be great books.  To read my reviews, click on the titles below.

Guardians of the Hidden Scepter * The Guardians of Elijah's Fire

About Frank Cole: Frank L. Cole has lived in such exotic places as the Philippines and Kentucky, and currently lives with his wife and three children out west. While he strived for years to earn his publishing credits, Frank considers sharing his message of “Exercising Your Imagination” to over 45,000 kids across the country as his greatest accomplishment. The Guardians of the Finisher’s Fury is Frank’s seventh published book.

You can learn more about his writing at franklewiscole.blogspot.com.

Book Blast ~ "When Stars Die" by Amber Forbes + Giveaway @amberskyef

When Stars Die
by Amber Forbes
Release Date: 10/22/13

Summary from Goodreads:
Amelia Gareth's brother is a witch and the only way to save her family from the taint in his blood is to become a professed nun at Cathedral Reims. However, in order to become professed, she must endure trials that all nuns must face.

Surviving these trials is not easy, especially for Amelia, who is being stalked by shadowy beings only she can see. They're searching for people they can physically touch, because only those they can touch can see them. Amelia soon learns why she is being stalked when she accidentally harms her best friend with fire during the third trial. Fire is a witch's signature. The shadows are after witches.

Now Amelia must decide what to do: should she continue on her path to profession knowing there is no redemption, or should she give up on her dream and turn away from Cathedral Reims in order to stop the shadows who plan to destroy everything she loves?

Available from:

 

Read an Excerpt:

********************

The sound is a dagger scraping crosshatches on a frosted windowpane, its echoes loud in this insensible room I’ve been locked in for the past few days. I want to remedy my fears over the sound, but I’m more terrified of the impending trials that will determine my readiness to be professed in the Order of Cathedral Reims. The trials are the reason I have been locked in here.

Colette sits beside me, lost in knitting a scarf she has been working on for a week—the amount of time we’ve been trapped in here with minimal food, water, and sanity. Her ability to shut out the world with a click of the needles is something I have always envied. For her, the world is nonexistent.

But not for me.

The sound strips my nerves raw, so I tighten my shawl and rise from the creaking mattress. My boot-clad feet meet the floor, and in spite of my stockings, cold still shoots through the soles, hibernating in my bones. Pulling in a deep breath of biting air, I tiptoe over to the door and press my eye to the keyhole that overlooks a bright hallway. The air freezes in my chest. I knew I heard those blasted shadows, the eerie, almost impossible sounds they make whenever their black cloaks trail along the cobbled floors of Cathedral Reims. Sometimes I wonder if they’re witches, people born of the Seven Deadly Sins and considered worse than murderers in the eyes of the law. Then I remember my little brother is nothing like them. They are mere shadows. Mere shadows.

Two of them stand outside the room. I recognize them. The tall one is Asch, and the little one is Sash. I don’t know where I heard their names. Here, in my dreams, in nightmares, or somewhere else.

I wish they would go away. I wish, I wish, I wish. I close my eyes. Open them. They are still there. Why must they be here? Theosodore, our Mother Superior’s lackey, could gather us any moment for the first trial, a trial that will test everything we are made of, and here are Asch and Sash teasing my nerves with their cold, white fingers. But I don’t know what it is about them. They haven’t done anything in the two months since I’ve started seeing them, but their presence makes sharp fear burrow into my muscles and knot them. I believe I’m the only one who can see them. This frightens me. Perhaps waiting for these trials has made me mad. 

********************

About the Author

Amber Skye Forbes is a dancing writer who prefers pointe shoes over street shoes, leotards over skirts, and ballet buns over hairstyles. She loves striped tights and bows and will edit your face with a Sharpie if she doesn't like your attitude. She lives in Augusta, Georgia where she writes dark fiction that will one day put her in a psychiatric ward...again. But she doesn't care because her cat is a super hero who will break her out.

Author Links:
   

***GIVEAWAY***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

LDS Inspirational Book review ~ "Written On Our Hearts" by Emily Freeman

Written on Our Hearts by Emily Freeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Source: Received to Review
Genre: LDS Inspirational

Book Description: In the midst of every challenge or adversity, one thing is certain—the Lord will deliver us, and the Old Testament can help us understand how. We may not be called upon to cross the Red Sea, be led into captivity, or be confronted by armies with strength far greater than ours. But there will be days when we face obstacles, danger, oppression, and injustice. And in those moments we can recall how to trust like Gideon, to build like Nehemiah, to plead like Hezekiah, and to stand up for what we know like Micah. We can draw strength from courageous prophets and prophetesses, from great women and mothers in Israel. And we can experience the sustaining power these biblical stories can have in our own battles of life as we remember that just as the Lord delivered the children of Israel, He has the power to deliver us.


My thoughts: Emily Freeman has written a book that takes principals and stories from the Old Testament and illustrates how the can apply to us in our lives today.

On page 2 she has written words that state, "So when things don't seem to be going exactly right, when the whole world seems to be crashing down around you, when you aren't quite sure if you are any good at anything, you might want to turn to Moses, or Abraham, or Genesis, and be reminded, God saw every thing that he had mad, and, behold, it was very good. Every thing."

There are times in our lives when we are drawn to books that are there to help us in our times of crisis or need. First, the Lord has given us his Holy Scriptures. He then has given mankind insights to be uplifted to understand the gifts that He has given us. Today Emily Freeman provided me with that gift.

I have had an extremely trying time, it came to a head in my attitude and my toleration for the things going on around me. If I could have run away, I think I would have. Instead I read this book. It lifted the burden that I am carrying and gave me hope that life will work out. Pgs 116 and 117. "Sometimes life requires us to shoulder a heavy load. It might be one we have not chosen. Often it is one from which we cannot get free....If someone who is dear to us shoulders this kind of load, we must remember that all is not lost:....There is One who can give us rest from bondage, who can remove the yoke." Sometimes it is good to be reminded of the truth's that I know.

This book deals with teachings from the Old Testament, but has an LDS viewpoint on them. The author talks about sending children on missions, Visiting Teaching, etc. These are activities that members of the LDS faith participate in. The messages delivered are for all people regardless of church affiliation. The lessons learned from the Old Testament are priceless.

Purchase Links:

Deseret Book * Barnes & Noble * Amazon

About Emily:  Emily Freeman took her first creative writing class in high school and has loved writing ever since. She finds great joy in studying the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Her deep love of the scriptures comes from a desire to find their application in everyday life. She is the author of several books, including The Ten Virgins; 21 Days Closer to Christ;and The Promise of Enough. There is nothing Emily enjoys more for breakfast than a bowl of vanilla ice cream, raspberries, and chocolate chips. Other favorites include parades, vacations, firework displays, and going for a long walk with a good friend. Emily and her husband, Greg, live in Lehi, Utah, with their four children, whom she adores.

Book Blast ~ "Arbitrate" by Megan Thomason + Gift Card Giveaway

Tour Schedule

Remember The Second Chance Institute (SCI).

It's one year later. And everything has changed. 

Earth’s benevolent non-profit by day, Thera’s totalitarian regime by night. They’ve stepped up their game on Earth and on Thera—infiltrating political parties, preying on the downtrodden, and planning offensive maneuvers. The SCI’s abuse of their charter leads to Arbiter oversight and bitter consequences.

Remember Kira Donovan. Broken, burdened, and evading those who wish her harm, Kira enlists the Arbiters’ help when forced to return to the clutches of the SCI and her angry, estranged love.

Remember Blake Sundry. Exiled, determined, and packing an agenda, Blake seeks assistance on Earth and Thera to use his newfound knowledge to bring down the SCI.

Remember Ethan Darcton. Overworked, emotional, and holding a grudge, Ethan hunts down his stolen property, but finds himself in awkward territory, stuck between the Arbiters and the SCI.

Full of action, competing agendas, romantic entanglements, humor, twists and turns, arbitrate is Megan Thomason’s third installment in the award-winningdaynight series after daynight and clean slate complex (a daynight story).

 

Amazon kindle

Praise for arbitrate: "There are a lot of books I finish and feel happy, this one I finished and my head is swirling, in a totally awesome way! Not only does it have a great story with characters that you like (and some you just hate as they are the enemy) but the book also gets you thinking, thinking about the implication of effects of different actions and courses in life. This story has action, fighting, plots and plans, romance, love triangles, family, betrayal - has it all." --Emily Barton, Emmy Mom One Day at a Time blog, 5 stars

 "You have hit this one out of the park." --ARC Reviewer

 "For the record, I LOVED Kira's choice!! And the whole thing just blew me away! Very, very well done!! Now when can I get my hands on generate?! Can't wait " --ARC Reviewer

 "Read my ARC of Arbitrate and consider my mind blown! I started it the minute it was sent and couldn't put it down." --ARC Reviewer

Read an Excerpt:

********************

 “I’m angry at all of them. Every SCI leader. In fact Joshua gave me a list of those who are Earth-side. It makes for a great to-do list.” They all deserve to pay. I’m done talking. It’s time for some action. One thousand one. One thousand two. One thousand three. That’s all it takes to even out my breathing and steady my hand. I shift the crosshairs on my target ever so slightly—from his heart to his hand—and pull the trigger. My father would be proud that all his training paid off. Oh, who am I kidding? He’d find something to criticize about my work here. Sad that even though he’s gone I can hear him saying, “If you’d hit a little to the left you’d have taken out a higher concentration of nerves.”

*********************

  daynight Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Earth's benevolent non-profit by day, Thera's totalitarian regime by night. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Life(TM). Reality: the SCI subjects Second Chancers to strict controls and politically motivated science experiments like Cleaving--forced lifetime union between two people who have sex. Punishment for disobeying SCI edicts? Immediate Exile or death. Meet Kira Donovan. Fiercely loyal, overly optimistic, and ensnared by the promise of a full-ride college scholarship, Kira signs the SCI Recruit contract to escape memories of a tragedy that left her boyfriend and friends dead. Meet Blake Sundry. Bitter about being raised in Exile and his mother's death, Blake's been trained to infiltrate and destroy the SCI. Current barrier to success? His Recruit partner--Miss Goody Two Shoes Kira Donovan. Meet Ethan Darcton. Born with a defective heart and resulting inferiority complex, Ethan's forced to do his SCI elite family's bidding. Cleave-worthy Kira Donovan catches his eye, but the presiding powers give defect-free Blake Sundry first dibs. Full of competing agendas, romantic entanglements, humor, twists and turns, daynight is an award-winning, bestselling novel and first in thedaynight series.  

Download a FREE copy of daynight

Available for FREE on Amazon

October 29th, 30th & 31st

  Praise for daynight: 2012 Book of the Year Award Finalist-Young Adult Fiction, ForeWord Reviews

 "Sure to win over YA readers looking for a dangerous, dystopian adventure story" —Kirkus Reviews

 "Gripping young adult dystopian novel; compelling conflicts; high stakes; powerful narrative; surprises keep coming; strong writing; page-turner; engaging characters; Readers will be hungry for the sequels.”—BlueInk

Review (starred review) "Thomason's description of Thera's totalitarianism will make fans of Brave New World shiver... SCI, her fantasy corporation, has disturbing parallels to actual companies and regimes that claim to do good while harming people... The author deftly appeals to both romance-loving teens as well as those intrigued by young adults fighting the establishment.”—ForeWord Clarion Review, 4 stars

  Author Megan Thomason Bestselling, award-winning author Megan Thomason lives in paradise aka San Diego, CA with her husband and five children. A former software manager, Megan vastly prefers writing twisted tales to business, product, and marketing plans. When she isn't typing away on her laptop, she's reading books on her phone--over 600 in the last year--or attending to the needs of her family. Megan's fluent in sarcasm, could potentially benefit from a 12-step program for road rage, struggles with a Hot Tamales addiction, loves world travel & fast cars and hates paperwork & being an insomniac.  

Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Twitter

  BookBlast Giveaway $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/18/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz ~ "Morrigan" by Laura DeLuca + giveaway @authorldeluca

Morrigan
by Laura DeLuca
Release Date: 11/08/12

Summary from Goodreads:
Shuffled from place to place in the foster system, Morrigan doesn't know the meaning of home. Plus, she is different. She has power over fire, the ability to move objects with her mind, and glimpse into the future. Just when she believes her life can’t get any stranger, she discovers her true identity.

Filtiarn, a knight with a dark past and a surprising secret, has been tasked with guiding the heir of Tír na NÓg through countless perils to be returned to her family. Once Morrigan has been reunited with her mother and grandmother, their triad can save the forgotten land of magic from being devoured by an ancient evil.

Available from:

  

Read an Excerpt:

********************

“Guardians!” A low snarl emanated from the back of his throat. “What are you doing with Guardians?”

“Stop it! Sit down!”

Morrigan wasn’t sure who she was addressing, the man or the animals. Luckily, they both obeyed her command. She stepped in between them to avoid any further confrontations. The cats took a seat on either side her legs, but their posture hardly relaxed. They still glared warily at the newcomer, even though their hisses died down to an occasional soft growl.

“Dirty, filthy beasts!” Tiarn snarled as he climbed to his feet. “I hate Guardians.”

“They’re just little cats,” Morrigan told him. “What’s the big deal?”

“Just cats! Hah!” He was standing at a careful distance, even though they had started licking their paws nonchalantly. “They are much more than simple cats! Though even those I find distasteful.”

 Morrigan narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Never mind. It does not matter.” Tiarn dismissed her question with a wave of his hand. “They are not coming with us.

 “They most certainly are coming!”

Tiarn growled again. “I beg to differ with you, Your Highness. They would only get in the way.  Possibly even get killed.”

Danu raised her head from her grooming to hiss at him again, as though she had taken that last statement as a personal threat. The strange reaction of her faithful sidekicks made Morrigan wonder again just how much Tiarn could be trusted. She also wondered why, when she wasn’t sure she could trust him, she still felt the undeniable urge to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him.

 “If they stay here alone, they’ll definitely get killed or at least sent to the pound,” Morrigan told him. “I can’t let that happen. So, they’re coming. End of story.”

Tiarn’s eyes flashed dangerously, and he looked like he wanted to argue, but thought better of it. “Very well, Princess. Bring your mongrel felines. Just keep in mind that Guardians and lycans do not mix well.”

“Lycans?” Morrigan repeated.

A sick feeling started to settle in her stomach, as the truth of his words sunk in. It all started to make sense—his hairy arms and chest, his reaction to the cats, even his earlier comment about smelling her out. Her dark knight had a much darker side than she had ever seen in her dreams.

 “Why yes, Your Majesty. Did you not realize? You are a witch and a sorceress. And I, your faithful traveling companion, am a lycan—a werewolf.”

********************

About the Author

Laura "Luna" DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and three children. She has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. Old high school friends would tell you she was always scratching in her notebook instead of paying attention in class and the children she used to babysit for always loved to hear her scary stories at bedtime. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.

Author Links:
   

***GIVEAWAY***

Smudge stick with abalone shell, snake necklace, tumbled stones, incense, natural stone pendant and wood trinket box. (US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Book Promo ~ "A Soft Landing" by Stacey Blake

As A Soft Landing opens, Stacey Blake tries to process her instant life-changing diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). She is immediately immersed in a world of serious medical procedures, including a bone marrow biopsy and preparation for a stem cell transplant. Throughout her journey, she looks for signs of reassurance from the Almighty.

Stacey alternates accounts of her years of leukemia treatment and setbacks with chapters relating to her business, personal, and spiritual growth, including meeting her husband Tom, visitations by angels, and a near-death experience. Through prayer and reflection, Stacey finds a deep sense of peace — and miracles begin to occur as she is enveloped in loving kindness.

Tom tries to make sense of why this disease invaded their lives, asking if it is a punishment for misdeeds of the past, while Stacey sees the cancer as an invaluable life lesson — a call to action — for compassion, empathy, patience, and faith. When Stacey is at her lowest point, she finds love unlike anything she had ever dreamt in Tom's eyes. The hand of God is on her, guiding and protecting her.

She faces grieving for her old life and self and takes the brave steps needed to let go. Stacey shares the meaning of A Soft Landing - knowing that no matter how much pain or how far away from God we may have traveled, we can always come back home and rest within Him.

Amazon * Book Depository * Barnes & Noble

About Stacey Blake: An extremely successful businesswoman, Stacey Blake co-founded and ran a popular frozen food company for over twenty-eight years. She was twice awarded the Ronald Reagan Gold Medal for Leadership, as well as twice named New Hampshire Businesswoman of the Year. An inspirational memoir, A Soft Landing is her first book.