The Unknown Random: September 2013

Friday, 27 September 2013

Blog Tour Review: Escape From Eden by Elisa Nader + Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on The Darkest Part blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

Escape from Eden
by Elisa Nader
Release Date: 18th August 2013
Merit Press
213 pages
Buy it! Amazon | B&N | Powell's | IndieBound

Since the age of ten, Mia has lived under the iron fist of the fundamentalist preacher who lured her mother away to join his fanatical family of followers. In Edenton, a supposed “Garden of Eden” deep in the South American jungle, everyone follows the Reverend’s strict but arbitrary rules—even the mandate of whom they can marry. Now sixteen, Mia dreams of slipping away from the armed guards who keep the faithful in, and the curious out. When the rebellious and sexy Gabriel, a new boy, arrives with his family, Mia sees a chance to escape.

But the scandalous secrets the two discover beyond the compound’s façade are more shocking than anything they ever imagined. While Gabriel has his own terrible secrets, he and Mia bond together, more than friends and freedom fighters. But is there time to think of each other as they race to stop the Reverend’s paranoid plan to free his flock from the corrupt world? Can two teenagers crush a criminal mastermind? And who will die in the fight to save the ones they love from a madman who’s only concerned about his own secrets?

ADVANCED PRAISE

"The chemistry between Mia and Gabriel is palpable in their teasing dialogue and sizzling moments of physical connection. Its rewards … are many: fast-moving action, a capable heroine and a resolution that leaves plenty of room for a sequel.” – Kirkus Reviews [STARRED REVIEW]

“Debut author Elisa Nader hits a strong note with her ESCAPE FROM EDEN… At-times swoony, at-times extremely dangerous, and at-other times completely shocking.” - Examiner.com

"Nader has done something amazing: written a really original novel, one full of characters you’ll care about; smart, witty dialog; and plenty of shocks and thrills. A wonderful balance of light and dark." —Michael Grant, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Gone Series

"An exciting, terrifying, page-turning thrill ride you will not be able to put down.” - Gretchen McNeil, Author of POSSESS, TEN and 3:59

About the Author

Hi. I'm Elisa. I like cheese and reading and TV show marathons. Writing is scary, but not as scary as, say Civil War amputations. I'm an Aquarius. Uh... let's see... I'm not very good at writing my own biography. Or autobiography. I guess this is reading more like a slightly incoherent personal ad.

Find her!

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Review!

First impressions.....

I am the type of person who is guilty of judging a book by its cover. However, just because I don't particularly like the cover does not mean I would not read the blurb or try it out.

For this book, I wasn't really crazy about it... I thought it could've been way prettier and more meaningful due to the story but that was ok. I loved the girl's eyes though... so green.... but I don't know it that's contacts or....

Anyways, the plot was the reason why I was so drawn to reading this story. It was original and I've never read anything like it before. It was about a girl, Mia living in 'The Garden of Eden'. This place is basically like a prison and Mia is questioning about her life there and also the God-loving dude who runs the place. Trust me, I have nothing against religion (I'm not an atheist) but this was like using religion as an excuse for extreme actions.

It is quite frustrating how everyone thinks it is ok. They worship him and after day after day of always praying and praising God. He is the one sinning and killing people.

Gabriel is one of the new members of this 'community' (if you call it that...) and he reminded Mia of the world that she was forced to leave. This leads to having her ideas about things that may leave her in trouble.

This story was way darker than I thought it was and that made it even more compelling. I loved every single page that I read and I hope to read more from Elisa Nader!

GIVEAWAY!

Win...

(2) Sets of Moleskine Sketchbook, set of Le Pen colour fine tip pens, a copy of Otherkin andOthermoon by Elisa's crit partner Nina Berry, and a personalized copy of Escape from Eden!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for the visiting =)

Tuesday, 24 September 2013

Blog Tour Promo: In Harmony by Helena Newbury + GIVEAWAY

Release Date: September 21st 2013

Everyone expects her to succeed….

Karen plays the cello like an angel, and it’s the only thing that makes her truly feel alive. But her father’s dream—for her to join a prestigious orchestra—leaves no time in her life for anything but music…not even love. Trapped on her path, she doesn’t know how to rebel.

Everyone expects him to fail….

Connor plays rock guitar like the devil himself, and his ability has got him all the way from a dead-end life in Belfast to a scholarship at Fenbrook Academy. But beneath his arrogance and charm, he doesn’t believe he has what it takes. He’s spent his time in New York drinking and partying, and the only future he sees is a return to Ireland as soon as he flunks out.

But what no one expects….

When Karen’s duet partner is injured, the bad boy guitarist and the shy, sheltered cellist are forced to team up. Neither likes the idea, but what begins as anger and distrust slowly spirals into love…and lust. If they can face up to their feelings, they might just have a chance together. If Connor will allow Karen to stop his fall, maybe he can show her a life she never thought possible....

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helena Newbury is a New Adult Romance author with a love of bakingly hot summer days, strawberry gelato, good coffee and interesting people. Unlike the characters in her books, Helena cannot dance, act or play anything (though she is substantially more flexible since she started writing Dance For Me and tried doing dancer’s stretches, so she's hoping that something will rub off on her from each book).

Helena writes in a very noisy, very busy coffee shop which means she sometimes end up mainlining caffeine to keep her seat. You’ll know when this happens because she’ll still be on Twitter that night at 4am.

She loves meeting and talking with other authors, traveling to new places and discovering new books. You can find her on:
www.helenanewbury.com | @HelenaAuthor | facebook.com/HelenaNewburyAuthor

GIVEAWAY

Win $50 Amazon Gift Card [OPEN INT'LY]

Win "Dance For Me" & "In Harmony" eBooks [OPEN INT'LY]

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, 19 September 2013

Excerpt: Shiloh by Helena Sorensen + Giveaway!

Release Date: April 22nd 2013

Publisher: Alpha Wolf Publishing

Purchase: Amazon

In a world of perpetual darkness, a boy is born who wields remarkable power over fire. Amos is no more than seven when he kills a Shadow Wolf and becomes a legend in Shiloh. He would be destined for great things were it not for the stories his father tells about a world beyond the Shadow and a time before the Shadow. Only madmen hold to such tales, and in Shiloh, they have always come to bad ends.

Amos is fearless. He walks with easy confidence, certain that the Shadow cannot touch him. Even his family is in awe of him. His father marvels at his skill with the bow, his mother thanks the gods that he has all the courage she lacks, and his sister, Phebe, worships him for saving her from an attack of the Shadow Cats.

On a trip to the village of Emmerich, Amos rescues the Magistrate’s son, Simeon, from the village bullies. Simeon, fair-skinned and pale-eyed like other Dreamers in Shiloh’s history, becomes Amos’s constant companion and dearest friend. Simeon becomes a part of Amos’s family, listening to fireside stories told in a way he’s never heard them before and learning to wield a bow and arrow.

The year the boys turn twelve, they are itching to prove themselves. An impetuous plan to steal a beautiful lantern goes miserably awry, and the lantern’s owner prophecies that Amos will be devoured by the Shadow. For the first time, a seed of fear is planted in Amos’s mind, and when his father is killed by a Shadow Wolf on the last day of the Great Hunt, the fear takes hold. If so great and brave a man as his father could fall to the Shadow, what hope has he?

Buy your copy of Shiloh today to find out more ... or wait on our give away and maybe you can win it!

About the Author

It is only in recent years that Helena Sorensen discovered how deep her love is for epic fantasy. In preparation for writing Shiloh, and as part of her independent education in literature, Helena has read scores of books: books for children and young adults and adults, National Book Award Winners, and Newberry Honor Books. But she always comes back to the fantasy novels. Helena loves the idea that anything is possible in the world of fantasy. There is no limit to the imagination, and she can choose to embark on any kind of adventure.

Find Her!

Website |Twitter | Facebook

GIVEAWAY!

Win

-A Paperback of Shiloh (US Only)

- $15 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hop on to another blog for interviews, guest posts and more!

Sept. 16 - As the page turns *Interview

The Book Town *Review & Excerpt
Faerie Tale Books *Blurb & Excerpt

Sept. 17 - A Dream Within A Dream *Blurb & Excerpt

Everything Marie *Review & Excerpt
Lost in Ever After *Guest Post

Sept. 18 - We All Make Mistakes In Books *Interview

The Library *Review & Favorite Quotes

Sept. 19 - Reading the Alphabet *Guest Post

The Unknown Random *Blurb & Excerpt
Vicariously! *Review & Excerpt

Sept. 20 - Rose & Beps Blog *Blurb & Excerpt
Bound 4 Escape *Review & Excerpt
Novels they Wrote or Movies they Made *Review & Favorite Quotes
Reading In Twilight *Interview

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Review: Waiting for Dusk by Nancy Pennick + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Waiting for Dusk blog tour hosted by Young Bound Book Tours!

Waiting For Dusk
by Nancy Pennick
Release Date: 27th November 2012
227 pages
Purchase Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Read a book.
Fall asleep.
Meet a boy.
Is it real or just a dream?
Katie’s everyday life suddenly turns exciting when she travels back in time and meets the boy of her dreams. Thinking of nothing else, willing to leave the real world behind, she’s determined to find out if it’s all a dream or not. Returning again and again, Katie almost has her answers until one day her precious book goes missing.

About the Author

Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Nancy currently resides in Mentor, Ohio with her husband and their college-age son, plus a delightfully entertaining lovebird. She secretly wrote short stories as a child, typed them up and put them in a drawer. She’d give anything to see those stories one more time. Her writing is influenced by all the years of working with young people as a teacher and raising her own son. When not writing, Nancy loves to travel with her husband and enjoys a good cup of tea.

Find her!

Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Website

Review

I was disappointed when it ended.... really...

So, Katie is a typical teenager and is bored during the summer break. Her mum lent her the book to help her get over the boredom not knowing that Katie was going to fall in love.

Katie reads the book and falls asleep. Travelling to a place she's never been before and a time way long before hers but, she convinces herself it was just a dream.

Before I actually read this book, I thought that it was about a girl being in a fictional book every time she goes to sleep and I was quite excited to read it but... the story isn't like that. (I had a very short version of the blurb!)

However, the book didn't fail to entertain me. I was very interested and it always kept my attention. I don't usually read books about time traveling however, this book kind of opened a new world to me and it also educated me as well. I mean.... I didn't know that there were dishwashers around the 1920s... I mean did you??

There is a small love triangle embedded in this story and for some reason, I kinda rooted for the other guy... I usually root for the other guy... like Jacob from Twilight and Ren from Nightshade by Andrea Cremer- until... the guy was really stalkerish and creepy. C'mon! And he's hot as well... what a shame... what a really, really huge shame...

I instantly liked Katie from the beginning. She was like me- a teenager and I felt a connection with her. Felt that she was quite young to fall in love with this dude but oh well....

One thing that I didn't really particularly enjoy was that the plot twist was at the end. So, when I'm still surprised because something really big happens...
It.
Fricking.
Ends.

I flipped that pages back and forth to check if I missed anything out (I didn't) I quietly screamed Argghhhh!!!! (If that makes sense....)

Is this like cliffhanger or something because, I would like it to be a cliffhanger. You cannot end a story like that.
I'm sorry... if that is the ending of Katie's story then I would like the end to re-written.
I was sitting so comfortably in my chair and I'm like oh mi god, oh mi god.... then the words

The End

Appear. So disappointed. I hope this is a cliffhanger. I'm still confused and it's been 2 weeks since I finished it....

Anyways, really good book. Cute and very realistically written (well... excluding the time traveling bit.) If there is a sequel to this, then I'm definitely buying it. So yeah...... read it people!

---Update---
So apparently there is a sequel.............. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!

GIVEAWAY

Win 3 e-book copies of Waiting For Dusk (PDF or Mobi) (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As you already know, I'm part of a book tour so please hop on to another blog to explore more about the book and the author.

Thanks x

September 16:

Kelly P's Blog - http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/ - Promo Post

Books for Birds - http://thepageturner-blog.blogspot.com/ - Review

Cristi's Reviews - http://www.myproductreviews-cristi.blogspot.com - Review

September 17:

Jesus Freak Reader - http://jesusfreakreader.blogspot.com/ - Review

V's Reads - http://vsreads.com - Review

September 18:

Mom With A Kindle - http://momwithakindle.blogspot.com - Promo Post

The Unknown Random - http://www.theunknownrandom.blogspot.co.uk - Review

Books4life - http://elite4books.blogspot.com - Review

September 19:

Christian Chick's Thoughts - http://christianchicksthoughts.blogspot.com - Review

ReadingToTheStarsAndBack - http://www.readingtothestarsandback.wordpress.com – Review

ki0lu & mimi - http://ki0lu.wordpress.com - Promo Post

alwaysjoart - http://alwaysjoart.blogspot.com/ - Promo Post

September 20:

StuckInBooks - http://stuckinbooks.com - Review

Kaidans Seduction - http://kaidansseduction.blogspot.com/ - Review

WOrkS of FiCTioN – www.bkwrm29.wordpress.com - Promo Post

September 21:

Booksessions – www.madbookreader.blogspot.com - Review

Mommasez... – www.ccclubbs.com - Promo Post

Monday, 16 September 2013

Review: Not Pretty Enough + Excerpt + $40 Amazon GC Giveaway!

Genre: Contemporary YA Comedy
Release: 1st August
Author: Jaimie Admans
Purchase: Amazon

“New Year’s Resolutions:
1. Lloyd Layton will know I exist. He once said three whole words to me, so this is obviously progress. If I don’t get a proper conversation out of him soon, then I’ll take my top off and streak through the cafeteria, because nobody could fail to notice these boobs.
2. I will not get expelled for streaking through the cafeteria.”

Those are the words that begin her mission.
Chessie is fourteen, not pretty enough, and very much in love. Lloyd Layton is hot, popular, and unaware of Chessie’s existence.
Her goal is clear: to get Lloyd to love her as much as she loves him, and she has exactly one year to do it.
As Chessie’s obsession with Lloyd reaches boiling point and she starts to spin a web of lies that spiral out of control, Lloyd turns out to be not quite the prince she thought he was. Can Chessie avoid the gathering storm before things go too far?"

Not Pretty Enough is a contemporary young adult comedy suitable for ages thirteen and over.

Book two in the series will be released early 2014.

Excerpt

I hear the words, “Sir, I don’t get this,” come from the seat next to me. This is very strange because it sounds like Lloyd’s Welsh accent, but Lloyd is some kind of genius and always gets maths stuff. I risk a glance towards him, and sure enough, he has his hand in the air and is beckoning for Mr Griffiths to come over. Wow, I think. Lloyd doesn’t get this, and I look like I do. He must be so impressed.

But Mr Griffiths is a bit busy. He is bending over Cole’s work, shaking his head and muttering. He looks at Lloyd distractedly. Then he looks at me. Then he says a terrible, terrible thing.
“Ask Francesca to explain it to you, she knows what she’s doing.”
Oh, crap. Why can’t we be doing something easy?
I immediately go to put my hand up to object, but Mr Griffiths has gone back to Cole’s work, and Lloyd is looking at me expectantly.

Okay, deep breath. All I have to say is one simple sentence. All I have to say is, ‘actually, I don’t really understand it myself,’ and all will be well. The teacher will come over and explain it to both of us, and Lloyd will ask me what I’ve been writing in my book for the past twenty minutes, and I might have to admit that it mainly involves CC loves LL doodled in various fancy handwriting with my new pen. So instead I say, “Sure, I’ll explain it to you.”

He nods and smiles at me, and I wonder how the hell I’m going to get out of this one.
I close my own book and glance nervously around the class. Everybody has their heads down, concentrating on their work, except for Leigh. She is resting her head in her hand and staring longingly at Ewan, who is working obliviously. It’s pathetic. It’s obvious to the whole class that she’s yearning for him. God, I hope it’s not that obvious that I like Lloyd. I mean, Leigh is practically drooling on the desk over Ewan. At least I don’t drool on the desk. Not very often, anyway.

“Well,” I say, leaning over to look at Lloyd’s book and turning a page, just as he goes to move the book closer to me. Our hands brush together and I pull back startled by the intensity. Our hands brushed! And there was electricity! This is meant to be!
“So,” I say, wondering what to do next. “This is algebra…” This is ridiculous. He knows what bloody algebra is. I rest my pen against my top lip and try to look intelligent and seductive at the same time. Lloyd still has an expectant look on his face. Except, I’ve obviously rested the pen too high up my lip, and it’s tickling my nose. Really tickling now, and…

“Atchooooo!” I yell, a sneeze catching me by surprise. Oh my god. I’m aware that every person in the classroom is staring at me.
“I’m sorry,” I say, holding up my hand. “I just…” Oh no.

“Atchooooo!” I sneeze again. “Atchoooooo!” I grip my nose firmly between my thumb and my finger. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that is the best way to stop sneezing. Or is that hiccups? Either way, it doesn’t work. It just makes me want to sneeze more. “Atchooooo!” I yell again. Oh God, this is so embarrassing. Why do I have to have a sneezing fit on the one day I am sitting by Lloyd Layton? It’s highly unlikely that I will ever be lucky enough to sit by Lloyd Layton again; I get my one big chance to impress him, and what do I do? I sneeze.

“Atchooo!”

Oh God. Now my nose is running. I’m still gripping it with one hand, and frantically feeling around in my bag for a tissue with the other.

“Atchooooooooooooooo!” It comes again, and this time something so horrible happens that it’s like being in slow motion. A huge lump of snot, my snot, straight out of my nose, flies out of my nostrils, and goes zooming up into the air, turns around, and like a giant pancake, starts plummeting back down to earth, to land smack bang in the middle of Lloyd’s textbook.

Oh. My. God.

“Ugh!” Lloyd yells and pushes his chair back so fast that he nearly falls off it.

Oh my god. What do I do? What do I do? My face has gone so red I must resemble a lobster, and when my hand finally closes around a tissue in my bag, I have no idea what to do but lean over and wipe the snot from Lloyd’s book, and deposit the offending tissue back into my bag. I’m so embarrassed I could die. And to make things so much better, Mr Griffiths is laughing like he’s never seen anything funnier in his life.

Review

The cover is so beautiful. If I knew nothing about this book then I would think he would have a heartbreak element to it because of the title and the look on her face... if you get what I mean....

Anyways...Wow! Let me just say... WOW. Chessie reminded me of those really crazy fangirls that are so out of control. The writing and the scenes was so very well written that I lost count of how many times and buried my head in my hands due to me cringing for her or just wondering why?

Chessie is a very impulsive person who was blinded by the idea of love to this guy who was apparently hot and swoon-worthy. She put herself through torture and total embarrassment for this guy. I mean, no matter how hot a guy is, you have to think about yourself first! It was so embarrassing for me to read and if she was a real person, I can't really imagine how she felt.

This is a story that anyone can really relate to I guess. Um, I don't really know if this book is going to attract male readers but this book is definitely great for a female.
Since she is around the same age as me, I can really connect with her- ish- kinda- a bit....

I felt she was really dumb at times and her really stupid decisions led to other people around getting hurt. For me as a reader, some of the decisions she makes are absolutely hilarious and I felt really sorry for her.

This book is quick and fun to read. It can make you feel the character's emotions even though you are not experiencing it first hand.

I was going to talk about the ending but I think that will give away the whole story so I'm just going to say that I'm really pleased with the ending but kinda frustrated at the same time. I really don't know why.

There is going to be a sequel to this book and I'm really excited to see what's going to happen next and how the relationships are going.

About the Author

Jaimie is a 28-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps. She has been writing for years but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you enjoy it. There are plenty more on the way!

Find Her!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter

GIVEAWAY!
$40 Amazon GC + swag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm part of a book tour so please hop on to another blog to explore more about the book and the author.
Thanks x