It's Entangled's Ever After Imprint Release Day + Giveaways!

Find Your Ever After in Under An Hour

October is the official release month for the all new Ever After. Ever After features paranormal, sci-fi, and horror novellas, all with the romance you've come to love from Entangled--just in a shorter format.

 Ever After is celebrating in style with four new releases and great giveaways, including a Kindle Fire. Make sure to like their new Facebook Page and follow them on Twitter

Vampire Games by Tiffany Allee
Otherworlder Enforcement Agency #4

She’s seen the past…

OWEA Agent Beatrice Davis is haunted by the death visions that help her solve crimes. When Detective Claude Desmairis, her vampire ex-lover, asks for her assistance on a case, she’d rather help him than take the mandated leave to stave off her burn-out.

The truth won’t stay buried…

Pressed to solve a series of crimes before the perpetrator blows the vampire world apart, Claude turns to a woman he thought he’d been able to leave behind. But he was wrong, and his feelings for her will only bring trouble in an investigation this dangerous. As their passions reignite, they see a possible future together. Until her visions show her the face of the murderer—a man Claude can never betray.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

Ghosts of Kingston Cottage by Libby Bishop

She believes in ghosts.

Medium and paranormal investigator Arabella Pierce is sent with her crew to Kingston Cottage, a haunted Maine seafarer’s cottage on an isolated island, but for this investigation, her boss has stuck them with skeptical reporter Lucas Brown. Though he’s hot as they come, Arabella can’t trust a man whose sole job is to discredit her and the work she does. Not after what happened with the last few skeptics...

He believes in evidence.

But Lucas isn’t as skeptical as he seems—he wants the truth, no matter what that is. When the ghosts appear, he and Arabella must work together—in tight quarters—to convince the resident ghosts to move on before a storm strands the entire crew on the island. If Arabella can put aside her prejudices, she and Lucas just might have a shot at a lifetime.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

Ghost of the Falls by Sarah Gilman

Determined to prove she’s fit for the family business, exorcist Jade Clarence knows the assignment waiting in Maine is her last chance. Born into a family of exorcists, Jade’s unorthodox ideas have gotten her into trouble in the past...and cost the life of a client.

After haunting a Maine state park for more than a century, Dutch Hutchinson will do whatever it takes to bring an end to his unfulfilling existence. When an act of arson brings a beautiful exorcist to town, Dutch takes corporeal form in order to spend his last hours in her company.

Jade quickly uncovers Dutch’s true identity and finds herself falling for the man behind the spirit. But when Jade’s legacy threatens their future, they will have to overcome the greatest of odds—life and death.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

Less Than Perfect by Kelly Jensen

Mikayla’s read every book in her collection of post-apocalyptic novels at least twice. She thinks she’s prepared for aliens taking over Earth. She’s not.

Nor is she prepared for the attention of a good-looking refugee named Reg.

All Mikayla and Reg want is a safe place to see out the end of the world, hidden away from the aliens that call themselves The People, but cities of the depopulated United States not infested with The People are rife with gangs, the detritus of civilization and disease.

On a mission to restock their supplies, Mikayla and Reg are captured by The People and prepared for the procedure that will make them perfect, but no longer quite human. In order to escape, they need to rely on each other…if Mikayla can trust a man who seems too good to be true.

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

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Suzanne Young's The Program is available on Kindle for $1.99

Just saw this in my Kindle Daily Deals email that The Program by Suzanne Young is $1.99.  I'm guessing that is just for today.  So if you  haven't read it, go grab it! I'm not an affiliate so I'm not making money on this, I just wanted to share this amazing book.  You can find my 5 star review here.

About the Program:

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Book Review & Giveaway: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King on audio

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publish Date: September 24, 2013
Audiobook, MP3 CD, also available in hardcover, audiobook and ebook
ISBN: 9781442362536
The Shining #2


My Review:
Stephen King was probably the second adult author I read as a young teenager. My first book was It, which is now my favorite book of all-time. I then worked my way through Salem's Lot, The Stand, Pet Semetary, and of course The Shining. Through the years I have continued my love of all things Stephen King by reading most of his books. So obviously I am a huge fan and when I heard Doctor Sleep was coming out as a sequel to The Shining I was beside myself. I read every article that came out that came through my email about the book. So to say I was excited might be an understatement. So it was a very magical day when the opportunity to review the audiobook came through my email from my wonderful publicity person at Simon & Schuster audiobooks. Thank you Lauren and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to listen to and review this title! Okay now that I have blathered on about my love for all things Stephen King, let's get to my thoughts.

First The Shining is probably my 3rd favorite Stephen King so a sequel was just what I wanted. What did happen to Danny Torrance after the end of The Shining (and that would be the end of the book, not the movie). So we move to the future. Dan Torrance is now pretty much a drunk like his father. He's a man who moves from place-to-place when drinking makes him lose his job. And then he hits rock bottom and moves on and we find him in New Hampshire where a man takes him under his wing, gets him into AA and into a job for him. Quickly Dan moves on to a job that fits him better and we find him settling down and getting into the groove. Then strange things start happening and he gets insight into a young girl, his "Shining" helping him see moments in her life that she transmits to him. I like Dan, even when he hits rock bottom, you know he's going to somehow get through it even though it is a major rock bottom. I found myself cheering for him during the first part which reminds us of his past, gives some of the history in between and describes him currently. Abra is also a fascinating character. We meet her and her family at birth up to the time that her and Dan meet and things are looking bad. I love her, love the things she does as a child and her need to do good things. Casey, Billy and John are also integral characters. Casey being Dan's AA sponsor, John being Abra's pediatrician and he happens to also be an AA leader of one of the meetings Dan attends. And Billy who introduced him to Tiny Town, the train and also to Casey. Billy is a true friend through and through as are Casey and John. The final character is also introduced early on and that is the True Knot as a whole, but with a focus on Rose the Hat. Now that is one scary group of characters. In true King fashion he has created a scary paranormal force to be reckoned with that is truly evil yet somehow fairly ordinary on the outside. I disliked and feared them from the beginning so they were the perfect scary villains for this story.

Now onto the story. Wow, even the beginning which gives a history of Dan and some insight into the True Knot was fascinating. Nothing in Doctor Sleep drags to me. It was well paced and probably from the middle to the end if I had been reading the book I wouldn't have put it down. With the audio I began taking it on walks, and honestly I don't usually listen to audiobooks except in the car, I listen to music on walks, but I had to find out what would happen next so I kept finding ways to listen. On walks, while making breakfast, while making supper. Anytime I could. It was that good. And there were surprises I didn't see coming that just made me say wow. There were scary moments, touching moments and characters that inspired and haunted me. It was just an amazing story.

I love how in Doctor Sleep there seemed to be a marriage of the earlier creepy Stephen King with the current more character driven and reality-based Stephen King. It was wonderful to see an example of a man who makes it through AA. Yet having the paranormal aspect between Abra and Dan was like the old days. The True Knot was truly an evil to be reckoned with similar to the vampires in Salem's Lot. It was just a wonderful way to craft a story. Doctor Sleep is a book that will grab you, make you hang on for dear life and keep you enthralled and slightly creeped out until the end. And then you will continue to think about it and it's characters long after you finish. Kind of the way Danny Torrance may have stayed in the back of your mind from The Shining. Hearing his story was wonderful and it's a great sequel. So thank you Mr. King, you've been scaring me for the last 25 years and I hope you continue to scare and enthrall me for many more.

Audiobook review: Will Patton is the narrator and I believe he is a new one to me. I wasn't sure about him at first, but the more he read the book the more I really grew to love him. He became the characters and just from his different voices I was able to discern each character before they were identified. That means a lot to me. I would get lost in his reading and he made my drives, walks and cooking very enjoyable. The production is outstanding. Wonderful job Simon and Schuster and I now have a new narrator to look forward to enjoying in the future.

My rating: 5.0/5.0
Audiobook Rating: 5.0/5.0

About the Book:
Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted fans of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

Giveaway:
I have my gently used copy of the MP3 CD to giveaway to one lucky winner.  US/Canada only.  Ends 10/31 - Halloween seems very appropriate for an ending date for this one!

Note: this is an MP3 CD, I easily played it on my computer but the best thing (besides the fact that it only uses 2 discs instead of 10+) is that I saved/ripped it to my laptop and put it on my MP3 player to listen to.  So if you have something that reads MP3 CDs it's easy to listen to the book pretty much any way you want. This also tells you the discs have not been carted around, they were pretty much used once and put back in the case. 

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***I received this audiobook from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Speak Out: Domestic Violence Awareness at Booksparks + Joshua Safran's Free Spirit

Speak out against domestic violence - FREE SPIRIT: Growing Up On the Road and Off the Grid by Joshua Safran
Note from Joshua: “The award-winning documentary Crime After Crime told the story of my seven-year struggle to free Deborah Peagler, a battered woman who was wrongfully imprisoned for more than 20 years. I was inspired to help her because of the years of abuse my mother and I endured at the hands of my stepfather when I was a boy. My representation of Deborah grew into a deep friendship, and she gave me the courage to finally write about those experiences in my memoir, FREE SPIRIT: Growing Up On the Road and Off the Grid. My biggest hope is that by telling my story, others will be inspired to speak up, and we can work together to end the wall of silence and finally break the cycle of violence.”
In recognition of October being National Domestic Violence Awareness month, we are proud to speak out with BookSparks, book lovers and author Joshua Safran against domestic violence.


Here’s how you can speak out, too!

• Post it: Post the Speak Out badge on your blog on October 24th along with the book cover and info pasted above on Joshua Safran’s book FREE SPIRIT: Growing Up On the Road and Off the Grid.  We understand you have other obligations/plans for your blog that day, however, whatever you can do on October 24th to stand up for victims of domestic violence everywhere would be much appreciated. 

• Tweet it:  Speak out with @BookSparksPR, book lovers and @JoshuaSafran today against domestic violence! #SpeakOut #DV http://bit.ly/1fEdISr

• Facebook it:  Share the badge, this campaign (http://bit.ly/1fEdISr), #SpeakOut #DV, and your words against domestic violence via Facebook and tag us (BookSparksPR) so we can share, too!  

• Rate it: Head over to Goodreads and rate Joshua Safran’s FREE SPIRIT: Growing Up On the Road and Off the Grid (http://bit.ly/16IioTC). It’s a book about Joshua’s journey of the spirit; a tale of overcoming adversity; and a captivating read about a childhood unlike any other.

• Buy it:  If you buy Joshua Safran’s book, FREE SPIRIT: Growing Up On the Road and Off the Grid, let us know and we will match with a donation to a domestic violence awareness organization. On October 24th only, if you buy the book for you, a friend, a holiday gift or all of the above, send us your receipt(s) and we’ll be donating up to 20% of book sales that day (based on emailed receipts) to the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women in support of BookSparks Speaks Out: Domestic Violence Awareness and victims everywhere.  Buy on Indie Bound; Buy on Amazon; or Buy on Barnes & Noble. Send receipts to erin@SparkPointStudio.com.

Announcing the Scandalous One Day Sale!!

 

Announcing the Scandalous One Day Sale!!

All of our Scandalous books are on sale TODAY ONLY for just $0.99 each. That means you can grab all of these great stories for less than $23!!

To celebrate, our fabulous Scandalous Authors have put together a scavenger hunt with a Kindle Fire as the prize. Hop on over to the event page to join in the fun!!

Scandalous historical doesn’t mean antiquated! Passion and romance are exciting in any era. And torrid love affairs are even more illicit when social mores forbid the entanglement. These stories are bold, sexy, and heartfelt, and can be funny, action-packed, mysterious, dramatic, but above all…scandalous.To find out more about our titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow us on Twitter, like our Facebook page, and join our Book Club!!

We also have a Facebook party going from 10-22 until 10-24.  We have a Scavenger Hunt going on.  You can win a Kindle Fire.  Link is:  https://www.facebook.com/events/372395869560896

 

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Parallel Spirits by Cassia Leo

Synopsis:

Book One in the Carrier Spirits Series from New York Times bestselling author Cassia Leo.

After more than three centuries as a carrier spirit, Mara has finally found a willing host in eighteen-year-old Belinda. As a reward for Belinda's compliance, Mara sets out to help brokenhearted Belinda find love.

With the promise of a new body, Mara dares to hope her plan may work--until Mara and Belinda both fall for sweet and charming Conor. But Mara's feelings for Conor aren't her only obstacle.

A spirit with whom Mara shares a dark past is possessing Conor. Now a war is waging inside and outside Belinda's body and she quickly discovers what Mara has known for centuries:

Falling in love is just as dangerous as battling evil spirits.

Parallel Spirits Excerpt Chapter 1

Mara’s POV

They say love is blind, but they’re wrong. Love is the harshest light shined on every insecurity, every weakness, every broken promise. It exposes its victims, laying their bloody hearts bare on a slab of cold stone. Love is not for the fainthearted. Love is for humans.

Finding another carrier spirit like me residing inside my best friend’s body was unbelievable. Falling in love with my best friend, having learned love’s deadliest lesson long ago, was foolish.

Samuel stands at the edge of the water with her cowering in his arms. The moonlight leaps off her black hair lighting up the expression of disbelief in his eyes.

“You said our spirits were destined for each other!” I shout at Samuel across the dark beach.

“Mara, I am telling you the truth,” he insists.

There’s something magical about the beach at night. The way the stars and the moon lay a twinkling blanket over the tumbling surface of the ocean. The black waves exploding into clouds of briny mist. It’s so violent yet so serene. It’s perfect on a night when you can’t decide if you’d rather live or die.

I plant my bare feet firmly in the wet sand. “Stop lying, Darius!” I shout. If he wants to call me Mara then I’ll call him by his spirit name as well.

A guttural sob builds in my throat and I feel as if I’m being split in half. Half of me wants to die and be done with the miserable business of being human. Half of me wants to return to my life as a carrier spirit, when nothing could harm me—and love couldn’t reach me.

My arms are stretched before me as I concentrate on holding in the energy building inside me. The restless sensation that penetrates down to my bones is unbearable. Telekinesis is only useful when you can control it. And right now, I am very out of control.

 
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***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Help Unlock Exclusive Content from Independent Study (The Testing #2) by Joelle Charbonneau