The Witch Avenue Series Blog Tour: Review of Released Souls & Giveaway

The Witch Avenue Series Tour

Books 1-3: Lonely Souls, Altered Souls, Released Souls*(Review)*

by Karice Bolton

Hosted by AToMR Tours

Lonely Souls

It's two weeks before Triss turns 18, and her world is about to change into the most magical one imaginable as she readies herself to enter The Witch Avenue Order... that is until her mother's disappearance. Instead of celebrating her transformation, she finds herself spreading rose petals into her mother's empty grave.

When Logan, her best friend from junior high, moves back to town for college, he vows to help her find the answers she so desperately seeks surrounding her mother's disappearance. As they begin uncovering clues, it becomes apparent that the life of white magic they both grew up loving is not what the majority practices, and their lives are in danger.

With a haunting feeling that her mother may still be alive, she begins to hear a call to the wilderness. Triss realizes that in order to find the answers she needs, she must learn the ways of her ancestors and become the hunter, not the hunted before it's too late, and she becomes part of the lonely souls.

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Altered Souls

The realm of Altered Souls brings nothing but unrest, deceit, and pain forcing Triss to come face to face with heartbreak from her past.

Facing a betrayal like never before, Triss questions everything she thought she knew about her family, coven, and abilities.

With the help of Logan, she embarks on a journey enabling her to confront the dark side of magic and the person who controls it. Realizing Triss’s ancestors have been seduced for centuries by the dark side, Triss and Logan must ensure no more in their world fall victim to the realm of Altered Souls, even if that means ending the ones they love.

 

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Released Souls

Triss and Logan’s love is becoming stronger by the day as they harness the powers between them, but will that make them blind to the evil they’re facing? 
After uncovering startling information about her family, Triss is determined to right the wrongs of her ancestors. Triss and Logan uncover who has infiltrated the covens across the globe, and they realize the plans of the dark side are far more sinister than they’d ever imagined.

As the power of this hidden world is exposed, Triss learns her role in the covens. With Logan, Dace and Bakula’s assistance, Triss is now able to fully realize the abilities her ancestors have given her.

It won’t be long until the dark forces regain their strength, especially as their leader, Eben, continues his quest for a power that can never be revoked. Triss must stop him before it is too late.

I started reading this series because I love anything about witches and magic and this series had them in spades. I don't know what I am going to do when this series ends, but it hasn't yet so I will relish each and every word. Released Souls is the third book of the series and while I have seen some that think this was the last book - it isn't- WooHoo! Released Souls continues on with Triss and Logan as they grow in both their relationship and their magic. I love Triss and Logan together; they are one of my favorite literary couples. Logan is always by Triss's side and even though they don't get much time to breathe, they manage to steal away sweet moments in time. I wish that we could see a little bit more of their behind the scenes relationship (if you know what I mean), but that would mean upping the genre to Upper YA, which to me is totally feasible.

Triss has learns some things about her family and their past and wants to right the wrongs of her ancestors. This girl would take on the entire world if she could. She is stubborn and at some times overzealous in her pursuit of those who she is up against, but she feels that she has a duty to herself, her family and the covens. The covens were infiltrated across the globe and Triss and Logan uncover who it is, and it rocks their world. With the help of Logan, Dace and Bakula, Triss sets out to uncover the plans that Eben has created. Oh, and the plan that includes the fairies from Altered Souls (I knew they would be important!) and depending on who can can get to it first may determine the fate of every witch.

Triss matures so much in Released Souls. Even when she is faced with the possibility that some people may not be who she thought they were, she stays strong. She is finally coming into her own as a full witch and with each new power she accrues, she becomes a more formidable opponent. Especially a specific new power that makes her a very rare type of witch, which definitely comes in handy for what she encounters. I know I already said how much I love Triss and Logan, but I will say it again: they are great together and Logan lets Triss be herself and gives her strength without overpowering who she is and what she wants.

Overall, I would recommend the entire Witch Avenue Series to everyone. Released Souls is for anyone who likes magic, both light and dark, witches, warlocks, romance and a great plot. Plus, Released Souls is full of beautiful writing, action, mystery, curses, spells, evil witches, fairies, and sweet romance. What is not to like? Now lets talk about the ending, which I can't because no spoilers allowed, but just let me say this: WTH?!!!! Huge cliffhanger and just wow, I am speechless. I am waiting excitedly, and somewhat patiently(not!) for the 4th book which is supposed to be released sometime in the spring!! 

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review as part of a blog tour. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

As a tour special Lonely Souls will be FREE on all purchase sites until the end of the tour! Go get yours, right now!

Karice married the love of her life who she met in high school, and she still can't get over how cute and funny he is. They have two English Bulldogs that are the sweetest bullies in the world, and they use their cuteness to get what they want. Karice loves the snow and gravitates towards the stuff as often as possible! She enjoys skiing and tries really hard to snowboard, but often makes a nice little area to sit while everyone zips by on their board. She enjoys writing, and she also loves to read just about anything with print.

Karice Bolton | Twitter | Facebook

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There are two Rafflecopters to fill out. The first is the Grand Prize and the second is the Second/Runner Up Prize. Good Luck!

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Cover Reveal: Skeleton Key Guild by M.J. Fletcher & Giveaway!!

Skeleton Key Guild

(The Doorknob Society, #5)

by M.J. Fletcher

Book 5 in The Doorknob Society Saga

Release: May 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Paranormal

Her parents dead, her sister missing, and those she loves branded traitors to the Old Kind... Chloe Masters is on the run.

To fulfill a parent’s dying wish she will do anything to save the sister she has never met. Can she learn the secrets of the Artifacts before it’s too late?

Surrounded by her friends; Slade, Edgar, Jess, Val and the man she loves James Nightshade, Chloe has never had so much to live for... but will her enemies let her?

Reviews about The Doorknob Society

“I am SO GLAD that I said I’d review the
book!! It had me interested from the first
chapter, and HOOKED shortly after that!”

Puretextuality.com 

“Let me start by saying that I'm a pretty picky 

reader. I have to be captured by a story almost 

immediately in order to continue reading. Well, I 

was captured by The Doorknob Society...and I 

am hooked!” 

Amazon 

“I couldn't put it down and read straight
through and was so mad at myself for finishing
it. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. FOR. THE. NEXT.
BOOK!”
Goodreads

Other books in the series...

MJ Fletcher was born in New Jersey and now lives by the beach with his very understanding wife and daughter. He has been writing since he first stapled pages together as a child and called them a book. He finally realized his ambitions when his comic book series Adam Zero The Last Man of Earth was published by Ronin Studios. His other comic book work includes Digital Webbing Presents and The Hero Initiative. His first novel The Doorknob Society released in 2012 was nominated for a Cybil award in the young adult category. He has continued writing the Doorknob Society Saga his rollicking steampunk adventure series as well as working on numerous other writing projects.


Website † Twitter † Facebook † The Doorknob Society Website 

The Doorknob Society Book Trailer

Win an ebook copy of the first in the series, The Doorknob Society! Open International! 

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Cover Reveal: Broken Gates

The Broken Gates

(P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy #2)

by D.T. Dyllin

Paperback

Expected publication: May 24th 2013 by Dragonfairy Press 

 ***Genre - New Adult Paranormal Romance

P.J. Stone is a Seer who saw too little, too late.

In the past, her biggest worries were boys and school—but war has a way of changing things. Now, the alien Riders are trying to overrun the world. As the last of their kind, P.J. and her friends must find a way to save humanity before there’s nothing left to save.

After choosing a mate, P.J. hoped she'd have time to enjoy her love life. But with everything changing so quickly and major secrets revealed, who knows what the future will bring?

First Book in this series

Click on the photo above to learn more.

After the Fear Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

After the Fear
by Rosanne Rivers
Publication Date: January 19, 2013
Published by Immortal Ink Publishing
Formats: eBook, Paperback ~314 pages
Tour Host: Rebecca Hamilton

Book Blurb:
You have not attended a Demonstration this month.

In Sola’s city, everyone obeys the rules. Stay away from the trigger cameras and regularly update your Debtbook, and you just might survive. But having to watch the way criminals are dealt with—murdered by Demonstrators in the Stadium—is a law Sola tries to avoid. When a charming Demonstrator kisses her at a party, however, she’s thrust into the Stadium and forced into the very role she despises.

Armed with only natural resourcefulness and a caring nature, Sola narrowly survives her first bout. Her small success means she’s whisked off to a training camp, where she discovers a world beyond the trigger cameras and monitoring—a world where falling in love with a killer doesn’t seem so terrible.

Yet life as a Demonstrator has no peace. Sola must train her way through twenty-five more Demonstrations before she can return home to her father. At the end of each battle, only one survivor remains.

Sola could face anyone in the Stadium . . . even a loved one.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo Books

I don't even know where to start - After the Fear is a fantastic debut novel by Rosanne Rivers and it blew me away. Sola is an incredibly strong heroine who lives in a world where the motto is "Kill or be Killed." Set in a dystopian society (the former United Kingdom), the citizens must help pay off the national debt by participating in demonstrations. These demonstrations bring in money. What are the demonstrations? Well, they are a sort of Gladiator battles where a trained Demonstrator fights to criminals to the death. Sola is forced into training as a Demonstrator and must win 25 fights to gain her freedom.

Sola isn't some girly-girl (despite her fainting); she is a hardened, tough, and fierce girl who never gives up. I love that Sola isn't some sniveling girl - she fights and she fights well. She also has another side to her; she has compassion, something that is sorely missing in this society full of killers. Dylan- the Demonstrator that she kissed is a 'eh' kind of guy, but Coral was the perfect mean girl. She made me want to kill her myself. I love when an author can build characters that I want to hug, kiss, or in Coral's case: throttle.

While I can see some similarities to the popular series The Hunger Games, this is not a knock-off. After the Fear is about a world that has been turned into a big-brother state fighting to stave off more debt. This is a reality that doesn't seem so far off these days. Add in the social media outlets and the Debtbooks that are issued to everyone to keep up on their Demonstration status, and you have a society who is always kept in fear of being chosen to die. I found the world that Ms. Rivers built to be believable, too believable in some cases.

The book is written beautifully and where some YA novels are lacking in their descriptiveness, Ms. Rivers doesn't shy away from complicated and eloquent prose. The way she develops emotions and brings truths to the surface is masterful. Even the horribly violent scenes (of which there are many) are written in a way that makes you think you are there, which might be a good or bad thing depending on how strong your stomach is. Ms. Rivers elicits such fear and horror in her writing and builds it and works it so it thickens and you feel it slowly creeping up; and with a novel like After the Fear, it would not be the same book without the mist of fear that surrounds you.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading After the Fear. It is one of the best dystopian novels I have ever read and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre. The characters are complex and engaging as is the the plot. Note that is not for the faint of heart and is extremely violent and gory, but if you an take it, you will not be disappointed! 

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review as part of a blog tour. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

Rosanne lives in Birmingham, UK and considers it one of her favourite cities, second only to Rome. She delights in writing for children and young adults and hopes to bring readers to an unfamiliar yet alluring setting. Rosanne was inspired to write when she read the Harry Potter books, and at age fourteen, she wrote romance fanfiction on just about every pairing you could dream up from the HP series. She currently lives with her partner and two bunny rabbits and is working on a fantasy YA with a twist.

Twitter - Facebook - Website 

Goodreads - Immortal Ink Publishers - Pinterest

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"Waiting On" Wednesday: Chantress & All Our Pretty Songs

"Waiting On" Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's book that I am eagerly anticipating is...

This week's theme for my WoW is music. Both of these books have something to do with music, magic, and a terrible evil. Plus, both of their covers are stunning! 

All Our Pretty Songs

(Book, #1)

by Sarah McCarry

The first book in an exciting YA trilogy, this is the story of two best friends on the verge of a terrifying divide when they begin to encounter a cast of strange and mythical characters.

Set against the lush, magical backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, two inseparable best friends who have grown up like sisters—the charismatic, mercurial, and beautiful Aurora and the devoted, soulful, watchful narrator—find their bond challenged for the first time ever when a mysterious and gifted musician named Jack comes between them. Suddenly, each girl must decide what matters most: friendship, or love. What both girls don’t know is that the stakes are even higher than either of them could have imagined. They’re not the only ones who have noticed Jack’s gift; his music has awakened an ancient evil—and a world both above and below which may not be mythical at all. The real and the mystical; the romantic and the heartbreaking all begin to swirl together, carrying the two on journey that is both enthralling and terrifying.

And it’s up to the narrator to protect the people she loves—if she can.

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Chantress

by Amy Butler Greenfield

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England.

“Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness.

When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England.

Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion…

Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

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One book set in modern times, one in the past, both about music bringing magic into the world - good and bad. I think both books look amazing and I can't wait to see if they live up to my high expectations. I can't decide which one I want to read more...

What do you think about All Our Pretty Songs and Chantress? Did either one catch your eye? What are you waiting for this week?

Stacking the Shelves #2

Stacking The Shelves is a weely meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews to showcase the books we have recieved in the past week. This includes ARCs, purchased books, borrowed books and books from any other source you want to mention. This is the first week that Breathe In BooKs will be participating and I am excited to show everyone what I have in my massive book pile!

Edelweiss

**Star of the Week**
I am so Excited about getting this book! It was my WoW this last week and I did a little happy dance when I got the email from Edelweiss!! Thank you!!

NetGalley

3rd book in The Steampunk Chronicles

This looks fantastic!

Read Now Book

Read Now Book

Library

Both of these books from the library were on my WoW pages ages ago. I finally got them in and I can't wait to get started reading. I only have 3 weeks with each so I better get cracking :)

Any of these books on your TBR pile? What kind of haul did you get this week?

Feature & Follow Friday #2

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The point of #FF is to network with fellow bloggers and get new followers. Each week there is a question to answer to get to know each other. The rules are that you must follow the hosts and each week's featured blogger from each host's site. Write your own #FF post and enter the link into the linky form and then hop around to other blog sites, follow and leave a comment. Easy peasy!

This week's question is:

Q: What is your guilty pleasure as far as reading? Is it a genre, or is it a certain type of book?

I would have to say that my guilty pleasure is the House of Night Series by P.C. & Kristin Cast. I know a lot of people do not like this series, but I can't help it. I know, I know... the writing is not quite there and the pop culture references are ridiculous and the time frame doesn't quite match what is happening, but I don't care! I think of it like a cheesy soap opera for teenagers - even though I am 31 years old. I even got my mom to read this series, lol! I have read and reread all the books at least 5 times plus the novellas. 

How about you? What is your guilty pleasure in reading?