Dancing with Death Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

Again, thank you to A Tale of Many Reviews for the opportunity to be a part of the Dancing with Death Tour. Also a big thank you to Andrea Heltsley for stopping by and for providing the book to read and review. Make sure to check out the Linky below to see the other stops on this tour. 

Dancing with Death
(A Dancing Book #1)
by Andrea Heltsley
Published: August 10, 2012
Format Reviewed: ARC eBook

Synopsis:
Murders have plagued the woods in the past, making them a place of fear. Eighteen year old Wendy and her friends become worried when a new string of murders come to their high school. After a horrible car accident, Wendy returns to school, going from wallflower to popular overnight. As the murderer edges closer to Wendy she realizes things are changing. She is afflicted with nightmares that are all too real and she herself is undergoing unnatural changes. Learning the truth about her past, could be the key to saving her future.

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My Thoughts:

"Run Wendy. Run as fast as you can. Death is coming and he is coming for you."

Wendy, a regular high school girl, is in a terrible car accident. If not for the mysterious stranger that rescued her - and her new boots - from the car, she would be a goner. But should she have died? After being plagued by nightmares and receiving cryptic messages from someone - or something - Wendy starts to think so. Not to mention that there is a murderer on the loose who just might have his sights on her. Wendy has to figure out what is going on and fast. 

This is the third book that I have read by author Andrea Heltsley and I have to say she has a great imagination! When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to read it. While this is not my favorite novel from her, there are some things I really like about Ms. Heltsley's writing. For example, there is constant theme in all her books of the strength of friendship how every main character has a BFF sidekick that never waivers from their side. Also, all of her characters are strong females and use their individuality to their advantage.

In general, I am getting a little wary of the love triangle aspect in all of YA fiction. In Dancing with Death, the triangle is between a new kid that Wendy is immediately drawn to and the hot new school librarian. And even though Wendy is 18, I felt uneasy about the latter match - too student/teacher. But, I can't deny that the scenes between Wendy and her men weren't steamy. Some other things that I did not like was that the dialogue was forced in some places, and the characters, while fun, didn't have much depth. They were stereotypical teenagers and the girls spent a lot of time thinking and talking about what to wear. 

What I love about Dancing with Death is the paranormal twists and the mystery woven throughout the book. Who is the murderer? Why do they want Wendy dead? And what about her dreams, what do they mean? And the revealing of Wendy's family's secret history is a surprise and I am looking forward to seeing how that is expanded upon in the next book. Overall, I would say that this is a good start to a new series and those who like YA/Upper YA Paranormal Romance should add it to their shelves. 

★ ★ ★ ★

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.

Author Andrea Heltsley

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Dreamwalker Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!!

Thank you A Tale of Many Reviews for the opportunity to be a part of the Dreamwalker Tour. Also a big thank you to Andrea Heltsley for stopping by and for providing the book to read and review. Make sure to check out the Linky below to see the other stops on this tour.

Dreamwalker

Persephone's League of Immortals, #1

by Andrea Heltsley

Published May 23, 2012

Formats Available: Paperback, eBook ~434 pages

Synopsis:

Noel Kennedy lost her boyfriend, her job and her dignity all in one week. Then something happened and she began to dream of this stranger she had never met. She couldn’t resist the man of her dreams named Jared especially when she met him in real life. Entranced, she slowly unraveled a world she was meant to stay out of. Her life was not what she thought it was once a sexy Boone stepped into the mix and shook things up. Can she escape a life of servitude or immortality for a chance at love?

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My Thoughts:

First, let me say how gorgeous this cover is! I have a love affair with all of Andrea's books. The cover makes me swoon; it sparkles and is ethereal and I just want to pet it. Another beautiful creation by PhatPuppy. 

After having read another book by Andrea Heltsley, I was hesitant going into Dreamwalker. Boy were my fears unfounded! While I couldn't get into the last book, I was instantly sucked into Noel's story. Just within the first chapter Noel's heart is broken and I felt every bit of her hurt. Noel is told by her boyfriend - of three years - that she just isn't the one for him. He wants someone more adventurous and she just doesn't cut it. Understandably, Noel spirals into a deep depression, even ditching work. One night Noel starts having these really crazy, vivid dreams. A sexy man who is the epitome of her dream man. She even thinks that she sees the man in her dreams on the street, but when she looks again, he is gone but a coin is left in his place. That coin turns out to be a magical item of protection. One that Noel needs, but why?

Then, while Noel and Autumn were out blowing off steam, Noel meets him, Jared, the man from her dreams. But then he disappears. Then a new totally sexy man, Boone, (Jared's partner) shows up and asks Noel if she knew where Jared went. After that the plot really starts to unfold. Not to mention a love triangle, that will have you choosing teams! Noel is part of something bigger and more important than she could have ever imagined. And her dreams? Not really dreams, but real events. She is a Dreamwalker and can enter into people's dreams. A whole new world is opened up and supernatural creatures are everywhere and they are out to get her because Persephone wants her for her Dreamwalking abilities. 

Noel is not who she thought she was either. Not only is she a Dreamwalker, but she has a life that doesn't remember because her memories were wiped by a witch (who is someone she knows) when she was just a girl. She also has a sister that she hasn't seen in years and is reunited with. Along with some rogue agents from Persephone, Noel, her sister and the witch work together to win their freedom from the underworld and from becoming a slave to Persephone herself. Wow! There is so much going on in this book and I could not put it down until I knew what was going on!

There were a few quirks that could have been fixed; grammar issues, POV changes were not clear, and dialogue was lacking. Another problem is that characters are not fully fleshed out, but they were so much better than the first book I read by the author. Despite the cons, I still felt that Andrea created a very imaginative twist on the Persephone myth. Where most of them are focused on Persephone's plight, in Dreamwalker we see the Queen of Hell that she really is. I loved that there were so many types of supes used in the story: witches, fae, goblins, greek mythological creatures and so many more. I can't wait for more! I really found the imagery, especially that of the underworld, breathtaking. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

I am totally Team Boone!!

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.

About the Author:

I am a biology nerd who decided it was more fun writing than dissecting. I have written two novels and my third will be out this summer. I live on coffee and read like a robot. My husband and two italian greyhounds usually have to tear me away from the computer...imagine that. :)

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Dissolve Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Thank you A Tale of Many Reviews for the opportunity to be a part of the Dissolve Tour. Also a big thank you to Andrea Heltsley for providing the book for me to read. Make sure to check out the Linky below to see the other stops on this tour.

Dissolve
by Andrea Heltsley
Published: April 4, 2012
Formats Available: Paperback, eBook ~424 pages

Synopsis:
Everything seemed to be going right for Cora. She had a wonderful fiance, a great best friend and a fulfilling life. One day, a tragic event caused that life to crumble around her. She turned to her best friend in her time of need. They embarked on a search for answers, delving deeper into a web of magic and destruction. The closer they got to the truth, the more questions they had. To Cora, magic was the stuff of fairy tales. Immersed into a very different kind of world, the real storm was just beginning to take hold.
“It felt like I was nowhere yet everywhere all at once. I was invisible and completely panicked. The millions of pieces I had dissolved to drift on the breeze and away from my nightmares. It was kind of like floating weightless in a pool, perfectly relaxing. The warm breeze from the window embraced and soothed me. I let the air current carry me as far as it could through the summer city.”
“Defeated, I closed my eyes and took a few calming breaths trying to relax myself. I pictured the dandelion in the park today and took a deep breath as to blow the fluffy seeds in all directions. I pretended I was light and fluffy and started to feel a tingling in my body. I began to feel as light as the dandelion seeds and soon I felt like mist floating. This time, I tried to keep myself in the room, swirling in a humid block.”

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Cover: I absolutely love the cover to Dissolve. I would buy the print copy just to have this on my shelf. Everything that Phatpuppy Art creates is amazing.

My Thoughts:
Cora was having a bad night. She was supposed to be out having fun dancing with her friends, but she ended up on the dirty floor of a public restroom, head spinning and stomach heaving. Not exactly what she had planned. She didn't even remember drinking that much, but if she felt this bad then she must have...right? Nessa, Cora's best friend, makes sure she gets home safely both thinking that sleep should help. However, when Cora awakens the next day, she doesn't feel any better. In fact, she feels worse - not a good thing when she is supposed to be meeting with her fiancé Tom and both of their mothers to go over wedding preparations. And things seem to be getting worse. After passing out, Tom takes her home and holds her while she rests. But when she closes her eyes, the worst nightmares come to life. Literally.

Cora finds Tom dead, blood everywhere and has no recollection of what happened. What makes matters worse is that somehow she disappears. Her body becomes particles; she dissolves and reappears at Nessa's completely naked and covered in blood. Not knowing what to do, the girls make a plan to run. But when Nessa is pricked with a needle and starts to have similar symptoms that Cora experienced, well needless to say, things just got weird. Now they are not only running from the police, they are running for their very lives.

The premise to Dissolve was like nothing I had quite seen before. It is a mix of magic and super powers. Think X-Men meets the Fugitive. The story was extremely fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. There was mystery, intrigue, and a little romance. I liked the relationship between Cora and Nessa. There are very few people who would do anything for one another and they are the ultimate BFF combo. There is also some unpredictable plot twists and the book starts out very differently than it ends. I can't really elaborate because I don't want to give anything away.

I had such high hopes for Dissolve, but it just didn't grab me like I thought it would. The concept for the story was great, but I wish that there was more back story. We are shoved right into the action without much character building. I wanted to see more of Tom and Cora's relationship and have a chance to get to know the characters. I never felt like Cora was really sad about Tom's death. I also never got that connection to the MC like I usually do so despite the fast paced plot, I felt the story dragging. There were a few editing issues, but nothing too distracting. The ending was a big cliff-hanger and questions will be answered in book two that will release in 2013. Overall, Dissolve is a good book and people who like action, adventure, science fiction, fantasy and something a little different should pick this one up.

★ ★ ★ ½

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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.

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5 eBooks(INT) 2 Signed Copies (US/CA)

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