Blog Tour: Giveaway, Guest Post & Review: Mountain Charm by Sydney Logan

Today, I am excited to be a part of the Mountain Charm Blog Tour hosted by The Writer's Coffee Shop. Find all of the stops on this tour here!

Mountain Charm by Sydney Logan

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: July 4, 2013
Publisher: TWCS Publishing House
162 Pages

“True love and sweet whispers, till death do us part;
Send someone to love my Appalachian heart.”

At the age of thirteen, Angelina Clark followed in the footsteps of her ancestors by casting an Appalachian love spell, which promised she would blossom into a beautiful and gifted woman who would find her true love. A young Angelina had been thrilled to participate in the sacred ritual, but through the years, her father’s untimely death and her mother’s failing health have shaken Angelina’s magical faith to its core. As her twenty-first birthday approaches, she refuses to practice her supernatural gifts and no longer believes in the love charm.

That is, until Dylan Thomas arrives on her front porch.

Dylan, a Nashville writer, travels to the mountain town of Maple Ridge to unearth the family’s supernatural secrets. While her clairvoyant mother is convinced that Dylan is her daughter’s soul mate, Angelina refuses to see the nosy reporter as anything more than a nuisance.

Despite their constant bickering, sparks fly.

Dylan admits he feels strangely drawn to Angelina and is in no hurry to leave Maple Ridge or publish his magazine article. Fearful that his emotions are being influenced by the spell, a stubborn Angelina struggles to fight her own budding attraction to the reporter. 

The two inevitably grow closer just as her mother’s health begins to deteriorate, and Angelina is faced with the possibility of selling the family’s music shop to pay the mounting medical expenses. Desperate to help the woman he loves, Dylan explores his own family tree and finds support from an unlikely source. Can he finally prove his love is real—spell or no spell?

A story filled with love, friendship, family, and just a hint of Appalachian magic, Mountain Charm will leave you spellbound.

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Leave a comment below telling us what you would use a spell for, and a email so that we may contact you for a chance to win an e-copy of Mountain Charm!

The winner will be chosen on Monday, August 5, 2013.

Free Write --- What's on your mind?

What’s on my mind? Right now, it’s the latest episode of The Voice. It was the Top 6 Live Performances. I’m such a Michelle Chamuel fan! If she wins, the ecstatic squeal you’ll hear will be coming from me. :)

I’m also thinking about what an amazing day today has been. Mountain Charm is available for pre-order today, and the response has already been amazing. I’m especially excited because for each book pre-ordered, I’m donating $1 to the American Cancer Society (if you read the book, you’ll see why I chose that charity). I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been touched in some way by the disease, and this gives me and my readers the chance to do a little something that could someday lead to something big. That’s our hope, anyway.

Thank you for inviting me to your blog!

Have you ever seen the movie Practical Magic with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock? Mountain Charm is reminiscent of that movie. It's full of magic, romance and drama with steady plot and a more than a hint of intrigue.

For Angelina Clark, the magic she believed in growing up is long gone and all that remains of her past with it is bitterness. Her father has died, and her mother is ill shaking her faith in magic to the core. When the handsome Dylan Thomas wanders into her life on her twenty-first birthday, she has no interest in exploring the relationship because she fears that the Appalachian true love spell that she cast in her youth had force nonexistent feelings on him. Dylan's troubled by his own past, but wants very much to be with Angelina, even as she pushing him away. Together they will discover that love needs more than just magic.

I knew I would like Angelina from the moment she uses a shotgun to scare off Dylan. Dylan, on the other hand, had me for a while, but this has erratic behavior lost me. He's a good guy overall, yes, but he's very reckless and reacts with his fists when another guy offends him in some way. It didn't sit well with me. He seemed to change by the end, but his offenses weren't discussed enough for me.  I liked Angelina's mother, Celia, and best friend, Maddie, a lot, though. They really added to the story and gave some extra depth that was beneficial. On the other hand the minor characters that were interested in Angelina sexually did nothing for the story. They were brought in for the sole purpose of causing drama and then they dropped off the face of the planet. In my opinion, their roles could've been better detailed and fully fleshed out, making for a more dramatic and fuller storyline.

It's a pretty predictable story, with one twist that I very much appreciated. While the plot is pretty standard, it is extremely readable. Logan is descriptive and heartfelt in the words she writes. Mountain Charm isn't a book that is easy to put down for long periods of time, because you just want to know how the author will handle what's going to happen next. The romance picks up very quickly and will leave a sweet taste in its readers' mouths. Logan has a real way with words and though this isn't the best thing she's ever written (in my opinion), this novel definitely displays her undeniable talent. 

Mountain Charm is a sweet little thing. It's a good lazy day, summer read that didn't really make its way to brilliance. It's a good novel, and has a sweet paranormal twist to it that is sure to entice any romance fan. Sydney Logan is an author to watch for anyone who loves this genre! I know I am really looking forward to what she has in store for us all next!

Thank you, TWCS for allowing me to join this tour and to Sydney Logan for stopping by!

I received an e-copy of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley.

Teaser Tuesday: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) & Battle Royale

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate, all you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can ad the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

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"She wished that she couldn't remember the boy so clearly. Or rather, the idea of him, his hand sprawled on the ground."
Chapter 3, 8%
The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)
by Maggie Stiefvater

"Then he noticed everyone at their desks, the boys clad in buttoned-up school uniforms and the girls in their sailor suit school uniforms, all forty-one of his classmates who'd only moments ago (at least that was what it felt like) been riding the bus together. The only thing was--either sprawled over their desks or slouched back in their seats--they were all completely asleep."

Chapter 1, Page 19

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, translated by Yuji Oniki

What are you reading this week?

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Book Review: The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never #1) by J.A. Redmerski

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: November 15, 2012
Publisher: Createspace
426 Pages

Sometimes life takes you off course . . .

THE EDGE OF NEVER

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish.

Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?

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“Pain is pain.”

The Edge of Never was an interesting read for me. This was one where the reviews I’ve read for it were split, people loved it or hated it. Me? Neither. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It was okay. Parts were good, parts were ridiculous, and parts pissed me off. 

The story begins with our protagonist, Camryn, heading out to a club with her best friend, Natalie, and best friends boyfriend. Right away I noticed the common formula’s we see throughout YA/NA books. Our MC is the straight-laced, good girl, so obviously the best friend is branded “slutty”. Our MC is fashion challenged causing the best friend to want to dress her up in better clothes and paint on her makeup (I really don’t understand why a majority of authors cannot write likable friends). Our MC leaves all guys drooling in her wake. Enough…it’s all been done before. Anyway, moving on.

When out with her friends, her best friend’s boyfriend makes a move on Cam, telling her he’s been in love with her for years. Here begins the first in a series of violent behavior situations and slut-shaming that make their way through the book. After her best friend calls her a liar, Cam decides she’s had enough and leaves. Along the way she meets Andrew, a fellow traveler, and they embark on a journey together discovering different places and each other.

Even though the beginning of the book was very predictable and somewhat boring, I really liked the idea of Camryn’s journey. We’ve all had thoughts of just packing up and leaving. Just getting on a train or bus going somewhere, and Cam does just that. What I didn’t like was how Cam started off as a strong-willed character ready to take on the unknown then quickly turned into a scared girl who couldn’t travel by herself and needed a man with her. Without hardly any warning, Cam becomes dependent on Andrew almost right after meeting him. 

I liked Andrew right from his introduction. He was fresh and adorable, and just a tad bit mysterious. Some would say a little too mysterious based on the ending, but I will get to that in a minute. Anyway, like I said, I liked Andrew…until he revealed himself to be an extremely violent person. *insert sad face* Now, I’m sorry if I get a bit off topic here, but I just do not understand the appeal of a violent man. And this is a trend that I am seeing more and more in YA/NA books. Authors are romanticizing violence. There is a difference between being protective and strong versus uncontrollably angry and violent. We need to stop showcasing this trait positively.  This was the main reason why my rating is so low. Ok, sorry, back to review. *gets off soapbox*

The story moved in and out of realistic to unrealistic for me. Everything was always so dramatic. The sex was way more graphic then I had anticipated and seemed unnecessary here. Oh and go figure, Cam’s a natural sub while Andrew is a dom. How perfect is that?

As for the ending, where the eff did that come from? I was really confused how this big bombshell was dropped from Andrew, even though we had his POV throughout the story. It felt a little cheated, but I went with it and I felt the emotions I’m sure the author wanted me to feel. 

Uggghhh....I was so frustrated with this book. I really liked parts of it, but went wrong in a lot of ways and I couldn't overlook them. I enjoyed the authors writing style – her characters, despite their flaws, were quick witted and I liked the dialogue. I will read the sequel because I’m curious as to what else to author could put this couple through. 

I received an copy of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

ARC Review: Gated by Amy Christine Parker

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release date: August 6, 2013
Publisher: Random House Children's
352 Pages

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?

In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:

Pioneer is her leader.

Will is her Intended.

The end of the world is near.

Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.

Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

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Gated is the story of Lyla, who, along with her parents, goes to live in this gated community with other selected families all controlled by a man who calls himself Pioneer. Pioneer’s been telling them that the end of the world is coming and they are the chosen few who will survive, but they must be ready. They have no contact with the outside world except for the trips into the local town every once in awhile for supplies. Since she was young, Lyla has been brought up trained to protect the community at all costs and not question anything.

Until she meets Cody.

First, I want start off by saying people who follow so-called leaders with blind faith just rub me the wrong way. I don’t understand it and I don’t think I ever will. I don’t understand how Lyla’s parents are ok with their daughter being matched off at the age of 13 and taught to shoot to kill (not injure, but kill). I don’t understand parents who let their “leaders” punish their child – physically punish their child – in front of an audience. A lot of this book was just very uncomfortable and unnerving. 

The plot was interesting. I liked Lyla for the most part. She was the only one around her who questioned their lifestyle – raised in a cult-type setting and being introduced to the outside world. Yes, this mostly happened because a boy helped her, but at least she was finally waking up. She wanted more, believed there was more and I don’t blame her. Her parents ignored her, her mom was stuck in the past, holding onto a lost child and completely forgetting about her living child. I felt bad for Lyla. 

The other characters in the book were just okay. Will was sweet, Cody was sweet, her friends were okay. Cody seemed a little wasted and unnecessary. I didn’t feel their instant connection and he was mostly used to get her to question herself and her matching with Will.  

Then there was the pacing of the story. For the most part, it was very slow moving. Just a bunch of set up for the end of the world. The last handful of chapters were where the action finally sets in and things start happening. 

My main issue, and why there is a lower rating, was Pioneer. He was their leader, telling them they were all handpicked to survive and he wanted nothing more to protect them. But as the story continued, his lies and secrets were revealed and they didn’t make sense. What was his reasoning? Why was he doing what he was doing? What was his ultimate goal? None of these were answered. There’s only so much a good plot can do, but you have to be able to answer simple questions about your characters if you want it to be believable or even understood. 

I did like the authors writing style and I would be interested in reading more from her, but this book just wasn’t for me.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

ARC Review: Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
240 Pages

Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal enemy.

In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.

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Okay, this may sound bizarre, but you know when you eat something extremely delicious and you are trying to tell someone about the amazing meal you just had? You don't just say, "Oh, I ate this sushi from blah blah blah and it was good." You rave and ramble and use absurd hand gestures to get your point across. That's what I need to do with Love in the Time of Global Warming, because this book is like the sweetest ambrosia and I want everyone to know about it. 

This summer semester, I'm taking a mythology course. I, like many, have been fascinated by Greek myth since I was little--thank you, Disney's Hercules. In this class, we finished reading The Odyssey two weeks ago. Then we had to write a paper comparing the poem to Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, a movie starring that hottie, George Clooney. So I've been immersed in that world and those characters a lot. Being so close to it, I decided to pick up Love in the Time of Global Warming. "Might as well knock out a review copy and get my final dose of Homer's classic?" That may have been the best idea I've ever had.

I cannot stress enough how glorious this book is. The author's brilliant writing, flawed but lovable characters and engaging story, everything about it made this book perfect. There is so much to the story, so much put in these short number of pages that I will be thinking of this book for a great long while. When I stop thinking about it, that's when I know I'll need to pick it up and read it again.

Pen lost everything in the Earth Shaker. The water rose, the ground opened up and her family and friends disappeared. Now she lives holed up in the home she where she grew up with nothing for company but the memories of them, surviving off of the goods her father collected. When an unexpected forces her from her home, she goes in search of her beloved brother, Venice and her parents. She doesn't foresee the epic journey that awaits her filled with monsters, enemies and loss, or the love she finds with the boy who carries his heavy past on his shoulders and a copy of The Odyssey in his hands.

I am in love with this book, if you didn't already realize. The cover is what drew me in the rest is what made me stay. Block has a unique and decadent writing style that's flow made me wish I was eating dark chocolate as I read (I'm sorry for all of these food references, but I haven't had dinner yet). Her prose is enchanting and portrayed the emotions of Pen easily. I teared up a few times while reading about our young heroine's heartbreak. Altogether, it's a beautiful book that does more than just retell a literary classic.

Pen, Hex, Ez and Ash were all so… so endearing. Each had their own problems, struggles in their past that greatly affected them, but the relationships that were built between the four were sincere. They are wonderful characters, easy to love and hard to let go of. They are diverse in their backgrounds and personalities, which made for an even more interesting read. I wish we could see more of them, as I've grown very fond of the four companions and am curious to know how life after the end of the book is for them. One can only hope that they are able to find a stable happiness in the dead world in which they live.

The plot moves steadily. I never felt the pace waver. It's an easy read, not too complex, but enough depth to wholeheartedly take your interest. The world-building was phenomenal, which I believe had a lot to do with the details in the prose. Block excellently shows us this horrifying world that is reminiscent of the one we know today. It's eery, haunting and perfect for this story. Nothing felt out of place, or awkward to me. This book was breathtaking and one that I want everything to read and enjoy as much as I did.

Love in the Time of Global Warming is very different from mainstream young adult literature, in a good way. Block goes outside the box, giving the audience an enthralling and unforgettable tale. Based on how much I loved this book, I will definitely be reading more of this author's work. If they are anywhere near as compelling as this one, I know I will be a fan. Please give this book a chance! Go into it open-minded as there are some controversial subjects that are very relevant to young adults and society as a whole today. 

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.

Sizzling Summer Giveaway Event: Guest Post: AK Morgen

We are happy to join YA Bound in their Sizzling Summer Giveaway Event and have the lovely AK Morgen join us with a guest post! Find the other blogs and event details HERE.

Ayden's Top Ten Romantic Pairings of Legend

One of my favorite things about writing FADE and The Ragnarök Prophesies series has been introducing readers to some of the myths and legendary figures I fell in love with when I was a kid. Not only do I get to play with the Norse myth of Ragnarök in the series, but I get to delve into the myths and love stories of many different cultures. I feel like a kid in a candy store. 

Here are ten of my favorite romantic pairings from mythology and legend, many of which you'll find referenced in some fashion in Arionna and Dace's world. 

Eros and Psyche –Their story is so full of drama and intrigue; I just can't keep myself from cheering for these forbidden lovers. When Aphrodite gets fed up with the beauty of Psyche, she sends her son, Eros (Cupid), to shoot Psyche with one of his arrows while she sleeps. Aphrodite plans to present a hideous creature to Psyche when she awakens, but when Eros pricks himself with the arrow, things don't quite work out that way. 

Diana and Orion – Meet two of the world's earliest star-crossed lovers. When Diana is tricked into killing Orion by her brother, Apollo, she takes his body and places it amongst the stars, thus immortalizing him and our love of star-crossed lovers. There are many different versions of how Orion earned his final resting place in the stars, but this has always been my favorite.

Tristan and Isolde – When I read Romeo and Juliet as a teenager, I wasn't particularly impressed by them. Perhaps because I'd already fallen in love with Tristan and Isolde, another legendary pair of ill-fated lovers. Their tragic story broke my little heart into pieces . . . and still does so. I cry like a baby every time I read their story. While the latest movie version leaves out so much of the story, I've fallen in love with it as well. James Franco crying? Be still my heart!

 Izanagi and Izanami – The story of Izanagi and Izanami is unique. It does triple duty as a love story, a creation myth, and a cautionary tale. When the lovers join as husband and wife, Izanami gives birth to the eight islands of Japan. From there, things rapidly begin to unravel, and the story ends with their broken marriage. Granted, the end is not very romantic, but it's still such a fascinating love story.

Diana and Lucifer – No, not that Lucifer, but the one found in Charles Leland's Vangelo delle Streghe. As with Izanagi and Izanami, this story doubles as a creation myth. But the ending here is much happier. Diana falls madly in love with Lucifer, God of Light, but he flees from her. She searches out the most primordial part of herself, and learns that she must fall in order to be reunited with Lucifer. Diana does so, and as she falls through the Seven Planes, she divides, becoming lifetimes upon lifetimes of souls, and eventually reunites with Lucifer who helps her spin the wheel that set the universe into motion.  

Pyramus and Thisbe – These two Babylonian lovers, denied the opportunity to wed by their parents, plan to meet beneath a mulberry tree near Ninus's tomb to declare their love for one another, but a pesky lion ruins the day, and leads to the deaths of these lovers. When the gods hear their tragic story, they change the color of the mulberry from white to red to honor Pyramus and Thisbe. 

Procris and Cephalus – Procris and Cephalus are madly in love when Cephalus is kidnapped by Eos, who tries desperately to convince him to forsake his wife. He refuses, and finds his way back to Procris, but not before Eos plants the suspicion that Procris has been unfaithful to him. Much drama ensues, and these two lovers eventually make up. But a grave misunderstanding happens, and Cephalus accidentally kills Procris.

Niu Lang and Zhi Nü – This is one of the most famous stories to come from China, and is still celebrated throughout the nation. Each day, Zhi Nü descends from Heaven to bathe in a pool. One day, Niu Lang sees her, and the two fall madly in love. Soon they wed, and when Zhi Nü's father (the Jade King) finds out, he's furious but is too late to do anything. One day, Zhi Nü visits her father in Heaven, and when she leaves to return to Niu Lang, her father places the Milky Way in her path, only removing it one night a year so the lovers may reunite.

Lancelot and Guinevere –  Their love, according to legend, was the undoing of one of the greatest kingdoms. When King Arthur learns of his queen's affair with Lancelot, Guinevere is sentenced to death. Lancelot swoops in and rescues her at the last moment, which causes King Arthur to declare war on the errant knight. Eventually, Guinevere is imprisoned by Mordred, who attempts to wed her himself. King Arthur learns of this plan and returns from his war with Lancelot to kill Mordred. He is seriously wounded during their confrontation, and is whisked away to Avalon while Guinevere spends the rest of her life in a convent.

Freki and Geri –  These wolves were Odin's most beloved of companions. He fed them from his table. In exchange, they followed him everywhere, keeping his loneliness at bay. Geri and Freki's love for one another was so great that, according to legend, when Odin and the Æsir created humanity, Odin sent the wolves to the humans to show them how to care for and protect one another. Humanity learned much about love from this pair, and grew to revere the wolf, a tradition which continues to this day in many parts of the world.

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  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Big thanks for AK for joining us today, and YA Bound for hosting!