Stolen Time Book Tour

Angela Rae Harris:  Stories of Hope ~ Creating Dreams

Angela is an author, a wife, mother of two, and a part-time assistant office manager. She loves nights when her husband cooks. Her two kids keep her hopping and help her tap into her well of creativity and imagination.

At thirteen, Angela read Harry Potter and was reacquainted with books. She reads everything from Steven King to Will Hobbs. She started writing after her youngest was born. The characters started to visit and wouldn’t let her sleep until she wrote down their stories.

She'd love for people to get lost in her books.

Website/Blog / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter / Goodreads /

Book Links:

Amazon / Amazon U.K. / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords / Goodreads

Guest Post: 

Stolen Time and the Shifter Origin

From the beginning, I knew Stolen Time (The Time Series) would be about shifters. The idea of changing into an animal always intrigued me. As I researched the idea, I wanted a world that was based off of an ancient belief. Egyptian religion is riddled with gods who are also animals. My story developed as I researched those legends.

While much of the shifter ability is built upon Egyptian tales, it needed to be modernized. I envisioned modern day shifters in hiding. After all, wouldn't you be a little scared of your neighbor if you know he could change into a grizzly bear? This also presented a case for the antagonistic General. In accent Egypt, the pharaohs were believed to be close to the gods because they could also shift into animals. The General’s cause is to reinstate shifters’ place in the current world.

Along with the legends, I knew that my shifters wouldn't all change into the same animal. Everyone has a different personality; therefore, everyone has a different animal inside of them. Have you ever been told you have eyes like a hawk or you’re cunning like a fox? In junior high, I started a new school and one of the girls I sat next to in first period told me that I looked like a cat. At the time it seemed odd, but it made me think. My imagination went wild. No pun intended.

I want my fantasy world to be believable, and to make my readers think when they see a garage door raised a little off the ground, “Does a shifter live there?”

With Halloween coming up, what kind of shifter would you want to be?

Okay, so to intrigue you a bit further with Angela Rae Harris book here's the beautiful cover and synopsis. 

Synopsis:

Tragedy has made Keaira wise beyond her twenty years. Forced to work for the General, a commanding man who blackmailed his way into her life, she was ordered to study self-defense and master knife throwing. In the hidden community of Shifters, falcons are considered weak, a fact which may ultimately save her life. To escape his cruelty, she will need to call upon her quick-witted falcon side, but the General has other plans – ones which involve his only son, Carson.

When unexpected feelings form between Keaira and Carson, the General quickly moves his pieces into place, launching his quest to take over the world. If she wants to survive, Keaira must stay one step ahead in the General’s deadly game and discover his weaknesses. Even if it means risking her life and the lives of those she cares about most.

With war on the horizon, sides are being drawn. Deadly secrets must be exposed. Time is running out for Keaira and all of mankind.

Fabulous Upcoming Stuff

So, my friends. You may or may not know of the fabulous Spellbound series by Sherry Soule but let me tell you that you're most definitely missing out on something big if you don't. A cross between Supernatural and Charmed, this series is one of the best I've read. You can read my review on Beautifully Broken, the first book here. Coming up, is the review of the revamped version of the first book. I'll have that up sometime before it's my turn in the tour. Meanwhile, here are some pretty cool banners to look at.

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GenLia

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Styxx (Dark-Hunter #24)

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Published September 3rd 2013 by St. Martin's Press

Purchase at: 

Barnes&Noble

Amazon

Synopsis: 

Just when you thought doomsday was over...

Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.

As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.

The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her.

But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.

Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it's your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?

Review: 

Ever since I found out about Styxx last year, I'd been dying to get my hands on it. Why, you ask? Well, because while I was a complete mess reading Acheron and absolutely despised Styxx and his father, I was curious on how Sherrilyn Kenyon could possibly make me change my mind about that asshole. Seriously, he did despicable things to Acheron, playing a big role on making his life miserable. Boy, was I wrong. 

If possible, Styxx was even worse. Or better. Whatever floats your boat. In my opinion it was way more brutal and graphic than Acheron had been. But I could be wrong it's been a while since I read it. Nevertheless, I assure you that within a few pages you will be tearing up, and it just gets worse from there, I assure you. You see, I bought this book at a bookstore during a school field trip and managed to freak out at least three of my friends with how emotional I was getting over the book. Seriously, no kidding. 

But, see, that's what I love about Sherrilyn Kenyon. She's a great woman with such vivid imagination that when she creates characters I think of it as creating another human being. So far most of her characters have felt so real to me, which is why Styxx got to me so much. It's really impossible to put the book down. 

Styxx starts during the twins' childhood just like Acheron and ends somewhere this year, but with a whole lot of added scenes in which you get to see the reality of Styxx's life, his innermost thoughts and everything he went through as a child and young man. I'm telling you, neither of them had it easy because as you may or may not know, they were separated at the age of seven and led completely different lives. VERY different. 

You come to realize that, unlike what we saw in Acheron, (if you've read the book, which I absolutely recommend) Styxx was far from a pampered Prince that was loved and cherished. Gods, that was far from the truth. Everyone misjudged him, betrayed him and never, ever showed him any kindness. His parents hated him, contrary to what Acheron and Ryssa thought. Styxx went through Hades a million times, suffering the worst of the worst. That is until he met Beth. 

Bethany was actually one of my favorite characters in the entire book. She saw Styxx for what he really was, a bashful, strong young man with an immense capability of love and loyalty... if only people let him in. Their relationship was truly beautiful, and it was very touching to see Styxx give her every part of him. Hell, he was even faithful, something which most men in the book weren't. Now, my second favorite was Galen, Styxx' mentor who trained him for battle. Even though they had a very rough relationship at the beginning, the old man eventually saw Styxx, the real him and came to see him as a son. This was also one of the things that tore at my heart, the way Styxx interacted with this man and how much he came to love and depend on him as if he was his real father. I could never thank him enough to helping Styxx and sticking to his side through everything. In a world where Styxx had to look over his shoulder all the time or suffer the consequences, which could have come from either Ryssa or his own mother due to the fact that they loathed him to the point of wanting him dead, he needed each and every one of his allies-- the few he had. 

But let's not turn this review into a dissertation or anything (which I could totally do, btw, because I don't get tired of talking about it), so let me finish this with telling you that you MUST read this book asap. Or if you're new to the amazing Dark-Hunter series, start with Fantasy Love. I believe there are about 23 books in the series if I'm not mistaken, but believe me when I tell you it's totally worth it. One of the best things about this series is that, if you want, you could read each book as a stand alone but I recommend you actually start from the beginning and work your way up. Kenyon is a master at world building and creating characters that you come to love/hate with how real, strong and unique each of them are--yes, that includes the villains and even the fickle gods. With every book, every new piece of information revealed about any character you come to know them even more, and either love them or hate them. However, things aren't by any means black and white. If you get anything out of this story should be this, and Acheron's advice that "there are three sides to every story: yours, theirs, and the truth somewhere in the middle." (I might have completely butchered it but I believe that's something close to what the books says.)

So, don't be ashamed of any squealing that happens as you read the book and hear about a past character, it's totally normal. ;) And if you're a Dark-Hunter veteran, what are you waiting for? There ain't no time to waste, people! As Simi would say, you 'quality people' should get your hands on this book, but don't forget the Kleenex, because I guarantee you will shed tears. C'mon, cry me a river! 

Sexual content, because I feel like this should be taken into account for those of you new to this, is graphic sex. Also, probably torture. 

Rating: 5.0

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Ultraviolet (Ultraviolet #1)

by R.J. Anderson 

Paperback, 416 pages

Published June 2nd 2011 by Orchard (first published January 1st 2011)

Barnes&Noble

Amazon

Summary:

"Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. This is not her story. Unless you count the part where I killed her."

Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution. As she pieces her memory back together, she realizes she's confessed to murdering Tori Beaugrand, the most perfect girl at school. But the case is a mystery. Tori's body has not been found, and Alison can't explain what happened. One minute she was fighting with Tori. The next moment Tori disintegrated--into nothing.

But that's impossible. No one is capable of making someone vanish. Right? Alison must be losing her mind--like her mother always feared she would.

For years Alison has tried to keep her weird sensory abilities a secret. No one ever understood--until a mysterious visiting scientist takes an interest in Alison's case. Suddenly, Alison discovers that the world is wrong about her--and that she's capable of far more than anyone else would believe.

Review:

When I started reading this book I didn't have much info about it. I've had it in my TBR pile for quite a long time so I said, 'Why not?' Hell, I didn't even know exactly what genre it was at first and just when I thought I had it all figured out the author made a complete change in the plot. 
A girl disintegrates, I thought it was a big clue as to how coocoo Alison was and, like everyone else, I didn't think there was much to it. It was a great way to teach me not to judge a book by its cover or synopsis for that matter. But I'm super glad I finally picked it up. You know why? Because, as it turns out, the less you know about it the greater the surprise in the end when you reach that last page and end up with your mouth open and eyes wide open.

Ms. Anderson's writing and plot were incredibly amazing. As I read, I had all this questions of whether or not Alison was actually sane. Alison's story was really heart-wrenching and insanely good, quite a thrilling ride. 

Ultraviolet is the story of a confused teenage girl that has no idea what's going on with her weird 'ability' to see music and taste colors, which led her to doubt her sanity. I have to be honest, I questioned things a lot, too. Just when I was beginning to think this was a normal YA book, BAM, there goes everything I believed in with the twist and turn that the book took. Ms. Anderson was brilliant and sneaky. She eased you into Alison's broken world, got you somewhat comfortable in the story as you expected certain twists to happen, and then ripped the world from right under your feet when you least expected it. 

When the truth came out, I still didn't believe it. Seriously, Alison's story is incredibly confusing yet believable when you think about it. The author really did a great job in writing this story with 3D characters that were actually sort of hard to read. Because, really, who likes predictable characters or a story line you see coming a mile away? Although, this might come from the fact that the story was told from Alison's point of view, whom we come to realize was just as clueless about most of the people she thought she knew, which is exciting. Anderson's choice to write from first person's POV is really what made the whole story work so flawlessly. Right away, from the very first page, the reader is thrown into the same unknown situation and walks with her trying to remember, and resolve, the mystery surrounding Tori's death. 

As original and unpredictable as this story is, it's bound to keep readers on their toes from beginning to end trying to guess the mystery of Tori's death. A great start for a series.

Now I heard there will be a sequel, but with the bar set so high, it makes me wonder whether or not I'll be satisfied with the sequel. Hopefully, it'll be just as awesome, or even better if that's possible.

Rating:

5.0

GenLia

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

The Dead and Buried

by Kim Harrington

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published January 1st 2013 by Scholastic Point

Barnes&Noble

Amazon

Synopsis:

A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

Review: 

The archetype of ghost stories goes as followed: A new girl/boy moves into town and his/her house is haunted, which means that he/she has to solve the mystery at the same time he/she has boy/girl trouble. It's been done a thousand times before, but the secret, I believe, is add a little something to it, which is exactly what happened in The Dead and Buried. Every element of the story fell into place at the end and it kept me interested to find out the truth throughout the whole thing. The whole dysfunctional family aspect of it was a good addition to the story and the best part of it all was the fact that even though the novel is a mix of something slightly scary, mystery and romance, the latter wasn't the dominant part of the whole story. It was perfectly blended in, which is good. Now, I don't usually like whole high school drama with the mean girls and popular circles, but in this case I made an exception. Or rather, the author made it worth my while. Because, really, if the regular mean girl makes me want to rip out my hair, Kayla Sloan popular-girl-turned-ghost, was outright great. Normally I guess the plot of such books, and even though that was the case here, too, I kept reading just to find out the motives. That's what drove me to keep reading, plus the cute boys, of course. :) My problem with the book, though, was the fact that Jade came across a little detached from certain things. Like, she was leading on one of the boys and didn't think much of it. While he was important to solve the mystery, it was kind of too much. The romance was sweet and devoid of too much drama, thankfully. That's what I loved the most, I think. But, it came to be very suddenly. Jade and Donovan felt that instant connection that just wasn't realistic. This is a major pet peeve of mine and it's what really made me lose it here. The Dead And Buried is a quick, spooky story for those who like mystery and ghosts, but don't want to be scared half to death. To be honest, it was quite predictable but entertaining enough that you won't get bored. At least not with someone like Kayla Sloan's ghost. Point is, nothing scary but interesting. Rating: 3.0 GenLia

The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle Excerpt

Excerpt:

A hand slid over my mouth and stifled my scream before I was even fully awake. When my eyes sprung open, I was ready to be filled with the image of a most ghastly villain, but instead it was forewarned magick that filled my eyes, and I was filled with awe. A man in the lightest sense of the word, loomed over me with eyes so wide and feral, I thought he might howl to the moon. His words came out rough and breathy. “If you make a sound, I’ll snap your scrawny neck.”

The sensible fear one should first feel when they are first assaulted, oozed reluctantly into me, and my eyes strained towards the darkened bedroom. Wake up, Blair.

“He sleeps like the dead,” the selkie hissed as if he read my mind.

Oh, bloody, bloody, the fire had done no good at all. I silently cursed my ignorance and Blair’s lame advice. The man above me was pearly white and as naked as the day he was born. Even in the blushing light of a dying fire, I could see the smooth skin of his chest and the tiny folds at his tight stomach as he curled over me. It was instantly clear why the women in the village laughed when I asked how I might recognize a selkie man. He would wear a lein and trousers no more than a fish.

The selkie man slipped his hand from my mouth then sniffed his palm.

“What?” I squeaked.

His dark eyes turned on me with such wildness and intensity; I believed his promise to break my neck. I pressed my lips together too frightened to move, but also mesmerized by the extraordinary sight of him—a wildebeest about to be eaten by a majestic lion. I was frightened—wasn’t I?

I'm sorry, but who wouldn't want to read this? The writing alone, people! Amazing for a debut novel, really. 

Trailer: