Tour Review: Food for a Hungry Ghost by Becky M. Pourchot

Title: Food for a Hungry Ghost

Series: Hungry Ghost # 1
Author: Becky M. Pourchot
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Ghosts, Psychic Abilities
Setting Location: Flagler Beach, Florida
Publisher: Laughing Tiger Publications
Format: PDF, 72 Pages
ASIN: B0088FCKD4
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Source: Tour Host (Promotional Book Tours)
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle 

Tagline(s): ~NONE~  

Summary: Life was pleasantly normal for Gala Rhyce...

...that is, until her mom moved the family to Flagler Beach, Florida. Now despite the palm trees, ocean breezes, and cute surfer guys, Gala is miserable until she meets Trista.

Trista makes a great friend, except there's a snag: she's a ghost. The girls learn to communicate, and through Gala, Trista finds a way to experience the world again.

Even as Gala’s romance with a heart throb poet begins to bloom, she enjoys her unlikely friendship with Trista—that is until the ghost wants more than Gala can give and things go horribly wrong. Filled with humor, romance, and horror, Food for a Hungry Ghost is about friendship, jealousy, and boundaries that get pushed too far. How much can Gala endure?

Will she survive the clutches of the Hungry Ghost?

Review:

Food for a Hungry Ghost was a really fun book to read! It made me laugh while giving me chills the next moment. The bird poop moment was so hilarious, and Trista's moods and tantrums can get downright spooky.

I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more romance between Gala and Cy. We get little teaser moments that suggest the beginnings of a relationship, but by the end  there isn't really anything concrete in that area.

It is hinted that Gala has great power and it seems by the end of the book she has some kind of psychic ability. That would definitely explain why Gala was such a great source of power and strength for Trista. But is also seems that Gala's interactions with Trista opened some kind of gateway, since she's seeing a shadowy figure. There is a sense of foreboding at the end of the book. I can't wait for the next book in the Hungry Ghost series.

About this Author:

Becky Pourchot is the author of two books: I Look Better in Binary and Food for a Hungry Ghost and had published over one hundred articles ranging in topic from haunted museums to burlesque dancers. Ms. Pourchot grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, but has spent her last year and a half enjoying the sand and surf in Flagler Beach, Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, and a grouchy parrot named Zoey.

Author Links:

http://www.hungryghostbooks.com
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5279861.Becky_Pourchot
https://www.facebook.com/Hungryghostbooks

PART OF....

Tour Review: Safeword: Davenport by Candace Blevins

Title: Safeword: Davenport

Series: Safeword #4 (All are standalone books with the exception of the two Davenport novels)
Author: Candace Blevins
Genre: Erotic/BDSM
Publisher: Excessica
Format: 

ISBN: 9781609826604 
Release Date: July 6, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Bewitching Book Tours}
Rating:

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Dana has never submitted to anyone but her husband -- he trained her, taught her to submit. He's been dead a year and a half though, and she's beginning to consider the possibility of dating again. She sticks to vanilla at first, but quickly realizes she's going to need more. As she's considering the idea of finding someone who would enjoy hurting her without requiring her submission, her life is complicated by a Dom who pushes all of her buttons.

Safeword: Davenport is the first half of Dana's story, it's the personal part of her journey, and has a Happy for Now ending. Safewords: Davenport and Chiffon is scheduled for release August 3, 2012, and will give the rest of her story.

Warning: This title contains graphic language, consensual BDSM, bondage, intense sensory deprivation, extreme electrical play, and the use of toys including clamps, canes, plugs, cages, paddles, whips, and floggers.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED LATE. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

About this Author:

Candace Blevins is a southern girl who loves to travel the world.

She lives with her husband of 14 years and their two daughters. When not working or driving kids all over the place she can be found reading, writing, meditating, or swimming.

Candace writes romance books about characters who happen to have some extreme kinks. Relationships can be difficult enough without throwing power exchange into the mix, and her books show people who care enough about each other to fight to make the relationship work.

You can visit her on the web at candaceblevins.com and kinkyeverafter.com

Author Links:

www.KinkyEverAfter.com

www.CandaceBlevins.com

www.Twitter.com/CandaceBlevins   

www.Facebook.com/candacesblevins

www.Pinterest.com/candacesblevins/

Tour Hosted by Bewitching Book Tours

Tour Review: Taming the Wolf by Stephanie Nelson

Title: Taming the Wolf
Series: Anna Avery #1
Author(s): Stephanie Nelson
Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Elements: Werewolves
Publisher: Stephanie Nelson
Format: PDF, 114 Pages
ASIN: B008BKT3UO
Release Date: June 13, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Promotional Book Tours}
Rating: 3.5/5


Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Attacked by a wolf while hiking, Anna Avery's life just got a little hairier. Living in the Big Horn mountains in Wyoming, with a group of werewolves who are more animal than human, Anna must try to hold onto her human side.

It's not easy when the alpha continues to persuade her into his bed, while another wolf is chomping at the bit to become her mate. To top it all off, dead bodies are showing up and it just so happens that Anna was the last to see them alive. She'll have to work to prove her innocence and taming the wolf who bites first and asks questions never.

Review:

Three months ago, Anna Avery was attacked in the woods by a wolf while jogging. Anna was found close to death by Adam Everwood, the alpha of the Everwood Pack. Now, three months after her attack, Anna is a functioning member of the pack, but because she's the newest member she's at the bottom of the pack order. She does the chores, gets her meals last, and is supposed to be submissive to those above her.

But there is just something clawing its way out that won't allow her to cower. Anna sees herself as being equal to the alphas, and Adam begins noticing that she may very well be his equal. Eve, the alpha female, notices this change too, and it's made worse when Adam begins showing interest in Anna, therefore threatening Eve's place in the pack.

As this power struggle continues, humans are turning up mauled to death. With each new attack, Anna has a dream-vision of it happening. Scared of what these visions could mean for her, Anna keeps them to herself. But as more humans are turning up dead, the Leaders are called in to investigate, and Anna is the number one suspect.

I couldn't help but love Anna. She's supposed to be the small submissive at the bottom, but she's way more assertive than a submissive should be. I love that she doesn't back down from Adam and looks him right in the eye. Another thing I really liked about Anna was her morals. She won't give herself to just anyone, and she won't become the mate to someone who doesn't love her. The one she chooses for her mate has to be hers completely, just as she would be his completely.

It is mentioned multiple times that Anna is the only snow white wolf in the pack, and it is believed that it could be a sign of great things in her future. In the three months that she's been in the pack, though, Anna hasn't shown any special abilities or the like. Though it's questionable that the dream-visions she's been having are the abilities of a seer, because Anna's fur color is emphasized many times, I feel there has to be something special about her. Maybe even Adam's coloring being exactly opposite of Anna's means something. Anna is snow white and Adam is jet black. Or I could be reading way too into things.

And maybe their colors even have a little something to do with them being each others "Chante." A wolf's chante is his or her heart, their soul mate, their other half. When I thought of their coloring and being each others chante, it made me think of a ying-yang, they each are a half of a whole.

The discovery behind the reason for Adam and Anna's attraction wasn't smooth and was quite a bumpy, sometimes painful process. Neither can understand why they feel such a strong draw to each other, and both try to push against it. But when Anna's life is in danger, they choose to give in for a night that may be their first and last. It's after that that they know the chante legend is true. I'm glad that this wasn't an instant relationship. There were obstacles at every turn. But the end result was worth waiting for.

There was a surprise revelation concerning Eve that left me reeling. Not to mention why she framed Anna for the killings (it's kind of obvious from the beginning who how jealous she was of Anna that she was the one behind it). Murder, jealousy, and revenge reign supreme where Eve is concerned.

Taming the Wolf was an exciting read and I can't wait to read the next story of Anna Avery.

Book Trailer:



About this Author:

Unlike most authors, Stephanie Nelson didn't dream of becoming a writer. Her interest laid in photography. It wasn't until four years ago when she picked up her first paranormal romance book and fell in love. Books became her addiction and the local bookstore her favorite place to visit. It wasn't long before her own stories began to form and nag her to try her hand at writing. After countless attempts, Stephanie ended up giving up on writing for a while. But her imagination wouldn't allow her to quit. Deciding to give it another shot, Stephanie began to write the Gwen Sparks series. The first book in the series, Craved was published seven months later and reached #1 on Amazon's bestseller list and #6 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list.

Stephanie resides in the Midwest with her husband and their furry children. When she manages to pull herself away from the computer, she enjoys traveling, fishing, playing board games and spending time with her family.

PART OF....

Challenge Review: Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

Title: Before I Wake
Series: Soul Screamers #6
Author(s): Rachel Vincent
Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Elements: Demons, Necromancers, Reapers, Bean sidhes
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN, Harlequin Books
Format: Paperback, 346 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-373-21061-9
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Source: Bought from Book Depository
Rating: 5/5

Tagline(s): The last thing you hear before you die.

Summary: I died on a Thursday--killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul.

The good news? He didn't get it.

The bad news?

Turns out not even death will get you out of high school... 

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent “recovering,” she’s back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.

But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won’t keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn’t just gambling with her own life….

Review:  

Kaylee Cavanaugh's death was inevitable, but no one expected her life to end the way it did. It was a Thursday when Kaylee's life ended and her afterlife began. It has now been a month since that fateful day and Kaylee's going back to school. But pretending to be alive is harder than it looks. Then when Kaylee goes on a practice soul retrieval, she comes face-to-face with an old family enemy. The stakes have risen and it's not only Kaylee's soul at risk. 

Where If I Die had an air of hopelessness, inevitability, and soul-crushing heartache; Before I Wake has an air of being left adrift, but has undercurrents of power and heart wrenching beauty. Fan, myself included, wondered if Rachel Vincent could out-do If I Die, and she blew it out of the water with Before I Wake. 

I think we see Kaylee's true strength in Before I Wake. She has always been strong, no one will contest that, but in Before I Wake we see her at perhaps her weakest and still she manages to pull herself together. Kaylee is like the heart of the group--when she died, the group crumbled, they are only strong as long as Kaylee is. Kaylee's experience with death and her subsequent afterlife have made her stronger and has made her value life even more than she did when she was alive. 

Kaylee's selflessness is epic. There really is something "intriguing" and "rare" about it. And that is why Avari wants her. I liked the way Thane described the differences between Kaylee and Avari: "You protect people with lies, and he manipulates people with the truth. You keep saving those who've hurt you, and he hurts people who've done him no harm." Kaylee's unrelenting selflessness is what makes her one of my favorite heroines. I'm glad that she didn't lose it when she died. But there are consequences that come with that selflessness; some are good, some are bad, and some are lasting and can never be taken back. 

The addition of Luca to the gang was refreshing. We met him in Never to Sleep, and it was great to learn a bit more about him. Luca's abilities as a necromancer are pretty creepy, though. He's like an undead radar--he can tell you where the reinstated (i.e. Tod, Kaylee) are located, where a corpse can be found, AND he can reanimate the dead. It just makes you shiver in revulsion. But aside from his creepy abilities, Luca seems like a pretty great guy, and to be able to handle Sophie he must have unlimited patience. I don't know how he does it. 

I absolutely LOVED the developments in Tod and Kaylee's relationship. Their relationship seems more natural and effortless than Kaylee's relationship with Nash did. Kaylee and Tod started out as friends, grew to care and love each other, and now they are facing forever together. Their hearts literally beat for each other, and they are the only thing that makes the other feel truly alive. I couldn't help but swoon. I love how well they compliment each other. Tod refers to Kaylee as being the strongest person he's ever met, but I loved how when Kaylee was weak or vulnerable, Tod was her strength. I am so very happy that Kaylee chose Tod. I don't know how she withstood his charms for so long. 

Here are some of my favorite Tod/Kaylee quotes: 

"Forever used to feel like a curse. Now it feels like a promise." (Page 65) 

"You make me feel alive. Every time I touch you, I feel like there's some kind of charge flowing between us. Like tiny little bolts of lightning, setting me on fire." (Page 67) 

"You don't make me feel normal. You make me feel amazing, like I'm more alive now than I was back when my heart beat on its own." (Page 118) 

"How is it possible that every time you open your mouth, I--" fall more in love with you "--melt a little more? Seriously. There's nothing in here but mush." (Page 129) 

"Not much scare me anymore, but I'm terrified of losing you, Kaylee. I don't want to let you go long enough for that to happen." (Page 188) 

And these are only in the first half of the book. There's a lot more mushiness to enjoy and swoon over. 

We wondered if Rachel Vincent could out-do If I Die and she more than did so with Before I Wake. Now with the series finale coming in With All My Soul, Kaylee's out for revenge and I can't wait to see how Rachel Vincent will bring this series to a close. I have a feeling it will be one of the best finales I've ever read and I'll be sad to see it end. 

About this Author:

A resident of San Antonio, Rachel Vincent has a BA in English and an overactive imagination, and consistently finds the latter to be more practical. She shares her workspace with two black cats (Kaci and Nyx) and her # 1 fan. Rachel is older than she looks-seriously-and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.

The Before I Wake Mini-Reading Challenge is hosted by Rachel @ Fiktshun!

Tour Review: Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole

Title: Dante's Girl
Series: The Paradise Diaries #1
Author(s): Courtney Cole
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Lakehouse Press
Format: ARC, 180 Pages
ISBN: 2940014599726
Release Date: June 24, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Kismet Book Tours}
Rating: 5/5

Tagline(s): Love is all that matters...

Summary: I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring.   

Until this year.

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:

1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes.
2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.
3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.
4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise.
5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them.

Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine. He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots. See the difference?

But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl.

My heart just might be crazy.

Review: 

Reece Ellis is on her way to board the airplane that will take her to London for the summer when she literally bumps into Dante Giliberti. Turns out they're both on the same flight, but as they are preparing to take off, another plane explodes! Thinking it might have been a terrorist attack, Dante and his security team exit the plane taking Reece with them. That's when she finds out who Dante really is: the son of the Prime Minister is Caberra and heir to the Giliberti Olives billionaire family.

When you're (happily) stranded in a paradise country with a gorgeous guy and his "epic hotness," is love enough when everything is working to keep you apart? Will Reece be strong enough to protect her heart?

OhMyGosh, I loved Dante's Girl! There is something about airport meetings that I find irresistible. I love the anticipation of finding out what will happen to the couple. And then there is the chance meeting that is just so romantic.

Reece is a down-to-earth Kansas girl. There is nothing I didn't like about her. What I loved most about Reece is that once she gives her heart to someone she doesn't accept anything less than what she deserves. She will not stay with someone who does not love her back. Reece has a great sense of humor, too. Her internal ranting and hysterics were so hilarious--I was laughing throughout almost the entire book.

Every girl at some point in their life wishes to be whisked away by Prince Charming. For Reece, that prince happens to be Dante Giliberti. Dante has princely charm and good looks, a great sense of humor, and he's even chivalrous. At one point, Dante defends Reece after learning that one of his friends bruised her arm. But like many princes, Dante's only real flaw is that he feels the need to please his father in everything, even if it makes him unhappy. This flaw in Dante causes Reece quite a bit of heartache, but she also can't deny the truth in his words when he tells her that he loves her.

While the romance is sweet and heart-wrenching, there's also a bit of mystery and suspense. When Dante's friend, Nate, is sen talking to a boy named Vincent from the farmlands of Caberra, Reece knows right away that something isn't right. Whatever the plan is, Reece is caught in the cross hairs and in the aftermath is evacuated and taken back to her parents. The question of what happened to Dante and if she'll ever see him again you'll just have to read Dante's Girl to find out!

About this Author:

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could.

She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate
America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds.

Every Last Kiss is her debut novel and she followed it with the rest of The Bloodstone Saga (Every Last Kiss, Fated, With My Last Breath and My Tattered Bonds).

Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.

Learn more about Courtney and her books at www.courtneycolewrites.com

 

Tour Hosted by Kismet Book Tours

Tour Review: A Threesome Wedding Adventure by Louisa Bacio (Guest Post+Giveaway)

Title: A Threesome Wedding Adventure
Series: The Vampire, The Witch, and The Werewolf #3
Author: Louisa Bacio
Genre: Supernatural Fictions, Paranormal Romance, Erotic Romance
Elements:
Publisher: Ravenous Romance
Format: PDF,
ISBN:
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Bewitching Book Tours}
Rating:

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Planning a wedding can be stressful and crazy-making. Planning three weddings at the same time? That’s insanity. While The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf embark on a nuptial excursion, Silver & Nick hold down the home fortress in New Orleans.

And as if everyone doesn’t have enough to deal with, the Voodoo King comes calling with a magic elixir that diminishes sexual inhibitions and an eerie quiet spreads across the French Quarter. Life as they know it may never be the same.

The threesome is forced to put off honeymoon bliss in order to banish the demons of their past, and embrace the uncertainty of the future.

Review: 

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED LATER. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

About this Author:

Louisa Bacio enjoys soaking up the sun in Southern California, and spending time with her family.

Bacio’s work includes the Sex University series, with her debut novel Physical Education and the follow-up All-Girls Academy. Her story “Two’s Company” can be found in I Kissed a Girl: A Virgin Lesbian Anthology. Other short stories can be found in the Seducing the Myth anthology, and Rekindled: An Anthology of Reunited Lovers.

In addition to writing and editing, Bacio teaches college courses in English, journalism, film studies and popular culture.

Drop in for a visit

http://www.louisabacio.com 

http://louisabacio.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/louisabacio

http://www.twitter.com/louisabacio 

Available via http://www.ravenousromance.com/ and
other Online retailers. 

Guest Post by Louisa Bacio:

Paper vs. Plastic (eReader)

By Louisa Bacio

The division remains between paper vs. plastic (the eReader). It used to be that I was a hard-core paper lover. My home office shelves overfill with hardback, paperbacks, magazines galore. The first writing conferences I attended years ago, I carted home boxes of extra books … many of which then sat on my office floor unread.

Sigh.

When eReaders came on the market, my husband “encouraged” me to jump on as an early-adapter. He figured less clutter in the house. For the most, part, that’s proved true. Still, I come home from my monthly chapter meetings with OCCRWA with signed copies of the latest releases. Because at a chapter event, there really isn’t a way to purchase ebooks. Or is there?

I wonder. After going to the RT Conference earlier this year, and seeing the ebook signing with electronic copies sold via All Romance eBooks, it’s made me wonder. Maybe.

Still, there are those moments when only paperback will do. Like in that first 20 minutes of an airplane ride when electronic devices cannot be used. (I do hear that some airlines are considering changing that law.) Or on the beach or in the bathtub. If you drop your $6.99 romance in the bath water, you can usually let it dry out and pick up the crinkled reader. If it’s a $100 reader … you’re out of luck.

Then there are those authors like Stephen King, one of my absolute favorites, who releases in hardback first and then electronically a month later. If you’re a fan, you want it right away. The last time I carted around one of his 1,000-page novels – The Dome – I cursed him though. It was simply bulky and unmanly to lug. I swore that next time I’ll wait that extra period for convenience’s sake.

Notice how I haven’t talked environment yet. It’s one of those benefits that people usually list. For me, ultimately, it comes down to the story – I like a good book, and whether that’s paper or plastic doesn’t really make too much of a difference.

From one bibliophile to another – thank you for hosting me! I greatly appreciate it.  

GIVEAWAY: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Tour Hosted by Bewitching Book Tours