Cover Reveal & Giveaway!



Today Michelle Hauck and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for FAITHFUL, book two in the Birth of Saints series which releases November 15, 2016! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win a SIGNED copy of book 1 GRUDGING!

On to the reveal! 


Title: FAITHFUL (Birth of Saints #2)
Author: Michelle Hauck
Pub. Date: November 15, 2016
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
Formats: eBook
ISBN: 9780062447173
Find it: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Goodreads

 Following Grudging--and with a mix of Terry Goodkind and Bernard Cornwall--religion, witchcraft, and chivalry war in Faithful, the exciting next chapter in Michelle Hauck's Birth of Saints series!

 A world of Fear and death…and those trying to save it.

 Colina Hermosa has burned to the ground. The Northern invaders continue their assault on the ciudades-estados. Terror has taken hold, and those that should be allies betray each other in hopes of their own survival. As the realities of this devastating and unprovoked war settles in, what can they do to fight back?

 On a mission of hope, an unlikely group sets out to find a teacher for Claire, and a new weapon to use against the Northerners and their swelling army.

 What they find instead is an old woman.

 But she’s not a random crone—she’s Claire’s grandmother. She’s also a Woman of the Song, and her music is both strong and horrible. And while Claire has already seen the power of her own Song, she is scared of her inability to control it, having seen how her magic has brought evil to the world, killing without reason or remorse. To preserve a life of honor and light, Ramiro and Claire will need to convince the old woman to teach them a way so that the power of the Song can be used for good. Otherwise, they’ll just be destroyers themselves, no better than the Northerners and their false god, Dal. With the annihilation their enemy has planned, though, they may not have a choice.

 A tale of fear and tragedy, hope and redemption, Faithful is the harrowing second entry in the Birth of Saints trilogy.

Exclusive Excerpt!

Not for the first time, Claire reconsidered her decision to stay when Ramiro had asked her. She’d lingered out of curiosity—and truthfully because it felt good to be needed—but they didn’t need her now with the Northern army defeated. She could return to the swamp and away from so many people. Despite her hopes of friends and community, she felt awkward here. Reason said she’d get used to their ways, but being around so many folk made her want to hide. Everything pressed down. The walls of the tent shrunk, pinning her in, and smothering her. It became hard to breathe.
She reached for a fresh strip of cloth, only to have her hand shake. She snatched the material and began to roll it, trying to shut out everything else, including her own doubts.
Before she could find a semblance of peace, though, someone shouted. Ladies screamed. Claire looked over her shoulder at the noise. A brown-bearded man in a poncho and a floppy hat ran in her direction. “My family is dead, because of the evacuations. Because of you.”
Claire gasped. He seemed to be talking to Beatriz, then his gaze found Claire.
“Witch!” His outstretched hand suddenly held a long butcher knife. “Witch! Stay away from us! Murderer! Abomination! Die!”
Fronilde dropped to the ground, but Claire couldn’t move. Surprise robbed her brain of a Song to stop him. Even the words of the Hornet Tune, which she knew as well as her name, deserted her. The man closed as everyone scrambled out of his way. Then Beatriz sprang from her chair to stand over Claire, holding up her hand. The tall, black-lace mantilla atop her head waved like a flag. “Stop.”
Something about the authority in the First Wife’s voice—or maybe her simple resistance instead of cringing or scrambling away—brought the man up short, making him pause for a moment. Just the moment the bodyguard needed to crush the lunatic to the floor and overpower him, wrestling free the knife. More guards came running from outside.
Breath rushed back in Claire’s lungs. Beatriz sniffed and touched a spot on her chest over her heart and then her forehead and stomach areas. “Imbecile. He didn’t know who he was dealing with.”


About Michelle: 
Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two teenagers. Two papillons help balance out the teenage drama. Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. A book worm, she passes up the darker vices in favor of chocolate and looks for any excuse to reward herself. Bio finished? Time for a sweet snack.

She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.

Her epic fantasy, Kindar's Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing. Her short story, Frost and Fog, is published by The Elephant's Bookshelf Press in their anthology, Summer's Double Edge. She's repped by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.


Website | Twitter | Facebook page | Tumblr | Goodreads


Giveaway Details:
2 winners will receive a signed  of GRUDGING, US Only.

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Books I've read in August

It seems I have been slacking a bit on the review posts so I've decided it was time to write a BOOKS OF AUGUST post.

Mini reviews of everything I've read so far this month:



 It Ends With Us- Colleen Hoover

THIS BOOK WILL DESTROY YOU!
Seriously it was so so good, I considered never reading another Co-Ho again simply because it left me depressed and emotional for an entire week after I finished. That's how amazing it was. GO READ IT!






The Conspiracy of Us- Maggie Hall

The Conspiracy of Us was a fun read. It didn't take long but it was overall totally enjoyable. It was a fun adventure and I will absolutely be reading the sequel when I come across it. 
Maid of Secrets- Jennifer McGowen

 Oh My gosh, I can't tell you how much I LOVE this book. It was everything I ever wanted and I can not wait to get my hands on the next two! Beatrice & Meg & Jane !!! I just so much love! If you like political, historical YA This book is totally for you.




See How They Run- Ally Carter

Okay so Ally Carter books are like my guilty pleasure books minus the guilty. Full of adventure & Fun and Spies! I enjoyed this one and I Loved how Ally brought Grace's brother Jamie into the story. The plot twists kept me guessing until they very end!


Scythe- Neal Shusterman


Okay So I received an ARC of Scythe and for a moment I considered DNF'ing. It started slow-ish and I wasn't sure I would be able to get into the world. Then the first turning point happened and I was hooked! This book really makes you think about life,death, and morality. I am ready to go buy ALL of this authors books. I've already read an excerpt from another one.



The Heir- Keira Cass

The Heir by Keira Cass will forever hold a special place in my heart. I read it one Saturday night- Yes all in one night- when I was having a really hard time with some things. It was the perfect escape book. I worried I wouldn't be into it, because I mean how could she possible top the Selection series,  but I had a really good time with it. It pulled me out of the Dark place I was in and set my world back on it's axis. So thank you Keira for sharing your awesome with the world!



 Extraordinary October- Diana Wagman

 Okay so I haven't actually finished this one yet. Honestly I am having a hard time focusing on it. A lot of it seems so far fetched, but the author does a great job hooking you in and making you wonder just what the heck is actually going on. I am looking forward to see where she is going with the premise and I fully believe at this time that it will be a pleasant surprise. I really want to see it through to the end because I need to know what is going on with this poor girl and just who these people are that I mostly want to kick in the shins.


Long May She Regin- Rhinnon Thomas

I Loved this book. It seemed as though it was sort of aiming at the younger end of the YA genre but it didn't matter in the least. In fact it may have made it more enjoyable. The author creates this beautifully flawed MC and you can't help falling in love with her. There are secrets and betrayals and Science galore. Rhinnon has written a book that I would love to share with my daughters.  It is well written, the world is vivid and imaginative and the characters are complex.
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Jump Back In Time With R.K Ryles!


Title: Why Can't This Be Love?
By Author: R.K. Ryals
Genre: New Adult
Release Date: July 29, 2016
Cover Designer: Regina Wamba

By now you ALL know how much I adore R.K Ryles and her books! Well I happily present to you ALL you need to know about her upcoming release! Get ready to FLASH back to 1986! Dig out your Neon Leg warmers and Scrunchies You're gonna need 'em!






Spring break her junior year is supposed to be Tori Allen's chance to catch the eye of wicked hot Corey Sanders, the bouncer at The Cube, an eighteen and under club.

Only what should have been a night to remember turns into a grody tryst that chases her into the arms of inner city boy, Dylan Black.

A malfunctioning photo booth, a crazy game of midnight madness bowling, and suddenly her memorable night becomes one totally rad adventure.





 R.K. Ryals is the author of emotional and gripping young adult and new adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and fantasy. With a strong passion for charity and literacy, she works as a full time writer encouraging people to "share the love of reading one book at a time." An avid animal lover and self-proclaimed coffee-holic, R.K. Ryals was born in Jackson, Mississippi and makes her home in the Southern U.S. with her husband, her three daughters, a rescue dog named Oscar the Grouch, her bullmastiff Luther Von Keisel, and a coffee pot she honestly couldn't live without. Should she ever become the owner of a fire-breathing dragon (tame of course), her life would be complete.

An active advocate for autism, poverty, anti-bullying, and literacy, you can contact her at:




Twitter: @RKRyals

Instagram: @rkryals







Books by R.K. Ryals

The Redemption series:


The Acropolis series:

The Thorne Trilogy:

The Scribes of Medeisia:

The Legend series (A standalone series):
Retaliation Bridge (Coming soon)
The Mysterious Pathway (Coming soon)

The Embrace Yourself series (A standalone series):


Contemporary Romances
The Best I Could
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The Orphans of Tarnalin- Book Review!




The Orphans of Tarnalin is a difficult book to review.
I have so many mixed feelings about it, but I can say I am glad to have read it.

I was not a fan of the rushed pace of the prologue. There are seldom times a Prologue is necessary and while I see it's use in this book It could have done without it as well.

I was certainly hooked by chapter 3, if not before. And Everything with the Black Rose only served to ignite the spark that I'd felt building in the earlier chapters. Savia amuses me greatly, she's feisty and fun and one of my absolute favorite people. Daern is kind of naïve, and a bit of a cliché MC but I still liked him well enough. Petrius is the funny friend who the others really ought to give more credit, and Apria is, well she's Apria. She was the right amount of awkward and shy to fit the story perfectly.

The cover art was positively fantastic, it’s what drew me to the book in the first place and that’s something that seldom happens.

I loved the world within The orphans of Tarnalin, and yet there were quite a few flaws to the book itself.
The characters were amazing. It was almost as if the author wrote them simplistically in certain places and that itself made them more complex. John McDonell makes a habit of introducing new POV characters throughout the book, which can be off putting but it also made things interesting. I would have liked to have alternating POV's for all of the major players early on without adding new ones in as they fit the plot. It was sort of like:

 I would start a new POV chapter and be all ... " What the heck, who is this guy?" Only to, a few pages later, find myself rooting for that same guy I'd only just met! So as strange as it was, it still works (though at times only just barely).

The lek made the world much more complex than it had seemed in the beginning and I thought they made a great addition to the story. And Devout was positively darling. But my favorite character was Marissa, she just a super kick ass woman on a mission. (I’d love to hear your favorite as well if you’ve read this story).  

In this book you will meet gangsters and Kings, boys and Wizards, cannibals and Monsters, there is really someone and something for everyone.

Unless... you're a feminist. I don't think the author meant any harm by it, I even believe he meant for us to see things the way Daren did. But every female he came across was unusually attractive. There is even a point where one of the 'slaves' says something along the lines of "they stopped making us (women) do the manual labor, finding we were better suited for other tasks." Those are NOT his exact words but that was the gist of the sentence. While I did not find it offensive I can absolutely see where someone else might.

I thought the plot took a lot of interesting turns, I just wish that it was a bit easier to connect with some of the characters. I think certain events would have been more impactful if we had spent a little more time getting to know some of people involved. The plot was solid, a bit predictable at times but the amount of players and parts they played were enough to keep it intriguing.  I really enjoyed the read. I was left wanting to know more about the Prince and King at the end, but I guess that’s a matter for the sequel.

I am definitely  looking forward to book two. I can’t wait to see where the author takes these characters next and how it all turns out!
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Adult Titles for the YA reader!

So I've been thinking about Titles classified as "Adult". I mean Red Rising by Pierce Brown is sold in the Adult Sci-Fi /Fantasy section of my local bookstore, but it really meets the qualifications of a "Young Adult" book. I don't really believe books should be separated by this silly notion of  'Young Adult' and 'Adult'. I've read MG, YA, NA, A, and  PB's and don't particularly prioritize my TBR by the age group it's marketed to. That being said some 'Adult' books have exhausting prose (though that can be true for YA as well), graphic sexual content, and/or graphic violence, all of which I would prefer to avoid. So If you're like me and LOVE your YA fiction but sometimes crave an 'Adult' book I've got what you need.

 A list of my favorite 'Adult' Books that could pass for (or read like) YA:
*(please be aware some of the books listed have a bit of violence, and/or sex but nothing I found too off-putting to my particular taste and NONE of them have what I term dull prose!)*


1)

THE RED RISING SERIES
by Pierce Brown *Swoon*
 - This series has SOME adult language, Pierce doesn't really censor it here...at all. There is a bit of adult content but nothing too major that I noticed. I've only read Red Rising so far, but Golden Son is sitting pretty on my TBR. The first book is kind of like Hunger Games in space with a really great concept. It really picks up near the middle and becomes something you can't put down. You become invested, You become a Howler!
                             
                                                       


<--- Peirce & I <3
                 My copy of  Golden Son ----->






2)  A Darker Shade of Magic & A Gathering of Shadows

by Victoria Schwab

I LOVE this series. I think one character MAY be YA aged, but for those of you who don't know V writes YA too. I think this book would appeal to her YA readers as much as her new 'Adult' following.

ADSOM & AGOS are positively magical! I can't think of a character I didn't adore & those of you who know me, Prince RHY is LIFE <3 With  4 parallel Londons to enjoy and a Kell what could go wrong?



3) The Aeronauts Windlass/Furies of Calderon/Dresden Files
by Jim Butcher

The Aeronauts Windlass is Jim's Newest book. It's a Steam Punk Fantasy that totally kicks butt! Half the characters are Young Adults! Romance is an after thought in this story where the citizens of one Spire start a war with the other. We're talking magic crystals, Air ships, Cats and a Girl named Gwen who I adore!!
<---- That's me & Jim



There is no sexual violence and little bad language ( if any). I think YA readers who are into steam punk right now will really love this Gem.

Jim has a Fantasy series as well, The Furies of Calderon which is pretty much EPIC so Tavi is also ....wait for it.... a YA character! At least in the beginning he is.

There is also Jim's most famous series the Dresden Files, this one is in no way a YA BUT it's about a Wizard Deceive in Chicago with a pet skull!!!  So it could be worth checking out. They're longer reads, for me anyway, but totally enjoyable. Kind of Like Skulldugger Pleasant meets Harry Potter for 'grown ups'.


4) The Hamilton Affair
by Elizabeth Cobbs 

***********Did someone say HAMILTON?*******

Okay so This one is actually still on my TBR. It's being marketed as a YA Crossover - which basically means fun for Young...and Old Adults?
Hamilton is pretty much the IT thing the past few months and with good cause. The Hamilton Affair tells the story Of Our buddy Alex and his life. There is War, Romance & Elizabeth Schulyer! It's sure to be a great read and I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into it (though, not literally, poor book).



Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts?
If you've read The Hamilton Affair I would especially like to know what you thought of it.

<3 A-

WAIT DON'T GO....THERE'S MORE!


 ** Notable Mention**
The Green Rider series by Kristen Britain

The Green Rider series can be found in the Adult Fantasy section at the book store, but it's really very YA. Its about a girl named Karrigan... I think she's about 17 in book one. It is my absolute Favorite Fantasy series of all time EVER! If you're looking for something new to read give this beauty a try! You won't regret it (Unless you do, in which case our friendship is extremely questionable from this point on).



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Bookitcon: Chapter Two

Bookitcon: Chapter Two

*I am super excited for BookItCon chapter 2 and it's only a few weeks away! Last year was a blast and I can already tell this year is going to be even better, I mean, LOOK at that line up! And just in case this is the first time you're hearing about the event, our favorite hostess, Nori has supplied us with EVERYthing we need to know:
Hope to see you all there <3


Who?
(Full list can also be found here: https://ububiz.com/2016-author-list/)
Albert Borris
Amanda Foody
Anna Breslaw
April Lindner
AV Geiger
Barbara Dee
Beth Fantaskey
Charlotte Huang
Claire Legrand
Emma Chase
Eric Smith
Jodi Meadows
Josh Berk
Julie Chibbaro
Julie Eshbaugh
Karole Cozzo
Kathryn Holmes
Kendall Kulper
Kit Grindstaff
Lee Kelly
Lisa A. Koosis
Mackenzi Lee
Martina A Boone
Mia Siegert
Nancy Norbeck
Phoebe North
S Usher Evans
Sandy Hall
SJ Goslee
Victoria Scott
What?
Bookitcon: Chapter Two is a charity book event. We currently have 28 incredible authors in our lineup. The book event will include meet-n-greets with the authors, along with two panels and the opportunity to get all of your books signed by all of the authors!


If you purchase the VIP ticket, you will also be invited to a VIP dinner/after party with the authors, along with getting an extra hour to get your books signed!
Schedule:
2:30- 3:30pm VIP signing! (open to VIP ticket holders only)
3:30- 6:00pm Regular signing! (open to all attendees)
3:30- 4:15pm Panel A- Surprises in Publishing!
4:30- 5:45pm Panel B- Facts + Fiction!  
6:00- 8:00pm VIP Afterparty! (open to VIP ticket holders only)
Panels:
Surprises in Publishing
Moderator: S Usher Evans
Panelists: Anna Breslaw
Kathryn Holmes
Lee Kelly
Jodi Meadows
Julie Eshbaugh


Facts vs Fiction
Moderator: Claire Legrand
Panelists: Beth Fantaskey
Sandy Hall
Kendall Kulper
Mia Siegert
Eric Smith


Where?
16 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057
When?
Sunday, August 7th, 2016
Why?
I decided to start UBUbiz because I wanted a way to combine my passions for reading, business, and charity/community service. After wracking my brain for months, the idea of Bookitcon suddenly appeared! This is my second year hosting Bookitcon, and I can’t wait.


Bookitcon: Chapter Two isn’t just your ordinary book event. I’m working with the nonprofit Grace in the Mud and two K-8 schools in Camden, NJ to help them grow their outdated libraries. The proceeds from this event will be benefiting them.
You can find more information on Grace in the Mud by going to their website (http://www.graceinthemud.org/home.html), facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GraceintheMud), or gofundme (https://www.gofundme.com/justforgirls).


Other Info:
Interested in attending? Great! You can buy a ticket through the website: www.UBUbiz.com or just click here! (http://bit.ly/BC2tickets)
Are you dying of jealousy because you’d love to be able to attend and get books signed by the attending authors? Don’t fear, because virtual signings are here! You can purchase books by any of the attending authors and get it shipped to your house, easy peasy!
Link: http://bit.ly/BC2onlinesales
Are you currently unsure but want to stay up to date with all of the latest news? Make sure to subscribe to the UBUbiz newsletter!  http://bit.ly/1O4vM5O


Social Media Links:
Website: www.UBUbiz.com
Twitter: @UBUbiz
Insta: @ububiz_

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