October 2013 – Kathryn Cooper

I am part of the Slayers: Friends and Traitors Blog Tour hosted by Fire and Ice! I am the biggest fan of C.J. Hill (aka: Janette Rallison). She is one of my must-read authors so of course I am thrilled to be a part of this blog tour!

Great news! I got an interview with Jesse!! (one of the guys Tori met at camp)

Kathryn: Hi Jesse! When you first met Tori how many years had you been spending your summers at Dragon camp?
Jesse: I came to camp six years ago when I was eleven. It feels longer, though. I don’t remember what summers were like when I wasn’t training.

K: How did you find out about the camp, and what drew you there?
J: Like all the Slayers, I was obsessed with dragons from the time I was little. It’s hard to explain, but I would look at a picture of a dragon and just know I was going to face one someday. Something inside of me always told me to get ready, to be prepared. When I saw a Dragon Camp flyer at my elementary school, I bugged my parents about going to camp until they agreed to sign me up.

What’s your favorite part about camp?
Flying, definitely. There’s nothing else in the world like soaring through the trees.

What went through your mind when you first met Tori?
I hate to admit it, but I thought there was no way she was actually a Slayer. She seemed like the type of girl who wouldn’t willing enter a fight for fear of messing up her manicure. I was really glad when she proved me wrong about that. For a lot of reasons.

Why do you train to be a dragon slayer?
A lot of people go through life only thinking about themselves. I’ve always admired the type of people who are willing to fight for a cause—who think about the greater good. That’s the kind of person I want to be. Not many people can fight a dragon and win. I can. How can I leave the job to anyone else?

Now for the speed round: this or that!

Steak or Hamburger?
Both. And hopefully dessert too.

Beach or Mountain?
Mountain.

SUV or Motorcycle?
Definitely motorcycle.

Cheesecake or Apple Pie?
Apple pie

Halloween or Thanksgiving?
Last Halloween didn’t go well, so I’ll take Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the interview Jesse! You’re a great guy and an amazing Slayer.

THIS IS BOOK 2 IN THE SERIES!
Book 1: Slayers (my review)

Title: Slayers: Friends and Traitors
Author: C.J. Hill
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: October 15, 2013
Pages: 400
Series: Slayers #2
5 STARS: I LOVED IT!!!

In C.J. Hill’s action-packed sequel to Slayers, the group of teens known as Slayers have been betrayed—but they won’t give up without a fight.

Tori’s got a problem. She thought she’d have one more summer to train as a dragon Slayer, but time has run out. When Tori hears the horrifying sound of dragon eggs hatching, she knows the Slayers are in trouble. In less than a year, the dragons will be fully grown and completely lethal. The Slayers are well-prepared, but their group is still not complete, and Tori is determined to track down Ryker—the mysterious missing Slayer.

What Tori doesn’t bargain for, however, is the surprising truth about her powers. She isn’t just a Slayer, she’s part Dragon Lord, too. How can Tori fight to save her friends when half of her is programmed to protect dragons? And with a possible traitor in their midst, the Slayers will be divided in more ways than they ever imagined.

My Thoughts:
I LOVED IT! It was a great 2nd book of the series.

I love the characters, both good and bad. Tori was one tough girl. She doesn’t always believe in herself which makes her vulnerable, and I liked her for it. She was so smart and creative and surprised those who thought she couldn’t train fast enough to catch up to the other Slayers’ abilities. The scenes that had Tori with Jesse and Tori with Dirk were my favorite! How could she pick between two great and very different guys? I guess I’m fickle because each time she was with Jesse I wanted her to be with him, but then as soon as Dirk started talking I wanted her with him. Dirk has become my favorite whether I want him to end up with Tori or not is yet to be determined. I think I really like Tori with Jesse, but Dirk needs someone awesome too! All the other Slayers are unique and fun to hear about. Bess- hilarious, Rosa- so sweet, Kody- a tough and loyal cowboy, just to name a few.

The story line of this series was so fun and exciting. I love how they seemed like normal teenagers at a summer camp but were really a group of kick-butt dragon slayers. I was interested to see how this book would go with them being away from camp. I was afraid I would get bored with Tori being away from the other Slayers, but I was pleasantly surprised with all the excitement. There were chapters from other characters’ POV which kept the story flowing. I loved it!

Slayers: Friends and Traitors was exciting, fun, and romantic! I recommend this book to everyone who loves a good action romantic comedy.

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: none
Violence: mild ( injuries, fighting dragons )

I received the ARC from Feiwel & Friends. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Click To Buy Books By C.J. Hill On Amazon

As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.

CJ Hill is a pen name for a YA author who is best known for writing romantic comedies. (Slayers will be her 18th published book.) Her writing has shifted away from the romantic comedy genre, so her editor thought a pen name would be a good idea. (New books will include: dangerous dragons, time travel to dystopian worlds, and flesh-eating beetles.) Since the publisher refused to let her have the pseudonym : The Artist Formerly Referred to as Princess, she chose a name to honor her mother. CJ Hill was her mother’s pen name, or at least it would have been if her mother had published. Her mother wrote a few children’s books and a middle grade novel but was taken by cancer before she had fully learned the craft.
(Most writers’ first novels aren’t publishable. CJ Junior’s first novel wasn’t, but somehow was published anyway. Now, even though it is out of print, it remains forever available on Amazon, where it taunts her with its badness. This was another good reason to use a pen name.)
CJ Hill has five children, three of whom like her on any given day depending on who is in trouble. She has lived in Arizona for the last half of her life, but is still in desert denial and hopes that one day her garden will grow silver bells and cockle shells or maybe just tomatoes

LINKS
BOOK SITE
GOODREADS
AUTHOR WEBSITE
AUTHOR WEBSITE
TWITTER
FACEBOOK

Visit all the tour stops
Heather at Fire and Ice– October 15- Guest Post
Taffy Lovell– October 16- Review and Interview
Elana Johnson– October 17- Interview
Rebecca Lamoureaux– October 18- Interview
Heidi at Geo Librarian– October 19- Review
Robin Ambrose-October 20- Character Interview
Rachel at Fiktshun– October 21- Guest Post
Kathy at I’m A Reader– October 22- Guest Post
Shanda at LDSWBR– October 23- Review
Kathryn at Clean Teen Fiction– October 24- Review and Character Interview
Sheila Staley- Why Not? Because I Said So!- October 25- Review
Heidi at YA Bibliophile– October 26- Guest Post, Tens List
Cindy Bennett– October 27- Excerpt
Tressa at Tressa’s Wishful Endings- October 28- Review
Tamera at Being a Mom and Loving It– October 29- Guest Post
Mindy Holt- Min Reads and Reviews– October 30- Review
Kelly at Kindle and Me– October 31-Guest Post
Elizabeth at Elizabeth’s Book Reviews– November 1-Review
Aimee Brown at Getting Your Read On- November 1- Review
Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads– November 2- Character Interview
Amber at Me, My Shelf and I– November 3- Guest Post

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Blog Tour with Review & Giveaway: Just Ella by Annette K. Larsen

October 20, 2013 Kathryn Cooper

Today I’m a part of the Just Ella blog tour! I loved this book!! 5 of 5 stars from me! See review below.

Stop by the other Tour Stops: Tour Schedule

Title: Just Ella
Author: Annete K. Larsen
Publisher: Hidden Falls Publishing
Release Date: August 2013
Pages: 300
Series: none
5 STARS: I LOVED IT!!!

A Proper Romance

Ariella was only looking for a distraction, something to break up the monotony of palace life. What she found was a young man willing to overlook her title and show her a new and vibrant way of life. But when her growing feelings for Gavin spiral out of control and clash with the expectations of her station, she will discover that the consequences of her curiosity are far more severe than she’d imagined.

“I watched in helpless horror as two guards hauled Gavin to his feet and dragged him from the room. My voice was frozen, unable to protest as another guard took hold of my arm, leading me upstairs. From the confines of my room, I stared into the darkness beyond my window, hoping to catch one more glimpse of Gavin. He was gone, and I wondered if he would have been better off if he had never met me.”

My Thoughts:
I loved this book! It was so full of emotions making me laugh, cry, and yell. I love a book when I feel connected to the characters, especially the main character. By page one I was hooked. Something about Ariella’s voice made me feel like I was hearing a friend’s story. I wanted Ariella (Ella) to succeed and be happy because I felt a connection to her. She was strong and brave even though she didn’t see herself that way. She was a little sassy and spunky at times. I loved watching her grow. This book took place over a few years, something I’m not used to, but it really worked with this story. The relationships felt real with such a long span of time.

My heart ached for Ella and Gavin. Talk about a doomed relationship! Royalty and commoners never mix romantically without a lot of trials along the way. I haven’t read as many books where the man is the commoner and the woman the royal so that was unique. Gavin was so sweet and protective. I loved each moment they had together.

This wasn’t just a romance though. There was so much more growth that happened with Ella while finding her place with her family and royal life.

Just Ella was a beautiful story of romance and learning to be your true self. This is a book worth buying this year!

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild ( kissing )
Language: none
Violence: mild ( torture, kidnapping, injuries )

I received the book from I Am A Reader for the blog tour. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Just $4.99 for Book Blast/Blog Tour Special!
Click to buy books by Annette K. Larsen on Amazon

As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.

Author Annette K. Larsen

I was born in Utah, but grew up in Flagstaff Arizona and St. Louis Missouri, the fifth of seven children. I attended college at Southern Virginia University and Brigham Young University where I studied English and Theater. I now live in Idaho with my husband and four children.

I have Charlotte Bronte to thank for the courage to write novels. After being bombarded with assigned reading about women who justified abandoning either their families or their principles in the name of love, I had the great fortune of reading Jane Eyre. And that was it: finally a heroine who understood that being moral and making the right choice was hard, and sometimes it hurt, but it was still worth it. After rereading it several years later, I realized that if I wanted more books to exist with the kinds of heroines I admired, then I might as well write a few myself. My books are about women who face hard choices, who face pain and rejection and often have to sacrifice what they want for what is right. The consequences are often difficult or unpleasant, but it the end, doing what’s right will always be worth it.

I believe there is no substitute for good writing or good chocolate. Fortunately, one often leads to the other.

I write clean romance. Why? Because that’s what I love to read, but over the years I’ve discovered it’s quite a challenge to find good clean romance. I believe it’s a genre that many people are looking for and too few authors are writing. My first novel, Just Ella, took me many years to write because I wanted it to be more than just a cutesy love story. I wanted it to have depth, to feel genuine. Hopefully I succeeded, but you’ll have to be the judge.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/5/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Book Review: Sugar Coated by Shannen Crane Camp

October 15, 2013January 31, 2014 Kathryn Cooper

image and summary from Goodreads

Title: Sugar Coated
Author: Shannen Crane Camp
Publisher: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
Release Date: September 2013
Pages:
Series: The Sugar Coated Trilogy #1
4 Stars: I Really Liked It

An unhealthy addiction to sugar cubes, a deep-seated fear of water, and universal luxury—these are the simple things that make up 18-year-old Brynn’s Utopian existence. Why, then, is her perfect life also plagued with unanswered questions?

Like every other resident of the planet Halcyon, Brynn’s home provides everything she needs, money is unheard of, and life is perfect. But unlike the rest of Seaside’s residents, Brynn has questions. Why can’t people leave the city? Why does the ocean fill everyone with terror? Who are the Workers? Not only is Brynn curious where others are compliant, but she suffers from chronic nightmares of an angelic woman torturing her for information she doesn’t possess. But these are more than just figments of her imagination; they’re memories of things that never happened.

When Brynn meets Jonah, a brilliant, library-dwelling boy who shares her questions and her curiosity, they formulate a plan to find answers. Somewhere, the perfect veneer of Halcyon’s instant gratification hides a city that only Brynn knows about—a city she and Jonah are determined to find. But will finding the city give them answers, or simply uncover the horrific truth behind the perfection?

My Thoughts:
Every time I read one of Shannen’s books I get swept away with the characters. I love her characters! This book had the added treat to see a new world built. Her other books are contemporary, but this “Utopian” society was so different and interesting.

Along with being given anything they want the people of this society are taught to be afraid of water! It was such an intriguing and different idea. Even though I love water, I was terrified for them. I related to Brynn’s pull to the water even though she new she shouldn’t want to be near it and was afraid.

With all the world and character building the first half of the book started to feel a little slow. BUT then things picked up and got really exciting!

Jonah and Ty are both great guys! Their banter with Brynn was always entertaining, either hilarious or flirty. Ty was so sweet and deserves a great girl, but I’m Team Jonah. We’ll see if that changes during the next book.

Sugar Coated pulled me into a new world with characters I had to root for. If you like utopian/dystopian reads then you’ll love this one! Prepare yourself for a big cliff hanger at the end!

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: very mild ( kiss )
Language: none
Violence: mild ( torture, injuries, suspense )

I received the book from Shannen Crane Camp. Thank you! I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.

Click To Buy Books By Shannen Crane Camp On Amazon

As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow

October 2, 2013January 11, 2014 Kathryn Cooper

I fell in love with Michelle Madow’s books a few years ago when I first read Remembrance. Now she has a new series coming out! I’m so happy to reveal the cover to you guys today.

First the Back Cover Blurb!

Savannah. Courtney. Peyton.

The three sisters grew up not knowing their father and not quite catching a break. But it looks like their luck is about to change when they find out the secret identity of their long-lost dad—a billionaire Las Vegas hotel owner who wants them to come live in a gorgeous penthouse hotel suite. Suddenly the Strip’s most exclusive clubs are all-access, and with an unlimited credit card each, it should be easier than ever to fit right in. But in a town full of secrets and illusion, fitting in is nothing compared to finding out the truth about their past.

Sounds great right?! I’m intrigued by the secrets and illusions. I love stories with siblings too!

Okay, now for the cover reveal!

Gorgeous! I love the shapes and the 2 pictures merging together.

MORE INFORMATION

Book Releases February 25, 2014!
Add The Secret Diamond Sisters on Goodreads
Pre-order links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Book Depository
Facebook event page for the book release party at Books & Books in Coral Gables, FL on March 1, 2014: The Secret Diamond Sisters Book Release Party!

MICHELLE MADOW’S SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, Twitter
website: www.michellemadow.com

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GREAT DEALS ON THE TRANSCEND TIME SAGA!
Click To Buy Books By Michelle Madow On Amazon

As an Amazon Affiliate I receive a small portion of sales when you click then make a purchase from amazon links on my blog.