Tour: Stained by Cheryl Rainfield #StainedBook

Stained 
by Cheryl Rainfield
Expected publication: October 1st 2013

Add to Goodreads!
Pre-Order from Amazon // Kindle

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.







About this Author:

I write the books I needed and couldn’t find as a teen.

Books helped me survive. They helped nurture me, helped me escape the abuse I was living as a child and teen, and they helped me dream and hope. I love reading and writing books. I write both fantasy books and edgy, realistic fiction for teens.

My fantasy books often hold hope that I need, and feel others might need, too, while my realistic fiction is gritty, intense, and emotional. All of my books have fragments of the abuse I experienced. I write about some of the harsh things teens go through…things that I think shouldn’t be hidden. But I also write about healing, hope, and love, and finding courage and strength.

In my teen novel SCARS (WestSide, 2010), Kendra must face her past and stop hurting herself before it’s too late. It’s my arm on the cover. There’s a lot of me in SCARS; like my main character, Kendra, I am an incest survivor, I used self-harm to cope, and I’m queer.

In my teen paranormal fantasy, HUNTED (WestSide, Oct 2011), Cassie is a telepath in a world where that is illegal, and she must choose between saving herself or saving the world. Like Cassie, I know what it’s like to have my life threatened, to have someone stalk me, and to have to decide between hiding my true self or being who I am, even if that means danger to myself. I also drew on my experience with cults and ritual abuse in creating the world that Cassie lives in.

In STAINED (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2013), Sarah is abducted and must find a way to escape. Again, I drew on my abuse experience to write Stained.

I’ve also written two hi-lo (high interest, low vocabulary) books for teens: Dragon Speaker: The Last Dragon (HIP Books, 2009) and SkinWalkers: Walking Both Sides (HIP Books, 2011).

I have a non-fiction article on self-harm and on dealing with critical voices published in Jan Sutton’s Healing the Hurt Within: Understand Self-injury and Self-harm, and Heal the Emotional Wounds. If you’re interested in non-fiction articles to do with being a survivor, the effects, or healing, I have more on my site.

I try to write what I love to read, and what has meaning for me.

I review teen fiction and children’s picture books on my site. I hope you’ll check them out, find some good books that appeal to you.

My love of books is what this blog is about. I love sharing good books and resources on finding books, finding out about books, all things related to books, and connecting with other people who like to read and talk about the books they love.

For more info about me, you can check out my bio and Why I write on my site, or visit my site. CherylRainfield.com

Books were my survival during my childhood, and my journey into myself. Books give me hope. I hope mine will give you hope, too, or something that you need.

Author Links:

http://cherylrainfield.com/
https://twitter.com/cherylrainfield
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3305514.Cheryl_Rainfield
http://pinterest.com/cherylrainfield/
https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.rainfield.fan.page 

Tour: Sky's End by Lesley Young (Review) #SkysEnd

Title: Sky's End
Series: Cassiel Winters #1

Author: Lesley Young

Genre: New Adult Fiction, Science Fiction

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781619352384

Release Date: July 15, 2013

Source: JKSCommunications

Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: A secret she must never share. A secret that two warring species are determined to control. A universe's future at stake. 

Twenty-year-old Cassiel Winters joins Earth's new space academy in hopes of finding her brother, one of Command's top pilots and her only family, who's been reported MIA. But she quickly realizes she may not be cut out for life in space, where female cadets are outnumbered, competition's fierce, and she's already failed her hand-to-hand combat test once. 

Even the station's most respected officer, Lt. Damian King, probably can't help Cassiel pass the second time around-so why is he so interested in her progress? If only one of her freaky deja vu visions would offer an answer instead of mysterious messages like hide. 

When Cassiel's manipulated into a perilous mission, she encounters a warrior species bred to protect the universe from an even greater threat. And she learns that her secret visions are at the heart of it all. 

Now Cassiel must fight to control her own destiny and race to save her brother-even if it means pretending to be the pawn of Prime Or'ic, the cold-as-steel Thell'eon leader. Even if it means risking her life, facing hard truths, and making the ultimate sacrifice.

Short Review:

To be honest, I think that this is a love or hate book. I personally enjoyed reading Sky's End, but I'm sure that there would be others who wouldn't. Like with any book, it's all about perspective and your own personal taste. I love reading science fiction, plus there is romance, which I'm always looking forward to, in any book really. But I would definitely say that readers should at least give this book a try.

About this Author:

Lesley Young writes edgy, action-packed stories that keep readers guessing. The futuristic setting of her novel Sky’s End was inspired by a life-long love of the trekkie franchise, and a desire to imagine and explore our universe from the unique perspective of a young, female cadet. Cassiel Winters is desperate to find her missing brother, but first she must solve the mystery behind her own unusual ability, and learn how to be human herself, including experiencing love and loss in an epic adventure of first contact with universe altering importance.

Lesley steals time to write novels between researching and writing health and lifestyle features for women’s magazines including Reader’s Digest Canada, Best Health and House & Home.

Author Links:

http://lesleyyoungbooks.com/ 
http://lesleyyoungbooks.com/blog/ 
https://www.facebook.com/CassielWintersSeries 
https://twitter.com/LesleyYoungBks 
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142436.Lesley_Young 

Cover Reveal: The Red Choker by Stephanie Alexander (Giveaway)

THE RED CHOKER by Stephanie Alexander

The Cracked Slipper Series #2

Release Date: March 8, 2013

Eleanor Brice Desmarais, she of the cracked glass slipper and unladylike intellectual propensities, has learned that happily-ever-after is as rare as a frozen dragon, even for a happenstance princess. She survived a plot against her life, but her marriage to the alcoholic, womanizing Prince Gregory of Cartheigh remains at best a sham, and at worse, a potential noose around her neck.

Eleanor understands the harsh realities of women’s lives in her kingdom, so she turns her energies to a school for impoverished girls. She hopes to give them new opportunities, but the temptations of the streets and an ominous plot to bring down the witches of Afar Creek Abbey threaten to close the school forever.

She finds joy in stolen hours with her lover, Dorian Finley, but her husband’s increasing suspicions, her stepsister’s continued scheming, and her own conscience create a rift between Eleanor and Dorian that seems insurmountable. A witch’s spell and a beautiful necklace are all that stand between Eleanor and a most permanent, and dangerous, heartbreak.

The Red Choker is the sequel to Stephanie Alexander’s bestselling debut novel, The Cracked Slipper.


About this Author:

Stephanie Alexander grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, the oldest of three children. Drawing, writing stories, and harassing her parents for a pony consumed much of her childhood. After graduating from high school in 1995 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the College of Charleston, South Carolina. She returned to Washington, DC, where she followed a long-time fascination with sociopolitical structures and women’s issues to a Master of Arts in Sociology from the American University. She spent several years as a Policy Associate at the International Center for Research on Women, a think-tank focused on women’s health and economic advancement.

Her academic and professional background influenced multiple themes in THE CRACKED SLIPPER, including:

Patriarchy and power dynamics
Education and economic independence
The ramifications of early childhood experiences

Stephanie embraced full-time motherhood after the birth of the first of her three children in 2005. After six wonderful years buried in diapers and picture books she returned to her childhood passion and wrote her own fairytale. Her family put down permanent southern roots in Charleston in 2011. She is a member of the Women's Fiction Chapter of Romance Writers of America and the Bethesda Writer’s Center, and an alumna of the Algonkian NYC Pitch and Shop Conference.

Stephanie is an Adjunct Professor of Sociology at the College of Charleston, and is also on the Board of the College of Charleston's Friends of the Addlestone Library.

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cheryl Rainfield's Parallel Visions on Sale for $.99 ~ January 12-19‏

Visions can kill you. Would you risk your life to save someone else’s?

Kate sees psychic visions of the future and the past—but only when she's having an asthma attack. When she "sees" her sister being beaten, she needs more visions to try to save her, along with a suicidal classmate—but triggering her asthma could kill her. Parallel Visions is the story of one brave, caring girl whose unusual gifts put her own life in danger.

SALE LINKS: 

http://www.amazon.com/Parallel-Visions-Psychic-Novel-ebook/dp/B00A8763K6

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Parallel-Visions/book--WP1nNiPCk6GglM2xhcHXA/page1.html?s=Cv1lwk4Q20qhPB_B_bkNTA&r=5

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/parallel-visions-cheryl-rainfield/1113887672?ean=2940045095822
 

Author Links:

http://cherylrainfield.com/
https://twitter.com/cherylrainfield
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3305514.Cheryl_Rainfield
http://pinterest.com/cherylrainfield/
https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.rainfield.fan.page

Book Spotlight: Parallel Visions by Cheryl Rainfield

Parallel Visions (A Teen Psychic Novel #1) 
by Cheryl Rainfield 
Published November 20th 2012 by Rain and Sun Press

Visions can kill you. Would you risk your life to save someone else’s?

Kate sees psychic visions of the future and the past—but only when she's having an asthma attack. When she "sees" her sister being beaten, she needs more visions to try to save her, along with a suicidal classmate—but triggering her asthma could kill her. Parallel Visions is the story of one brave, caring girl whose unusual gifts put her own life in danger.

A new YA fantasy from the award-winning author of SCARS and HUNTED.

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback




About this Author:

I write the books I needed and couldn’t find as a teen.

Books helped me survive. They helped nurture me, helped me escape the abuse I was living as a child and teen, and they helped me dream and hope. I love reading and writing books. I write both fantasy books and edgy, realistic fiction for teens.

My fantasy books often hold hope that I need, and feel others might need, too, while my realistic fiction is gritty, intense, and emotional. All of my books have fragments of the abuse I experienced. I write about some of the harsh things teens go through…things that I think shouldn’t be hidden. But I also write about healing, hope, and love, and finding courage and strength.

In my teen novel SCARS (WestSide, 2010), Kendra must face her past and stop hurting herself before it’s too late. It’s my arm on the cover. There’s a lot of me in SCARS; like my main character, Kendra, I am an incest survivor, I used self-harm to cope, and I’m queer.

In my teen paranormal fantasy, HUNTED (WestSide, Oct 2011), Cassie is a telepath in a world where that is illegal, and she must choose between saving herself or saving the world. Like Cassie, I know what it’s like to have my life threatened, to have someone stalk me, and to have to decide between hiding my true self or being who I am, even if that means danger to myself. I also drew on my experience with cults and ritual abuse in creating the world that Cassie lives in.

In STAINED (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2013), Sarah is abducted and must find a way to escape. Again, I drew on my abuse experience to write Stained.

I’ve also written two hi-lo (high interest, low vocabulary) books for teens: Dragon Speaker: The Last Dragon (HIP Books, 2009) and SkinWalkers: Walking Both Sides (HIP Books, 2011).

I have a non-fiction article on self-harm and on dealing with critical voices published in Jan Sutton’s Healing the Hurt Within: Understand Self-injury and Self-harm, and Heal the Emotional Wounds. If you’re interested in non-fiction articles to do with being a survivor, the effects, or healing, I have more on my site.

I try to write what I love to read, and what has meaning for me.

I review teen fiction and children’s picture books on my site. I hope you’ll check them out, find some good books that appeal to you.

My love of books is what this blog is about. I love sharing good books and resources on finding books, finding out about books, all things related to books, and connecting with other people who like to read and talk about the books they love.

For more info about me, you can check out my bio and Why I write on my site, or visit my site. CherylRainfield.com

Books were my survival during my childhood, and my journey into myself. Books give me hope. I hope mine will give you hope, too, or something that you need.

The Chosen of Gaia FREE on Kindle~October 12th-14th

Follow the Link to Download Your Free Copy of THE CHOSEN OF GAIA

October 12th-14th

http://www.tinyurl.com/TheChosenofGaiaFree

Fifteen-year-old Albert has just received an invitation that could transform his disappointing life completely – a chance to belong to an advanced and hidden society that only reveals itself to a select few.

Immersed in a new world of mind-boggling technology and intriguing peers, Albert will overcome his fears enough to ignore a few suspicious details. But soon he'll find his family dragged to the center of a scandal that threatens to tear them apart and erase their very identities.

A conflicted Albert must find the strength to challenge authority by relying on his newfound allies and gift for Revelation.

Prepare for adventure, humor and suspense in this fast-paced tale of a “normal” family striving for their place in a “perfect” world.

Tour: The Chosen of Gaia by M. Mariz (Review)

Tour Hosted by JKSCommunications

Tour Schedule

Title: The Chosen of Gaia
Author: M. Mariz
Genre: Young Adult Fictions, Science Fiction
Publisher: Marcela Mariz
Format: Paperback, 223 Pages 
ISBN: 9780985808433 
Release Date: August 4, 2012 
Source: Tour Host {JKSCommunications} 
Rating: 3.5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Fifteen-year-old Albert has just received an invitation that could transform his disappointing life completely – a chance to belong to an advanced and hidden society that only reveals itself to a select few.

Immersed in a new world of mind-boggling technology and intriguing peers, Albert will overcome his fears enough to ignore a few suspicious details. But soon he'll find his family dragged to the center of a scandal that threatens to tear them apart and erase their very identities.

A conflicted Albert must find the strength to challenge authority by relying on his newfound allies and gift for Revelation.

Prepare for adventure, humor and suspense in this fast-paced tale of a “normal” family striving for their place in a “perfect” world.

Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15833271-the-chosen-of-gaia

Review: 

Gaia is a perfect world that values the good in people and strives to advance its society. There hasn't been a serious crime in more than 200 years and no ones fears leaving their homes unlocked. The citizens of Gaia are descended from those who once lived in the legendary city of Atlantis. And then there are those very select few from Earth who were Chosen and given the opportunity to live on Gaia. Albert Klein and his family are the most recent to be Chosen to live in this perfect world. But just as there were those in Atlantis that persecuted the mystics, there are those on Gaia who persecute the Chosen.

The Kleins and their neighbors, the Beckers are two Chosen families being targeted by this clan of racial purists. Albert, with the help of his new friends, will need to overcome his fears and embrace his new found gift for Revelation to set things to rights.

The Chosen of Gaia depicts a seemingly perfect world of peace, enlightenment, and advancement. But a pretty exterior can't hide a ugly interior forever. No matter how hard or how long one strives for perfection, it cannot be achieved. As long as hate exists in the hearts of people, peace cannot be gained. This is shown through the racism and prejudice the Raif clan shows toward the Chosen. They see the Chosen as impurities that need to be purged from the Gaian society.

But there are those, like Albert, who strive to be the best they can possibly be and gain strength from the persecution they face, and become unlikely heroes to those who would face the same persecution. Albert was even dubbed "The Clumsy Chosen Hero" after his efforts to stop the Raif clan were made public. It's through people like Albert that even a small amount of peace can be obtained.

The Chosen of Gaia raises questions about the nature and hearts of the human race. Through only one person a civilization can thrive or decay, all depending on what's in their hearts and minds.

I really liked this story and the characters the live within it. I would love to see more from this world, maybe from Ruth's POV, Albert's twin sister. But if this is the end of the Chosen's story, I'm glad that it ended on a happy and hopeful note. The bad guys are punished, friendships are mended, and love brings them all together. It couldn't end in a better way.

About this Author:

M. Mariz is an actress, lawyer and writer with more than 20 plays produced. Her debut novel The Chosen of Gaia (Sept. 28, 2012) was inspired by her own Revelation dream.

Born in Rio de Janeiro and currently living in Southern California, Mariz writes screenplays and novels in both Portuguese and English. The artist has more than 15 years of acting experience, encompassing works in theater, television and movies. She has multiple plays and sketches featured in theaters, including a teenager play that was performed by young Brazilian celebrities all over the country, and has written many other plays for different Brazilian companies to present work-related themes in a funny, entertaining way.

She lives with her husband in Orange, California, where she is constantly developing ideas for new stories to tell.

Links: 

http://www.TheChosenofGaia.com
Twitter: AuthorM_Mariz
Facebook: M. Mariz

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6471497.M_Mariz

Tour: Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield (Review+Giveaway)

I'd like to thank JKSCommunications for giving me the opportunity to participate in the HUNTED blog tour and providing me a review copy of the book. There is a giveaway at the end of my review. US ONLY, please.

Title: Hunted
Author: Cheryl Rainfield
Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Elements: Psychic Abilities
Publisher: WestSide Books
Format: eBook, 370 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-934813-62-1
Release Date: December 15, 2011
Source: Tour Host {JKSCommunications}
Rating: 5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Caitlyn is a telepath in a world where having any Paranormal power is illegal. Caitlyn is on the run from government troopers, who can enslave, torture, or even kill her, or make her hunt other Paranormals. When Caitlyn settles down in a city, she falls for Alex, a Normal (someone without Paranormal powers), which is dangerous because he can turn her in. And she discovers renegade Paranormals who want to destroy all Normals. Caitlyn must decide whether she's going to stay in hiding to protect herself, or take a stand to save the world.

Review:

In a world full of fear and hate, Caitlyn and other Paranormals are persecuted for their abilities. On the run since the Riots that took her father and brother from her, Caitlyn only has her mother. When they finally settle in a city, it's one of the most dangerous towns they could have chosen. What Caitlyn doesn't expect is the support she gains in Alex and Rachel. And when someone from her past resurfaces, Caitlyn's going to need all the help she can get.

In quite a few dystopian stories I've read with supernatural elements that paranormals are out in the open with acceptance or mild persecution., but in Hunted the persecution is anything but mild. The world of this book is  brutal; Paranormals are enslaved, beaten, killed, and even forced to turn on their own if they want to live.

I admired Caitlyn's strength in the face of adversity and her determination to do what's right. Even when she's pressured by her long-lost brother to help in a revolt that would turn the persecution on to the Normals, Caitlyn refuses to cause that kind of pain for someone else, even a Normal. She knows that not all Normals hate Paras, which is evident in her friendship with Alex and Rachel.

Something that I really enjoyed in Hunted that made the story unique was how it was sibling VS. sibling. It's not very often you see siblings fighting such a deadly battle against one another. Caitlyn's fight with Daniel is really bittersweet and emotional.

Hunted is chock-full of action and emotion. I really loved this book and I think that with the way it ended it could easily be made into a series. I'm left wondering what kind of changes were brought about by the events at the end of Hunted.

Book Trailer:



About this Author:

I love to read. Books nurture me, helped me survive the abuse I endured as a child and teen. I also love to write. I write fantasy books and edgy, realistic fiction for teens.

My fantasy books often hold hope that I need, and feel others might
need, too, while my realistic fiction is gritty, intense, and emotional.
All of my books have fragments of the abuse I experienced. I write
about some of the harsh things teens go through...things that I think
shouldn't be hidden. But I also write about healing, hope, and love, and
finding courage and strength.

In SCARS (WestSide, 2010), Kendra must face her past and stop hurting herself before it's too late. It's my arm on the cover. There's a lot of me in SCARS; like my main character, Kendra, I am an incest survivor, I used self-harm to cope, and I'm queer. In my teen paranormal  fantasy/dystopian, HUNTED (WestSide, Oct 2011), Caitlyn is a telepath in a world where that is illegal, and she must choose between saving  herself or saving the world. Like Caitlyn, I know what it's like to have my life threatened, to face oppression, to experience torture, and to  break free from cult or from a group of oppressors. And I know what it's like to have to decide between hiding my true self or being who I am, even if that means danger to myself. I drew on my experience with cults and ritual abuse in creating the world that Caitlyn lives in.

In STAINED, my upcoming YA novel from Harcourt (2013), Sarah, who has a port wine stain and some body image issues, is abducted and must find a way to rescue herself. Like Sarah, I was often imprisoned for long  periods of time as a child, had my life threatened, and had to rely on my own strength to survive.

Books were my survival during my childhood, and my journey into myself. Books give me hope. I hope mine will give you hope, too, or something that you need.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway