Thursday, January 12, 2012

Bound Tour Stop

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Today, Xpresso Reads is welcoming the Bound blog tour for an excerpt of the book. If you haven’t heard of Bound yet, have a look see if it’s up your alley!

Bound
Kira Saito
Release date: October 28th, 2011

Goodreads / Purchase

Sixteen year old Arelia LaRue lives in New Orleans where the music is loud, voodoo queens inhabit every street corner, and the ghosts are alive and well. Despite her surroundings, all she wants is to help her Grand-mere Bea pay the rent and save up for college.

When her best friend Sabrina convinces her to take a well-paying summer job at the infamous Darkwood plantation, owned by the wealthy LaPlante family, Arelia agrees.

However, at Darkwood strange things start to happen, and gorgeous Lucus LaPlante insists that he needs her help. Soon, the powers that Arelia has been denying all her life, come out to play and she discovers mysteries about herself that she could have never imagined.


EXCERPT

It had to work. It just had to. After repeating the chant at least six times, it still didn’t work. “Fine you greedy spirits!” I yelled. It was clear that they wanted more blood. In a rage, I drew more blood, this time slashing my palm. I brought my dripping palm up to Ben’s neck and repeated the chant. After a few minutes, I felt a distinct energy. It was a force within me so incredibly strong that I was convinced that I was able to move a mountain if I wanted to or even get Sabrina to stop talking about boys.

“Arelia what are you doing?” Ben’s voice forced me to open my eyes.

 “You’re strangling me.”

 I realized my hands were gripped a bit too tightly around his neck. I unwrapped them to find that his wound had completely healed, and his fever was gone. “Ben, you’re okay!” I exclaimed. I gave him an enormous hug.

“Of course, I’m okay,” he said. “I’m just sleepy it was a long night. Tell the alligators and ghosts that I’ll see them tomorrow.” He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

In my excitement, I leapt up, and by sheer impulse gave formerly-shirtless guy a hug. As my body touched his, I could smell him and felt my skin tingle.

Delicious chills overtook my body. He wasn’t wearing any cologne, but he smelt lovely. Warm and familiar mingled with a dash of sadness and danger. I caught myself clinging to him and took a step back in embarrassment. My moment of conquest had quickly passed, and I realized that I was standing next to a swamp, in front of a stranger in a corset and petticoat which basically translated to a bra and underwear. I was horrified.

Formerly-shirtless guy looked at me like the existence of Santa Claus had just been proven before taking off his jacket and wrapping it around me. “You must be cold,” he observed. “Your hand is bleeding.” He ripped a sleeve off of his shirt and covered my palm.

In my state of absolute exhilaration, I had failed to acknowledge the fact that the night had gotten a bit chilly. My entire body was covered in goose bumps, and my hand was leaking blood everywhere. “Why did you follow me?” I wrapped his jacket around me realizing that I was standing in the middle of nowhere with someone who could be a psychopathic, serial killer.

His lips broke out in an amused smile. “Do you think I’m stalking you?” He asked hovering over me. It really sucked being short sometimes. Standing at a measly five foot three inches made me feel as if I lived in a world full of giants. At this moment, formerly-shirtless guy looked like a giant even though he wasn’t freakishly tall or anything, maybe slightly over six feet.

“Well, how else can you explain being here?” I stated what I thought was the obvious. I tried to stand on my toes, hoping to make myself appear taller.


Keep following the Bound blog tour!

Have you read Bound? Do you plan to read it? Share your thoughts!

Cover Reveal: The Promise, Flesh & Bone, Serpent’s Shadow, Shift & Rebel Hearts

Posted by on 01/11/2012 • 14 Comments

The Promise(Fallen Star, #4)Jessica SorensenRelease date: February, 2012

Add it to your Goodreads

Synopsis currently unavailable

The Fallen Star series:

Flesh & Bone (Benny Imura, #3) Jonathan Maberry Release date: September 11st, 2012 by Simon & Schuster Add it to your Goodreads

Reeling from the tragic events of Dust & Decay, Benny Imura and his friends plunge deep into the zombie-infested wastelands of the great Rot & Ruin. Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong journey through a fierce wilderness that was once America, searching for the jet they saw in the skies months ago. If that jet exists then humanity itself must have survived…somewhere. Finding it is their best hope for having a future and a life worth living.

But the Ruin is far more dangerous than any…

Review: The Future of Us by Asher & Mackler

Posted by on 01/11/2012 • 28 Comments

The Future of UsJay Asher and Carolyn MacklerRelease date: November 21st, 2011by Razorbill

Goodreads / Purchase

It’s 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They’ve been best friends almost as long – at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh’s family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they’re automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn’t been invented yet. And they’re looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives…

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

Posted by on 01/11/2012 • 55 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  My pick this week:                                     Touched                                     Corrine Jackson                                     Release date: December, 2012 by Kensington/KTeen

Remy O’Malley has the power to heal people with her touch, but her ability comes at a steep cost because every illness or injury she heals becomes her own.  

Add it to your Goodreads to-read shelf

This does sound similar to Maria Snyder’s Touch of Power but I haven’t read that one (yet) and Touched sounds like it could be great. I’m hoping a longer blurb will be revealed soon so we can get more insight on the plot itself. Corrine Jackson is also the author of the upcoming YA contemporary…

Review: Destiny’s Fire by Trisha Wolfe

Posted by on 01/10/2012 • 25 Comments

Destiny’s FireTrisha WolfeRelease date: January 10th, 2012by Omnific Publishing

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It’s the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind—part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.

As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, but she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez’s newfound power rockets out of control, it’s a Narcolym who could change her fate… if she can trust him.

Dusty Reads (16)

Posted by on 01/10/2012 • 36 Comments

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme, hosted here, featuring a book that has been sitting unread on my home shelf for some time. To participate, add your link at the bottom.  If you wish, you can grab the button and find more information here.

My pick this week:

The Lovely BonesAlice SeboldReleased July, 2002Goodreads / Purchase

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. When we first meet Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen-year-old girl, a tale that is both haunting and full of hope.

In the weeks following her death, Susie watches life continuing without her — her school friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her…

Still Waters Tour Stop

Posted by on 01/09/2012 • 22 Comments

As part of the Still Waters Tour, I have Emma Carlson Berne stopping by the blog today to answer some fun questions regarding her book, Still Waters. And because you all were nice enough to come take a look, you may have a chance to win!What is Still Waters about?

Still Waters Emma Carlson BerneRelease date: December 20th, 2011by Simon Pulse

Goodreads / Purchase

Hannah can’t wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget. But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit…off. They can’t find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone’s…

Cover Reveal: Untouched

Posted by on 01/09/2012 • 14 Comments

Untouched(Denazen, #1.5)Jus AccardoRelease date: February 21st, 2012

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Synopsis currently unavailable

The Denazen series:   

This whole series is gorgeous! What do you think of this new pretty?