Genre: Paranormal


Friday, April 04, 2014

Sekret Dream Cast + Giveaway!

Posted by 16 Comments

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This week we’re celebrating the release of Sekret by Lindsay Smith, and today is my stop on the blog tour with a Dream Cast of Sekret along with a giveaway!

Sekret Dream Cast + Giveaway!Sekret by Lindsay Smith
Series: Sekret #1
Published by Macmillan Children's Books on April 1st 2014
Genres: Historical, Paranormal, YA
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

An empty mind is a safe mind.

Yulia's father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she's captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she's thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power. Yulia quickly realizes she can trust no one--not her KGB superiors or the other operatives vying for her attention--and must rely on her own wits and skills to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.



Sekret Dream Cast



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Yulia, telemetrist and ration rat

Tatiana Maslany or Freya Tingley

Yulia, who can read the memories of objects and people through touch, is strong-willed, resourceful, and sometimes stubborn to a fault. I love Tatiana Maslany’s character(s) on Orphan Black, and how she convincingly slips into whatever role is required to get what she needs to survive. That definitely fits Yulia! But Freya Tingley (Hemlock Grove) also excels at just the right amount of attitude for Yulia — the one that lets you know she’ll obey your orders for now, but she won’t be broken for long.


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Valentin, jazz pianist and scrubber in training

Kit Harrington or Daniel Radcliffe by way of Dmitri Shostakovich

Valentin is a tough one—in my mind, he looks a lot like one of his classical music idols, Dmitri Shostakovich (far left). Valentin is quiet but intense, only revealing his depths when improvising on piano or being forced to use his powers to alter someone’s memories. Kit Harrington is older than Valentin, but recently demonstrated his abilities to rock the thick frames—always a plus—until Daniel Radcliffe came along with his brooding-Russian face. Well played, Comrade Radcliffe.



Alyx

Sergei, remote viewer and rising hockey star

Alex Pettyfer

Sergei would much rather be on the ice, racking up goals for the hockey team Spartak, than using his psychic powers to hunt dissidents, but he’ll play along with the KGB’s plans if it makes life easier for him. Alex Pettyfer has the right kind of easy-going nature for Sergei, quick to shrug off a defeat and charmingly sheepish when scolded.







GIfted

Larissa, gifted with foresight

Jena Malone

Larissa can see the potential futures that branch away from decisions. Jena Malone looks like she could readily handle the burden that comes from knowing your fate, and making peace with it—even if it means carrying out the cruel choices that’ll bring about the future you want.



Col

Colonel Rostov, ruthless KGB officer and scrubber

Timothy Dalton
Is it wrong to cast a former James Bond as a maniacal psychic KGB officer who will stop at nothing to win the Cold War? I sure hope not—the villainous Timothy Dalton we see in Hot Fuzz and Chuck looks like he’s having so much fun being bad. I’d love to turn him loose on Soviet Russia and watch him chew all the scenery.







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Major Kruzenko, KGB officer and mind-reader

Margo Martindale

Major Kruzenko tries to be the less-bad cop to Colonel Rostov’s heavy-handed tactics, but her allegiance to the Soviet Union always comes before any mothering instincts she may possess. Margo Martindale is already a masterful KGB handler on The Americans, far in over her head but fighting her way through the intricate schemes around her the best she can.

Eva

Antonina, Yulia’s mother, fallen Communist Party star

Eva Green

Clever, desperate, and more than a little unhinged—that’s Yulia’s mother, and the type of character Eva Green excels at. A former darling of the Communist Party’s scientific community, she went on the run with Yulia and her brother, but seems to be playing a far more intricate game than Yulia realizes.



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The American Scrubber, deadly and charismatic

Michael Fassbender

The American scrubber stalking the KGB team is lethal and all too genial about his grim tasks. Michael Fassbender shows just the right blend of cunning and charisma. Plus, he looks great in a beatnik turtleneck.






About the Author



Lindsay Smith’s love of Russian culture has taken her to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and a reindeer festival in the middle of Siberia. She lives in Washington, DC, where she writes on foreign affairs. SEKRET is her first novel.






This post is part of the Sekret blog tour.


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Giveaways

Macmillan Children’s Books has generously offered one hardcover copy of Sekret for giveaway.


  • Open to US and Canada only
  • Giveaway ends April 18th, 2014
  • Full contest terms and conditions found on Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

Review: House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

Posted by on 03/25/2014 • 23 Comments

You know those dogs that are so ugly they’re cute? This book is kind of like that. It was so ridiculous, that it became entertaining in its absurdity. I went into this expecting a more Gothic kind of witch read, and what I got was more Sabrina the Teenage Witch kind of fantastical (except Sabrina did it well!). I mean, if you go into this with the right mindset maybe you’d like it better?

The witch lore starts out intriguing with some interesting aspects. I liked how there’s no good vs evil or white vs dark, it’s all black magic and the way you use it is what matters. That’s how far my liking of this book went, unfortunately, as the more pages I turned, the more nonsensical it…

Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Posted by on 03/11/2014 • 28 Comments

PIVOT POINT was a fast favourite of mine from last year so when SPLIT SECOND came out I was quick to run out and get it and make the time to read it. Coming out of it I am happy with the story but I I feel it was missing some elements of a successful sequel. After reading through the reviews of this I see that I may be the only one who had this issue, but I haven’t come across this so strongly before so I feel the need to point it out.

So my issue is this: I was completely lost as to almost all of the references to the first novel. I have a terrible memory and I know this but I can usually carry on pretty…

Review: Half Bad by Sally Green

Review: Half Bad by Sally Green

Posted by on 03/03/2014 • 32 Comments

Half Blood started as a 5-star read for me. This lasted ’til about three quarters which is when I realized we really hadn’t gotten anywhere in the story. Boredom quickly followed, until I was unfortunately underwhelmed by the anticlimactic ending. Nevertheless, it’s an incredibly well written book that has a lot to offer if you have a bit of patience, although it’s unique in a way that may not adhere to all tastes.

When we meet our protagonist, Nathan, he’s naught but a young lad. Young and unfortunate to have been born the son of a notorious Black Witch; a fact that makes him a leper, someone to be hunted down and caged. We learn that, even though he’s highly intelligent in many ways, he’s not exactly book smart….

Review: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Review: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Posted by on 02/10/2014 • 23 Comments

Gargoyles, demons, and zombies, oh my!

I’m not sure what I expected from this novel with a blurb that screamed love-triangle, involving a paranormal creature I have not had the best of luck with in the past. Fortunately, I found myself enjoying this one quite a bit. As expected – knowing this author’s style – romance has a large presence in this story, and it does not lack any chemistry. Again, Armentrout has created characters who make your heart beat faster just by being on the same page together. Yes, there is a love triangle, but surprisingly, I did not hate it. Likely due to the fact that a relationship with Zayne is physically impossible – considering Layla’s unique but uncontrollably deadly soul-stealing ability. In turn, the focus of…

Ruined Dream Cast by Jus Accardo + Giveaway!

Ruined Dream Cast by Jus Accardo + Giveaway!

Posted by on 01/15/2014 • 32 Comments

I’ve got the lovely Jus Accardo joining us on the blog today for a guest post and then you can enter for a chance to win! Have you checked out this book yet? Here’s what you’re missing:

Dream Cast, by Jus Accardo Like a lot of authors, I feel like it helps to have visual stimulation when creating my characters. Sometimes it helps to have physical features to help put descriptions onto the page. It can help with expressions and scene description, and makes the pictures in my head flow just a little bit smoother. A lot of work goes into this portion of writing a book. It took me long hours of grueling research to find the perfect Jax. Really. It was horrific and I in…

Meet Penelope from A Breath of Frost + Exclusive Excerpt!

Meet Penelope from A Breath of Frost + Exclusive Excerpt!

Posted by on 01/03/2014 • 25 Comments

Today we all get to meet Penelope from A Breath of Frost by  Alyxandra Harvey! I love witch books and this one sounds awesome. I also have heard great things about the author’s other series so let’s see what this new one is all about!

Official Book Trailer:

An Introduction to Penelope! Penelope Chadwick Age: 18 Hair: black Eyes: dark brown Familiar: Spider Magic: Pscychometry: sensing the history of an object and the people who have touched it

Penelope is romantic and spoiled and kind and very talented at the pianoforte. She’s mad for anything Shakespearean and likes to use odd random bits of Shakespearean insults. She also has a rather prickly temper when her loved ones are insulted.

Her…

Review: Salt by Danielle Ellison

Review: Salt by Danielle Ellison

Posted by on 12/20/2013 • 25 Comments

I love witch stories. But this was not one of them. Penelope is a witch without powers – they were stolen from her and now she’s dead set on hunting the demon who stole them. This sounds like it could be a fun, action packed novel, except all we have here is a girl who whines a lot and spends most of the book being boring and talking herself out of kissing a guy who apparently annoys her.

That is the gist of it. Exams, simulations, graduation, research, more research, coffee dates, research; some very thrilling stuff in here… There weren’t even interesting characters to make up for it. The side characters all blended together, honestly. I can’t say I even care to discuss any of them in this series….