[Blog Tour] Review and Giveaway - Blood and Snow by Rachelle Workman

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Blood and Snow: The Complete Set by RaShelle Workman
Publication date: 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal

Synopsis:
Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White.

Snow isn't an ordinary girl. She doesn't know that yet.

When Snow gets bitten by a Hunter, her life is thrown into a whirlwind of change where instead of worrying about what to eat, she has to fight not to drink the blood of fellow high school students. She becomes a revenant - not quite human, not quite vampire.

With the help of an eccentric old Professor, his seven adoptive sons, and her best friend, Snow learns to control her blood craving. Sort of. She drinks a bloodlust tea, but she'd rather drink from her Hunter.

Or, a human.

She also discovers a whole other realm, one filled with fairies, dragons, and magic. And not only does the Vampire Queen want her, but there's a pendant called the Seal of Gabriel created for Snow by the Vampire Queen's twin sister. And Snow's supposed to use it to restore balance to all magical creatures. Including vampires.

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RaShelle Workman lives on a mountain with her husband, three children, and three dogs. From her back porch she can see the city lights and imagine... She's the bestselling author of the Dead Roses series (Sleeping Roses is being translated into Turkish, and will be available in print wherever Turkish books are sold in 2014), the Immortal Essence series, and the Blood and Snow series. 

Where to find RaShelle:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

While poking around on Amazon several months ago, I saw Blood Soaked Promises, episode four of this series. At the time, I thought it sounded interesting, but I am not a big fan of the 'episodic' novels - at least not until the series is complete. When Blood and Snow: The Complete Set  was released, I figured the time to read it had arrived.

RaShelle Workman has taken the Snow White fairy tale and turned it on it's ear. Blood and Snow is full of familiar (and not so familiar) fairy tale characters.

I really enjoyed Blood and Snow. The worldbuilding was well done, and I became fond of most of the characters. I say most because honestly - I would have no trouble smacking Snow's parents upside their heads. They were completely useless in my mind. Snow was much better off without them around.

Professor Pops and his seven sons were fun most of the time, but when the situation called for it, they could be serious and responsible. I was trying to decide if I have a favorite son, but I can't pick. I think it would depend where in the story I was. The cast of characters was rounded out by Snow's best (female) friend Cindy, Snow's Hunter, and Kenmei. Oh - and Abernathy. Dragons seriously rock.

I loved the way the story unfolded. Seal of Gabriel and Telltale Kisses were two of my favorite volumes. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the others, because I most definitely did. Those were ones that helped some things click for me, and RaShelle Workman did a phenomenal job with those two especially.

The bottom line here is that if you're into vampires, or fairy tales, or both, you should read Blood and Snow: The Complete Set.  Personally, I wouldn't read it any other way because the endings of each episode made me super happy I had the whole thing handy! Oh - I have a note in my Kindle that says "I love Snow's inner voice". There were plenty of moments that had me chuckling.

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Review and Giveaway - Echo by Alicia Wright Brewster

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Echo by Alicia Wright Brewster  
Publication: April 25th 2013
by Dragonfairy Press 
Genre: YA Sci-Fi

The countdown clock reads ten days until the end of the world. The citizens are organized. Everyone's been notified and assigned a duty. The problem is . . . no one knows for sure how it will end.

Energy-hungry Mages are the most likely culprit. They travel toward a single location from every corner of the continent. Fueled by the two suns, each Mage holds the power of an element: air, earth, fire, metal, water, or ether. They harness their powers to draw energy from the most readily available resource: humans.

Ashara has been assigned to the Ethereal task force, made up of human ether manipulators and directed by Loken, a young man with whom she has a complicated past. Loken and Ashara bond over a common goal: to stop the Mages from occupying their home and gaining more energy than they can contain. But soon, they begin to suspect that the future of the world may depend on Ashara's death.

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Alicia Wright Brewster is a mild-mannered lady of average height and above average paranormal obsession. By day, she works in an office. At night she is an author, an electronics junkie, and a secret superhero.

In her virtually non-existent free time, she loves to read, watch movies, and eat food. She is particularly fond of the food-eating and makes a point to perform this task at least three times per day, usually more.

Where to find Alicia:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Let me start with...I love this cover. Absolutely love this cover. Gorgeous. Perfect. Love it. I would have bought this book based on the cover and blurb alone. And I would not have regretted it.

10:04:21. Ten days, four hours, twenty-one minutes until the end of all things we knew - or so the vision said.  Echo  starts off with a bang and does not stop. The reader immediately finds out that four rewinds have already taken place, making this the fifth timeline. Ashara Vinn is summoned to the Council, where she's assigned to the Ethereal task force.

Ashara is understandably confused, since she's never shown any talent. But being a good citizen, she answers the summons. We're introduced to her best friend Rey, who is a Breather - an air manipulator. There are other practitioners we meet throughout the story, some of whom I would gladly have slapped.

When Asha reaches the Council, she comes face-to-face with Loken, someone she hasn't seen in a while and the person who will lead her task force. Loken and Ashara have history which makes for some fun interaction in stressful times.

The elders are the only ones who retain memories from previous timelines, so they are the people who dictate the next course of action for the practitioners. During previous timelines, new information became known, which changes the direction they will take in this fifth timeline.

I found Ashara to be a strong-willed, outspoken, and thoughtful heroine. As Echo  progresses, her history with Loken is revealed, along with a few other things from her past that had me feeling for this young woman.

While I realized the direction some plot threads were headed, there were several others that smacked me upside the head. Not because they didn't fit, but because I really had not seen them coming. At all.

Ms. Brewster did an amazing job telling this story. The writing is polished and clean. The pacing is tight, which encourages rapid page-turning. Before I knew it, I was being blown away by another of those little plot twists I mentioned. Echo had me smiling at some points, frustrated at others (with the situation, not the writing or the story!), and flat out cheering at the end.

Any book that makes me think and feel the way Echo  did is a winner. I'm not sure if this is a stand-alone or if there will be others in this universe. I would definitely read another tale of this world - if Alicia Wright-Brewster decides to write it!

There are two giveaways below. Both are open internationally - good luck!

Giveaway One: One (1) ebook copy of Echo

Giveaway Two: (1st prize) A print or ebook + $25 bookstore e-gift card

(2nd prize) A print or ebook + $10 bookstore e-gift card

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Review & Character Interview - Succubus Rising by B.R. Kingsolver

You can read my review of The Succubus Gift  HERE!

The Goddess has plans for Brenna and Rebecca, and the Goddess has a wicked sense of humor.

Rebecca Healy is a true wilder, growing up with no contact or knowledge of other telepaths. Discovered by a Clan member on the streets of San Francisco, she felt like she’d hit the jackpot. Finally, she knew what she was, or at least she thought she did.

When Brenna O’Donnell, long-lost heir of the O’Donnell Clan, and the strongest telepath in history, is returned to her family, she and Rebecca form a tight bond. Brenna has it all, looks, money, power, and men falling all over her.

Rebecca isn’t jealous, but it would be nice to find someone who would really love her and stick around in the morning. She’s intrigued by a handsome South American general, but of course, he has his sights set on Brenna. Carlos de Vargas wants more than love. His Clan has its back to the wall, and they hope for an alliance with O’Donnell. An alliance that would lead to war.

The story began in The Succubus Gift and continued in Succubus Unleashed. In Succubus Rising, questions are answered and new mysteries are revealed.

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"I need a drink."
"It's not even noon yet."
"Oh goody, still time in the day for things to really go to hell."

"I couldn't do it. Either I'd end up killing the lot of them or subjugating them and declaring myself queen. I guess I'm not subtle or patient enough for that sort of role."

With a slight smile, Moira nodded. "But you will try it. Curiosity will drive you crazy."
"No, curiosity will drive you crazy. I'm already nuts."

"She's one of the most dangerous women alive. You and Collin have chosen to ride the tiger. Don't ever let go. But if you treat her as the treasure she is, she'll bring you more joy than you or any man deserves."

"Minor renovations?" Seamus asked incredulously. "A four-foot hole in the floor is a minor renovation?"

"You never saw such a bunch of prima donnas in your life. And of course I have to be diplomatic, instead of strangling them for thinking their bizarre requests are perfectly reasonable."

All your favorites are back - and better than ever in Succubus Rising, the third book in the Telepathic Clans Saga!

Succubus Rising  continues the tales of Brenna, Rebecca, Collin and the rest of the family. We even get to meet some new friends. While all the characters you've come to know over the last two books are present, Brenna isn't the focus in this one - Rebecca is.

We learn lots of new stuff about Rebecca, and I enjoyed her growth in Succubus Rising. Rebecca was already a strong, important character in the Telepathic Clans Saga, but she really comes into her own in this installment. I loved it! I won't give anything away, but it was enjoyable to see what becomes of Rebecca. :)

I tend to worry when I get further into a series that the shine might wear off after a couple books. I shouldn't have worried with this one. B.R. Kingsolver's tale continues to captivate. The writing is still tightly paced, making this another fantastic page-turner. If you haven't read this series, I highly recommend you add TheSuccubus Gift to your TBR as soon as possible!

Rebecca Healy is with us today.


Phantasmic Reads: What is the name of the book where we'll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?

Rebecca: (Smiling, with a flip of her hair) I'm in all of BR Kingsolver's books, The Succubus Gift, Succubus Unleashed, and Succubus Rising. I'm very popular. I'm the sidekick to Brenna O'Donnell, the richest, most beautiful telepath/succubus in the world. I'm her bodyguard and best friend.

The Succubus Gift is about a young woman's (Brenna) coming of age and discovering her telepathic powers. She's looking for love but also trying to deal with people who want to kill her. Succubus Unleashed is a continuation of the story. As Brenna becomes comfortable with being a succubus and integrates into the Clan, her adventures and loves make up the story. In the third book, Succubus Rising, she fully embraces being a succubus and moves to Washington to play with the politicians. Things take a turn, however, when the O'Donnell Clan is asked to support a South American Clan against our main enemy Clans in Europe. The result is a war among telepaths.

There's a silver lining, though. I meet a really dreamy South American general.

Phantasmic Reads: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?

Rebecca: Well, as I said, I'm Brenna's bodyguard, friend and confidant. I'm 24 in the first book, turn 25 in the second, and 26 in the third. I'm a powerful telepath in my own right, with 15 telepathic Gifts. I'm tall and slender with brown hair and amber eyes. I have a bachelor's degree in history and a master's in library science. I'm also trained as a Protector. That's the O'Donnell Clan's military/security force. I'm the one who keeps Brenna's head on straight and keeps her from getting too full of herself. She has a tendency to pay too much attention to people who tell her she's wonderful.

Phantasmic Reads: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won't tell.

Rebecca: You're trying to get me in trouble, aren't you? Let me just say that BR has an incredibly detailed imagination. A little dull in real life, though. Not the sort of person to be the life of the party. But if I ever retire and open a bookstore, that's who I'd want for a business partner.

Phantasmic Reads: How do you feel about the story you're in?

Rebecca: I think it's a pretty good story. It's not a standard run-of-the-mill paranormal fantasy. It has a lot of unique ideas and BR lets the characters develop. I think the series originally was meant to be rather light-hearted, but it's taken on a darker side. I think it has most of what you'd want in a story - humor, romance, danger, and the good guys win. It's not Anna Karenina, but it's better than being in something where all the women are doormats.

Phantasmic Reads: Do you like being a character in the book?

Rebecca: After being imprisoned in BR's mind for months, it's great to get out and meet the world. (Smiles) I do get to do a lot of exciting things, and I get to have a lot of sex, which is kind of nice. I wish people would stop trying to kill me and Brenna, though. What happened to romances where the heroine's greatest fear was having a hair out of place?

Phantasmic Reads: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.

Rebecca: As I said earlier, I'm going to be in a number of books. I've always hoped to find someone to love me. Other than Brenna, I mean. I love her to death, but I don't really swing that way. Tall, dark and handsome in my bed every night would be nice. It's a bit difficult when every man in the world is looking at your best friend, but maybe I can pick one of her rejects.

One of these days, I'd like to be the star in a book. Isn't that every character's dream? Right now, BR seems fixated on succubi, and I'm not a succubus. But if I keep getting mentioned in reviews, maybe I'll get a shot.

Phantasmic Reads: What do you know about your author's plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?

Rebecca: I have a much larger role in the third book in the Telepathic Clans Saga, and a minor role in a paranormal mystery/thriller yet to be named. BR says the 4^th book about Brenna will come out in 2013, but I haven't seen the outline for that one. I assume it will tie up all the loose ends from the first three books, and since it's about Brenna, I'll be there. We can't let the girl out by herself. Who knows what she'd do?

Phantasmic Reads: Let's say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?

Rebecca: Wow, that's a hard one. I'm not the busty Hollywood type with perfect hair. It would have to be someone athletic. Someone like Jennifer Garner, but she's way too old, now. There's a young British actress who's done mostly stage work named Annie Hemingway. She's not very well known, but I saw her in a play in New York and she was wonderful.

I made silver and turquoise jewelry for almost a decade, ended up in nursing school, then took a master’s in business. Along the way I worked in construction, as a newspaper editor, a teacher, and somehow found a career working with computers.

I love the outdoors, especially the Rocky Mountains. I’ve skied since high school and I’ve hiked and camped all my life. I love to travel, though I haven’t done enough of it. I’ve seen a lot of Russia and Mexico, not enough of England. Amsterdam is amazing, and the Romanian Alps are breathtaking. Lake Tahoe is a favorite, and someday I’d like to see Banff in Canada.

I have a very significant other, two cats and two Basset Hounds. I’m currently living in Baltimore, nine blocks from the harbor, but still own a home in New Mexico that I see too infrequently.

Where to find B.R.

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