Cover Reveal Party & Giveaway: A Cursed Embrace

Cecy Robson is back with book 2 in her Weird Girls series: A Cursed Embrace!

Blurbage: "Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twentysomething girls—with one tiny exception: They are the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that made them, well, a little weird.…

After Celia Wird and her sisters help master vampire Misha save his family, their powers are exposed to the supernatural community of the Lake Tahoe region. But fame comes at a price, and being “weird” isn’t always welcome.

To make matters worse, Celia desires the love of Alpha werewolf Aric, but his pack is bent on destroying their relationship to preserve his pureblood status. And once weres start turning up dead—with evidence pointing to the vampires—she must face the prospect of losing Aric forever. But the chaos only masks a new threat. An evil known as the Tribe has risen—and their sights are set on Celia and her sisters."

My take: I had a lot of fun reading the prequel novella and first book, so I am on board for book 2. I love the trees in the background (the series is set in Lake Tahoe, a place I have visited many times and love). I like the lighting, but my favorite bit is the smaller detail of the claws on her right hand. I liked that part about the first cover too.

I am hoping for lots more action in this second go-round.

Now to the GIVEAWAY! Cecy is giving away one signed copy of SEALED WITH A CURSE. This is open to everybody (national & international). Just comment below by March 2.2013. If you are on Twitter or facebook, check Cecy out. She has a very good sense of humor and has made my morning more than once with a clever tweet.

Thanks, Cecy!

About the author:

Cecy (pronounced Sessy) Robson is an author with Penguin's SIGNET ECLIPSE. She attributes her passion for story-telling back to the rough New Jersey neighborhood she was raised in. As a child, she was rarely allowed to leave the safety of her house and passed her time fantasizing about flying, fairies, and things that go bump in the night. Her dad unwittingly encouraged Cecy's creativity by kissing her goodnight wearing vampire fangs. Gifted and cursed with an overactive imagination, she began writing her Urban Fantasy Romance Series, Weird Girls, in May 2009. THE WEIRD GIRLS: A Novella and SEALED WITH A CURSE are now available. The second novel in The Weird Girls Series, A CURSED EMBRACE, releases July 2, 2013.

LINKS:

Website: www.cecyrobson.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cecyrobson

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Cecy.Robson.Author

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCecyRobsonAuthor

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-cursed-embrace/id567587612?mt=11

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-cursed-embrace-cecy-robson/1114036073?ean=9780451416742

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Embrace-Weird-Girls-Novel/dp/0451416740/ref=la_B00ATRD6B4_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1361465395&sr=1-2

Weird Girls Tour Stop: Sealed With a Curse

Hi all! The very wonderful, charming, and funny Cecy Robson is back on the Book Pile! She stopped by in October to talk about The Weird Girls novella. It's out now, so if you like action-packed shorts go get it! Amazon | B&N

This time, we're talking about book 1, Sealed With a Curse. There's also a giveaway!

First, though, Cecy answered some holiday-inspired questions:

KA: What is one way you get in the holiday spirit?

CR: Shopping for my children. Their excitement fires up mine.

KA: Name something on your wishlist.

CR: I’m not going to lie . . . I’d love to hit the NY Times Best-Seller’s list with my series. A new pair of sneakers would also be nice. : D

KA: What was your favorite book/movie/TV show in 2012?

CR: The Avengers—hands down. Book? Catching Fire, but I’ll admit I had several that I just loved. I don’t watch much TV but I’ve really enjoyed Teen Wolf and Grimm.

KA: What book/movie/tv show are you looking forward to in 2013?

CR: I, Frankenstein sounds / looks cool. Books? A CURSED EMBRACE and THE BETTER TO SEE YOU. TV? I’m waiting for Teen Wolf to come back. I have to say, it’s a very well-written and fun show.

 

Thanks, Cecy! Now to the book in question:

 

I do love this cover.

The blurbage: "Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls-with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, weird...

The Wird sisters are content to avoid the local vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region-until one of them blows up a vampire in self- defense. Everyone knows vampires aren't aggressive, and killing one is punishable by death. But soon more bloodlust- fueled attacks occur, and the community wonders: are the vampires of Tahoe cursed with a plague?

Celia reluctantly agrees to help Misha, the handsome leader of an infected vampire family. But Aric, the head of the werewolf pack determined to destroy Misha's family to keep the region safe, warns Celia to stay out of the fight. Caught between two hot alphas, Celia must find a way to please everyone, save everyone, and oh yeah, not lose her heart to the wrong guy-or die a miserable death. Because now that the evil behind the plague knows who Celia is, it's coming for her and her sisters. This Wird girl has never had it so tough."

 

My Take: I love the set-up of this series, the origin of the sisters powers, and the relationships between the sisters. I mentioned in my review of the novella that it is not often that you get a fantasy book that has strong relationships between female characters. I like the dynamic.

 

Where the novella was romance free, this one has quite a bit. There is tons of action, of course, but also a good amount of romance, especially as the sisters get introduced to the local werewolf pack.

 

Celia is an interesting character. She is very strong - her inner tigress intimidates pretty much everyone. However, this also makes her isolated and lonely. It almost got too much for me at a couple of points where I wanted Celia to buck up and be more confident romance-wise, but at the same time it was believable why she was so unsure.

 

It seems like there might be a triangle, but no my triangle-weary friends, do not fear.

 

A snowy sunrise in Tahoe.

I like seeing the various supernatural creatures who are now in the Wird Girls world. I also really dug the setting - I've been to Lake Tahoe and can believe the mystical pull.

 

There is a lot of setting the stage here, of course, but also an action-packed story. Looking forward to more Weird Girl, especially as the girls grow in their place in the supernatural community.

 

Sealed With a Curse is out December 31. Amazon | B&N

 

Now to the Giveaway!!! Leave a comment here or tweet me @kindleaholic with a book you hope to get this Christmas, or your favorite christmas tradition, or just to say "Hi!". The holidays are stressful enough, let's make this easy. :) And while you're at it, follow Cecy on twitter too.

 

You have until Friday, December 21. This giveaway is international folks!!! So everybody can try!

 

Thank you so much, Cecy!

 

More links for Cecy Robson:

Website: www.cecyrobson.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cecyrobson

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomCecyRobsonAuthor

 

[received an ARC to review]



What's in a Name? A Transplanted Tales Contest

Kate SeRine is working on the third book in her Transplanted Tales series. Rumpelstiltskin is making an appearance, and he needs a name. The fun part - YOU can name him, as well as win some goodies!

Using the Rafflecopter widget below or on Kate's site, put in your suggestion. It can be as normal or fanciful as you like. And, to help you avoid "wasting" a suggestion, here's the list of male characters already appearing in ALONG CAME A SPIDER:

Nicky        Seth           Nate          Al(addin)
Aloysius   Gideon       Orvall       Merv
Irwin         Jack           Pete          Vlad
Alex         Ian              J.G.          Eddie
Tim          Ethan


From the entries, three names will be randomly selected. From those three, Kate will select the winner. The winning name will appear in ALONG CAME A SPIDER, the third book in the Transplanted Tales series, which is scheduled for release in August 2013.

In addition, the person who suggested the winning name will receive a prize package that includes the following:

1) A special mention in the acknowledgements of ALONG CAME A SPIDER
2) an e-book copy of RED, THE BETTER TO SEE YOU, and ALONG CAME A SPIDER as the books are released (or a prize of comparable value if the winner already owns/has pre-ordered a copy of the first two books)
3) a Transplanted Tales-themed goody basket

The runners-up will receive a copy of the Transplanted Tales book of his/her choice and some Transplanted Tales swag! Kate has hinted there might be some additional prezzies along the way...

Get those creative juices flowing and enter today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Tis the Season...for a Full Blooded Giveaway!

Amanda Carlson, along with the #JessicaMcClainStreetTeam (of which I am a member), are hosting a HUGE giveaway.

10 Lucky Winners will receive a Signed Copy of FULL BLOODED, as well as Limited Edition Pack Swag, including a Coffee Mug, bookmark & stickers. The best thing about this giveaway (other than it’s INTERNATIONAL)?  Amanda will be sending them out in time for the holidays! Already have a copy of FULL BLOODED? She'll throw in a signed bookplate and you can gift your book to someone you love. (Amanda will even address it to their name.)

There are so many ways to enter, and you can enter DAILY. Fill out the rafflecopter below OR on Amanda's web site OR you can also enter at any of the other #JessicaMcClainStreetTeam sites.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




#JessicaMcClainStreetTeam

Rabid Reads 

Under the Covers 

Vampire Book Club 

My World…in words and pages 
The Bookaholic Cat 

The Book Nympho 

My Keeper Shelf 

Between Dreams and Reality 

Readers Confession 

Smitten with Bad Boy Heroes 

My Bookish Ways 

The Qwillery 

Miss Vain’s Paranormal Fantasy  

Smash Attack Reads 

Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks 
Urban Fantasy Investigations

"Conjure"-ing Up Some Creepy YA Fun & a Giveaway!

Today, Lea Nolan is at the Book Pile to talk about her new book, Conjure, part 1 of The Hoodoo Apprentice trilogy. There's also a Q&A and Giveaway!

The blurbage:

"Be careful what you search for...
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry—hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.

But when a strange girl appears bent on revenge, demon dogs become a threat, and Jack turns into a walking skeleton, Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends—are lost forever."

My take: I really liked this YA paranormal. There is a little action, more towards the end, but my favorite part was following Emma as she learns hoodoo to try to save her brother.

The book is fast-paced and I found it an engaging read. It starts a little younger than many YAs - the three main kids are all 15, but the tone will progress as the series does (see Q&A below), which makes sense for this Middle School-YA crossover. There are some dark aspects, and enough creepy without being really gory or too scary.

Jack is more than a bit of a jerk, but I'm hopeful he will grow. Cooper is very sweet. Emma is quiet, but strong. I really liked her as a character. She is learning and she makes mistakes, but I love her resolve. She has a crush on Cooper, but I'm happy to say that this isn't an angsty romance. It's all very sweet (and bittersweet too). Of course, the story isn't done. We do get an ending, but everyone isn't out of the woods yet.

I enjoyed the mythology (any story involving Gullah history and folklore is of interest to me) and I'm looking forward to book 2.

And now, let's get to know Lea a little better.

Winners!

The winner of the Weird Girls swag giveaway is Tonya Kuper!

The winner of the Mr. Real giveaway is Merry!

Congrats and thanks to everyone for participating, and to Cecy Robson and Carolyn Crane for the giveaways!

Everything's Starting to Get Real...

Today the awesome Carolyn Crane is here! Her latest, Mr. Real, is going to be out October 30.

This is not the first time Carolyn has dropped by the Book Pile, but this time she came with some genuine Carolyn Crane art (perhaps you have seen them on her blog or other places around the internets - if not, I weep for you).

From the Mr. Real blurb:

"He finds the girl of his dreams…with the secret agent of his nightmares.

Alix Gordon is a woman who doesn’t take life too seriously. What’s the fun in that? So when she stumbles across occult software that can bring any computer image to life, she conjures up lots of awesome outfits and accessories. And then, on one drunken, horny night, she conjures up Sir Kendall, the sexy TV ad spy . . . who looks exactly like Paul Reinhardt, the super-sexy martial arts teacher who kicked her out of class three years ago.

Fighter Paul Reinhardt has good reason to hate Sir Kendall, the character he brought to life to land a part in a TV ad; he’d do anything to forget him. A cross country road trip seems just the thing . . . until Paul finds himself inexplicably drawn to Minnesota and is shocked to discover Sir Kendall - in the flesh - with the girl he’d once loved from afar. He barges into Alix and Sir Kendall’s love nest, determined to stop the madness - somehow.

But is superspy Sir Kendall transforming into something more dangerous anyone can imagine? And what will Sir Kendall do when Paul and Alix finally give into their mad lust for each other?"

My take: Mr. Real is a paranormal-romance-superspy-mashup that defies a strict category and was just so much fun to read. When Carolyn's characters mess up, they do not do it half-assed. In fact, the first lesson I gleaned from this book was to never screw with an occult computer program after the 5th beer. Definitely want the beer goggles off for that kind of decision.

I did like Alix. She of course did stupid things, but she tried so hard to do right and build herself up after years of feeling inferior. Paul, yeah, good stuff right there. He is tormented but he tries to work through it and I liked him a lot. And Sir Kendall was exactly how all of my Bond fantasies play out. Sure he's a suave, charismatic figure, but get involved with him and you'll be screwed over (and not in a happy-fun-times-way). I really liked that we got to get into all 3 of their heads. Especially Sir Kendall. Also really happy with how Paul & Alix balance each other. I do like when the couple have a prior history.

This is just book 1 and I can't wait to see what Carolyn cooks up for us next.

And now on to the Q&A!

Things are getting Weird....

Today, the very fun Cecy Robson is here promoting her new Weird Girls series!

From the blurb: "Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, a little weird…"

Book 1, Sealed With a Curse, is out December 31 (and Cecy will be back to talk about it on December 14). Today, we're looking at the prequel novella The Weird Girls (out December 4).

Blurbage on the novella: "The Wird sisters are different from every race on earth—human and supernatural. When human society is no longer an option for them, they move in among the resident vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region. Could this be the true home they’ve longed for? Um, not quite. After the sisters accidentally strip a witch of her powers in a bar brawl, they soon realize the mistake will cost them. Because to take on a witch means to take on her coven. And losing the battle isn’t an option."

My reaction: The action junkie is happy! It starts with a fight in the girls room of a bar and keeps going until the end. I like the shapeshifting Celia a lot. She is strong, but her strength sets her apart from everyone else, making her lonely too. She is fiercely protective of her sisters and I love that aspect. A lot of books have relationships between men and women, but not as many positive relationships between women. While they may not always agree, these girls love each other and have each others backs. Taran the hot head, Shayna the bubbly one, and Emme the sweet, they all also have powers that make these sisters a force to be reckoned with.

Full Blooded Winner!

Congrats to Maria! Amanda will be sending you your signed ARC very soon!

Thank you to everyone who entered, and big ginormous thanks to Amanda for the giveaway!

Welcome to the Pack Tour (& Giveaway!)

Love the pretty cover!

Amanda Carlson is back (you might remember a little Q&A we did for the Blooded novella). This time the Book Pile is a stop on the Full Blooded blog tour and I could not be more excited. There's a prezzie for one lucky reader too!

From the blurb: "It's not easy being a girl. It's even harder when you're the only girl in a family of werewolves. But it's next to impossible when your very existence spells out the doom of your race... Meet Jessica McClain -- she just became part of the pack.

In the vein of Kelley Armstrong and Patricia Briggs, a new urban fantasy that rewrites the werewolf myth..."

Full disclosure, Amanda is a dear friend and I got to witness and read this story from the very beginning. That said, I was eagerly waiting for each installment, so I'm not bs-ing you when I say it's a damn good read.

The book starts with a bang (worst "wake up call" ever) and just keeps going. The action is great. I love that we are thrown into this world, and even though Jess has been on the periphery of it, she now has to learn quick, and we get to tag along.

Werewolves, witches, vampires (not romantic, these are evil suckers), demons, and so on. Jess has just become the only female werewolf - something everyone in the supernatural community seems really pissed about. Throw in prophecies, conspiracies, and betrayals and this is a fun ride.

There is some romance, but this isn't a Romance. I thought it fit well with the story.

Love the characters - Jess is my kind of heroine. Marcy is fantastic as the witchy friend. Tyler, James, Danny & Nick - I love them all, but have to go with Danny as my fav. Cocky with an accent. That'll do it. And Rourke, very well done indeed.

With Jess as the solo female in the pack, you might say it's raining men.

But don't think that this is a "Jess juggles four boyfriends as well as fights for her life." Nope. This is action first, and often. With a hefty dose of kickass on the side.

I received an ARC of this book, and I got to read this story from the beginning, eagerly awaiting each new chapter, so I feel a lot closer to these characters than I would a new to me series. That said, I would come to the end of each chapter and howl at having to wait for more, so I really liked it from the earliest start. It's a great start to a series.

Full Blooded is officially out September 11, but some copies have been seen "in the wild" already.

Now to the Giveaway: Amanda has generously offered a signed ARC of Full Blooded to one lucky commenter. If you could wake up tomorrow as a supernatural, what would you be? Leave a comment with a way to contact you by Wednesday, September 12. Tweet about the contest and get another entry (include the tweet URL for your second entry). Winner announced Thursday. US & CA only.

Note: if you don't want to leave your e-mail in the comments, you can send it to me at kindleaholic [at] gmail.com and you'll still be entered.

Thanks, Amanda! The rest of you, read this book!!!