On Tour: Lichgates by S.M Boyce - Interview

S.M. Boyce  is now on tour with ABG Reads Book Tours with her book, Lichgates (The Grimoire Saga #1). Please visit her tour page for more blog stops.

Lichgates (The Grimoire Saga #1)
by S.M. Boyce

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Publication: January 2011
Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog
The Grimoire Saga: The Grimoire Saga Website | Grimoire Saga Facebook
Buy the Book: ePub | Mobi | Autographed Paperback

Kobo | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Amazon: USA | UK | Germany |  France | Spain | Italy | Buy the Paperback

 Goodreads | Watch the Trailer

Kara Magari is about to discover a beautiful world full of terrifying things—Ourea.

Kara, a college student still reeling from her mother’s recent death, has no idea the hidden world of Ourea even exists until a freak storm traps her in a sunken library. With no way out, she opens an ancient book of magic called the Grimoire and unwittingly becomes its master, which means Kara now wields the cursed book’s untamed power. Discovered by Ourea's royalty, she becomes an unwilling pawn in a generations-old conflict—a war intensified by her arrival. In this world of chilling creatures and betrayal, Kara shouldn’t trust anyone… but she’s being hunted and can’t survive on her own. She drops her guard when Braeden, a native soldier with a dark secret, vows to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t know it, her growing attraction to him may just be her undoing.

For twelve years, Braeden Drakonin has lived a lie. The Grimoire is his one chance at redemption, and it lands in his lap when Kara Magari comes into his life. Though he begins to care for this human girl, there is something he wants more. He wants the Grimoire.

Welcome to Ourea, where only the cunning survive.

Interview with the author

1. Tell me about yourself & your book.

Hmm, let’s see. I am a fantasy and paranormal author who loves ghost stories and loose leaf tea. I’m gooey at heart and addicted to adding inspirational and vivid pictures to Pinterest. Writing is my passion and lifelong career.

My novel Lichgates is the first in the Grimoire Saga, an epic fantasy with a contemporary twist. It’s about a young woman named Kara who stumbles into a parallel world called Ourea, where monsters are very real and magic is commonplace. She has to grow up fast and face her fears, because in Ourea only the cunning survive.

2. What inspire you to write the world of Ourea?

Lichgates—and the whole Grimoire Saga, really—was an adventure. It started with the seed of an idea planted in 2006, when I was making little spellcaster things out of clay. I started tweaking and customizing them, wondering what kind of creatures or beings would use them. Over time, the story evolved into something epic and massive. I removed bits like the spellcasters from the story and added loads more, always questioning and expanding the storyline. It’s been so much fun.

3. Grade Lichgates. How many stars out of a perfect score of 5 stars? Please give the reason too.

Excellent question!

Because Lichgates was my first novel, I see flaws in it that I didn’t notice when I first started out. This is good, actually, because it shows growth in my writing. The goal for every serious author is to grow with every novel, and that means admitting flaws in existing work (as much as that SUCKS). Still, I am very proud of the novel and the world I created in the Grimoire Saga. I give Lichgates a 4-star rating, and each book after has only improved.

4. What are you working on right now?

Heritage (Grimoire Saga #3) consumed my life up until recently, as it has just released. My next project is the finale to the Grimoire Saga, Illusion. It’s going to blow even the other action-packed and emotional books out of the water. After that, I’ll be branching into some new series in different (though similar) genres. I’m thrilled to get started!

5. Anything you would like to say to your readers?

 Thank you a million times over. You are amazing. I get to live my dream because you enjoy my work, and that means the world to me. Please feel free to tweet me or leave a Facebook comment any time you want to drop in and say hello. Stay awesome, my dear!

On Tour: The Letter By Sandra Owens - Excerpt

Sandra Owens  is now on tour with ABG Reads Book Tours with her book, The Letter . Please visit her tour page for more blog stop and a chance to win a copy of the book!

The Letter
by Sandra Owens

Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Publication: March 2013
Connect: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

THE LETTER is the story of a betrayal that wasn’t. Even so, it still tore apart two lovers for eleven years.

On the eve of their wedding, Michael Jeffres, Earl of Daventry, found his betrothed— the woman who meant as much to him as the air he breathed—in bed with his cousin, Leo. Diana remembers nothing of that night. All she knows is that she was forced to marry Leo and then spent the next eleven years in hell.

When the two lovers are brought back together by a letter from Leo a year after his death, Michael and Diana must struggle through all the lies and secrets before they can find a love that far surpasses the one of their youth.

Book Excerpt

Reliving that night, telling her the sordid details, had left him raw and angry. He rubbed his palm over his chest. All these years he had blamed her for the almost unbearable pain in his heart. Seeing that night through new eyes took the shame from her and put it on him.

He had failed her, but the word didn’t seem right. One failed to show up on time for an appointment, one failed to repay a loan, one failed to wind a clock. To put the woman you loved, that you should have protected at all costs, in the hands of a monster was worlds beyond a failure, it was dastardly, and it was unforgivable.

Yet, after hearing how she had been humiliated and debased, then thrown out like the garbage, she’d absolved him. I forgive you. There, all better, everyone can go their merry way now. He wasn’t sure he could accept her forgiveness.

As she read, he studied her profile, marveling at how much healthier she looked with only a few days of adequate food and rest. There was color in her cheeks again, and the dry, cracked lips were now pink and soft.

How many times had he kissed that mouth? He should have counted so he would know. He jerked his gaze from her lips to her hair. Even though she still kept it in the tight knot low on her neck, it was now clean and sleek, a shimmering golden-honey. The muslin day dress was an improvement over her black rag but far from the height of fashion. He would have to do something about that.

Today, she smelled of vanilla.

As unobtrusively as possible, he pushed his feet against the floor and slid his chair away. How far did he need to go before he couldn’t smell her? What would their life have been like had they married? Would they have still been happy eleven years later? He wanted to think so, had once believed nothing could mar their joy, so great was their love for each other. Could they find that again?

Michael reared up from his chair and moved to sit behind his desk. He leveled his gaze on the letter in her hands, and off her hair, her cheeks, her pink lips. There was nothing more to find, except perhaps a long lost son. She must be nearing Leo’s claim that Michael might have sired Jamie. He waited for her to make some sound, some exclamation telling him she had reached that part, and was it too much to hope she knew the truth and would tell him? That truth being Jamie belonged to him? Please God.

She held the last page, her gaze at the bottom of the blasted thing and still not a word. It didn’t seem as if her eyes were moving. Had she come to the end? Why didn’t she say something? Was it possible for one to climb out of one’s skin? If no one ever had, he thought he might be the first to bloody try it. He suddenly realized that one leg was bouncing like an agitated tiger wanting out of his cage. He clamped a hand down on his knee.

Without one devil of a word, she stood, handed him the letter and turned to leave. Stunned, he stared at the thing. She had nothing to say? She was halfway across the room when he reacted, shooting out of his chair, the pages scattering over his desk. 

“Oh no you don’t,” he roared.

She cringed and at the fear in her eyes, rational thought ceased. Why was she afraid of him? Hadn’t he proved to her by now he wouldn’t hurt her? Christ Almighty, he wasn’t Leo!

Later, he would ask himself what possessed him to kiss her. Later, he would remember roaring at her. Christ, had he actually roared at a woman taught to be afraid of men? All of that would come later. Now, rationality had abandoned him.

Author's Bio:

Sandra lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Most days, you can find her with her fingers on a keyboard, her mind in the world of her imagination. It's a land where romance and happy endings exist, a land where anything is possible. When her husband can drag her away from her computer, she likes to travel with her very own hero in their RV, but she always brings her laptop. There are still stories to write, after all. A few highlights of Sandra's life she fondly recalls are jumping out of a plane, flying upside down in a stunt plane, and riding her Harley in the mountains of Southern California and along the coast of Maine. She's managed a private airport and held the position of General Manager of a Harley-Davidson dealership. Although those events in her life were great fun, nothing compares to the joy and satisfaction she gets from writing her stories.

On Tour: The Folly At Falconbridge Hall by Maggi Andersen - Review

Maggi Andersen is now on tour with ABG Reads Book Tours with her book, The Folly At Falconbridge Hall. Please visit her tour page on ABG Reads Book Tours for more blog stop.

The Folly At Falconbridge Hall by Maggi Andersen
Genre: Historical Romance, Mystery Publication: December 2012 by Knox Robinson Publishing Format: ebooks Author:  Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Blog

Vanessa Ashley felt herself qualified for a position as governess, until offered the position at Falconbridge Hall. Left penniless after the deaths of her artist father and suffragette mother, Vanessa Ashley draws on her knowledge of art, politics, and history to gain employment as a governess. She discovers that Julian, Lord Falconbridge, requires a governess for his ten-year-old daughter Blyth at Falconbridge Hall, in the countryside outside London. Lord Falconbridge is a scientist and dedicated lepidopterist who is about to embark on an extended expedition to the Amazon. An enigmatic man, he takes a keen interest in his daughter’s education. As she prepares her young charge, Vanessa finds the girl detached and aloof. As Vanessa learns more about Falconbridge Hall, more questions arise. Why doesn't Blythe feel safe in her own home? Why is the death of her mother, once famed society beauty Clara, never spoken of? And why did the former governess leave so suddenly without giving notice?

I received a copy of The Folly At Falconbridge Hall by Maggi Andersen from ABG Reads Book Tours as part of the blog tour.

Vanessa Ashley lost everything after her father’s death. Instead of moving in with her uncle, she decided to work and find herself a job. Vanessa then found herself a position as a governess at Falconbridge hall for Lord Falconbridge’s ten year old daughter, Blythe. Some questions arose as Vanessa began to learn more about Blythe and Lord Falconbridge. Why is it that no one spoke of Blythe’s mother, death? And why is it that the former governess left without any prior notice?

I must say that I absolutely adore Vanessa. I love how she refused to stay comfortably with her titled uncle, and instead, finds herself a position as a governess. Vanessa is a compassionate woman. I adore how she treated Blythe and win her heart. I enjoyed reading the interaction between Vanessa, Blythe and the Lord Falconbridge.

The Folly At Falconbridge Hall was a historical romance with a bit of mystery (although not too much). The romance part was a bit predictable, although I was surprised with Vanessa and Julian, Lord Falconbridge’s progress halfway through the story. I certainly wasn’t expecting that. But I love how the story was focusing more on Vanessa and Blythe at the beginning instead of Vanessa’s romance relationship. I think the author did a great job in building the story line. I also like how the author added in a little bit of mystery of the former governess’s sudden disappearance in the book. It certainly makes the story much more interesting. I couldn’t stop myself to know what had happen in the past, and what will happen next.

Review: Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie

Breaking the Rules
by Cat Lavoie

Genre: Chick Lit, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Publication: August 2012
Format: ebooks
Author: Twitter, Website, Goodreads

When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef.

While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about.

Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?

I received a copy of Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie from ABG Reads Book Tours as part of the blog tour.

Roxy Rule’s world turned upside down when her best friend, Ollie move overseas to accept a new, glamorous job. Roxy hoped that they would continue to stay as best friends even though they are going to live miles apart. But things got complicated between them when Ollie kissed her before his departure—and that she was kissing him back. Roxy decided that the kiss meant nothing and refused to think about it. Things gotten much more complicated when Roxy’s sister, Steffi and Izzie moved in with her. Steffi was six months into her pregnancy and Izzie was having her premature midlife crisis.

Roxy was one of the likeable and very relatable characters. What I love most about Roxy is how she loved cooking since I am a fan of books with foodie lover characters! There are times when I wanted to cheer for her and there are times when I wanted to smack her for doing something stupid and senseless. But Roxy just wanted to be happy and she wanted everyone around her to be happy just like the rest of us.  

I love Cat Lavoie writing. I really like how she portrayed Roxy and the other characters—there’s the annoying sister who loves to pry into your life, the best friends who constantly worry about Roxy, the fiancé who is a bit of a control freak, the boss who loves to well, bosses around, the handsome best friend who Roxy couldn’t stop thinking about after that kiss and much more.

Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie is one of the books that I know I’m going to enjoy even before I started. It is a light hearted story with a mix of humor, drama and romance. The pace of the story is just perfect for me. I love how Cat Lavoie adds in a little bit of twist in the story. It makes the story much more interesting. I just couldn’t stop myself from flipping the pages till the end to know how Roxy and the others going to achieve their happy ending.

Blog Tour: Breaking The Rules By Cat Lavoie - Interview

Hey there! Cat Lavoie is now on tour with ABG Reads Book Tours with her book, Breaking The Rules. I am pleased to welcome Cat Lavoie to Ai Love Books for an author interview. I am still in the middle of reading this book, but I can tell that this  is one will be one of my favorite chick-lit read. Please visit her tour page on ABG Reads Book Tours for more blog stop.

1. Tell me about yourself

 My name is Cat and I live in Montreal, Canada with my cat, Abbie. I'm a claims analyst by day and when I switch into writer mode, I write chick lit. My debut novel, Breaking the Rules, was released in August 2012 by Marching Ink. I'm addicted to cooking and home renovation TV shows and I never leave the house without my Kindle.

2. How and why did you become a writer?

When I was growing up, my nose was always stuck in a book and I knew that, someday, I wanted to create stories of my own. I went through a poetry phase when I was in high school and wrote the most horrible poems--they have since been destroyed, thank goodness. I was in my early twenties when I discovered chick lit and instantly knew it was what I wanted to write. I started a few stories that never went anywhere and—when I decided to really focus on writing a book from beginning to end—Breaking the Rules was born.

 3. Describe your book, Breaking The Rules.

 Breaking the Rules is the story of two lifelong best friends, Roxy and Ollie, and how their relationship changes when a goodbye hug turns into a passionate kiss. Roxy has to decide if she's going to go on with her life pretending that the kiss never happened—or if she's going to risk everything for Ollie. The novel also deals with Roxy's complicated relationship with her two sisters, her demanding boss and her fiancé. It's a story about standing up for yourself and going after what you really want.

4. What inspires you in writing Breaking The Rules?

 I'm inspired by real life. Since I spend a lot of time commuting to and from work, I overhear a lot of conversations on the bus and subway. (Not on purpose. Okay, maybe a little on purpose.) I'm fascinated by people in general and, although Breaking the Rules is completely fictional, it was inspired by things I've gone through or witnessed—or imagined while daydreaming during those long commutes!

5. How do you create your characters, Roxy and the others?

I often joke that there are tiny people living in my head and—when they have animated conversations with each other—I learn a lot about them. With every character, I begin with basic details and, as I'm writing, the rest of that person's story will start to emerge and sometimes take me in a completely different direction. That's what happened with Roxy—in my early drafts, her name was Rosalee and she was actually a teacher, not a personal assistant.

6. What are you working on right now?

I'm currently working on my second novel called Zoey & the Moment of Zen. It's the story of a woman who gets sent to a tropical resort by her friends and family to get over an ex-boyfriend.

7. Anything you would like to say to your readers?

Thank you, readers! I always thought that the best part of publishing a novel would be to see it for sale on Amazon. And although that's pretty darn cool, I'd have to say that the best part of being a writer is having complete strangers contact me to say they enjoyed my novel. I'll never get tired of that and I'll always be grateful that people are choosing to spend a few hours with my characters.

Breaking The Rules
by Cat Lavoie

Genre: Chick Lit
Pages: 380
Publisher: Marching Ink

When twenty-seven year old Roxy Rule’s best friend and roommate accepts a glamorous new job overseas, she expects their relationship to continue as it’s always been—carefree and easy—until they share a heart-stopping kiss moments before his departure. Overcome with mixed emotions, she fights the urge to over analyze the situation and resumes back to her normal life in New York City, working for an intolerable boss at a dead end job, creeping further and further away from her own dreams of becoming a professional chef.

While things become more complicated between her and Ollie, Roxy is sure that nothing can come between two lifelong best friends—not even mild jealousy over a thriving career or a silly little kiss that meant nothing. In fact, it was such a meaningless and forgettable kiss that she convinces herself that it’s not even worth mentioning to her fiancé, although it is all she can think about.

Roxy’s already topsy-turvy life only gets more complicated when her sisters Steffi and Izzie suddenly become her roommates. Steffi is six months into a pregnancy she refuses to discuss and Izzie is in the throes of a premature midlife crisis. Roxy tries to take control of her career, her love life and her sisters – but can she really handle it all? And can the Rule family keep it together – or break under the pressure?

On Tour: The Fornarina Affair by Ellis Drake and Giveaway

Ellis Drake is now on tour with ABG Reads Book Tours with her book, The Fornarina Affair. There is a giveaway for each tour stop. Be sure to visit ABG Reads Book Tours for more. 

The Fornarina Affair
by Ellis Drake

Genre:  Adventure, Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Publication: Published 2012
Format: ebook, 100 pages
Author:  Blog, Goodreads, Twitter
Buy: Amazon

A recent art history graduate, Ana Moreno is thrilled when one of her former professors invites her to Rome to research a newly discovered painting by Raphael. But how does making an appointment to see a piece of art lead to murder? That's what Ana wonders when she discovers the dead body of a curator in the famous Borghese Gallery

Between glittering balls, sunny Rome, the archives of the Vatican, and romantic Florence, Ana not only has to solve the mystery of Raphael's greatest love affair, but also a murder--or she may never make it out of Rome alive.

I received a copy of The Fornarina Affair by Ellis Drake from ABG Reads Book Tours.

Ana Moreno was invited by her former professor to Rome for a research on a newly discovered piece by Raphael. Ana was thrilled especially when she was going to receive lots of money for the research. But things didn’t go really well when she found a dead body of a curator during her visit to a famous gallery. 

Fornarina Affair was a light read. It was a mystery book without much heavy things that makes you think too much. I love Ana’s adventure in finding out the truth about the painting. The book has a good plot but the ending was kind of sudden. I didn’t expect it to end so soon. I was hoping to see a lot more of Ana and her research. I really wish that it was a bit longer. I wish it had a little bit more details on the places Ana visited and whatever is it that Ana was experiencing. Perhaps a little bit more romance? 

Overall, Fornarina Affair in my opinion is a really quick read that you can finish within a few hours. I recommend this book to those who were looking for some quick, easy read.

GIVEAWAY!

Winner has the choice of the following ebook titles from the same author: Tweet The Police, Aspen House, Hanged To Death or The Fornarina Affair. Just fill in your details in the form for the chance to win one of the ebooks!

Tweet the Police

Rick thought being a sheriff's deputy in the small New Mexico town of Ultima would be a quiet job--but that was before he met Mrs. Pendergast, the local busybody who fancies herself an amateur sleuth. When Mrs. P sees a tweet asking for help on her new smartphone, she's determined to find out if the "tweep" is okay; and it's all Rick and her granddaughter, Sylvie, can do to keep up with her.

Hanged to Death

College intern Rachel finds out just how much of killer art and museum politics can be while setting up her first art exhibit.

The Aspen House

Immediately after graduating from college, Miranda Morton suffered a severe illness. Now she has 100 dollars in her bank account and is on the verge of homelessness. That’s why she accepts a job she’s totally not qualified for: personal chef to rock god Michael de Bracy at a remote mountain retreat. Although Miranda expects to face challenges in cooking for de Bracy and his five friends, her real problems turn out to be much more serious: three people are viciously murdered with an ax during a freak snowstorm, and no one sees or hears a thing.

Now Miranda finds herself stranded in the mountains with a killer. Even worse, she thinks the killer might be the man she’s fallen head over heels for, Michael de Bracy. Can Miranda protect herself and her heart until the police arrive