Blog Tour: Review + #Giveaway: Secrets of Artemis (Teen Goddess #1) by C.K. Brooke

 

Secrets of Artemis (Teen Goddess #1)
by C.K. Brooke

 

Genre: YA Romantic Mythology
Release Date: October 29th 2015

Not even the god of gods could command my heart not to love…

In Ancient Greece, the goddess Artemis was venerated as a maiden huntress, swift with her bow and arrows, and eternally chaste. But could there be more to her story? Perhaps Lady Artemis had envisioned quite a different destiny than the one her father, Zeus, had chosen for her. What if she hadn’t merely pined after the giant huntsman, Orion, but had secretly partaken of a forbidden romance with him?

From prolific fantasy writer C.K. Brooke comes an original divine novel, in which Artemis’s classic myths are retold as never before, in her own voice, as the young goddess sets the record straight and reveals the true account of her immortal life – and love. 

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Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Artemis-Goddess-Novel-Goddesses-ebook/dp/B017BZXTKY/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-of-artemis-ck-brooke/1123104250?ean=9780692541081
BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Secrets-Artemis/C-K-Brooke/9780692541081?id=6145510849157
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27393590-secrets-of-artemis

 

 

REVIEW

I have always loved mythology, of every kind, so I was really excited to get my hands on this book. Of course, I'm a huge fan of Brooke's so it was a no-brainer that this was going to be yet another epic read from this masterful storyteller, and boy did she deliver everything I was expecting and so much more.

I loved how Brooke portrayed Armetis as more than just a goddess that is to be worshipped. She was a fierce huntress with a heart of gold (or should that be silver?) and she was relatable in the way that even with all of her power and divinity, she was still a girl with emotions, and at times she really struggled with them. Very much a coming of age tale, this book took me on the journey that saw Armetis develop into a beautiful woman, one with plenty of substance and fire.

My heart shattered the moment she fired her arrow at her brother's challenge, and when she realized what she had done, the pain and sorrow she had to live with was crippling. Something I really enjoyed about this story was that Brooke didn't sugar coat anything. She tore her characters in half and forced them to feel every emotion. Whether from lost love, or the other atrocities that Armetis had to face, this book will leave you aching and breathless. A superb read.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

C.K. Brooke is a 2015 Shelf Unbound Notable Indie author with a five-star rating by Readers' Favorite. She holds numerous fantasy and romance publications with 48fourteen, Limitless Publishing, and Elphame Press. Her lifelong passion is books - reading, writing, editing, publishing and blogging about them. When not blissing out in literary land, she enjoys info-tainment podcasts, singing, songwriting and playing the piano. She lives in Washington, Michigan with her husband and young son. There's tons to check out at the new CKBrooke.com, so come and see what she's up to! Check out her V.I.P. Readers Club (Subscribers get a free eBook!)

 

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Amazon Page

 

GIVEAWAY

 

 

 

Enter for a free book: http://www.ckbrooke.com/vipclub

 

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Blog Tour: Review + #Giveaway: The Red Pearl by C.K. Brooke

The Red Pearl
by C.K. Brooke
Genre: NA Fantasy/Adventure Romance
Release Date: November 2015
48fourteen

Treasure lost... passion found?

Antonia Korelli is on the run from her coven of priestesses. She never desired a life confined to the temple, relegated to chastity and service to the goddess, Azea. Instead, she longs for true love and adventure in the Kingdom of Elat.

Robin Watkins is a fiery dreamer on a mission of his own, to uncover the legendary lost Red Pearl. Only, he must first regain his treasure map, which was stolen by his former best mate and conniving ex-girlfriend.

When Antonia becomes unwittingly entangled with Rob, she's more than dismayed to find herself stuck on his harebrained hunt. But somewhere amidst their bickering and banter, their plight for survival through desert and tropics, and the joint pursuit of impossible dreams, Antonia begins to realize that perhaps she might have found the unforgettable adventure – and romance – she was seeking.

*Advisory: Contains some sensual/sexual content

 

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Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Red-Pearl-C-K-Brooke-ebook/dp/B016Z3OP4C/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-red-pearl-ck-brooke/1122950380?ean=9781937546489
BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Red-Pearl/C-K-Brooke/9781937546489?id=6145510849157
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26917769-the-red-pearl
48fourteen Publishing: https://48fourteen.com/catalog/the-red-pearl/

 

REVIEW

 

C.K. Brooke is the queen of adventure – and The Red Pearl, as with each and every other one of her books, was filled with excitement and intrigue. Brooke has a knack for breathing life into endearing characters; kick ass female leads who are as tough and smart as they are soft and feminine, and male leads who will drive you crazy but have you falling head-over-heels all the same.

One of my favorite animated movies is Tangled, and for some reason Annie and Rob reminded me so much of Rapunzel and Flynn “Smolder” Rider. Rob was a bit of a brute but also very charming, and beneath it all he had a heart of gold. Annie had an adventurous spirit but was also innocent to the world around her. I loved every second spent on their journey, and boy, was it a suspenseful one.

Another thing I thoroughly enjoy about Brooke’s writing is her world building. She always offers fascinating, descriptive landscapes that are part reality, part fantasy; settings that capture my imagination from the very first page.

This book was heartrending at times, and at others it was a sweet romantic tale of two lost souls finally meeting and becoming one. With a strong message that sometimes the greatest treasure is the one you aren’t even searching for – you just have to trust, and open yourself to the possibility – this was a stellar read!

 

 

 

About the Author

C.K. Brooke is a 2015 Shelf Unbound Notable Indie author with a five-star rating by Readers' Favorite. She holds numerous fantasy and romance publications with 48fourteen, Limitless Publishing, and Elphame Press. Her lifelong passion is books - reading, writing, editing, publishing and blogging about them. When not blissing out in literary land, she enjoys info-tainment podcasts, singing, songwriting and playing the piano. She lives in Washington, Michigan with her husband and young son. There's tons to check out at the new CKBrooke.com, so come and see what she's up to! Check out her V.I.P. Readers Club (Subscribers get a free eBook!)

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Amazon Page

 

GIVEAWAY

Subscribe to the author’s newsletter (www.ckbrooke.com/vipclub) and get a free eBook!

 

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Blog Tour: Review, #Giveaway + More: The Fourth Piece (Order's Last Play #1) by E. Ardell

The Fourth Piece (Order's Last Play #1)
by E. Ardell

 

 

Genre: YA Sci-fi/Fantasy
Release Date: July 8th 2016
48fourteen

Admitting what you are will end everything you know. Embracing who you are will start a war...

Life is great when you’re good-looking and popular…so long as no one knows you’re a vulatto. Being half-alien gets you labeled “loser” quicker than being a full vader. So it’s a good thing Devon, Lyle, and Lawrence can easily pass for human—until the night of the party. Nothing kills a good time faster than three brothers sharing a psychic vision of a fourth brother who’s off-world and going to die unless they do something. But when your brother’s emergency happens off-planet, calling 9-1-1 really isn’t an option.

In their attempt to save a brother they barely remember, Devon, Lyle and Lawrence expose themselves to mortal danger and inherit a destiny that killed the last four guys cursed with it. In 2022, there are humans and aliens, heroes and monsters, choices and prophecies—and four brothers with the power to choose what’s left when the gods decide they’re through playing games.

Book I in the Order's Last Play series 

 

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Buy Links:

Amazon│Apple│Kobo│48fourteen

 

Book Trailer:

 

 

Teaser Trailer 1.5:

Teaser Trailer 2:

 

 

 

Teaser Trailer 3:

Teaser Trailer 4:

 

 

Teaser Trailer 5:

 

 

REVIEW

What a rush! This was a spectacular debut novel that sucked me in from the very first word. I loved how Ardell introduced me to each of the main characters through the same experience but from different POVs in separate chapters. Not only did it allow me to get a feel for who these guys were, but it created a high level of intrigue around the incident that started it all. Who was the boy that each of the Ladreth boys saw? How and why were they all privy to the boy’s fate, when only one of them seemed to possess powers? And what journey was this vision going to take them on?

I doubt any of them would have imagined they’d be faced with such a heavy burden and one that would tear their lives apart. It was an adrenalin fueled ride that threw plenty of curveballs, testing love and loyalty. The hurdles they had to conquer throughout this book brought them together and broke down barriers, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The dynamic between each of the brothers was very interesting and really brought the story to life. There was obviously some animosity between Lyle and Devon, and Lawrie was a force unto himself. I am still quite astounded by how Ardell was able to seamlessly step into the shoes of not one but four teenage guys, and to write them to perfection.

Ardell also did a great job of intricately weaving a story that is relatable, even though it reads as fiction. Remove the alien element and this could very well be a contemporary story about the struggle for acceptance, as well as self-acceptance, in a world that is so full of hate.

I cannot wait for the next instalment to see where this adventure will lead these amazing characters.

 

 

 

About the Author

E. Ardell spent her childhood in Houston, Texas, obsessed with anything science fiction, fantastic, paranormal or just plain weird. She loves to write stories that feature young people with extraordinary talents thrown into strange and dangerous situations. She took her obsession to the next level, earning a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern Maine where she specialized in young adult genre fiction. She’s a big kid at heart and loves her job as a teen librarian at Monterey Public Library in Monterey, California, where she voluntarily shuts herself in rooms with hungry hordes of teenagers and runs crazy after-school programs for them. When she’s not working, she’s reading, writing, running writers critique groups, trying to keep up with a blog, and even writing fan fiction as her guilty pleasure.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Instagram│Tumblr│Youtube│Pinterest

 

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

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Book Blitz: Just Friends by Monica Murphy

Book Blitz: Excerpt + #Giveaway: A Night Without Stars by Jillian Eaton

Blog Tour: Excerpt, Book Trailer + #Giveaway: Throne of Lies by Sara Secora

 

 

Throne of Lies (Amethysta Trilogy #1)

by Sara Secora

 

 

Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: August 2016

As a seventeen-year-old ruler chafing under the obligations of her bloodline, Princess Amethysta Serelle finds the royal life anything but enchanting. 

Betrothed to a nefarious highborn, Amethysta's heart mourns her lost chance at love—that is, until she becomes mesmerized by someone other than her suitor, and her heart begins to beat anew.

Desperate to keep her daughter on the path toward duty and the throne, the queen keeps a deadly secret. But as Amethysta balances the burden of expectations and freedom, the glowing, blue truth will not stay hidden for much longer.

Desire and duty battle on, further complicated by strange occurrences happening to Amethysta’s body. She struggles for control as her once unquestioned reality is obliterated.

Will she discover the truth, in her heart and hands, before it’s too late? 

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Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

EXCERPT

My mind swam with negativity and fear; feelings I’d grown familiar with. They were almost comforting, like old friends that I could rely on always to be there. Sullen, I pushed away from the window, crossing my bedchamber to a wall-shelf brimming with a collection of my favorite books. I ran my hand lightly over the bindings one by one, enjoying the feeling of the leather on my fingertips.

 

My hand stopped on Far from, Never There, a tale of grand adventure and love—two things I knew I would never experience in my lifetime. I traced the author’s engraved name, fingertips following the letters that spelled out “Elliott Rosen.” Feeling pensive, I flipped through the time-stained parchment, stopping on a random page. My finger hovering over the first line, I read aloud to my empty chamber: “His lips were intoxicating, his tongue my curse, and as I laid my head down to rest, my final thought was a prayer that I might never find myself sober again.” Snapping the book closed, I hugged it tightly to my chest, wishing for a day when I might experience that kind of love.

 

I already knew the truth, however—love was not in my future. It just wasn’t something royalty had the luxury of searching for. I served as a glorified pawn imprisoned in a royal game of chess, and my marriage would serve as a power play to secure the throne.

About the Author

 

Sara Secora has a passion for all things gamer and nerdy, as evidenced on her YouTube channel, AviGaming. She is also a well-branded voice over artist.

Secora has always been in love with writing, and nearly a decade ago, she finally turned her talents to the arduous endeavor of authoring an exciting fantasy trilogy. Her whimsical stories are full of enchantment, mystique, and insight—destined to intrigue readers of any age. 

Secora lives in Detroit, Michigan, where she continues to explore old and new avenues for her talent and hard work.

 

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Youtube│Instagram

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Throne of Lies

by Sara Secora

Giveaway ends September 25, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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