Trailer Thursday: SEAFIRE by Natalie C. Parker

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SEAFIRE

Seafire #1

Author: Natalie C. Parker

Release Date: August 28th 2018

Publisher: Razorbill

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet.

But when Caledonia's best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all...or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?

The first in a heart-stopping trilogy that recalls the undeniable feminine power of Wonder Woman and the powder-keg action of Mad Max: Fury Road, Seafirereminds us of the importance of sisterhood and unity in the face of oppression and tyranny.

Audiobook Review: Three Things About Elise by Joanna Cannon

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Three Things About Elise
Author: Joanna Cannon
Narrator: Paula Wilcox
Reading Level: Adult Fiction
Genres: Mystery | Suspense
Released: August 7th 2018
Review Source: Simon & Schuster Audio

The bestselling author of the “remarkable…masterfully constructed, pitch-perfect” (Booklist, starred review) debut The Trouble with Goats and Sheep delivers a suspenseful and emotionally satisfying novel about a lifelong friendship, a devastating secret, and the small acts of kindness that bring people together.

There are three things you should know about Elsie. The first thing is that she’s my best friend. The second is that she always knows what to say to make me feel better. And the third thing…might take a bit more explaining.

Eighty-four-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. As she waits to be rescued, she thinks about her friend Elsie and wonders if a terrible secret from their past is about to come to light. If the charming new resident is who he claims to be, why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago?

From the acclaimed, bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, Three Things About Elsie is a story about forever friends on the twisting path of life. As we uncover their buried secrets, we learn how the fine threads of humanity connect us all.

Three Things About Elsie is a beautiful story about friendships and kindness. It follows Florence (Flo) Claybourne and her friends Elsie and General Jack, who are residents of Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. Flo, Elsie, and Jack feel like a band of elderly misfits getting up to no good as they try to ‘open the drawers’ of Flo’s memories and figure out exactly what happened 60 years ago. The story is mostly told from Flo’s perspective, as she lies on the floor waiting for someone to find her after she’s fallen.

The story is full of wonderful little twists and turns as we piece together Flo’s past, and how it relates to the new resident at Cherry Hill. Some twists you might see coming, others come out of nowhere. But for me, the heart of the story is not in the mystery they’re trying to solve, but the kind hearts of each of the characters. The book is full of introspection and characters wondering what they’re leaving behind and how they’ll be remembered. The caretakers at Cherry Hill, like Miss Ambrose and Handy Simon, don’t think their lives have any meaning and they’re not leaving behind any kind of legacy. Flo often wonders who will look at her photo when she’s gone and miss her. We learn about the ‘long second’ and the choices that change other people’s lives. I loved finding out how so many of the lives in the story were connected, though they never knew it. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator did a wonderful job of keeping me engaged. My only criticism is that there was no delineation between chapters. As with reading a paper book, I like to finish a chapter (when possible) before closing the book for the moment.

Cover Reveal OMEGA by Karina Espinosa

Title: Omega (Mackenzie Grey #4)

RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 11, 2017

Synopsis

Being alone is not easy.

Bodies drained of blood are scattered around New York City. With a serial killer on the loose, Mackenzie Grey is obsessed with solving the murders. She dives into her work at the Supernatural Investigative Unit to forget about the events that dismantled her Pack over a year ago. When the killer makes Kenz the target, she falls down the rabbit hole and discovers she has a lot more to do with these murders than she realized.

As her past creeps up behind her, she must swallow her pride and seek aid from old and new friends. Nothing stays hidden as Kenz learns a valuable lesson: rats swim.

In the epic finale of the Mackenzie Grey: Origins series, she will finally become the wolf she is destined to be…

Title: SHIFT (Mackenzie Grey #1)

Published Date: February 10th 2015

FREE on Amazon!

Synopsis

It's hard enough being an undergraduate student, an intern at Downtown Manhattan's police station, and a bouncer at a local bar. Add her now ex-boyfriend who recently dumped her for the school's resident bimbo—oh, and she's a werewolf.

Mackenzie Grey meets her match when she is kidnapped by the Brooklyn Pack and tossed between Sebastian and Jonah—the Alpha and the Beta. Being a lone-wolf in the city is dangerous, and now that the Pack has found her, so can every supernatural being in the Tri-State area. And not even her sarcastic, smart mouth can get her out of this.

When a string of kidnappings involves Mackenzie in supernatural politics, she questions her new acquaintances and finds unlikely allies. Can she escape Pack law and keep her freedom—or will she be condemned to an unwanted path?

Title: CAGED (Mackenzie Grey #2)

Published Date: April 26th 2016

99 CENTS on Amazon!

Synopsis

It’s hard out there for a lone-wolf.

Mackenzie Grey has started a brand new life in an attempt to escape the Brooklyn Pack. She settles in as a detective in a special unit of the LAPD when her identity is put at risk, and she has no choice but to run again. The question is: does she want to run forever?

As events force Mackenzie to confront her past, she is met with many surprises—including the revelation of her true ancestry. When Packs across the country learn of who she is, Kenz becomes the object of desire in a deadly wolf hunt, and she must once again fight to keep her freedom.

Witnessing first-hand the barbaric treatment of Lunas, Mackenzie has to make a choice—follow the prediction of her Vision Quest or let herself be CAGED...

Title: ALPHA (Mackenzie Grey #3)

Published Date: November 16th, 2016

Synopsis

It’s hard being a Princess.

Mackenzie Grey never felt as vulnerable as she does now—but that won’t stop her from getting what she wants: revenge. Kenz and her friends journey to a new land where everyone has a motive and everyone is a suspect.

The Lunas find their voices after the massacre but the question still stands—who is the real enemy? If Mackenzie wants to free herself, she will need to free them all; and it won’t be easy. As she approaches her 24th birthday—in the middle of a web of lies, deception, and murder—Kenz has to weave her way to the truth before she’s next on the chopping block.

With her companions, Mackenzie will make her final stand and change the course of the Lycan world forever…

Mostly known for her hipster style, New York City swagger, and South Florida passion; Urban Fantasy author, Karina Espinosa’s true gift is writing snarky but endearing characters in her series like the Sins of the Fallen and the Mackenzie Grey series. When she isn’t writing, you can find Karina binge watching on Netflix or immersing herself in her infatuation with travel, pop culture, and music. You can usually catch her on Facebook, Instagram, and live-tweeting during episodes of The Walking Dead, Orphan Black, and Game of Thrones. 

www.karinaespinosa.com

Follow her on social media!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKarinaEspinosa

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/instabykarina

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TweetsByKarina

   

The 15 Most Anticipated YA Books to Read in August!

Summer reading comes to an end in August but that doesn’t mean your TBR pile has to! Get ready to add these 15 upcoming young adult novels to your bookshelf next month.

1. THE BOY MOST LIKELY TO by Huntley Fitzpatrick (The Boy Next Door #2)

Told in Tim’s and Alice’s distinctive, disarming, entirely compelling voices, this return to the world of My Life Next Door is a story about failing first, trying again, and having to decide whether to risk it all once more.

• On sale August 18th from Dial
• Add it to your Goodreads shelf

2. LAIR OF DREAMS by Libba Bray (Diviners #2)

This is the sequel to The Diviners! After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to “read” objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners’ abilities…

• On sale August 25th from Little, Brown
• Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

3. ANOTHER DAY by David Levithan (Every Day #2)

In this enthralling companion to his bestseller Every Day, David Levithan tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

• On sale August 25th from Random House
• Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

4. UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT by Abbi Glines

The first novel in a brand-new series about a small Southern town filled with cute boys in pickup trucks, Friday night football games, and crazy parties that stir up some major drama.

• On sale August 25th from Simon Pulse
• Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Teaser Tuesday: Dead Upon a Time by Elizabeth Paulson

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading

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Dead Upon a Time

Written by Elizabeth Paulson

Release Date: August 24th 2015

Publisher: Scholastic Press

It's a fairy-tale nightmare . . .

One girl is kept in a room where every day the only food she's given is a poisoned apple. Another is kept in a room covered in needles -- and if she pricks her finger, she'll die. Then there are the brother and sister kept in a cell that keeps getting hotter and hotter. . .

A sinister kidnapper is on the loose in Kate's world. She's not involved until one day she heads to her grandmother's house in the woods -- and finds her grandmother has also been taken. Already an outcast, Kate can't get any help from the villagers who hate her. Only Jack, another outsider, will listen to what's happened.

Then a princess is taken, and suddenly the king is paying attention -- even though the girl's stepmother would rather he didn't. It's up to Kate and Jack to track down the victims before an ever after arrives that's far from happy.

Cover Reveal: Heart-Shaped Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves + Chapter 1 Reveal

Super excited to share with you all one of our favorite authors here on OUaT upcoming release.

HEART-SHAPED HACK

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When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act.

Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.

But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

© 2015 Tracey Garvis Graves

Heart-Shaped Hack

CHAPTER ONE

“The babies are going to starve,” Helena said. 

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Kate replied. “No one is going to starve, least of all the babies.” But her pinched expression and the way she was jabbing at the keyboard as she refreshed the donations page on their website said otherwise. For the first time in the sixteen months since Kate had left her position as a corporate attorney to open the food pantry, she faced the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away. She couldn’t stand the thought of letting down her regulars, especially the young mother of three who relied on the pantry to feed them. 

The problem was that Kate’s nonprofit organization was not the only one in Minneapolis that needed help. Tomorrow was the first of September, and everyone was trying to stockpile whatever resources they could before they headed into the colder months. 

“Let’s see,” Helena said. “We could rob a bank. We could pawn our valuables. You could sell your body on a street corner.” 

Despite their dire circumstances, Kate cracked a smile. Helena had walked through the front door of the food pantry shortly after Kate opened and said, “I’m sixty-five, and they’re forcing me to retire from my job at the insurance company. My husband retired two years ago, and now he’s home all day. That’s too much togetherness for us. I have to find something to do outside the house, and you wouldn’t have to pay me much.” Kate hired her on the spot and had never regretted it. 

She swiveled her chair toward Helena. “Why am I always the one who has to sell her body? Why can’t you sell yours?”

“Who do you think is going to bring in more money? A gray-haired grandmother of seven, or a willowy twenty-nine-year-old beauty? It’s a no-brainer.” 

It was hard to argue with logic like that. 

Kate had been so determined not to let down their clients that she’d resorted to begging her ex-boyfriend Stuart—who worked as the executive producer on an hour-long talk show on the local ABC station—to let her appeal to the public during the afternoon broadcast. 

“Do you know how hard it is for me to be around you, Kate?” Stuart said when he received her call. “Do you ever think of that?”

“Of course I do. But this is really important to me.” 

“I used to be really important to you.”  

Kate remained silent. They’d been through this before.

He sighed in defeat. “Come in tomorrow. I’ll squeeze you in after the cooking segment.” 

“Thanks, Stuart.” 

The skirt had been Helena’s idea. “We need to do whatever we can to grab viewers’ attention.”  

“You mean I need to do whatever I can.”  

“Of course I mean you. You have great legs.”

On the day of the broadcast when Helena arrived at the food pantry, Kate said, “I don’t remember this skirt being quite so short. I’m actually a little worried about the type of viewer I might attract with it.” She tugged on the hem, pulled out her desk chair, sat down, and crossed her legs. “Can you see anything?” 

 “You’ll be fine unless you decide to recross your legs in the middle of the segment like Sharon Stone did in that one movie.”   

“I can assure you I will not be doing that. The skirt is as far as I’m willing to go. I draw the line at flashing people, not even for the babies.” 

Kate had paired the black-and-white houndstooth skirt with a black short-sleeve top and her favorite black heels. When she arrived at the TV studio, she ducked into the bathroom to check her teeth for wandering lipstick. Before she left the food pantry she’d applied a raspberry lip stain that Helena claimed looked stunning on her. That morning she’d curled her long dark hair and then brushed through the curls with her fingers so they draped across her shoulders and down her back in loose waves. She’d used plenty of mascara to play up her brown eyes. The extra primping made her feel a little like she was standing on a street corner, but she banished those thoughts. At this point, they needed all the help they could get.

After Stuart snaked the mic up the back of her top, his hands lingering on her skin in a way that made Kate feel sad, he positioned her on a stool and told her to wait for his signal. She kept her legs tightly crossed, and when the light on the camera turned red, he pointed at her and she began to speak. 

“Good afternoon. My name is Kate Watts, and I’m the executive director of the Main Street Food Pantry. As we head into the winter months, our needs—and those of all local food pantries—will be greater than ever.”  Kate stared into the camera, imagining she was speaking directly to anyone who might have the means to help them. 

“No child should ever have to go hungry, and many of our local residents depend on the food pantry to feed their families. I’m here today to personally appeal to you should you have the ability to help us in any way. The families we assist, and especially the children, depend on your generosity more than you could ever imagine. Thank you.” She ended the short segment with the food pantry’s telephone number and street address, and when Stuart gave her the all clear, she reached under her shirt for the microphone and handed it back to him. 

“Thanks, Stuart,” she said, giving him a quick hug. “I really appreciate this.”  

“Sure,” he said, looking over her shoulder as if there was something very interesting across the room. “Take care, Kate.” 

That was yesterday, and so far only a few additional donations had trickled in. She and Helena spent the rest of the afternoon making calls to local churches and schools to set up additional food drives while continuing to monitor the donations page. Finally, at a little before three, Kate went into the back room to recount their inventory. It was the end of the month and they were down to their last cases of infant formula and baby food. Almost all of the canned vegetables had been depleted, and they were completely out of peanut butter and soup. If it was this bad now, Kate didn’t want to think about what might happen when budgets were stretched even thinner by holiday spending. Dejected, she was sitting on the floor, clipboard in hand, when Helena burst into the back room. 

“I ran after him,” she said, gasping for breath. “But he was too fast. Boy am I out of shape.”

“Who did you run after?”  

Helena tossed a brown paper bag to Kate and leaned over, resting her hands on her knees as she took in giant gulps of air.

“The man who dropped off the money. Seriously, I may need supplemental oxygen over here.” 

Money? 

Kate looked into the bag and blinked several times. “Did you lock the front door?”

“Yes.”

She turned the bag upside down and watched in disbelief as hundred-dollar bills rained down on the concrete floor. She counted it quickly. “There’s a thousand dollars here.” 

Their website listed four levels for donations with amounts ranging from ten to one hundred dollars. There were higher amounts for corporations, but this was the largest donation they’d ever received from one person, and it was more than enough to replenish their shelves. Kate was already picturing herself pushing a giant cart through Costco. “Did he leave his name?”

“No. He walked up to my desk and said, “Give this to Katie. He must have seen you on TV yesterday.” 

“Young? Old?” Rich?

“Young. Early thirties, maybe? Tall. Blondish-brown hair. He was in a real hurry to leave. I chased him out the door, but he jumped into the driver’s seat of an old blue car.”  

“An old car? Are you sure?” 

“I think it was old. It didn’t look like any car I’ve ever seen. It had stripes on the hood. And then he burned rubber.” 

 “Why would someone who drives an old car drop off a bag full of money?” 

“I have no idea. But whatever the reason, he just saved us.”

Continue Reading Through Chapter 5 HERE

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Tracey Garvis Graves is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, and Cherish.

Tracey loves to interact with her readers and can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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