Blog Tour & Except: FADING INTO THE SHADOWS by KELLY HASHWAY

What a wonderful opportunity to be apart of a blog tour! And especially with one that has an epic excerpt…Stay tuned readers! Be ready for some rocking spoilers into this fantastic new novel!

Fading into the Shadows Synopsis:

When sixteen-year-old Ella Andrews’s best friend, Avery, goes missing, she’ll do anything to get him back—starting with punching the no-brain cop who couldn’t care less about the disappearance.

Ella’s convinced Avery’s been kidnapped, and she tries everything to find him—even following a strange shadow to another world where the constellations are real-life figures in the sky. But three star groups have fallen and are destroying the world.

The fallen constellations are not the only enemy. Melanie, the princess of Stellaris, is forcing Ella, Avery, and an army of other kids kidnapped from their world to fight the rogue constellations, even as the land is draining away their life. The longer they stay, the more they fade into substanceless shadows—a fate worse than death.

Can Ella save Stellaris before there’s nothing left of her and Avery?

Kelly Hashway’s Bio:

Kelly Hashway grew up reading R.L. Stein’s Fear Street novels and writing stories of her own, so it was no surprise to her family when she majored in English and later obtained a masters degree in English Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University. After teaching middle school language arts for seven years, Hashway went back to school and focused specifically on writing. She is now the author of three young adult series, one middle grade series, and several picture books. She also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she isn’t writing, Hashway works as a freelance editor for small presses as well as for her own list of clients. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and volunteering with the PTO. Hashway currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and two pets.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/FitSamazon

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/FitSBN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/FitSkobo

Links:

Website: www.kellyhashway.com

blog: http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyhashway

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyhashway

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KellyHashway

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kellyhashway/

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1Pj94LS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4528793.Kelly_Hashway

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kellyhashway

Instagram: https://instagram.com/khashway/

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/KellyHashway

And now for the fun part! Not only is Kelly Hashway offering a little excerpt, but a Rafflecopter giveaway too!! How exciting!! Who doesn’t want a chance at a $10 Amazon giftcard?! Click the link below to enter!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/183469001/?

Now…Time for the excerpt…

Fading Into the Shadows Excerpt 3

“Avery.” I choked on the word. Avery. My Avery. My best friend in the whole world. My shoulders sagged with relief. I’d thought I’d made a horrible mistake following the shadow to this place, but now I knew it was worth it. I threw my arms around his neck, almost knocking him over. His armor was hot from the sun, and it burned my bare arms. But I squeezed him tighter, making sure he was real. After a good minute and a half, Avery pulled me off him.

He held me by the shoulders, an arm’s length in front of him. “How did you find me, Ella?”

I shook my head, thinking about all I’d gone through to find him, and before I knew what I was doing, I slapped his face. I couldn’t help it. He’d

made me worry. He’d made me come to this strange place and almost get killed. All right, so it wasn’t really his fault he’d been kidnapped, and he had saved me from the serpent, but I was angry, and the shadow wasn’t around to take it out on.

Avery put his hand to his face and smiled at me. “That hurt you know.”

“It was supposed to,” I said. “You put me through hell. What happened to you? Did you follow that stupid shadow too?”

Avery nodded. “There’s a lot to explain. Time moves differently here. More quickly. So much has happened.”

“You’ve only been gone for a few hours.”

“It’s been days here.”

Days? I didn’t even know how to process that.

“I have to get you to Melanie. She’ll fill you in. But

first we need to make sure the coast is clear. I don’t want to run into any of the constellations.” Avery peeked out the door, which was hanging awkwardly from one hinge.

“Constellations? You mean like the things in the sky?” Was I losing my mind or was Avery? “And who’s Melanie?”

“I’ll explain everything. I promise. But we need to get to the castle before Draco, Serpens, or Scorpius find us here.”

Now my mind was spinning out of control. Draco, Serpens, and Scorpius? I recognized the names. They were constellations. “Why would we have to worry about constellations finding us?” I asked. But then something clicked. “The dragon and the snake. They were Draco and Serpens? They’re constellations?”

“Yes. They fell from the sky, and now they’re destroying everything.” Avery grabbed his knife off the table and held it out in front of him. “Come

on. We need to go.” He didn’t give me a chance to protest or ask any more questions. He took my hand and pulled me into the field. We sprinted across it and came to a beach. I suspected Avery was running as fast as he could so I’d be too out of breath to pester him with silly questions like “Where the hell are we?”

 

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Book Review: Mind = Blown: Amazing Facts About This Weird, Hilarious, Insane World by Matthew Santoro

Photo via Goodreads.

Book Review
Book Title: Mind = Blown: Amazing Facts About This Weird, Hilarious, Insane World
Book Author: Matthew Santoro

Introduction: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Review:

Matthew Santoro is a YouTube creator who I’ve watched many videos of. When I received this book I was interested in reading what he had to say – and if you are a fan of his YouTube work, this book is essentially the written version of his online work. If you aren’t interested in a large pile of facts with a splash of sarcasm and humor, this book is not for you.

I enjoyed reading this book, although it didn’t stand out compared to other fact books. The only difference between the many other fact books I’ve come about in my years is the sense of humor. This might make it stand out to the younger audience, but it didn’t make me yearn to read more fact books.

Although, Matthew Santoro does a great job of making this book interesting. While the book itself might not stand out, it wasn’t a book I felt the need to put down. The sense of humor and descriptions Matthew gives makes the book tolerable. It’s not like an encyclopedia – it’s just like his YouTube videos. It’ll keep you interested throughout.

I do recommend this book to readers who want to learn more random facts without an encyclopedia of knowledge thrown at them.

Three out of five stars.

Book Review: EXPECTING A BOLTON BABY by SARAH M. ANDERSON

Photo via Goodreads.

Book Review
Book Title: Expecting a Bolton Baby
Book Author: Sarah M. Anderson

Introduction: I was craving some ooey, gooey Harlequin styled romance so I decided  this book should fit the bill! I also got it from a random garage sale (I know, I know…buy the books from the garage sale don’t benefit the author,so the least I could do was review and get the word out about it).

Review:

Normally, I love ooey, gooey, super romance-y type books but for whatever reason I wasn’t into this book. Now, hear me out, this book was SUPER AWESOME and it definitely fits the bill of being an amazing Harlequin romance, but personally it just wasn’t hitting the notes. Perhaps I thought I wanted to read a romance and I actually needed a different genre, but it just wasn’t doing it for me.

All that being said, this book was really good in the romance genre – my distaste for it wasn’t because of the book itself, I think I just needed a genre change.

So, remove my negative thoughts from the equation and here’s my thoughts:

This is a nice book to read when you don’t want some heavy, crime/psychological/horror type novel. It’s a smooth read, it moves quickly and it’s packed tight with romance. It’s over flowing with a beautiful narrative and sappy lines, which can make every romance fan drool with excitement.

Expecting a Bolton Baby is apart of a series, but I didn’t have any issue picking up on what happened in the first. It won’t leave you confused or lost, but the first book would help connect a few more dots. It can be treated like a standalone for any romance readers who simply need a sappy book to pick up.

Character growth and development was great in this novel as well. I’m not usually expecting much development during a Harlequin romance, but it was there for the picking!! Great job Sarah!!

This book might not seem to be the most realistic novel in the entire world, but it does fit the Happily Ever After sort of build I like to see in novels. I really enjoyed that aspect where it wasn’t depressing and sad for the entire novel – it left me feeling warm and fuzzy. This little slice of life book is great to pick up those winter blues!!

Overall, this was a good book! I might not have been feeling the romance genre, but it was a sweet read! I would definitely suggest anyone who’s a fan of romance or needs a break from reality to pick up this beautiful book!

Three out of five stars!

Quick Book Review: Song of the Earth by Susan Nunn

Photo via Goodreads.

Song of the Earth was a fabulous book that introduces the lives of immigrants trying to cross the border.

This story is absolutely beautiful and stunning. It starts off rather slow, and boring (to be honest), but once I was half way into the story I was hooked and obsessed. Even when the book ended I wanted more! I was desperate for Susan Nunn to continue this story because I fell in love with the characters.

Susan Nunn does an excellent job with character development. These characters start off as strangers to the reader and by the end of the story I cared for them and wanted to hear more about their lives. These fictional beings have many layers and become very real. I was amazed by the skill of Susan Nunn and her character development. At the beginning of the story I wasn’t into these characters and I felt nothing to them, but once this story developed the main character Jessie was the main reason I continued reading. I wanted to continue reading about Jessie and I cared for her well being throughout the story.

The plot itself was very beautiful. It wasn’t action packed, mysterious or thrilling, but it did have character. The story itself helped me with my own grieving. I felt that someone could pick this up and learn something new about themselves, whether it be around grieving, caring for others or simply caring for the earth.

I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t stop singing it’s praises. It wasn’t the best book on the planet by far, but it definitely displays very strong messages and themes.

Four out of five stars. Incredible book with incredible themes and messages.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Release Day: ENTICE ME by J.KENNER

ENTICE ME

By: J.Kenner

Release Day: Jan 17, 2017

From New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner comes a sensually seductive novella starring fan favorites Damien Stark and his wife, Nikki Fairchild.

Includes a special preview of Anchor Me, the highly anticipated fourth full-length novel featuring Nikki & Damien as they begin the next chapter in their life together.

I didn’t understand passion until I met Damien, the man who turned my world upside down and swept me off my feet.

And though our life together feels perfect, we can’t escape our secrets–and the danger that continually threatens to surface.

But for one night, I seek a respite. A birthday wish for my husband, my lover, my friend—one absolutely perfect night.

It is my most ardent wish.

And I only hope that it will come true…

Amazon – http://amzn.to/2gWp5sI
iBooks – http://apple.co/2gWl2wy
B&N – http://bit.ly/2ehhIeV
Amazon UK – http://amzn.to/2gWFwth
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2hnARg7
Kobo UK – http://bit.ly/2hPj85i

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J.Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy,  and paranormal mommy lit.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A five time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy). Her Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series (as Julie Kenner) is currently in development with AwesomenessTV/Awestruck.

Her books have sold over three million  copies and are published in over twenty languages.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas.  She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YouTube | Amazon Author Page

Author Interview: Mindy M. Shelton. Author of FROM FIRST VICTIM TO LAST: SERIAL MURDERERS

Today, I am featuring a debut author on my blog – Mindy M. Shelton! This interview will give a different perspective into the life of a non-fiction true crime author that has recently been featured on my blog!

Mindy M. Shelton has written both non-fiction and fiction in her career including the Ready Research Series and All  Tucked Inn: An Elizabeth Burke Thriller. It is such an honor to be able to interview her and be able to feature her books on my blog! Thank you Mindy for such an incredible opportunity and thank you for all of your hard work!

Now onto the hard-hitting questions…

1. For an introduction, can you try to describe yourself in one sentence?

Just a hardworking mother and wife, who loves to spend her time putting ideas to paper (or computer screen!).

2. What got you interested in true crime?

My first short-stint in college was as a Criminal Justice student. My mother was a paralegal and my father a policeman in the Army, so it truly is in my blood. I would have become a CSI, which was known as an ID Tech back then, but my husband and I had twins at the very young age of 19, so I had to delay my college dreams for a few years. By the time I went back, business was a better fit for my lifestyle. But, now I do everything I can to read and write within my first love, criminal justice.

3. How did you choose which murderers to feature in your books?

That’s a great question as I didn’t think at the time to really describe that in the books, but I chose them based on a couple of metrics. The first was that they had to be convicted, or had already pled guilty. I didn’t include anyone who was acquitted. For instance, Casey Anthony was not included in Mommies who Murder, no matter what my personal opinion of her case happens to be. The second metric I used was if there were any accomplices. I tried not to include a Bonnie and Clyde type situation, only because I didn’t want to include Bonnie if Clyde were the true murderer. And thinking on it now, I also tried to balance the well-known cases with the lesser-known, if that makes sense. In Serial Murderers, I made it a point to use a couple we all had heard of, like John Wayne Gacy and Gary Ridgway, but then I also included some I’d never heard of, like Wayne Williams and Robert Hansen. I learned a lot researching all of these books, so it was beneficial for me to include murderers I didn’t remember.

4. Out of all the murders you listed in the books, which were your favourite? Did any leave you speechless?

Many left me speechless! I seriously had nightmares when I was writing Serial Murderers. I think the ones that stick out in my memory though, were the children murderers. There was a case where the child (around 15-years-old, I believe) was being punished. Nothing severe, just a typical “go to your room and think about what you did” situation. Well, he got a gun and snuck up behind his parents, who were just innocently sitting on their couch watching TV, and he whispered, “Close your eyes, I have a surprise for you” and then shot them both in the head! I couldn’t believe it. And the only reason we know he said this was because the poor father lived to tell the tale. What makes a person think through this type of retribution and actually commit the act? It’s fascinating.

5. How long do you spend researching before you begin writing?

I spent a good couple of weeks researching before the writing began and then continued to research throughout the process. I tried to make a list of the people to include before beginning the book, but several times something caught my eye during research and the list changed.

6. What is one fact about yourself that you think might shock your readers?

Both times I’ve been pregnant has been with multiples! My doctor said I could have had a litter, but when it was all said and done, we were blessed with three healthy, wonderful children. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Oh, and thanks to being an odd child myself, I can say the alphabet backwards really fast. Not sure if any of this is shocking, but my husband uses it as my party trick.

7. Is there a genre of book you would like to write in the future?

I’m working on a fiction book right now that I’m extremely excited about. I’ll be sure to request your thoughts when it’s ready to be beta-tested, but all I can say right now is that it’s a YA thriller. Think FBI-meets-a-nonmagical-Harry Potter. LOL, actually it’s about ten teenagers, but I’ll leave it all that…

8. How do you get yourself inspired when going through writer’s block?

That’s such a depressing situation, but it happens to us all. Since I have a full time “non-writer” career, I travel a lot. Through those travels, I have found I do my best thinking while driving on a long trip. So, when things get stagnant, I hit the road and play an audiobook. It gets the brain going and the ideas flowing!

9. If you could collaborate with any professional (writer, actor, director, etc), who would you like to collaborate with?

The expected answer would be Ann Rule, and yes, I’d love to sit down with her, but if I could only pick one person it would be Nora Roberts. I’ve read, and loved, her novels since I was a teenager. I want to work with her and figure out how she can put out so many books in a year and if it really is ghost writers, how did she find so many that can duplicate her format. It’s impressive. No matter the book, or information in the book, I always love it. Not sure if I’ve ever read a Nora Roberts (or J.D. Robb) book I didn’t enjoy.

10. Finally, what question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

I guess I always expect to be ask why I write. It sounds so simple, but it’s not. I write because I have to. I write because I love it. No, sometimes I hate writing, but the outcome is what I crave. But, here’s a funny story. When I was a waitress, and said twins were about three-years-old, there was a Psychic Convention in the city. Not something I ever believed in, but I waited on a psychic who wanted to read my fortune to me. She used cards and as she flipped one over, I saw a single letter in the corner of the card. By the time she flipped five cards, those letters spelled out the word NOTES. She turned to me and said, “Oh, you’re going to be a writer.” I was shocked. Never even thought about writing. Then over the years, no matter my profession, I was always tagged with writing the documents everyone needed. I thought about that psychic and sat down to write a book. All Tucked Inn can be found on Amazon and is a fiction murder mystery. Isn’t it strange how one person can affect your life? I find it so very interesting. Was I destined to be a writer? Or did I become a writer because I was nudged? Fascinating, to say the least.

Oh, and I’ve always wanted to be asked about my least favorite part of the process. It’s definitely the editing, creating a book cover, and marketing. Every single part except writing. I’m not sure the average reader knows what is in involved in self-publishing. When I see a review on a new writer that gives him or her one star and mentions a couple typos, I cringe. It’s so easy to make an error and that poor writer probably didn’t know they’d have to be line editor, copy editor, cover designer, agent, publicist, etc. Just to get a book out there is an accomplishment, so I ask people to be nice if they are taking the time to review a book. Especially if it’s free or very inexpensive. Yes, it should be up to “James Patterson” standards, but he has teams of people telling him where the typos are J And that is why those ebooks are $13.99!

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website: Website
Blog:  Expert of None Blog
Facebook:  Mindy M. Shelton Facebook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindy_shelton
Amazon Author Page:  Amazon: An Elizabeth Burke Thriller by Mindy M. Shelton
Goodreads: Mindy M. Shelton on Goodreads

Thank you so much to Mindy M. Shelton for such an in-depth and fantastic interview! It was a pleasure to be able to interview her and get an insight into her life (on and off the page!).

Interested in Mindy M. Shelton’s books? Here are the Goodreads Links and Photos:

 

 

 

Form Birth to Death: Mommies Who Murder (Ready Research #1)

 

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From Cradle to Grave: Children Who Murder (Ready Research #2)

From First Victim to Last: Serial Murderers (Ready Research #3)

From Playground to Prison: Siblings Who Murder (Ready Research #4)

From Wedding to Funeral: Spouses Who Murder (Ready Research #5)

All Tucked Inn: An Elizabeth Burke Thriller

Book Review: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

In honor of the Netflix release of A Series of Unfortunate Events, here is a throwback review of The Bad Beginning!!

Photo via Goodreads.

Book Review:
Title: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Date Read: October 4th – October 12th, 2016
Date Reviewed: October 12th, 2016

Introduction: I went to a local bookstore and saw that quite a few books in this series was on sale. Since I read these books a long time ago when I was younger, I figured rereading them now as an adult would be fun. I also figured since a new Netflix series is going to be coming around soon that I should go over this book series so I can watch the show!!!

Spoilers Ahead?: Yes.

Quick Summary: Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire face a horrible tragedy – their parents have passed away in a tragic fire and they must go live with the horrible, no good Count Olaf (who is not only a Count but an actor as well). When Count Olaf finds out that Violet has money from their parents in an account, he tries to marry her to acquire this money.

Evaluations: This book is an incredible children’s read that adults can also find humorous. For children, this book is full of action and adventure, and the situations seem “realistic”. They might have a horrible four times removed third cousin that could take them in!! Reading this book was quite nostalgic, but I find that it still stands. While it’s quite foolish and silly, it makes for a great adventure. Overall, I really enjoyed re-reading this book. It’s hard to imagine anyone but Jim Carrey as Count Olaf since the movie that was made was actually quite funny (and great in my opinion), but this book will make a great television series!

Plot: As an adult, the children seem boring. They have faced horrible circumstances and it seems like the children are to young to deal with it. For a child, this seems like a great adventure story. These kids have been put through terrible times, but they still fight back in child-like ways. If the reader goes into this book expecting it to be like Harry Potter (where it translates well for both adults and children) then the reader will not be impressed. This book was aimed at children, not adults, so most of the plot seems unrealistic and unimpressive. The kids are whiny, they’re constantly wallowing in distress, and they complain how they want their parents back – but aren’t mots kids like that? I work with kids, and when they have a bad day they act that way. Overall, the plot is not written to be a fantastic, adult novel. This is a children’s novel, so adults beware.

Characters: Violet, Klaus and Sunny are interesting characters within the story. I do not relate to them as much as I did when I was a kid (I used to think I was just like Violet, and now looking at these characters I can’t relate at all to any of them). Violet seems to be older and “wiser” in mature situations, Klaus seems to be more intelligent but whinier, and Sunny bites and can’t speak well. To a kid, this is essentially an Avengers roster of your average every day kids. To adults, it’s three archetype children. As an adult, I also noticed that after their parents die the children are almost perfectly fine. How I understood this concept, is that a child cannot grasp that death is forever, but an adult can. An adult understands these intense feelings, but a child cannot grasp it until it happens. So while many of the situations that occur may seem out of place for an adult, you still need to realize it’s aimed towards children. This is simply an adventurous novel for kids to read.

Count Olaf is strange, but I love him. He’s a wacky character and keeps the novel interesting. He brings a lot of the twists and turns about that keeps the reader interested. Yes, he’s inappropriate when you look at it from an adult point of view (why would he want to marry a pre-teen?..) but in a child’s point of view he’s a great, wacky villain. I like to compare him as the child’s Joker (from Batman). Wacky and strange, but they keep it interesting (of course the Joker is more intense and R-rated, but hopefully you get the point).

Themes/Creativity: This book is definitely creative! It brings a crazy and wacky plot together with some relatable child characters and then finishes it off with some silly villains. The only theme I might find in this book is family sticking together, but I’m sure there’s more hanging around for those theme heavy readers.

Uniqueness: Is this book unique? Absolutely! A book with thirteen novels in the series that kept changing it up is definitely unique. It fits in it’s own little category alongside novels like Harry Potter, Eragon and The Wizard of Oz for must reads! I would definitely recommend parents try to get their kids into reading with this series!

Strengths: This novel is definitely aimed at children! It does a great job mixing in child problems, silly villains and adventures for your child reader.

Weaknesses: This book might be considered unrealistic for adults. It definitely doesn’t transcend into the older age groups for a good, relatable read.

Score: Three out of Five.

I find that the relatable-ness factor brings this book down in score, and that the children are sometimes incredibly annoying for an adult audience.