Spotlight: The Gypsy Thief

I don't know if I've formally announced this yet, but The Howling Turtle will be hosting a Monthly Giveaway along with any other giveaways that go along with Blog Tours I am doing. This month is a Signed ARC of Nobody But Us, and this spotlight is on next month's Giveaway: The Gypsy Thief.

Check out The Gypsy Thief on Amazon

Synopsis:
The Gypsy Thief is set in modern day Rhode Island and is the story of Laura Calder and her love for two boys: Andrew Easton, a descendant of King George the First, and Miguel Dos Santos, a mysterious gypsy who has royal ties of his own. More than 300 years previously, a dying Portuguese princess named Gabriela cast a gypsy curse on King George the First who issued a royal decree to counteract that curse. And now, in the present day, the time has come for the decree to be fulfilled: Miguel Dos Santos must die by the hand of Tristan Easton, the eldest son of the Duke of Easton. But when a tragic accident befalls Tristan, it is up to his younger brother Andrew to carry out the decree, a situation complicated by the fact that Miguel once saved Andrew's life. Andrew's father, the Duke of Easton, aware of Miguel's act of bravery, decides to let him live, but not without cost. He forces Laura into an impossible situation in order to save Miguel and her family. She must make a life-changing, heart-breaking decision, even as she tries to understand the messages from a mysterious disk she wears as a talisman around her neck, a talisman she must protect from the duke, as it is now her only tie to Miguel. Ultimately, The Gypsy Thief is a story of family honor and the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love, a story to be continued in its sequel, The Dark Prince (Coming May 2013), and concluded in The Shadow King (Coming November 2013).



About the Author:
Kellie Bellamy Tayer is a resident of Shaker Heights, Ohio. She has worked as a journalist for the Des Moines Register newspaper in Iowa and for the Sun Press newspapers in Cleveland. She is a graduate of Ohio Valley College and also attended Kent State University. Kellie is passionate about books, often reading a book a day when not writing her own novels. The Gypsy Thief is her first Young Adult novel and is the first in The Talisman Trilogy (Book Two is The Dark Prince and Book Three is The Shadow King). Kellie has two sons, one daughter, one grandson and a blind cat named Marley.

Follow Friday

Q: Happy Mardi Gras! If they were throwing the HOTTEST books off of a Mardi Gras float -- what would you do to have them throw to you…?

A: Finally, an easy questions! I would have them throw all of Cassandra Clare's books at me (preferably including Clockwork Princess) and Legend and Prodigy too because I haven't read either of them yet and I feel behind.

I would make quite a scene and probably completely embarrass myself, but it would be worth is if I got the books.

I am giving away a signed ARC of Nobody But Us, the debut release by Kristin Halbrook, so you should go check it out! :)

What was your answer this week?

Cover Reveal: The Shadowhunter's Codex

The cover for The Shadowhunter's Codex has been released, and I am so excited! I love that the cover has the angel Raziel rising out of the lake with the Sword and Cup! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy, too bad I have to wait several more months. :(

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


Suddenly Royal
Release: not defined, but sometime in the next few months.


Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.



Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.



While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.



What are you waiting for this week?

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a Signed ARC of Nobody But Us HERE

Giveaway: Signed ARC of Nobody But Us

I was super excited that I was able to go to ALA Midwinter this year! Unfortunately, I got really sick the second - and last - day I was there so I was only on the floor for a total of ten minutes and ended up with only two books! I was able to make it to the YA Blogger Meet-up and was very happy to finally meet some of you. I read one of the two books, Nobody But Us, that weekend, and had been able to get it signed by the author!

Here is a bit about the book:

How do we love and what are the consequences?

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.



I also brought back some bookmarks and pins for a second place winner!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Terminal Blend

Title: Terminal Blend (The Blend Trilogy #3)

Author: Lori Pescatore

My Rating: 4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.

Author’s Facebook Page

Description:

An Epic battle is brewing. Can Julie's newly unleashed abilities help save her and her friends? Prepare for a war of otherworldly proportions where the unexpected becomes the norm and nothing is what it seems. Is Julie the key to saving the Earth and her people or will she once again need the help of her Earthling friends? Not everyone will survive as the playing field shifts and consequences will extend throughout the universe.

Terminal Blend is the final installment in The Blend Trilogy. In Human Blend we met a girl named Julie on the run from her past. Her unique abilities made her hunted prey. Along the way she encountered some amazing people like Eli, an Earthling who wanted nothing more than to protect her and Marcus, who was like her and explained the truth of their origins. Add into the mix a boy named Austin, who unearthed a few secrets of his own. In Earth Blend we heard the backstory to the supernatural creatures introduced in book one. In the final installment, the lies mount and Julie must find a way to cope with the new threat that could destroy everything and everyone she holds dear. Come immerse yourself in the final chapter of this amazing trilogy.

Review:

Terminal Blend is the concluding book in the Blend Trilogy. I loved the book’s ending, the plot continued to develop throughout the novel and I had no idea what would happen. Add in some dramatic irony and wonderful, well-developed characters, and we have a very exciting book on our hands. Lori Pescatore’s knack for hatching a great plot is one of my favorite things about this series.  The tension of the love triangle between Austin, Julie, and Eli was very taught, and it even turned into a love square – if that’s what you call it – since Marcus decides he has some feelings for Julie as well.

My problems with this book are very similar with my thoughts on the other books. The story is told in third person limited, but switches point of view occasionally so we glean more on what happened on another character’s end. I do like the information this provides, but the transitions and a bit jerky and sometimes I felt there was too much overlap between the perspectives. Also, the epilogue reminded me of a “Where are They Now?” segment of a reality television show. It had a paragraph for each main character and described what they were now doing. While I enjoyed seeing what was happening to the characters after the whole ordeal, the format through me because it was incongruent with the rest of the book.

While this series has come to a close, I definitely feel Lori left the door open for more stories set in this universe. If you have read the other books in the Blend Trilogy you are up for an exciting finale. But if you haven’t read the other books, I would definitely recommend you check them out. They are quick, action-packed reads that will keep you on your toes at all times.

Buy Terminal Blend on Amazon

Free Ebook: Unforgiving Shadows

Hey guys, great news! Bookbrowsr has started to promote books by allowing them to be downloaded for free! I don't know if the is a temporary, so don't wait! You can find the book HERE.


Brad Frame lived a serene but aimless existence on Philadelphia’s Main Line until his mother and sister were kidnapped and murdered. The tragedy transformed his life. After helping the police catch their killers, and with the aid of his mentor, Philadelphia Detective Nick Argostino, Brad opened his own private detective agency vowing to help bring justice to others whose lives had been turned upside down.

UNFORGIVING SHADOWS opens eleven years later when Brad is invited to the execution by lethal injection of Frank Wilkie, one of two men responsible for the death of his mother and sister. Thinking that Wilkie might have something to say, Brad reluctantly attends. Wilkie remains silent, but as Brad exits the prison the chaplain races after him, thrusting the condemned man’s Bible into his hands.

Within hours another man is anxious to get his hands on Wilkie’s Bible, and Brad suspects the motivation could involve the still-missing ransom money. But as the reason becomes clear, Brad’s world is once again turned upside down. Aided by his associate, Sharon Porter, Brad unravels an eleven-year-old mystery that casts new suspicion on family, neighbors and business associates alike.

Also included is a preview chapter of TRANSPLANTED DEATH, the next Brad Frame Mystery.