Cover Reveal UP IN FLAMES by Kelly Hashway

 

Today on the blog I am delighted to share with you the third and final cover in the INTO THE FIRE series by Kelly Hashway, UP IN FLAMES, which releases on April 12, 2016! I hope you've grabbed your copies of INTO THE FIRE and OUT OF THE ASHES, and have read both of these scorching first books. I've loved the story so far, and I promise you, book 3 does not disappoint! Here's the synopsis:

 

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Synopsis: 

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Seventeen-year-old Cara Tillman is in more danger than ever. 


All around her, Cara’s fellow Phoenixes are being attacked. With no other choice, she and her group take the only option they have—call more Phoenixes out of hiding and wage an all-out war against the Hunters. But with the lines of loyalty blurred, and Phoenix secrets to be kept, there’s no guarantee anyone can be trusted. 


Logan Schmidt walks the blade of love and obligation—and just one slip may end them all. 


After stealing the Phoenix dagger and going into hiding, the Hunters are convinced Logan is one of their own. But with Cara’s memories recovered, her heart is set on Logan’s return. The problem is, she may be the only one who trusts him. 


It isn’t long until Logan’s disappearance is noticed by his long-time friend, Anton Botas, who is more than just an outsider. Though Logan trusts him, the Phoenixes do not, opening yet another fault line in their plans. 


Where there is one, there are many. 


Determined to end this once and for all, Cara and the others must destroy the Phoenix daggers—the only weapons able to kill her kind. But in a raging battle, Cara learns the awful truth about the relics. Destroying them may destroy the Phoenixes in the process. 


Can Cara and her friends end this war, or is their future destined to go Up In Flames?

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YA Author, Kelly Hashway

 

Now that you've read the description, meet the author, Kelly Hashway. Kelly is the author of several speculative fiction tiles and series, including:

 

YA Touch of Death Series:

Touch of Death

Stalked by Death

Face of Death

 

and the Touch of Death Prequels:

Curse of Death

Kiss of Death

 

YA Monster Within Series:

The Monster Within

The Darkness Within

 

YA Into the Fire Trilogy Series:

Into the Fire (Book 1)

Out of the Ashes (Book 2)

Up in Flames (Book 3)

 

As well as a MG series (Curse of the Granville Fortune), and picture books. For more information, check out Kelly's website: www.kellyhashway.com

 

Author 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.

 

Hashway is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

 

Find Kelly Hashway on her website, blog, Facebook Author Page, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, Amazon Author Page, GoodReads Author Page, Into the Fire on GoodReads, and YouTube.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Now it's time to reveal the amazing new cover for book three of the Into the Fire Trilogy, UP IN FLAMES, which is completely breathtaking:

 

 

 
 

http://amzn.to/1RR5MLN

 

 

Don't just stare, click the cover to add this title on GoodReads! Okay, stare for as long as you like, then go preorder UP IN FLAMES. Stunning, right? I know! I loved the first two books, and am currently reading book three, and OMG, it's amazing.

 

You won't have to wait long for it, either, since book 1 is already out 2/16/16 (You got your copy already, right? Don't forget to post those reviews while you wait for book 2), followed by book 2 on 3/22/16, and finally, book 3 on 4/12/16. Hooray! I am so excited for this series, I can't even stand it. I am thrilled to get to share it with you and soon we can all fanboy and fangirl about it like crazy. Feel free to come back here and tell me what you think of books one and two while you're waiting on book three.

If you thought Into the Fire was an amazing read, just wait until you read Out of the Ashes! Book 2 picks up where book 1 leaves off, and without spoiling anything, readers of book 1 will love the parallels drawn out in book 2 with a focus on Logan this time. Stakes are raised, and book 2 ratchets up the tension and risks as if book 1 were only a flicker of a flame. Trust me, book 2 has flames that will scorch you and keep you turning pages all the way to the end!

 

Plenty of fire, lots of kissing, and scorching hot besides. Get your copy soon. You won't want to grab it Out of the Ashes. You might get singed. Get yours before it goes Up in Flames.



THE DARKEST LIE by Pintip Dunn Excerpt and Giveaways (2) Blitz!

I'm thrilled to take part in the Excerpt Blitz for Pintip Dunn's upcoming YA thriller, THE DARKEST LIE! Check out the book below, along with the teaser excerpt, and be sure to enter the giveaways!

 

THE DARKEST LIE by Pintip Dunn

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Release Date: June 28, 2016

 

“The mother I knew would never do those things. But maybe I never knew her after all.” Clothes, jokes, coded messages…Cecilia Brooks and her mom shared everything. At least, CeCe thought they did. Six months ago, her mom killed herself after accusations of having sex with a student, and CeCe’s been the subject of whispers and taunts ever since. Now, at the start of her high school senior year, between dealing with her grieving, distracted father, and the social nightmare that has become her life, CeCe just wants to fly under the radar. Instead, she’s volunteering at the school’s crisis hotline—the same place her mother worked. As she counsels troubled strangers, CeCe’s lingering suspicions about her mom’s death surface. With the help of Sam, a new student and newspaper intern, she starts to piece together fragmented clues that point to a twisted secret at the heart of her community. Soon, finding the truth isn’t just a matter of restoring her mother’s reputation, it’s about saving lives—including CeCe’s own…

Goodreads | Pre-order from Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

“This one will tug your heart and leave you breathless!” --Natalie D. Richards, author of Six Months Later

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Excerpt from THE DARKEST LIE

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It’s time to view the body. Family first. Well, technically, me first. There was always only three of us in the nuclear unit, and Dad’s been locked in the den for the past seventy-two hours. I’ve only seen him once, when he shuffled upstairs like a pajama-clad zombie and asked me if I’d eaten.

 

That was it: Did you eat?

Not: I prefer the cherry wood casket. Or: Let me make your grandma’s travel arrangements. Or even: I know this was Mom’s favorite dress, but isn’t the neckline a little...low?

Did I eat?

Yes, Dad. I had soup from the can and microwaved pizza rolls and a bowl of cereal. The food sloshes in my stomach now as I walk down the runner to the casket I picked out because of its mauve tint.

Calla lilies pile in urns around the viewing room, and the air-conditioning wars with the sweat along my hairline. My mom smiles at me from a portrait erected behind the casket. Her eyes are hesitant and a little wary, as if she knew, somehow, some way, she would wind up here. Lifeless. Pumped full of formaldehyde. About to be gawked at by a town full of gossips.

This was only going to end one of two ways—with Tabitha Brooks dead or in jail. I never thought I’d say this, but I’d give anything to see my mother behind bars.

I wade through the dense, chilly air and stop a few feet from the body. Behind me, my grandmother and aunt sit, a box of tissues between them, blowing their noses like it’s a sport.

“Look at our Cecilia,” Gram sniffs. “So brave. Not a single tear shed.”

If she only knew. I’m not brave. Fifteen minutes ago, I was retching into the toilet bowl. Five minutes from now, when the doors open for the visitation, I’ll be long gone, leaving Gram to shake people’s hands and deal with the bit lips, the knowing eyebrows, that inevitable speaking-in-a-funeral-parlor whisper. I can hear the titters: “Is it true? Tabitha’s heart stopped while she was boffing the high school quarterback? Why, she must’ve been twenty years his senior!”

Twenty-three years, to be exact, and a high school English teacher to boot. But she didn’t actually die during sex. Instead, a few days after Tommy Farrow came forward with their affair, my mother took her own life.

What could be a clearer admission of guilt? She might as well have been caught in the act. The investigation was shut down before it even began.

I take a shuddering breath. Two more minutes. A hundred and twenty seconds and then I can leave. I steel my shoulders and walk the final steps to my mother’s body.

Oh god. It’s even worse than I thought.

The room whirls around me, and nausea sprints up my throat. My hands shoot out to grab the casket, stopping short of actually touching the corpse.

This . . . this thing . . . can’t be my mother. She never smiled like that, all serene and peaceful-like. She never wore this much makeup; her red hair was never chopped so closely to her head. My mother was chaos and passion, devastation and joy. Dad used to say you could reach deep into her eyes and pull out a song.

Well, her eyes are closed now, and I’m not sure there’ll be any music in my life, ever again.

About the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Pintip Dunn graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL. She also published an article in the YALE LAW JOURNAL, entitled, “How Judges Overrule: Speech Act Theory and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis,” Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. She is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart® finalist and a 2014 double-finalist. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, YARWA, and The Golden Network. She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com.

Giveaways (2!)

One winner will receive a prize pack including the following 5 books: Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn; Six Months Later by Natalie Richards; Find Me by Romily Bernard; and From Where I Watch You by Shannon Grogan; Lies I Told by Michelle Zink a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Darkest Lie

by Pintip Dunn

Giveaway ends March 28, 2016. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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Release Day Blitz: FACSIMILE by Vicki L. Weavil with Giveaway

 

Happy Release Day to

Facsimile by Vicki L. Weavil!!

Join us in celebrating this release from Month9Books!

Enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

Happy Book Birthday, Vicki!

 

 

For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano is willing to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her. Especially since all she’s required to do is escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco. Ann‘s determination to escape the limitations of her small, frontier colony never falters, until Dace’s expeditions uncover three secrets. One offers riches, one shatters Ann’s perceptions of herself, and one reveals that the humans stranded on Eco are not its only inhabitants.

Ann’s willing to sacrifice friendship and love for a new life on Earth. But when an entire species is placed in jeopardy by her actions, she must make a choice – fulfill the dream that’s always sustained her, or save the planet she’s never considered home.

Facsimile by Vicki L. Weavil Publication Date: March 8, 2016 Publisher: Month9Books

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

 

Vicki L. Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Virginia, a Masters in Library Science from Indiana University, and a Masters in Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After working as a librarian at the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center, and the Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media) in NYC, she is currently the Director for Library Services at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband and some very spoiled cats. A member of SCBWI, Vicki is represented by Fran Black at Literary Counsel, NY, NY.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr | Goodreads

 

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

 

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Book Review: SWAGGER by Carl Deuker

Swagger by Carl Deuker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm not usually one to read a sports-themed book, but this one had me turning pages and fighting my way through to the end, to the truth and the light and to the powerful story underneath. Even if you've lied a little, or even a lot, does speaking the truth matter more? Sure, there are tournaments to be won, and big, shiny trophies, but do they matter? Do college scholarships matter, even if you've worked hard to earn it? Does the truth matter more? When a friend needs you to speak the truth, and they can't speak up for themselves, would you do that? Would you risk it all for your friend? Would you do the right thing, even if if cost you everything you thought that mattered?

Deuker delivers in fast plays, well-crafted games, and at the center of his story, Jonas, the MC with the swagger to apply his skills on the court to his academics and future goals (college with a basketball scholarship), and to his relationships. SWAGGER follows Jonas from before he has any clear direction or goals, to a driven, committed young man coming into his own.

When Jonas's dad loses his job and has to relocate, Jonas is put to the test to start over and continue toward his goal of earning a full basketball scholarship to Monitor college by proving himself in his academics and in his skills on the court. It's one thing to play and make shots, and it's another thing entirely to lead players to function as a team, playing to their strengths and ensuring every player shines when called upon.

As the story unfolds, Jonas meets his new coach, Hartwell, who proves to be somewhat shady in the way he crosses moral lines with Jonas and his fellow players. Prior to being hired as coach, Hartwell meets the team and offers them tips on how to improve plays and shots at the local community court. Seemingly harmless at first, the reader slowly realizes how calculated Hartwell is, how nothing he does is an accident or coincidence, but each move is part of his bigger goal to gain the position of head coach and predator among his group of players.

Jonas and his best friend Levi play and sharpen one another all summer, and throughout their senior year, their friendship deepens. As the team works toward the state championships, Levi changes, keeping more to himself and withdrawing as a player. Jonas tries to reach out to Levi, but being a friend is what Levi ultimately needs, and this is proven when Levi reveals the secret that changes everything.

What a powerful read. Highly, highly recommended. And the games were pretty intense, too. Worth a read. Slam dunk.

View all my reviews