Thursday, November 17, 2016

Book Blitz - Quantum by Hannah Godard


Quantum
By Hannah  Godard

Genre: Young Adult


Nothing is more glamorous than the CIA … at least for Clara. All she wants is excitement and adventure, to help people... and to be a part of something bigger than life.
At nineteen, she leaves everything she’s ever had behind to join the CIA with her boyfriend Ross. But when the agency starts to fall away like shattered glass, Clara and her team get thrown into the biggest mission ever to hit the agency. How will they deal with the pressure?
Clara has all her cards out on the table and she’s trying to keep them all in place … except she can’t hold them all down on her own. She’s trained and she’s ready … but something isn’t right. Is the real way to win the game not to play it, or is the trick not to play it for too long?







Excerpt:
I’m really bored. I’ve been walking for hours around New York, without Ross, communicating with Madison and Ethan through my earpiece and getting directions from Ethan. Every once and a while he’ll tell me to go into a restaurant or walk down a certain street because he has a lead. At least we have a lead as to where they are. 
I walk down the sidewalks and along the busy streets. Every once in a while, I’ll stop at a shop and look around, or buy a bottle of water. I’m guessing Ross is somewhere close to me, because every time I stop to shop he laughs at me. 
“I have water in my bag . . . and so do you! You bought a water ten minutes ago and you’re not even done, why do you need another one?” Ross asks me. 
“You know what? I’m trying to look casual,” I reply.
“Walking around with a bunch of half empty bottles of water isn’t casual, it’s weird.” 
I ignore him and keep walking. I think I like New York more than Los Angeles. The buildings and the streets are beautiful and the people, no matter what anybody says, are probably some of the nicest I’ve met. So far, there’s no sign of the men, but we’re going to keep looking until we find them. 
“Clara!” Ethan’s voice comes in.
“What?” 
“Madison got a call from Lizzie. They’ve spotted the men on the corner of Lexington and 49th. Can you get there?” 
“Okay on my way,” I say. 
“Me too,” Ross’s voice comes in. 
I don’t pick up my pace, as not to attract attention to myself, but walk at the same pace as the men and women hustling by to go on with their daily lives. In my ear, I can hear Ethan typing and Madison talking to someone. I can also hear Ross’s footsteps against the pavement; it sounds like he’s running. 
“Ross, calm down, you’re attracting attention to yourself,” I say. 
“Yeah Ross, slow down a little,” Ethan says. 
His footsteps slow down. My heart beats faster as I near the corner where the men were last spotted. All I can think about is Lexa. My mind races, but I try to calm myself down. I need to make rational decisions; I need to stay calm. I feel for my gun on my waist. Somehow this calms me down. Without slowing my pace, I casually walk around the corner, but they aren’t there. 
“What the hell Ethan? They’re not here,” I say. 
I look around and then, going around a corner, I spot blonde hair, but it’s not Ross. 
“Spotted, I’m going in, track me. They’re headed down an ally, with Lexa,” I say. 
I can hear everyone hold his or her breath. And then Madison reports what we found back to base. I cross the street and follow where I last saw her. Before I go down the ally, I stop and wait, trying to catch my breath. Things are about to change. If they see me, I’ll be a real agent, and my life will change forever. If I don’t kill them, they’ll have everything they’ll need on me. If I don’t succeed, they’ll kill Lexa to get back at us. 
Across the street, Ross and he spots me. I look at him for a minute and he smiles. I cock my head, confused, and he nods at me. 
“Go. I’ll go around and cut them off,” he says. 
With that I run down the ally, I can spot them a little way down the alley and I run after them. There’s no one else in the ally so I pull out my gun. Even while I run, I can get a clean shot of one of the three men with her. I aim, and breathe out. Before I fire, three shots come from down another ally and one of the men falls. I’m guessing it’s Ross, but he doesn’t come out. It’s not like the movies; we’re on an even playing field here. I throw myself against the wall and duck as the men look around for who fired. Lexa looks terrified, and it kills me to see her this way. They run, one of the men dragging Lexa by her arm. 




About the Author

Hannah Godard was born and raised in the small town of Cochrane, Alberta where she is currently a grade eleven student. She continues to chase a life of creativity and imagination, creating characters to take her on adventures and maybe learn something from them along the way. She writes to tell the greatest stories that have yet to be told and create a spark in which to lighten up the world. Hannah credits her dad for teaching her everything she knows about the world, from politics to drive and perseverance. Without him, she would be a very different person.

Quantum is her first novel and the first in the Quantum series. It came to life in the same way as many other novels do, in third period Social Studies class. This class was spent with three out of four of her best friends, laughing, creating businesses, and being creative. It was the one class where she could be a kid, where people didn’t tell her words could only mean one thing, and where they could all be creative. It started as a joke, as a simple question; what if I was in the CIA? From that point on Hannah developed the character of Clara, with the help of her friends, and soon the story came to life. Each person who she knows, no matter how small, is somehow put into the novel, worked into the story line, because what they say is true: we write what we know.






Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Blog Tour - Fates Entwined by Jules Barnard


Hey everyone! I'm one of the stops on the Fates Entwined Blog Tour hosted by YA BOUND BOOK TOURS. Fates Entwined is the second book in the Halven Rising series by Jules Barnard. Check below for a review of the book as well as some extra info! 


Fates Entwined (Halven Rising #2)
by Jules Barnard
Genre: YA Paranormal 
Release Date: November 2016

4 stars - An intriguing read!


Purchase Links:

Amazon US 
Amazon UK
Nook

iBooks





Summary from Goodreads:


They can never be together. The notion is laughable. Humans are inferior, a scourge on the Fae and on the magic passed down to them by angels millennia ago. And if Keen finds himself drawn to the tiny human female, he keeps it to himself. He won’t add to the half-breed problem that threatens his people’s existence. 
Reese can’t stand Keen. He criticizes her clothing, won’t answer a straight question, and is too handsome for her peace of mind. 
Her entire life, people have pegged Reese for a shallow, ditzy blond. She won’t accept the stereotype from the large, arrogant Fae too. But after Keen saves her life, she begins to question what truly lies beneath his stoic demeanor. 
Forced together, Keen and Reese fight to survive among enemies, and Keen makes choices Reese couldn’t have predicted. She glimpses a side of him that is protective and dangerously seductive. 

But Keen refuses to acknowledge their connection. 

Until he's faced with the decision to betray his people, or lose Reese forever.

*This mature YA series is intended for readers 17 years and older.

**Each Halven Rising novel features a different couple and may be read as a standalone, but an overreaching story arc connects the series, so it's fun to read them in order.**



Review:

Fates Entwined was definitely an interesting read. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Reese and Keen. Not only that but I enjoyed meeting a few different characters that I fell in love with as well. Can't wait to be able to learn more about them! :) 

Fates Entwined was a little more action-packed than Fates Divided, or at least it felt that way to me. The whole feel of the book was different than Fates Divided but I loved it just as much. We were able to learn more about the Fae and their world. There were some twists and turns that definitely exciting. 

It was great to learn more about Reese and to see the side of her that she keeps hidden away from everyone else. She was a strong and stubborn young lady but she also knew when someone else was right. She was fun and caring of her friends. It was also great to learn more about Keen! :) He could be somewhat annoying at times but he's pretty dang loyal and caring as well. By the end he was just plain swoon-worthy though. ;)

The ending was huge. It was full of suspense and action and interesting information. This book definitely picks up the last half of the way through. And the last few chapters just made me really happy, haha. 

Overall, this was an interesting read and a great look into this world of Fae. It was also nice to be able to learn about some old and new characters. Jules Barnard has definitely created an interesting world with some awesome and diverse characters. Pick up the first book in the series if you haven't read it yet! And check this one out if you've read and loved the first one! :) 

Vanessa



Other books in the Series:

Fates Altered

Humans are beneath her kind, but Fae princess Theodora Rainer must escape the Fae realm, or marry a man she despises.

California farmer Alex Rosales is the responsible one. He stays out of the trouble his older brother gets into--someone has to hang onto the farm. But when Alex finds Theodora hiding out on his property, caution is nowhere in sight. She has the beauty of an angel, with deep secrets Alex can't penetrate.

No matter how hard he tries, Theodora won't let Alex in. But when he breaks his own rules and invites her to stay with him, he glimpses her heart--only to discover something powerful seeks to tear them apart.

Fates Altered tells the story of the love that sparked the Halven Rising.

*This mature YA series is intended for readers 17 years and older.

FREE on ALL PLATFORMS




Fates Divided
Elena's goals are simple: 1) be the first in her family to graduate from college 2) become a kick-butt chemist.

Until she comes into her half-Fae powers from the mother she never knew.

The Fae are willing to harm the last of Elena's loved ones if she doesn't use her power over the elements to cure them of a deadly disease.

Her brooding neighbor, Derek, isn't the friendliest guy, but he has access to an off-hours lab and is willing to help Elena create the antivirus. He has his own secrets to keep, and this business Elena is mixed up in could blow his cover.

But when Elena and Derek get together, more than chemicals spark fire--and they soon discover just how complicated attraction can get when they find themselves on the other side of the portal, fighting for survival.

Lives collide, and allegiance and love are tested, in Fates Divided.

*This mature YA series is intended for readers 17 years and older. 


Purchase Links:






About the Author

A RITA-nominated author, Jules Barnard began her publishing career in 2014 with Deep Blue, the first book in the contemporary Blue Series, hitting bestseller lists on Amazon, iBooks, and All Romance. In 2015, she launched Fates Divided, the first of a romantic fantasy series Library Journal calls “…an exciting new fantasy adventure.” Whether she’s writing about beautiful Lake Tahoe, or a Fae world embedded in a college campus, Jules spins suspenseful stories filled with realistic characters who have heart and humor.

When Jules isn’t in her sweatpants writing and rewarding herself with chocolate, she spends her time with her husband and two children in their small hometown on the California coast. She credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.

Join Jules's Facebook Fan Group! 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/66563...

Author Links:




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