Tour Kick-off: Ink

Hi guys,

I'm so pumped up for the INK blog tour! A big thank you to the amazing Amanda Sun for collaborating with me on this tour, where over six days, we will have various book bloggers reviewing the book and doing promotional posts...

In short, everything will be about "Why I love INK" :)

Get ready to see how awesome INK is from various perspectives, and if you are still hesitating about this book, be convinced thoroughly by all the INK-love <3

Without further ado, here's the list of fabulous bloggers who have joined Amanda and I in promoting INK, the book about beautiful boys, Japanese gods and delicious Japanese food!

TOUR SCHEDULE

June 20 – Bookcase to Heaven (Tour Kick-off)

Becky's Barmy Book Blog

Birth of a New Witch

June 21– Total Travel

Girls in Capes

Tar Heel Bibliobabe

June 22 – Cover Bound

The Fairytale Nerd

The Soul Sisters

June 23 – Book Scents

The Quiet Concert

Rondo of a Possible World

June 24 – Jassie

Gypsy Reviews

June 25 – FlutterealFlight

Priscilla Shay

The Bookaholic Blurbs

BLURB

I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Paperback, 377 pages

Expected publication: June 25th 2013 by Harlequin Teen

ABOUT AMANDA

I’m a YA author and proud Nerdfighter. I was born in Deep River, Canada, a very small town without traffic lights or buses, and where stranger safety is comprised of what to do if you see a bear—or skunk. I started reading fantasy novels at 4 and writing as soon as I could hold a pencil. Hopefully my work’s improved since then.

In university I took English, Linguistics, and Asian History, before settling into Archaeology, because I loved learning about the cultures and stories of ancient people. Of course, I didn’t actually become an archaeologist—I have an intense fear of spiders. I prefer unearthing fascinating stories in the safety of my living room.

The Paper Gods is inspired by my time living in Osaka and travelling throughout Japan. That and watching far too many J-Dramas. I currently live in Toronto with

my husband and daughter. When I’m not writing, I’m devouring YA books, knitting nerdy things like Companion Cubes and Triforce mitts, and making elaborate cosplays for anime cons.

Official Site | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

GIVEAWAY (Aw, yeah!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


xoxo,
Sel

Tour Invite: Ink (Paper Gods, #1) by Amanda Sun

Woots! I have some really awesome news for bloggers who are interested in paranormal romances set in Japan with heavy doses of ancient mythology and moving tattoos. Introducing the blog tour for...

INK by the fabulous Amanda Sun!

This tour will run from 17th to 25th June and tour hosts will be selected on a first-come first-served basis.

E-galleys will be provided for all tour hosts, along with a Rafflecopter code for a giveaway that will be held across all blogs.

INK is a Young Adult paranormal romance set in Japan that is releasing on June 25th.

Summary via Goodreads:

I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

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Sign up for the tour here.

A huge thank you to Amanda for making this tour possible and for adding a cherry on the top with some adorable giveaway prizes in store.

Don't miss out on all the fun!

xoxo,

Sel

Review: Everneath

Everneath

Author: Brodi Ashton

Summary:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned-- to her old life, her family, her friends-- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...




Published 24 January 2012

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Everneath holds a special place in my heart. Not because of the way it’s written or anything of that sort, but because my friend cried when she read it.

There are people who say that YA novels can never truly illustrate the power of love. I used to agree. For me, the sensible and rational part of my mind constantly reminds me that high-school sweethearts never do last and many of the magical moments of insta-love in the novels are simply unrealistic in real life.

But, now, I beg to differ.

Everneath is that novel which brings a new facet to the already multi-dimensional Young Adult romance. The love story runs in the background of the grand mythology and ticking time, but it is never eclipsed by the rest of the tale. That is because Jack and Nikki's romance is painfully real and hopeful amidst the surreal myths and angst.

The novel is narrated by a string of countdowns and recollections, starting from the moment when Nikki regains consciousness after a century of Feeding in the Everneath. Strangely, she is alive and intact after the Feed, something which greatly surprised the Everliving, Cole, who had fed on her emotions and life. 

I didn't tell him I'd thought of him every day. 

That even when every other memory had faded, he never left. 

What had sustained Nikki in those hundred years beneath the ground were the face and memories of a boy. After her miraculous survival, Nikki is given the chance to return back to the surface-- where only a few months have passed-- but several complications arise. She had left for Everneath without having said goodbye and the people around her have changed. While trying to repair all the broken relationships and heal her own broken heart, Nikki's days are numbered. She has only six months before the Tunnels-- the underworld of Everneath-- come for her and she can only try to reach out to that one boy she loves before she is gone, forever.

That one boy is Jack. Nikki had loved him before fleeing to the Everneath, loved him still in that century of being fed on and loves him all the more now. But Nikki's disappearance without even a goodbye has scarred him. The sweet Jack in Nikki's memories and the angsty bitter Jack in the present are intensely contrasting characters. But, regardless, both shoot countless of arrows into our hearts as we pity the poor boy who is angry of getting hurt a second time yet loves Nikki all the same.

Then, there's Cole. This novel is a prime example of a love triangle well done. Cole is here as an almost non-existent second man and his main purpose is to offer Nikki another way out of her quagmire. Nikki can choose to become an Everliving herself, but that would mean that she has to feed on an innocent soul too. And dooming someone else to her own fate is not something she would ever agree to.

The clock is ticking, and after every chapter, the time remaining grows short. We can't stop flipping as we wait with bated breaths to see what will happen to Jack and Nikki. Yet, as the story grows from one that is melancholy to one that is uplifting, cruelly, our hopes are dashed near the end. The slightly open ending masterfully sets the stage for the next instalment.

Everneath will make us cry (like me and my friend) for the love between Jack and Nikki as we ponder about a concept rarely seen in Young Adult novels-- sacrifice. One thing for sure, the resolution will leave us pondering about its implications long after the last page. 

But, fear not, the sequel is going to be released exactly a week from now. So, be prepared for another  glorious addition to the shelves of Greek Mythology.

Source: The dusty homely neighbourhood library

xoxo,

Sel

Blog Tour Review: Valkyrie Rising

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Valkyrie Rising

Author: Ingrid Paulson

Summary:

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there. 

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

Published October 9th 2012.

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I walked into this book having not the slightest inkling of what a Valkyrie was. And I walked out knowing not much better. But, strangely enough, I was contented because Ingrid Paulson sure can write novels that blow your mind away. 

When Ellie heads to Norway to visit her grandmother, the town that greets her is filled with hostility. There are rumours in the air about Ellie's grandmother and a gradually permeating fear about a group of mesmerizing but powerful girls-- the Valkyrie. So on a journey to rescue her brother amongst the other boys that get kidnapped by these girls, Ellie discovers that there's more to her grandmother than she can ever imagine. To trace back her heritage, she must pit herself against the Valkyrie. But, ultimately, they are all just pawns in the game of wits and war between two ancient Norse gods-- Odin and Loki. 

And indeed, Norse mythology was what that set this novel apart from the others. Artfully weaved into our modern times, Ingrid Paulson gives a whole new meaning to the word, 'Valkyrie', by adapting old legends and mythical creatures into our everyday lives, with the skill of Rick Riordan.

PAST. "Back in the time of the Vikings, soldiers were encouraged to embrace death without fear and according to their religion, according to what is now considered myth, Valkyries were beautiful women who hovered around battlefields, and when brave fighters were killed, they took their souls to Valhalla-- a fortress ruled by Odin, god of death and war and knowledge... These soldiers... They became part of Odin's army."

PRESENT. The Valkyries are flawlessly beautiful, that's a given, but their ways have changed with time. Handling guns, wearing leather boots and strutting into night clubs are now their routine. Yet, at the same time, the old ways have remained the same. They still retain their heightened senses and strength, and as Ellie begins to uncover her true identity, her journey into the new world of Norse mythology in current-day Norway is thrilling. Personally, for me, it is the realistic way that the Valkyries are portrayed in this tale that makes me fall for it. The whole story seems so raw and genuine that I could honestly believe that it can happen to me in the next heartbeat. (Not that I have any relatives from Norway, but still.) The old magic still lives on, but Ingrid Paulson gives it a whole new dimension, completely integrating it into our world today. 

Frankly speaking, pulling off a successful modern-day myth is no easy feat. In ancient legends, there are always unexpected twists which take us by surprise. Similarly, in Valkyrie Rising, there are stunning plot twists that keep me constantly on my toes. They will make you race through the whole book, dealing out new secrets every once in a while, and nothing ever remains quite the same.

Fortunately for us, there is still a romance that is worth gushing about. Tucker, I swear, is one of the wittiest guys I have every met. He becomes a highlight of this novel, standing out even amongst fantastic action sequences and ominous scenes. You will love him, I promise. 

This is just the book for the hordes of mythology-romance fans to sink their teeth into. And I promise you again, it will dazzle your taste buds.

Source: ARC for review purposes as part of blog tour. 

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Ingrid Paulson lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter and enjoys long-distance running, eavesdropping, and watching science documentaries. She has always loved books and writing short stories, but was surprised one day to discover the story she was working on wasn't so short any more. VALKYRIE RISING is Ingrid's first novel.

Ingrid's grandmother might actually be a Valkyrie; she's still waiting for her to come clean.

Official links

Twitter | Website | Goodreads

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Here's a chance to sink your teeth into it >:)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Ingrid has gladly offered a prequel to VALKYRIE RISING, titled VALKYRIE SYMPTOMS. This story is told by the amazing Tucker, one day prior to the events that take place in the novel. Get a taste of what I fell in love with ;)

xoxo,
Sel