The Invisible Crown by Charlie Cottrell

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I was invited to join the blog tour of Charlie Cottrell’s first full length novel, which will be published December 19, 2016!

“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to Royal James Publishing for the invitation to read and review The Invisible Crown by Charlie Cottrell. The Invisible Crown is the first full length novel about Eddie Hazzard, “the hard-boiled detective” in the Hazzard Pay series that Charlie Cottrell has written.

The Invisible Crown is a detective story involving a wife looking for her missing husband. Science fiction and humor add to this quick read detective story, 3.5 stars! The sci-fi in this novel includes interesting genetically modified characters and the humor is all Eddie Hazzard’s personality. These details make the book fun to read and leave you wanting more from the city of Arcadia!

Synopsis:

About The Invisible Crown:

The city of Arcadia is a craphole, but it’s my craphole. I’ve walked its streets my entire life, always searching for something: a purpose, a suspect, or a stiff drink. My name’s Eddie Hazzard, and I’m a hard-boiled detective. Yeah, laugh it up. It’s a ridiculous job description, but this is a ridiculous town. It’s full of every cliché you can imagine: corrupt city officials, police officers on the take, greedy businessmen, and crime so organized it has an accounting department, a health plan, and retirement benefits. Which is more than I can say for myself.”

Meet Eddie Hazzard: he’s tenacious, a certain kind of clever, and usually drunk. When a beautiful woman comes into his office and asks him to find her husband, Eddie takes the case because the alternative is having his creditors show up at his door and do terrible things to his limbs. But the case takes a series of bizarre turns, getting Eddie caught up in a tangled web of reluctant cops, sketchy businessmen, and shadowy crime bosses. The deeper he gets, the worse things look. Will Eddie solve the case? Will he save the day? Most importantly, will he get paid?

The Invisible Crown is the first full-length novel of a series featuring Detective Hazzard and the bizarre, bewildering array of tough mobsters, genetically-modified creeps, and ruthless scumbags who inhabit the city of Arcadia.

Infinity by Jus Accardo

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Infinity by Jus Accardo!

An Army general’s daughter is trying to spray paint a mural in remembrance of her mother. The police and her father don’t appreciate it. The general has to leave town, so he has two soldiers watch over Kori, but she sneaks out to get a look at her progress on the mural before the mayor has it painted over. While out, she’s attacked by a stranger named Dylan and she is terrified. The two soldiers, Cade and Noah, save her. Kori unwittingly discovers alternate dimensions and family secrets while running for her life. Science fiction usually isn’t my favorite genre, but Jus Accardo put all of the pieces together flawlessly and interestingly. I love everything about this book – 5 stars for suspense, creativity and dynamic characters!

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Synopsis and buy the book links:

About the Book

Book Title: Infinity

Author: Jus Accardo

Release Day: November 1, 2016

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

There are three things Kori knows for sure about her life:

One: Her army general dad is insanely overprotective.

Two: The guy he sent to watch her, Cade, is way too good-looking.

Three: Everything she knew was a lie.

Now there are three things Kori never knew about her life:

One: There’s a device that allows her to jump dimensions.

Two: Cade’s got a lethal secret.

Three: Someone wants her dead.

Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220742-infinity

Amazon Buy Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/infinity-jus-accardo/1123132853

iBooks Buy Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/infinity/id1105088032

Kobo Buy Link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/infinity-38

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Entangled Publishing: http://entangledpublishing.com/infinity/

Excerpt of Infinity by Jus Accardo:

“Is that something people lie about around here?” His blue jeans were worn, pulled over battered black combat boots. The sole of the left one was peeling away from the shoe. Did he think he could slack because Dad wasn’t here? That no one would see him and report back? Even if they had permission to be in civies, there were strict standards. While off duty, a soldier had to maintain a neat, well-groomed appearance. This was more an outfit worthy of a high school rebel, which, honestly, this guy didn’t look much older than.

           The one in the back pushed him aside and came forward. Black hair fell just below his ears and had a slight wave to it. It was fuller than normally allowed, not even close to regulation. On some of our previous bases, hair standards weren’t strictly enforced. But at Hannity, they were sticklers. High and tight. Those were the rules.

           Like the other guy, he had on a leather jacket with black fatigue pants tucked into slightly worn combat boots. Unlike the first, though, this one had seen some trouble in his day. There was a thin scar on the left side of his face. It went from just above his eyebrow, down across his eye and to the tip of his chin.

           My pulse spiked a little as his gaze raked over me. Down and up, then up and down, lips parting slightly. I didn’t go for greenies, but this one sent the butterflies in my stomach tripping crazy. It was the scar. It added character to his angular face, suggesting that maybe there was more than meets the eye. Or possibly it was the way he was looking at me. With a spark of hunger and something close to wonder in his expression. I’d never had anyone look at me that way. Like I was something mythical and rare. A creature that shouldn’t exist. I twisted, shifting so that the door obscured just a little more of me from his view.

           He hesitated, focus still trained on me, and for a moment I thought he might poke me to be sure I was real. Clearing his throat, he finally said, “I’m Private First Class Cade Granger, and this is…” He paused to glance over his shoulder. “Recruit Noah Emeal.”

           “A private and a fuzzy Really?” I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased or insulted. I mean, why bother sending supervision at all if you were going to scrape the bottom of the barrel?

           “I promise you’ll be safe with us, Miss Anderson.”

           Miss Anderson. Huh. Maybe there wasn’t more to this guy. He sounded just like the rest of them. Formal and uptight. “That right? So you’re here to save me from myself?” Because, really, that was the problem, right? I couldn’t be trusted to keep myself out of trouble.

           “I’m not sure I understand.” He tilted his head to the left, confused, but didn’t take his eyes off me. In fact, if anything, his gaze grew more intense. It was like he and I were the only ones in the room. In the world…

           “I’d really appreciate it if you could stop staring.” I snapped. “I can’t tell if you’re mentally trying to strip me, or contemplating which way to cook my skin for Sunday dinner. Either way, it’s creeping me the hell out.”

The Diabolic

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid. Diabolics are created to physically resemble people, but are meant to perform as bodyguards.
The thoughts of the diabolic are simple and it’s this simple point of view throughout the book. Sidonia’s diabolic (Nemesis) wants to protect her above all else, including the diabolic’s own life. I didn’t like the part when a servitor was given instructions to slice off her own skin and then she did without reluctance. I would have thought she would have resisted a little. The science fiction story grows more complex throughout the book. Nemesis has to pose as Sidonia for the Emperor because he’s seeking vengeance on Sidonia’s family. Nemesis’ life becomes increasingly complicated because she has to change her appearance, learn new etiquette and she meets many new people. She finally begins to feel human. My rating for this clever science fiction book, 3.5 stars.

Remember Yesterday

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Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the advanced reading copy of Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn! The cover is even more beautiful than Forget Tomorrow’s cover. I posted my Forget Tomorrow review on October 2, 2016.

Jessa’s point of view ten years after Forget Tomorrow. Jessa has been living in the Harmony compound with Logan’s older brother, Mikey, along with Angela and Ryder. Mikey convinced Angela to marry him after Callie proved that the future can be changed. After they were married, they adopted Ryder and took care of Jessa as their own also, since her mother feels the need to stay at home just in case her husband returns from his time travels. Olivia was found to be the precognitive that the community was looking for and she hasn’t been seen in over a decade, since her abilities were discovered.

The suspense, mystery and emotional turmoil are pumped up in this sequel to Forget Tomorrow, which makes it a more interesting story. Remember Yesterday brings to life more characters and I felt their struggles while reading. I hope there is a third book to this series! My rating: a solid 5 stars!

Check Out This Teaser from Remember Yesterday

Pintip Dunn has been nice enough to share an excerpt, guest post and interview with me, so I can share with all of you!

GUEST POST:

Author: Pintip Dunn

Title: REMEMBER YESTERDAY

Release Date: Oct. 4, 2016

Publisher: Entangled TEEN

Synopsis:

Companion to the New York Times bestselling and award-winning novel, Forget Tomorrow.  

Sixteen-year-old Jessa Stone is the most valuable citizen in Eden City. Her psychic abilities could lead to significant scientific discoveries, if only she’d let TechRA study her. But ten years ago, the scientists kidnapped and experimented on her, leading to severe ramifications for her sister, Callie. She’d much rather break into their labs and sabotage their research—starting with Tanner Callahan, budding scientist and the boy she loathes most at school.

The past isn’t what she assumed, though—and neither is Tanner. He’s not the arrogant jerk she thought he was. And his research opens the door to the possibility that Jessa can rectify a fatal mistake made ten years earlier. She’ll do anything to change the past and save her sister—even if it means teaming up with the enemy she swore to defeat. 

Author bio:

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She 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.

Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. Her debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. Her other novels include THE DARKEST LIE and the forthcoming REMEMBER YESTERDAY.

She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com

Social Media Links:

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Goodreads

Buy Links:

Goodreads  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Kobo  Book Depository  iTunes  

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EXCERPT:

I lift my eyes to meet his, and I reach into the future—his future. The vision pours into me. The future Tanner grabs me and kisses me. Without warning, without hesitation. It is hot and searing and exquisite. And I like it. Oh, how I like it.

“No!” I fall out of the vision and scoot away from him, so far that I approach the edge of the platform. My pulse is thundering; my nerves are jumping. Oh, Fates. What’s wrong with me? Is it because I don’t want him to kiss me? Or because I want it too much?

His eyes turn watchful. “Come back here, Jessa. You’re too close to the sky.”

I look into the open space, fluffy with wads of cotton-ball clouds. I take a breath, hoping to inhale some of the sky’s serenity. He doesn’t know about the kiss. Why would he? In the vision, he acted impulsively, without premeditation. The desire to kiss me hasn’t arisen in him yet. Maybe I can prevent it from cropping up altogether.

“Look, you don’t want to kiss me,” I babble, staying where I am. And hope I sound more reasonable than I feel. “It’s only because we talked about kissing the other day. When you talk about something, you give it life. Make it real. Like an annoying song you can’t get out of your head.”

He creeps toward me, his eyes flicking between my face and the sky. “So you can’t get the idea of kissing me out of your head?”

“I said it was annoying. Like a song. Not based on anything real.”

He stops five feet from the edge of the platform. “So let me get this straight. You saw into the future and we kissed. Right?”

“Y-yes,” I stutter, shocked that he guessed the truth so easily. “But it doesn’t have to happen that way,” I add quickly. “As my sister proved, we’re in control of our own fate. We can make any future we wish.”

“Unless this is our Fixed.” His voice is low, rough. And yet, every syllable imprints into my memory forever. “Unless this kiss is so important, it happens in every one of our worlds.”

“It’s just a kiss. How can it be that important?”

His eyes glitter with the challenge. With one last look at the platform’s edge, he crawls to me, slowly but steadily. “The path of our particular world might depend on this kiss. Would you risk our future just to be stubborn?”

And then, he’s right in front of me. He rests his hands lightly on my back. They slide down to my waist, until his fingers brush against the strip of bare skin between my pants and top. I shiver, and my skin pebbles into a million goose bumps. He pulls me against him. So much of my body is touching his that I can’t think; I can’t breathe. All I can do is feel. His trembling breath. My hammering heart. His shaking hands—or hell, maybe that’s me, vibrating against his touch.

Our lips are inches apart. Time blends together. You couldn’t move me from this spot if the world were crashing down around us.

“I thought I wasn’t your type,” I whisper.

“You’re not,” he says. “But for the fate of our world, I’m willing to make the sacrifice.”

And then, he closes the gap between us.

My 5 Favorite Passages in REMEMBER YESTERDAY

I had such a blast writing this book, not only because I had a chance to revisit all of my favorite characters from FORGET TOMORROW, but also because I got to explore little Jessa’s story, who is now sixteen. 

Jessa was such a fascinating character for me to write. She’s grown up with a tremendous amount of guilt over her sister’s sacrifice, and I loved seeing how she forges her own path from underneath her sister’s shadow. Oh, and she also has a swoony relationship, with Tanner, who might just be my favorite hero. 

I’d love to share with you my five favorite passages from REMEMBER YESTERDAY (without giving away any spoilers!) 

  1. “This is who you are. Accept it. Perhaps your sister was able to fight Fate. But you will never be able to fight your very nature.”

A weariness descends on me, one that goes beyond my bones to the molecules themselves. Maybe it’s from the infection. More likely, it’s from this guilt I’ve been lugging around like the hydration packs seen into my hoverjerseys. She’s right. This is who I am. 

Poor Jessa! This is the crux of her struggle. It is a different battle than the one her sister Callie fought in FORGET TOMOMRROW, but in my mind, it is just as worthy. I still can’t decide which battle I think is more difficult! 

  1. I see a lean, chiseled jaw and soft, kissable lips. Tousled black hair brushing up against dark eyes framed with thick lashes. But the eyes don’t pierce through me. Instead, they’re…laughing…at me. 

Oh, good Fates. Was I actually checking out Tanner Callahan? What in Limbo is the matter with me? 

This passage just makes me smile. Jessa is so determined to keep this scientist-boy at arm’s length because of her deep-seated hatred of the scientists. Little does she know just how impossible this task will turn out to be… 

  1. Our lips are inches apart. Time blends together. You couldn’t move me from this spot if the world were crashing down around us. 

“I thought I wasn’t your type,” I whisper.

“You’re not,” he says. “But for the fate of our world, I’m willing to make sacrifice.” 

I adore this quote! Not only does it display Tanner in all of his arrogance, but it also showcases the themes of fate and determinism that is so central in this series. 

  1. Tears drip onto his face. Such small bits of moisture for such a large man, and yet, each drop gathers in my lungs, suffocating me. You don’t need an ocean in order to drown. Sometimes an inch of bathwater is all it takes. 

I promised no spoilers, so I will just say that the “large man” referenced here is one of my favorite secondary characters from FORGET TOMORROW — Zed. I’ll also say that in this series, every vision of the future that the characters receive will be played out, in one way or the other, before the series’ end. 

  1. One flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world. The killing of a single moth in the prehistoric era can set the world on an entirely different trajectory. A single action, no matter how small, may cause ripples that extend far into the future. 

Ah, here’s the reason for the book cover, which features those gorgeous butterfly wings! The books in this series deal a lot with time and time travel, and what this quote gets at is the idea that a single, tiny action can change…everything. We get a glimpse of this idea in FORGET TOMORROW, but it is explored in much more depth in REMEMBER YESTERDAY. I find this concept endlessly fascinating.

INTERVIEW:

After earning degrees from prestigious universities, what path did you travel to become an author?

After earning degrees from prestigious universities, what path did you travel to become an author? I’ve wanted to be an author since I was six years old, but I wrote my first novel after college, while I was working at my first job as a business analyst. This was perhaps the happiest six months of my life, although I’m not sure if that book even had a plot! I went to law school soon after that, although I still cling to my dreams of writing. I graduated law school and then worked as a litigation attorney at a corporate law firm. I wrote my second and third novel during this time. I left the legal profession when I had kids, and for three years, I was a stay-at-home mom. Almost seven years ago, I started writing again. I signed my first contract five years later and then proceeded to sell seven books in the next seven months.

The idea of a future memory can be quite confusing, but you pull it off well and make it completely understandable.  How did you come up with this idea for your books?  

I had been writing seriously for years and was getting frustrated with the publication process, namely the rejections. My editor friend send to me: “I wish I had a crystal ball. Then, I could tell you five years from now, you will definitely be published and you wouldn’t worry about it so much.”

A few days later, I was taking a nap with my toddler son and in that hazy state between being sleep and awake. “Wouldn’t it be great,” I thought, “if we could send memories to our younger selves? Then I could see myself as a successful author and know that all this sweat and blood and tears were worth it.” My next thought was: “Hey, that would make a great idea for a book!” And presto: the Forget Tomorrow series was born.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Persevere. The path to publication can be a long and hard road. But the difference between an unpublished and published writer is that the published writer didn’t give up.

Thank you, Pintip and good luck with your series, Forget Tomorrow!

Forget Tomorrow

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Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn has such a beautiful cover that I immediately wanted to read the book! This dystopian story involves future memories, a confusing concept that Pintip Dunn clarifies well with her writing skills. Relying completely on a memory from the future to dictate my life would make me feel trapped. When Callie receives her memory, her entire world falls into turmoil. Unsure of Logan’s intentions and wary of the people around her, she doesn’t know who she can trust. Logan helps Callie escape after she has been placed in Limbo. Since she can’t swim, Logan continues on the journey with her to get her to safety. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking, “just kiss each other already!” Logan and Callie make it to safety, the Harmony compound, and meet several people who are afraid to enjoy their lives because they are worried about their future memories coming true. Callie heads back home to save Jessa. She learns many secrets involving her family and the community. The cliffhanger ending is almost unbearable – 4 stars. I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Remember Yesterday.

The Lying Planet

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Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the arc of The Lying Planet by Carol Riggs! Jay lives in a community that honors integrity and intelligence. The young people strive to live up to the high standards so they won’t be banished when they are eighteen. One night Jay discovers the sinister intentions of the adults in the community and he struggles to convince others and that’s when the chills begin. Complex characters, suspense and the insidious story make this an interesting read – 4 stars!

Black River Falls

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Actual rating: 3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for the arc of Black River Falls by Jeff Hirsch! A quarantine due to the virus called Lassiter’s has occurred. Lassiter’s is short for Lassiter’s Viral-Induced Retrograde Amnesia. The virus hit on October 16th, when people of all ages lost their memories and couldn’t even remember their families. Narrated by Cardinal Cassidy, Cardinal tells the story as if he’s writing/talking to his brother. Cardinal hasn’t contracted the virus and therefore, hasn’t lost his memory. He meets his mom in town, but she doesn’t seem to recognize him and she is living with a man that is not Cardinal’s father. He rescues a young woman from men pretending to be her husband and friend (a scheme men have thought up to capture women). The secret of the virus’ origins is revealed to Cardinal and he has the choice of revealing it to Dr. Lassiter and helping find the cure or ignoring the information and going on with life as it is right now. Sci-fi and dystopian fans will enjoy this book with the clever world building and character development.

All of Us Were Sophie

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Thanks to Resa Nelson for the opportunity to read and review her book, All of Us Were Sophie! The first chapter describes Sophie worrying that someone is trying to kill her and what she is doing about it. Her husband has invented a duplication machine that destroys the original, but will make several copies at once. Sophie duplicates herself in order to discover who is trying to do her in. The mystery of who is trying to do Sophie in just keeps getting deeper. Every time I thought I had the villain pegged, I found out I was mistaken. Alternating points of view build up the mystery and make it very unpredictable. All of Us Were Sophie is for anyone looking for a clean read mystery!

Railhead

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Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the arc of Railhead by Philip Reeve. I actually give it 3.5 stars and only because science fiction isn’t my favorite genre. Railhead tells the story of Zen, a human thief in a futuristic world, where space travel is quick but only if you use the trains. Nova is an endearing, interesting character who is a machine that believes she’s human, but knows she’s a machine. Nova is my favorite part of the book! The story is told in several points of view- Zen the thief; Malik the marshal and Threnody Noon, the rich girl. This science fiction story is full of suspense and is well written.