A Little Too Far Q &A with Giveaway (Rockstar Book Tours)

I am thrilled to be a part of the blog tour for A Little Too Far by Lisa Deroshers. I have Lisa stopping by with a Q and A today.

I am part of Week 2 of this tour, and the other Week 2 stops are as follows

Sept. 9th - Books Complete Me - Review

Sept. 9th - Always YA at Heart - Review

Sept. 10th - A Glass of Wine - Interview

Sept. 10th - In the Best Worlds - Review

Sept. 11th - Once Upon a Twilight - Review

Sept. 11th - Readers Live A Thousand Lives - Interview

Sept. 12th - The Book Cellar - Review

Sept. 12th - Book Labyrinth - Review

Sept. 13th - Lili's Reflections - Review

Sept. 13th - Stuck in YA Books - Review

Sept. 14th - A Bookish Escape - Review & Guest Post

Sept. 14th - Ramblings From This Chick - Guest Post

Sept. 15th - In Bed With Books - Review

Sept. 15th - Coffee and Characters - Guest Post

If you wish to see the other weeks, and find out more about the tour, be sure to check out the official Rockstar Book Tour website.

Here is a little about A Little Too Far

“More than a ridiculously sexy, HOT read, Desrochers takes you on a wild ride of self-discovery and bittersweet romance.”— JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for the better part of the last few years … and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.

But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt … and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional and right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy-on-the-eyes deacon … only eight months away from becoming a priest. Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

If you want to pre-order this book you can do so at these suppliers

 GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Here is a little about Lisa herself

Lisa Desrochers lives in northern California with her husband, two very busy daughters, and Shini the tarantula. If you'd told her five years ago she'd write a book, she'd have laughed in your face. As it turns out, she'd owe you an apology. Writing has become an addiction for Lisa and A Little Too Far, courtesy of HarperCollins, is her first novel for adults. She is also the author of the young adult Personal Demons trilogy from Macmillan.

When she's not writing, she's reading, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise. Connect with her online at www.lisadwrites.com, on her blog at lisadesrochers.blogspot.com, on Twitter at @LisaDez, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LisaDesrochersAuthor.

WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

And now for the Question and Answer I did with Lisa!

1. Describe A Little Too Far in three words

I’ll use one each from A LITTE TOO FAR blurbs by Jennifer L. Armentrout (WAIT FOR YOU), Cora Carmack (LOSING IT), and Jay Crownover (RULE)
Jennifer: HOT
Cora: unique
Jay: complicated

2 Was there anything specific you researched while writing this novel?

I’ve been to Rome twice, but I spent a lot of time supplementing my own experience with research about the city and the art.

3 How would Alessandro describe Lexie?

Alessandro is an art lover, and so he’s taken in by her unabashed love of art. But it’s her energy and enthusiasm that really snares him. He would describe her as an extraordinary woman full of love and life.

4 What three things do you need while revising?

My computer, my characters, and me. I don’t do coffee, and I often forget to eat.

5 If you could visit any place, in any time period, where would you go and when?

I love history, and the temptation is to say I want to go back to some time way in the past and see some major historical event take place. But…I also really love flush toilets and electricity, so, my answer would have to be modern day Italy or Turkey. I want to go and just get lost for a month, exploring all the places that tourists never see.

Thank you Lisa for stopping by. As part of this blog tour there is a giveaway as well....

The prizes are as follows

• An iPad Mini - one winner

• A knowledge pendant, tote bag, and tattoos (Trent’s tattoo!) - one winner
• A signed copy of HarperCollins’ BETWEEN THE COVERS sampler with the 1st two chapters of A LITTLE TOO FAR annotated, knowledge tote, and tattoos - one winner
• A signed copy of BETWEEN THE COVERS with the 1st two chapters of A LITTLE TOO FAR annotated, and tattoos - two winners

• Giveaway is US/Canada ONLY.
• There will be FIVE winners total.
  
  

To enter just fill out the rafflecopter entry form below and good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Release Date - September 10, 2013

Publisher Website - Tor Teen

Publisher Social Media - Twitter

Pages -  333 pages

My Rating - 4/5

**obtained for review from publisher via BEA**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Greek mythology done Kendare Blake style. Brutal, intense, and filled with a wicked beauty even among the blood and gore. A contemporary setting takes these larger than life gods and goddesses and brings a humanity to them that is welcome and unexpected.

With a large cast of characters, I was worried that we would not have time to grow attached, or learn about them. I was delightfully proved wrong. Kendare manages to show your their motivations, and who they are as characters effortlessly, even the 'villains'. She's taken the classic characteristics of these immortal beings, and made them fit into her vision. Each of them wants to survive, and a the war that is brewing is going to set up this series to be explosive, and deadly.

Kendare Blake is brutal. Death comes swiftly for various characters, and sometimes it's ones you care about. This is a series that is going to keep readers on their toes, because these gods are not immortal, and anyone is fair game. A stunning twist to the classic immortality allows these gods and goddesses to reflect on their very long lives. Already the reactions to their deaths have been varied, and loud. Almost none of them are going to quietly.

A dual perspective allows us to see two sides of this multi-sided story. Athena's narration was my favourite. Snarky, chilling, and at times humourous (but sarcastically so). Cassandra's narration felt a little off to me. The reaction to finding out she's THAT Cassandra happened with little freakout. Others involved in her story also barely react to this pretty major news. It rang false, and I am hoping we might get more insight into why nobody reacted in the previous novels.

Those who are not as familiar with mythology, Greek in particular, may not catch the little nuances, and nods woven throughout. It reads differently having a little bit of background to draw from, however those who are not as familiar will still enjoy the novel. The pacing is quick, taunt, and doesn't really let up once the main storyline gets started. It makes for a fast read, with total page turning appeal.

The novel ends in such a manner that sets up the remainder of the series, and the war itself. The tease of characters perhaps coming into their own, and delicious teases of romance that will hopefully pay off in the sequel, left me holding me breath.

A twist to a classic that pays homage even as the author makes it her own. Antigoddess is just unflinchingly gory, surprisingly touching, and more intense than I expected. You will never look at feathers the same way again, and these gods and goddesses may just take you by surprise. 

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews). 

A nice, slow week. It's helping me feel a little more on top of my reading pile (who am I kidding though, it's totally not making a difference).

Last Night At The Viper Room by Gavin Edwards (Goodreads)

Here is where I admit that I am going to be extremely hard to please with this novel. I adore River Phoenix, and I hope this novel sticks to facts, and research. We shall see. I am almost much more curious about how his death impacted other young actors in Hollywood. Not personally, but did it impact anything else? Did it change anything for those embarking on a similar pattern? I hope the answer is yes.

Happy Reading, and Happy Weekend!

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOKS

Of Metal and Wishes cover

Totally not what I was expecting. I do like the softness, and haunting beauty of it. I hope it matches the story, because from the synopsis I was expecting something MUCH different.

TV/MOVIE

Ray Donovan

I have become obsessed with this show, and Liev Schreiber in it. He's totally mesmerizing, and compelling as Ray. Austin Nichols also has a fun, meaty role that surprised me. It's an intense, twisty show. Got to admit, I do love the Boston accent that is so prevalent throughout the show.

So what are you obsessed with this week?

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends. This weeks question is:

Bookshelf Tour. Give us a tour of your bookshelf.

I do not have a bookshelf, funny enough. My cat eats books so I have a book closet. I would love to take a picture of the whole thing but it wouldn't all fit. Here is the best I could do! There are 2 other shelves, and each of these run 3 layers deep.

Happy Weekend!

Takedown by Allison van Diepen

Takedown by Allison Van Diepen
Release Date - September 3, 2013
Publisher Website -  Simon and Schuster
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages -  288 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**obtained for review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

A teen infiltrates a drug ring to settle a vendetta in this fast-paced novel from the author of Street Pharm and Snitch.Darren took the fall for Diamond Tony, the notorious head of the city’s drug cartel. Two years later, Darren’s finally out of juvie—and determined to get even.

Working as an informant for the police, Darren infiltrates Diamond Tony’s operation. But falling for sweet, innocent Jessica was not part of that plan. She’s a distraction—and a liability. She’s also everything Darren dreamed about while he was locked up, and with her, he has the promise of a fresh start.

When a deadly turf war breaks out between Diamond Tony and the Bloods, Darren gets caught in the crossfire. The cops think he’s playing both sides, and any mistake could be his last. Darren has to stay on his game if he’s going to protect Jessica—and if he’s going to stay alive.

Drugs, lies, betrayal, and grittiness. Takedown has it all. A novel that surprised me, provided something unique, and had a strong character voice.

Darren is a character who has made mistakes, paid for them, and is now trying to redeem himself. He had an eye opening experience in juvenile detention and comes out angry, and determined. He wants nothing more than payback, and is willing to go to any lengths to get it. His voice read incredibly authentic. I could picture this character clearly in my mind, and felt his motivations. He is really the only character that this happens with as the secondary ones don't come to life in the same way. His a sympathetic character whom you instantly want something more for. His desire to create a better life for his younger brother is heartwarming and provides a warmth to a character that is otherwise cold with revenge.

Due to the world Darren is inhabiting, the entire novels is read on edge. You're all too aware that at anytime Darren's true nature could be revealed, and everything could come crashing down around him. The consequences for this would be catastrophic and deadly. Allison van Diepen pulls no punches and makes it abundantly clear that these streets Darren walk are dangerous. It resulted in some unexpected developments. The novel went a few places I wasn't expecting it to (and some that I was expecting). It's those moments that made the novel stand out to me, because the predictable route was deliberately left.

Jessica, and Darren's sister serve as a sort of conscience for Darren. The old Darren, anyways. The one who would have gotten into trouble. They are often also the voice of reason. I saw potential in Jessica, and  but their role just wasn't expanded upon enough. Darren's mother is deplorable, and yet, even though you don't agree with it, you understand her motivations.

 The ending of this novel is the only way it could have ended. It shows that no matter what, this lifestyle never really lets go once it has you. Even if you claw your way out, there is always going to be someone, or something to remind you where you started.

Gritty, and intense in a way that I had not expected. Takedown is very different from most YA out there, and  unlike anything I had previous read. That is exactly why you should pick this one up.

Waiting on Wednesday... The Winner's Curse

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

My pick this week is The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

In the tradition of Kristin Cashore and Cassandra Clare comes this brilliant, unputdownable, star-crossed romance about the curse of winning.

Seventeen-year-old Kestrel is an aristocratic citizen of Valoria, a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers. Here, a girl like Kestrel has two choices: join the military or get married. Despite her skills in military strategy, Kestrel’s real passion is music.Which is why she feels compelled to buy Arin, a slave with a talent for singing, at auction. It’s not long before she finds herself falling in love with Arin, and he seems to feel the same for her. But Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for Arin is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a new world, The Winner’s Curse is a story of wicked rumors, dirty secrets, and games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

That pretty cover, the amazing synopsis, and that WHERE ARE THE REST OF THE WORDS inducing first chapter have made this one of my MUST READS of 2014. Can not wait to get my hands on it.

Expected release date - March 4, 2014