Tour: Lies I Live By by Lauren Sabel

Lies I Live By

by Lauren Sabel

I'm happy to host Lies I Live By by Lauren Sabel today!  Check out the post and enter to win the raffle!

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BLURB:

These are the facts: My name is Callie Sinclair. I am seventeen years old. I live in San Francisco. I love my boyfriend, Charlie. I work for a secret governmental agency. I am a psychic spy. This romantic, action-packed twist on the classic spy novel is perfect for fans of Ally Carter’s Embassy Row series or for any reader who enjoys cinematic writing and stories of romance and intrigue.

At seventeen, Callie is the government’s youngest psychic spy, trained to track dangerous people and weapons in her visions. When another young—and handsome and witty—psychic joins the agency, Callie’s personal and professional lives get messy all at once. If she can’t find a way to change the events she’s seen in her visions, she could lose the people she loves most . . . and her mind. Literally.

Richly painted against the backdrop of San Francisco and Berkeley, Lauren Sabel’s enthralling novel captures the thrill of exploring a unique power in a dangerous world.

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EXCERPTS (Exclusive Excerpt):

Chapter Two

Right now, all over the world, there are psychics searching for dangerous weapons, biological hazards, serial killers. But you’ll never know about it. The government will deny it. “That is not reliable information,” they will say, not mentioning the hundreds of psychics behind closed doors, accurately finding kidnapped people and murder victims. They won’t tell you about how some minds can see below the ground, above the earth, backward and forward in time. And they won’t tell you that some of them are housed in mental institutions, or that one of them is your neighbor, or that one of them is below the legal voting age. Or that, for those people, life is a secret they can’t share, so they are always alone, except for one place: in their own minds.

Indigo and I may be done viewing for the day, but that doesn’t mean I can go home. Our monthly training, as short as it may be, comes way too often for my taste. I sigh and lean back against the couch cushions, my body stiff from hours of viewing.

While Indigo leaves the viewing room to drop the sealed manila envelope into the Completed Sessions file, I crumple up the paper with the word NORMAL on it. He’s always saying how lucky I am to have such a gift at my age, and I don’t want him to know the truth: that sometimes my ability feels less like a blessing, and more like a curse, pain reserved only for me. I mean, what if I don’t want to see the future? What if I just want a normal life? I toss the crumpled-up paper at the trash can, but it bounces off the edge and rolls across the floor. I pick it up, back up a few feet, and throw it again, but I’m an inch too far to the left.

“So much for practice making perfect,” I mutter under my breath.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lauren Sabel lives in the quirky dark spaces of her mind, and she tries to shed light on these spaces in her books. After publishing VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD in Summer 2014 with Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, she confronted her lifelong fear of being psychic by writing OUT OF MY MIND. Since in this YA thriller, teenage psychic spy Callie Sinclair works undercover for the government, forced to hide her real identity from everyone she loves, Lauren is now certain she’s on the CIA watch list.

Social Networks:

Website: www.laurensabel.com

Blog: http://laurensabel.tumblr.com

Twitter: laurensabel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.laurensabel/?ref=hl

Instagram: laurensabel

Book Purchase Links:

OUT OF MY MIND:

http://www.amazon.com/Lies-I-Live-Lauren-Sabel-ebook/dp/B0151UEAT0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1455242842&sr=8-2&keywords=Lies+I+live+by

http://bit.ly/liesiliveby

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062231987

VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD:

 http://www.amazon.com/Vivian-Divine-Dead-Lauren-Sabel/dp/0062231952

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vivian-divine-is-dead-lauren-sabel/1117005007


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Demigods and Monsters Cover Reveal!

Review: The Soul Summoner by Elicia Hyder

Title: The Soul Summoner

Author: Elicia Hyder

Publisher: Forge Creek Press

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery

Release Date: November 9, 2015

Blurb: Blessed–or cursed–with a connection to the souls of others, Sloan Jordan can see the best in people… and the worst. For twenty-seven years, she's kept her ability a secret, but eleven young women have been murdered in the mountains of North Carolina, and Sloan may be the only hope of finding their killer. 

She has just agreed to help Detective Nathan McNamara with the case, when a stranger—who is as alluring as he is terrifying—shows up at her doorstep with a dark past and another puzzling mystery: she can't see his soul at all. 

Now Sloan is on the hunt for a deadly psychopath with two irresistible men. One of them would die for her, and the other would kill to keep her safe.

REVIEW:

The Soul Summoner opens quickly and gives you a recap on the main character's, Sloan's, powers.  While it's quick, it is necessary so that you have a bit of back story on her abilities, and the rest of the book isn't weighed down with lengthy explanation.  Showing the history between Sloan and her BFF was also useful right off the bat, although in the first few chapters the timeline moves MUCH faster.  Weeks pass, but that's usually the nature of serial killer mysteries.
However there was a lot less investigation in this book than it leads you to believe in the blurb.  I expected there to be a lot more serial killer hunting and a bit less  obsession over two guys that are fighting over her.  Warren, the irresisstable stranger that arrives has a lot more attention than Det. McNamara as the blurb leads you to believe, and they mostly just flirt and discuss her strange ability to call to people's souls.  While I don't mind romance in a novel, this was less mystery more...flirting on every page.  It got tiring after a while, and I just wanted them to get back to the murders!
That said, it made up for it with an explosive and captivating ending.  I always go easy on books when I feel the killer is obvious, since my brother tells me I have an unusual knack for figuring out who the killer is due to my "Hollywood Formula" (basically a joke between us about how there's always a similar formula for who the killer is), and while I knew who the killer was before the reveal, it was still a good twist.
Fans of the TV series Bones or Castle would really like this book I think!  I look forward to the next one.

Feeling Nostalgic!

I've been feeling so nostalgic for books I've read in the past lately that I finally broke down and bought the box series of The Mortal Instruments with the new covers.  I originally only read the first three, because I loved the ending so much I was afraid that the other books might somehow ruin it!  But my friend read them and assures me that they don't ruin it, though they aren't quite as good as the first three.  

And while I normally want original covers in my books, I'm kind of loving the new ones so much better!

      

Waiting on Wednesday (Feb17)

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

In the concluding book in the otherworldly Taking trilogy, Kyra struggles to understand who she is as she races to save the world from complete destruction.

Ever since Kyra was abducted by aliens and then returned to earth, she has known there was something different about her. Now she knows the truth: she is an alien too. Her alien captors replaced all her human DNA with their own—gifting her with supernatural powers like incredible healing, enhanced eyesight, and telekinesis. But when she’s captured by an unexpected enemy, Kyra begins to wonder if her abilities are also a curse. And is she, as her enemies believe, meant to play some key role in helping an impending alien invasion? Is it programmed into her, something inescapable? Or can she fight that destiny?

No matter what the truth is, Kyra is sure of one thing: She just rescued the love of her life, Tyler, and she is not going to stand by and let anyone hurt him or her friends. Whatever it takes, Kyra will do everything in her power to save the world…even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

Review: Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Miss Mayhem

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Genre:YA, Fantasy

Release Date: April 7, 2015

Blurb: Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and her best friend, Bee, has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can focus on the important things in life: school, canoodling with David (her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie), and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.

Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or make her more powerful than ever. 

REVIEW:

While Miss Mayhem was not quite as fast-paced as the first book in the series, Rebel Belle, it was still an intriguing read.  From the awesome fights and action scenes to the sudden breakups and hook-ups of the characters, it kept me interested.  We come in after a large cliffhanger that reminded me how much I love to hate cliffhangers.
The one thing I found best in Miss Mayhem was Harper's relationship with her BFF Bee.  In the first book you see it a bit, but it's not until this one that you really feel their friendship.  They each express how they would rather become Paladin's than make the other do it, in a self-sacrifice kind of way.
I did find Harper was a little more whiny in this one though, and every other sentence seemed to be about how bad she felt.  I get that she's going through a tough time, but I found the fact she was feeling guilty and sad was getting shoved down my throat, especially near the end.

Overall a good follow up to Rebel Belle!

Waiting on Wednesday (Jan27)

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Lady Renegades

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Just as Harper Price starts coming to terms with her role as David Stark's battle-ready Paladin, protector, and girlfriend—her world goes crazy all over again.  
 Overwhelmed by his Oracle powers, David flees Pine Grove and starts turning teenaged girls into Paladins—and these young ladies seem to think that Harper is the enemy David needs protecting from.  Ordinarily, Harper would be able to fight off any Paladin who comes her way, but her powers have been dwindling since David left town, which means her life is on the line yet again.  Now, it’s a desperate race for Harper to find and rescue David before she backslides from superhero to your garden-variety type-A belle.  New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings the fun once again in the finale of this pitch-perfect romantic paranormal comedy series.


All these covers make me so happy!  Simple but pretty :)  After finishing Miss Mayhem this book's release is too far away.

Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking

Author: Kimberly Derting

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre:YA, Scifi

Release Date: April 29th, 2015

Blurb: A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing. 

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day. 

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men. Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own??

REVIEW:

When I first picked this book up I had thought it was going to be about faery's (since the cover has a bunch of little bugs on it!), but was pleasantly surprised by the back cover to learn it was more about alien abductions.  Who doesn't love a good alien abduction story?
Kimberly Derting is by far one of my favourite authors, and this book was no let down!  Derting grasps the voice of a teenage girl perfectly, blending normal issues like dating and school in with the preternatural problems the characters face.
I found the reactions of everyone in Kyra's life to be odd after her return; granted everyone must react oddly to something like that.  A person disappears for five years and returns with no memory there's bound to be some oddness.  Her mother was a little cold, as were her friends (her friends didn't even really make much of an appearance at all, actually).
There was something missing, however, I'm just not sure what it is.  Maybe it was because the book leaves off with such a major cliffhanger I'm feeling this way...which obviously means I just need the next one, right?  No matter what, I can't wait to find out what happens!