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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Cover reveal + Giveaway - His Risk To Take by Tessa Bailey


Summary-

The greater the risk, the hotter the reward?

Homicide cop Troy Bennett had a reputation on the Chicago PD for being fearless and in control?until the night his daredevil partner is killed during a raid. From that moment on, he swears he?ll never again be responsible for the loss of a loved one. To escape his demons, Troy transfers to the NYPD, bringing him up close and personal with Ruby Elliott, a beautiful, street-savvy pool hustler.

Reckless and stubbornly independent, Ruby embodies everything Troy?s avoiding, but when she walks into O?Hanlon?s Pub and blows his carefully laid plans to hell, Troy knows he has to have her?risks be damned. But there?s a connection between Ruby?s shadowed past and a case Troy?s working involving a notorious Brooklyn felon, throwing her safety into jeopardy. Confronted with his biggest fear, will Troy push Ruby away to keep her safe or fight to keep her in his arms where she belongs?

Giveaway-

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Pre-order buy links:

Bookblast! $50 GC + Ebook Release- Emergence by Rachel Fisher

$50 Gift Card Bookblast celebrating the RELEASE of Emergence by Rachel Fisher:

Emergence (Eden's Root Trilogy #3)Emergence 
Eden's Root Trilogy #3
by Rachel E Fisher
RELEASE DATE: APRIL 30, 2013


"I promise you, Sean. We're going to stop them."

The pieces on the board are in motion and with both sides gathering strength, each move will be critical. When the Truthers make a play for checkmate, the Seeders are forced to respond. Fi and her companions will face greater challenges and higher stakes than ever before, because this time if they fail, it's for keeps.


Amazon * Kindle * Barnes & Noble coming soon!



Seeds of War (Eden's Root trilogy #2)Seeds of War #2

The mission of Eden must be fulfilled and Eden’s best Seekers are needed. Forming a new group they dub the Seeders, Fi, Asher, and Sean are joined by a new addition as they set out to bring hope and support to the Topsiders in the form of radios and heirloom seeds. Their experiences Topside prepare them for the threat from marauding gangs they call Lobos, but it is a different, less obvious sort of threat that takes them by surprise. As radio broadcasts begin to reconnect Eden and the Topsiders, the Seeders stumble upon mysterious broadcasts from unknown stations. When two of their own new radio stations go silent within days of each other, Fi and her companions realize that something is terribly wrong. Eden finds itself pitted against a growing and unknown force as their very mission lights the flames of war.


Eden's RootEden's Root #1
It is 2033, and the world hovers on the edge of explosion as unexplained crop deaths lead to severe global food shortages. In the United States, the Sickness is taking lives slowly, creeping its way into every family. Fi Kelly has already faced the Sickness in her own family, toughening her beyond her years. But a shocking confession from her dying father will push her toughness to its absolute limits. Saddled with an impossible secret and the mission of saving her little sister, Fi sets out to transform herself into the warrior that she must become to survive the coming collapse. Along the way, she will discover that evil can be accidental and that love can be intentional.





Rachel Fisher
Rachel Fisher

I am a wife and entrepreneur living and working in Florida. I am also a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, where I majored in Biology. It was always my assumption that I would end up making research my life. Though it did not work out that way in the end, my passion for Biology remains intact. 

I have always loved biology-based science-fiction and the young adult genre. It is in this vein that I offer my work.




GIVEAWAY - Multiple Winners! 
(International)

1 - $50 Amazon gift card Grand Prize 

10 ebook copies of Emergence
5 ebook copies of Seeds of War
5 ebook copies of Edens Root
2 ebook copies of Trilogy

See Rafflecopter for restrictions

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Want to POST this awesome BOOKBLAST on your blog?!  Email BurgandyIce(at)live(dot)com for an easy-to-post html code and celebrate the release of Emergence with us!!

Teaser Tuesday #37



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Here's my teaser-
" I knew they would kill me when they found out, but..." He struggled for words, releasing a sharp breath. " I think I realized that I would rather die because I betrayed them, than live because I betrayed you."
-Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Summary-

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

What's your teaser tuesday?

Monday, April 29, 2013

Review- Please Stay by Denise Kim Wy

Goodreads Summary:

Kym isn't really thrilled about the idea of coming home if it isn't for her Dad's fiftieth birthday. After all, the reason she left seven years ago was to get away from the lie she told Ethan Richards, the boy she loved which happened to be the very same boy Kym's bestriend, Michelle loved as well. 

Now, as fate would have it, a chance encounter with Ethan brings back all the memories from their childhood along with bittersweet memories as they visit the places that witnessed their progression from childhood friends, to awkward teens dealing with love, peer pressure and entering the real world. As the day draws to an end, the question remains, has Ethan already moved on, or is he still waiting for Kym’s real answer to his question?

Please Stay is a young adult romance novel filled the awkwardness of young love, regret and second chances.


REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Please Stay by author Denise Kim Wy in exchange for an honest review. We thank Denise for the book! 

That ending. Oh my God, that ending... 
I immediately accepted author Denise Kim Wy's request to review Please Stay as it sounded good and when I read that the book ends on a sad note, it sounded even better. 
I loved this book. I held onto my own hope and I had pictured the ending in many ways. But somewhere along the way, I had a feeling about where it was going and I was devastated. 
I usually don't go much into characters details in my reviews, but I have to do it this time, simply because I found myself understanding and comprehending and at the same time sympathising with each and every character.  
Please Stay is the story of childhood best friends Kym and Ethan, and Mitchell, who later joins the original duo. When Kym realises that her girl best friend has feelings for her guy best friend, she decides to let them be, in spite of her own feelings for Ethan and from there, everything changes. 
Kym has her own aspirations and I was glad to see that she firmly stood by what she wanted to do in life and went for it. Her love for Ethan was clearly visible even though she tried to feign ignorance. While I did like Kym as a person, some of the decisions she made and the things she did really made me want to blame her for her own sorrowful situation. Even though she had her own reasons and she wanted to protect the ones she held dear to her and I could easily feel bad for her about her mom's death,  it was really upsetting that she didn't even try to do something about her feelings and just left off, leaving her dad, her best friends and her town behind. 
Mitchell, Kym's best girl friend, was an okay person. It is so easy blame her for the sudden rift between Kym and Ethan but it is unfair on Mitchell's part to believe so. Like I said, Kym had a huge role to play that she didn't play so well. 
Ethan was an amazingly sweet guy whom I adored. He's been Kym's best friend ever since the two discovered their love for books and reading in school one day. Ethan was the one who pointed out to Kym that she'd started her period. He was a smart and funny guy who I wish had had a better and more fulfilling life. He really was an amazing person and friend. 
Please Stay, as a story, takes place in the course of a day. A lot happens in this one day and I loved reading every bit of it. The present description almost always ended on a cliffhanger and the next part took us to some really sweet memories that only showed how strong a friendship Kym and Ethan shared. I enjoyed reading the snippets from their past. 
Author Denise Kim Wy's writing is  clean, neat and understandable. Although I did find a lot of grammatical errors and confusion between tenses, I must admit that it was easy to ignore it all because of the simple beauty of the story. 
Please Stay is a beautiful read that had me feeling happy and sad and good and bad, all at once.  Another bittersweet tale about family, friendship, love and relationships, Please Stay, although it may seem like it, wasn't like anything I'd read before and I mean that in a good way. I loved this book much more than I thought I would although the end had me feeling depressed and tragical. Please Stay is a very beautiful story that I wish had ended differently, but the way it ended was amazing nonetheless. 

RATING:




Sunday, April 28, 2013

Review- Until Fountain Bridge by Samantha Young

Summary-

Ellie Carmichael had a crush on Adam Sutherland, her brother, Braden’s, best friend, for years, and although Adam treated her with proprietary concern he made it clear he thought of her only as a little sister. 

Over the years, as Ellie’s crush develops into love, her romantic idealism makes it difficult for her to move on. To make matters worse, as she’s gotten older, Adam’s attitude has changed toward her. His affection for her is now joined by attraction, but his loyalty to Braden, and his fear of losing the only family he has, stops him from claiming Ellie the way she wishes he would. 

But one night his attraction is put to the test, and as much as Adam would like things to remain the same everything changes between them in a simple brush of the lips. 


Soon lust, love, jealousy and heartbreak combine to force change upon their relationship… and Adam discovers the hard way that life is too damn short to spend it on regret.

Review-

Until Fountain Bridge is an On Dublin Street novella. You can find my review of On Dublin Street here. Until Fountain Bridge is the story of Ellie and Adam who were a part of On Dublin Street. I loved their sub plot then, so as soon as I came to know that we were getting a novella for them I was super excited to get to it.

Until Fountain Bridge starts off with Adam and Ellie going through a box full of Ellie's diaries. Then we proceed to read their love story through a few of Ellie's diary entries. It moves from the present to the past and to the present again. I loved the way Samantha Young wrote the novella. It just seemed perfect for Ellie and Adam.

I loved Ellie just as much as I had in On Dublin Street. She was a sweet girl who always thought the best of everyone. Ellie's been in love with Adam since ages. She puts herself out there for him but he always finds one reason or another to shut her down while giving a hell lot of mixed signals.

Though we did not get Adam's point of view in this novella, his feelings came through all too clearly. Ellie was forbidden for him. Being his best friend, Braden's younger sister he'd always protected her and cared for her. But soon the simple relationship between them turns into more. Adam fears losing Braden and Ellie, the two most important people in his life if he goes ahead with Ellie.

I LOVED the romance between Adam and Ellie. Samantha Young knows how to put enough of angst and drama in a relationship to make it look real. I loved how Ellie stood up for herself and how Adam finally declared his love for her. My only complaint is that I wish it were longer. This is a must read for all fans of On Dublin Street. Now I can't wait for Down London Road.



Saturday, April 27, 2013

Review- Isn't It Bromanctic? by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Goodreads Summary:

Having fallen in love in The Bro-Magnet, ultimate man's man Johnny Smith and D.A. Helen Troy marry at the outset of ISN'T IT BROMANTIC? Never has a sports-loving couple been so well suited. Now everything should be wedded bliss, right? Not exactly. On a honeymoon cruise, both contract a virus but Helen recovers more quickly. Still confined to their stateroom, Johnny is fine with her going off on her own, until Helen has a little too much fun playing beach volleyball with an all-male group of German tourists. And things only grow worse as they return home to CT and try to set up life as a married couple. Can Johnny and Helen's marriage be saved?


REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Isn't It Bromantic? from author Lauren Baratz-Logsted in exchange for an honest review. We thank Lauren for the book! 

I absolutely like and thoroughly enjoyed reading Lauren Baratz-Logsted's The Bro-Magnet (my review of which can be read here) and I was delighted when the author contacted us to review her book, Isn't It Bromantic?
Without even looking much into the book, I said yes because I know for a fact that Lauren's books come with the guarantee of the reader having a good laugh and a good time while reading. 
I thought Isn't It Bromantic? would be the story of one of the friends of Johnny, the protagonist in The Bro-Magnet although most of them were already married. I don't read summaries (yes, that's how it works for me) so I was in for a surprise with this one. 
I must admit that on the one hand, I was fairly surprised that Isn't It Bromantic? is the continued story of Johnny and Helen since they already got a happy ending in the first book. On the other hand, once I began reading, I realised how much I'd missed this cute couple. I even missed the whole of Johnny's gang and was happy to meet them again. Hell, I even missed his cat (although I'm not a cat person)! 
Isn't It Bromantic? starts off with Johnny and Helen's wonderful marriage ceremony followed by their cruise honeymoon and the two of them trying to fall into the marriage routine. They still find it amusing and hard to believe that they're married. 
Johnny is such a hilarious man, I love his sense of humour. Like I already said, you're bound to have a rocking time listening to the voice in his head. Sometimes, he does seem way too nice and way too concerned for a guy, but all his friends love that about him. He is cluelessly super sweet. He really is a caring, genuine and sweet guy. All that matters to him is his wife's happiness and he makes sure she gets it. 

Helen seemed a little off to me in this one but we get to know all about her reasons later on in the book. She is a very nice and smart girl with her own insecurities and problems and she's perfect for Johnny. They're both perfect for each other. 
It was such a pleasure to again encounter the hilarious bunch of people from The Bro-Magnet
Johnny's dad Big John and his Aunt Alfresca get married and are trying to work on that. They were both their usual jovial , wonderful and weird self respectively. Johnny's gang of friends Billy and his wife Alice and Drew were super interesting as usual and in their own ways, they all help Johnny with adjusting to the married life. 
Sam, Johnny's best friend, ex neighbour and business partner was her usual feisty self. I love her as a character. She keeps Johnny in line and I sincerely hope she gets a happily ever after for herself. 
An addition of characters brought more enthusiasm in Isn't It Bromantic? 

Johnny meets a little girl Willow on the cruise and the two remain friends. Willow was a complete darling and rather highly intellectually developed for her age, but lots of fun nonetheless. Johnny's barber Stavros, who takes shelter in the newly wed couple's home was entertaining and I admired him as a character. He had a great personality. Although I must admit that I missed meeting Helen's large, boisterous and cuddly family.  
Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted's writing keeps the reader awake, entertained and wanting more. Isn't It Bromantic? was an hilarious riot of the ups and downs of marriage. I adored how Johnny rounds up his married life with Helen. 

"We are flawed human beings, and we will spend the rest of our lives being flawed together." 

It had me go all 'aw, Johnny!'. Just like the first book, I absolutely liked and thoroughly enjoyed reading Isn't It Bromantic? as well. It was  an adorable read. The Nice Guy series is truly a nice series of a really nice guy. 


REVIEW:



Friday, April 26, 2013

Feature & Follow Friday #36



Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Today's question is:

Q:  Is there a song that reminds you of a book? Or vice versa? What is the song & the book?

My answer:

I think Be Your Everything by Boys Like Girls reminds me of Woods and Della from Twisted Perfection. I can imagine Woods pretty well singing it to Della because all he wants to do is fix everything for her and be her everything :)



I would love to know your answer!
Follow us and we'll follow back!
Happy Friday everybody :)

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Review- Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Summary-

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose - for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back...and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?


Review-

Last Sacrifice starts two days after the shocking events which took place in Spirit Bound. Rose Hathaway has always found a way around the law and has gotten away with a lot of things but this time things couldn't be worse. Like every other book in the series we dive straight into the action.

Rose is in prison for a crime she didn't even commit. The whole situation is utterly dire. The Royal Court is in chaos and there is no way that Rose can help Lissa. But as resourceful as Rose and her friends are they find a way out. Through all this Rose has to accept Dimitri and Adrian's help.

I don't know how to say much about Last Sacrifice without spoiling the book but I shall try my best to summarize it. Rose is in prison for a crime she did not commit. She has to find that one person who can possibly stall her execution. Plus Lissa is the new candidate for the royal throne. She has to go through her own set of tests.

We get to see all the characters from the previous books in Last Sacrifice. Everyone comes together for the grand finale. I loved the romance between Rose and Dimitri. We get to see how they truly love each other. I hated to see Adrian's heart break but it was inevitable and he still has a lot of growing up to do. Christian, Eddie, Janinie Hathaway, Abe, Sydney, Jill, Mikhail and all others made for a great cast of characters.

Last Sacrifice was a very satisfying ending to Rose and Lissa's journey. Obviously all things are not settled as yet but for the most part this side of the story was concluded. I'm getting bittersweet feelings after Last Sacrifice. Rose was one of the best protagonists I've read and enjoyed. The whole series actually was one of the best ones. I will definitely be reading Bloodlines but for now I just want to bask in the glow of Vampire Academy.



Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Blog Tour: 20 Questions with Asher Lake + Giveaway- Call Of The Raven by Shawn Reilly

Hello, all! Today is our stop on the Call Of The Raven Blog Tour hosted by Karen @ Literati Literature Lovers


We have a really nice and informative spotlight post and a 20 Questions with the protagonist, Asher Lake AND a super cool giveaway for you! So let's quickly move onto it all. 



AUTHOR:  Shawn Reilly

GENRE: Paranormal Drama

PUBLICATION DATE: January 22, 2013

 EVENT ORGANIZED BY: Literati Literature Lovers

   

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Love is something everyone longs for at the deepest level—but for some, love is a curse. This is most certainly true for Asher Lake, the Keeper of an unknown group of people called ani-shifts. Ani-shifts, those with the ability to shift into animal forms, compose a secretive body of individuals known simply as the Union.

A wolf in shifter form, Asher lives with a curse placed upon him and his predecessors by the elusive Raven—a dark entity whose identity remains a mystery. According to the ancient archives, the Raven’s curse is conditional and set in motion by one fatal decision: if a Keeper ever allows himself to fall in love he will die.

Choosing to live in isolation within the walls of Lake Manor, a private estate concealed by the dense woods of Brokenridge, Asher has vowed never to love or to fall in love with anyone believing it to be the only way to survive. However, after ten years of neglecting his people and the protégés left in his care, along with the impending threats of an uprising, Asher learns the only way to break the Raven’s curse on future Keepers, thereby preventing them from suffering the same fate, is to accept his.

This becomes his strongest challenge of all when he encounters Elle Ison, the woman of his dreams. Does Elle hold the key? Can she help him change his fate?


PURCHASE LINKS:




 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


When it seemed like I was only an F away from flunking out of the sixth grade, a retired school teacher took me under her wing. After some tutoring and testing, she informed my parents that the reason I was having trouble in school wasnt because I was dumb but instead dyslexic.
When my stepfather heard this, he decided to take me to a used bookstore with the belief that the best way to improve my reading skills was to read. Some of the books were hard to get through at first, but with his encouragement I refused to give up. We made many trips to that bookstore, and I especially loved the science fiction and fantasy sections.
Then one day, after complaining about the ending of a particular book, he told me that if I didnt like the books that I had been reading, then to write one myselfso I did. My first attempt resulted in a horribly written western when I was fourteen, staring a cocky gun slinging cowboy by the name Curt Calhoun. Curt along with his seven brothers, who all shared C names in common, may never have seen the pages of a book, but that was the day I started writing, and never stopped.
I have over fifty books on my computer which I've written in various genres, all of which are waiting to come to life. Even though my ability to write has improved over the years, I am humble enough to admit that I cannot venture on this journey alone
Sincerely yours, Shawn Reilly

Shawn Reilly lives in Mt. Comfort Indiana with her husband, and three daughters. Call of the Raven is her debut novel. She is currently working on the second novel in the Union series. She writes in various genres, which include paranormal romance/urban legend, science fiction, dystopian, fantasy, suspense, and dramedy.

AUTHOR LINKS:




Website


20 QUESTIONS WITH ASHER LAKE:

I stepped into the dining room instantly aware that, upon seeing me, Asher Lake’s face changed from his normal distant expression to that of annoyance. I wasn’t sure what it was about me, but I seemed to draw out the worst qualities from him. Often, I had to remind myself, when I was in his presence, that I am a tiger as well as a Pillar Council member and I deserved to be treated with respect.
However, more often than not, by the time our conversation was finished I walked away completely exasperated and intimidated. Despite his displeasure, this interview was an attempt to change that—how the Union and I felt about him. His family was gone and he was bored. I knew those two factors were the only reasons he had conceded to do this interview, but I planned to take advantage of his vulnerability. Walking to the table I sat down and placed my small recorder in front of me, along with my notebook and pencil. 
“Is this really necessary Madam Linn?” he scowled at the recorder.
“You can either answer the questions through me,” I told him, “or you can subject yourself to Pixie Landers, the mouth of the Nashville Press.”
“You mean the gossip of the Union,” he sighed. “She derives pleasure out of twisting everything I say. I believe the last time she tried that though, I sent her an apple afterward that was enchanted with a truth spell. It turned her into a mute for three weeks. I don’t think her husband minded at all.” Asher laughed and, waving a hand toward the center of the table, he drew my eyes there. I noticed then the fruit bowl that displayed not one, but several juicy red apples. “Speaking of that, please do help yourself.”
“How about we just get started?” I frowned to express how I feel about his behavior. While I opened the notebook and turned on the tape recorder, he removed an apple from the bowl and took a bite. There was no denying the smirk on his full lips as he waited for me to begin.
Linn: “First of all, tell me about Asher Lake, describe yourself to me.”
Asher: “I am quite sure that opinion would change depending on who you ask, but since you asked me, I consider myself a caring, creative and complex man.”
Linn: “Caring? You would describe yourself as caring, when you’ve chosen to ignore the Union for the last ten years, and the protégés left in your care?”
Asher: “I believe the words you so eloquently used to ask that question were ‘describe yourself to me,’ which I can only assume, Madam, meant that you wanted me to give an accurate conjecture of myself. And despite what the Union or certain members of the Pillar Council and my family hold true, I am caring in that I have done things, without their knowledge, for their benefit.”
Linn:” Would you care to elaborate on that?”
Asher: “No I would not. Next question please.”
Linn: “You’re the Keeper to the Union and a wolf in your animal form. How do you feel about both?”
Asher: “Neither are things I would have chosen for myself. Next, and please don’t be boring. I hate to be bored.” 
Linn: “When you’re driving down the road what music do you like to listen to?”
Asher: “I love all sorts of music,” he paused, long enough to study my features. Asher never left Lake Manor so I was quite sure he thought my question was an attempt to tease him. When he saw that I was perfectly serious, he proceeded to answer. “I especially like Breaking Benjamin. They have a particular song that I often consider my theme song. It’s titled Forever. You should listen to it sometimes, maybe then you’ll have a better perspective of me.”
Linn: “I’m sure, but for now answer this. If you had a free day and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do? Where would you go?”
Asher: “I believe, if I could do anything, I would like to see the ocean. I would sit on the beach and watch the sun set over the horizon. I wouldn’t do anything else but be thankful that I was there and that I was alive.”
Linn: “Tell me Asher, what are your strengths, weaknesses and talents?”
Asher: “I believe the consensus of rumor is that my magic and fighting skills are my strengths, since I am both a mage and a martial arts master, but I would have to say the bond that I share with my brother is my strength. Nevertheless, that same bond can also serve as my weakness. Talent, I guess, that would be the fact that I like to build things, write…and draw.”
Linn: “Why does that seem to embarrass you?”
Asher: “I guess it’s just not something a man like me should do.”
Linn: “Since that last question about your weakness seemed to invoke feeling from you in respect to Ari, can you tell me how do you feel about him and the protégés now that you’re an adult?”
Asher: “I imagine I feel the same way about them now that I did when I was younger, except the rat. He especially gets on my nerves. If I were you, I would watch my phone. He has a thing about taking things that don’t belong to him.” Asher produced a small flame of fire on the palm of his hand and continued to place an apple in that flame. Within seconds the sweet aroma of roasting apple filled my nostrils. With a widening leer, he doused the flames and bit into the warmed fruit. “But let’s not discuss rats or my brother any longer.  Go ahead Linn. Ask me the question that you’ve been dying to ask.”
Linn: How do you feel about using death magic, as you just showed me you are quite skilled in, when according to the archives it is illegal and punishable by the Council?
Asher: I feel that using death magic is a contradiction to everything that I am forced to uphold. But if you knew anything about death magic or my history, you would know that I never intentionally set out to learn it. Next question? 
Linn: Fine, since youre not into expounding on things, tell me then how do you express your happiness and anger?
Asher: Believe me Linn, as I know you have witnessed, when I am angry there is no doubt of that. As for my happiness, I cant say I know what that feels like anymore.
Linn: When was the last time you remember being happy?
Asher: When Grant was still alive and Ari and I were just boys, but things changed and so did I.
Linn: What is your greatest fear?
Asher: Losing those I care about.
Linn: What is the worst thing youve ever done?
Asher: There are far too many of those to answer properly.
Linn: Okay, name two.
Asher: I put someone in the hands of an employee I thought I could trust and here recently I learned the price of that decision. The second thing would be taking someones memory, and even though I was forced to do it, I still live with regret. And no, I will not go into detail on that either.
Linn: When it pertains to the Union and the protégés, what could you have done to make things better or different?
Asher: I would have been a true Keeper, one that warranted respect and one that ruled as he saw fitfree to make his own choicesnot one forced to follow outdated archives.
Linn: How do you feel about the Council?
Asher: I hate the Council and find everything about them evil.
Linn: How do you feel about the threat of an uprising and those that oppose you?
Asher: I feel that Ive opened doors and given them permission. I havent been the best leader Madam Linn, or, are you failing to remember that about me?
Linn: No, I havent and stop trying to needle me. How did you feel the night Grant was called?
Asher: Lost, alone, and scared.next?
Linn: How do you feel about men who abuse women?
Asher: I feel that when a man is accused of abusing a woman he should be tied to a pole and held accountable by the very women he abused. She should be given her choice of weapon and be allowed to do anything that she pleased with him, until she felt worthy, beautiful and loved. That is how I feel.
Linn: Okay then, since were on the topic of women. Describe your ideal dream mate? If you found the ideal mate, would you want to marry and have children?
Asher: I know you are perfectly aware of where I stand on the matter of children. Without love, I will not marry or have an heir, and to say that I dream of a fairytale life is highly unproductive isnt itsince, in fact, I have made a vow not to love.
Linn: Hypothetically speaking then, describe your ideal mate. 
Asher: Preferably, she would be one that doesnt ask annoying questions, Asher heavily exhaled, and removing a small tin from his shirt pocket I watched him take out a mint and place it in his mouth. Asher had nice lips, which made me wonder if he had ever kissed a woman before. Clearing my thoughts, I tuned back in to listen. The ideal mate would be one that I feel needs my protection. She would be a woman that receives me and my family for who and what we are. And in the end, accepts the fact that I may not be around for very long.
Linn: That being said, Im surprised that your criteria doesnt come with hair color and bust size preferences, given you have Ari for a brother. Sothere are no specific features that you like in a woman?
Asher: I prefer blue eyes. 
Linn: Oh, is there any particular woman in your life that youre attracted to with blue eyes?
Asher: Yes, and to challenge my previous statement, I have pictured her in my dreams many times, but sometimes dreams and reality fail to communicate.
Linn: I get the impression that you dont like talking about this particular subject. Can you tell me what scares you most about this person?
Asher: Other than my death? I would think that would be enough to scare any man. Two more questions, Linn and that is all. My brother should be arriving home shortly and we have business to discuss, so choose wisely.
I carefully looked over my list of questions until I came to the last two. Ashers reluctance to talk about a mate originated from the knowledge that he lived with a curse upon his life. Just as the Keepers before him, the curse is set in motion by the simple act of falling in love, and the result was always the same. When the Keeper fell in love they died. But Asher also had a destiny that, on occasion, I needed to remind him of. 
Linn: What would be the one thing you would change if you could for future Keepers?
Asher: I would prevent them from having to live under the same fate I have. I would give them the chance to know life, love and happiness.
Linn: Good answer, and with that said, what would you like it to say on your tombstone?
Asher: It would say just one thing below my name, and that would be the word protector.
With that Asher Lake stood and walked away from the table. He left me with my pencil and notebook, and a great deal of emotions stirring that I never felt toward him before and that was sympathy, sorrow, and regret. Quite possibly, I realized, I had him all wrong. And then, as I sat there pondering my thoughts, I reached for the tape recorder only to have it burst into flames. Dropping it to the table I sat staring at the fireball, while behind me Asher Lakes laughter resounded off the dining room walls. 

GIVEAWAY:

As part of the Tour, author Shawn Reilly is generously giving away ONE signed copy of her book Call of the Raven (The Union Series Book #1) to ONE lucky US reader on each stop. 


~For our giveaway, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. 
~If the form doesn't load, click here

~The giveaway is US ONLY. The book will be shipped by the author to the winner. 

~After a winner is picked, they will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or we'll be compelled to pick another winner. 


A big thank you to Karen for hosting this wonderful tour and to Shawn for the giveaway! 
Good luck in the giveaway, thank you for stopping by, and happy reading!