Cover Reveal: Release

I've been a big fan of M.R. Merrick's books, a fantastic self-published Canadian author. His books are true gems in the YA world and I sing their praises at every chance I get!

I was super excited to hear that there was more information about the final book in the trilogy, Release, including a cover reveal and I'm so happy I get to share it with all of you today!

Synopsis:
After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems. Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates. Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna. One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.

I love all Matt's covers, but this one is a perfect addition. It will look fantastic with the other two, and I love that they're all gender-neutral. I love a gorgeous, female-oriented cover as much as the next person but these covers do such a great job on completely capturing the feel of the books and definitely wouldn't isolate either gender.

For more info, make sure to check out:

M.R. Merrick | Goodreads | Exiled (Protector #1) | Shift (Protector #2)

So tell me, what do you think - good cover? Good fit for the series?

Indie Author Giveaway Hop

There are some REALLY amazing indie/small press books out there, so I knew I wanted to sign on as part of I Am A Reader, Not A Writer's giveway hop highlighting some of these in support of some of the awesome books I've read!

You can find the full list of blogs participating here - good luck entering the giveaways in the hop :)

There are so many awesome indie/small press books that I've read, and as much as I wish I could highlight all of them here, I'm giving away the first two books in a series I've enjoyed reading so much <3 Plus, the author's Canadian and he gets bonus points just for that.

Exiled (The Protector #1) by M.R. Merrick
Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase's birthday, the bloodline stopped.

Exiled without the Circle's protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle's agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can't do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna — a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret.

In their attempt to stop them, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it.

The sequel to Exiled is Shift.

To find out more, you can find my review for Exiled here and read my review for Shift here.

(If you're interested in some other well done, interesting indie books to read I would also recommend Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace, Pyxis by K.C. Neal, Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper, and Witch Song by Amber Argyle to name a few. )
Make sure to take note of the giveaway policy for this blog, and fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter (take note of the rules in the form). And yes, this one's open internationally :) one winner will win the books from The Book Depository.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Shift

Not too long ago, I discovered a real gem in the world of self-published books. Exiled is such a fantastic book and it has easily crept onto my list of favourite books! I want ALL of you to read this one, because it's a real gem :)

And in case you're curious, you can read my review for Exiled here, and check out my author interview with M.R. Merrick here! Finally, at the very end of this post there's a giveaway for a copy of SHIFT!

But today I'm lucky enough to be one of the stops on the blog tour for the sequel to Exiled - Shift! Shift was released on February 1, 2012 and I have to say that I loved it even BETTER than the first.

For my stop today, I have a short & exciting, SPOILER-FREE teaser for you! And yes, you can read this teaser even if you haven't read Exiled :) and then I'll share my review for Shift with you.

My eyes tore open to the sound of screaming. The drywall rattled and Rayna’s voice raged through the wall. My pulse jumped as panic set in and I leapt from my bed moving straight for the door. I ran through the archway, pants tangling on my legs as I tried to pull them up. Marcus, Willy, and Tiki were halfway down the hall, their faces owned by fear. 

Marcus reached the door before me, turned the silver handle, and pushed through. The door creaked and the smell of blood, sweat, and something else seeped from the darkness. Marcus flicked on the light and I saw what I already feared.

Doesn't that just make you want to dive right in?? You have NO idea what you're missing by not reading these books! :)

1. Thoroughly action packed!:
   One thing that I love about Matt's books is that he totally doesn't disappoint when it comes to a lack of action; there is constant excitement going on, and he has a knack for writing gripping action sequences that leave you flipping through the pages as fast as you can, dying to know what happens!
2. Full cast of characters:
   One thing I love about The Protector series is that it has a really wide range of characters, which keeps things interesting. It's such a good mix, and everyone has their own positive and negative qualities so they're very realistic. They're each great in their own, unique way and all bring something special to the story. Chase is a great character in particular, and he definitely has some Harry Potter-esque charm to him; a misfit who just wants to fit in, seriously loyal and endearing in his own way. And he's out to save the world and all that jazz ;) Oh, and I told Matt on Twitter one day that Vincent (a vampire character) TOTALLY reminds me of Spike from Buffy. And if that isn't reason enough to read this... well, I don't know what is!
3. Well-done romance:
   If you read some of my previous reviews, you'll most likely notice a trend that I love well thought out, naturally flowing relationships. I like them to develop on their own terms, rather than feeling rushed or overly insta!love. And I love how the romance is handled in Exiled and then Shift; there's some great tension and build up to it, and even though there's initial attraction it takes time to build that sense of trust and affection.

This is a series I sincerely doubt you'll regret picking up; I highly recommend you give this one a shot if you like exciting, action-filled books!

Purchase Exiled as an e-book
Purchase Exiled as a paperback
Purchase Shift as an e-book

Make sure you stop by Matt's blog to see the rest of the tour stops too!

And lastly, I have one e-book of Shift available to give to one of you! And if the winner hasn't read Exiled yet, I'm willing to personally gift them an e-book copy of it as well :)

All you have to do is being 13 years of age or older (with parental permission) and leave a comment on the excerpt telling me what you think of it! And make sure you leave your e-mail address. Giveaway will run for one week and will end on February 10th at 11:59 p.m. EST. Good luck!

Cover Reveal: Shift

I've been waiting for this cover for WEEKS, and I was so excited when I received an e-mail announcing the cover reveal!

Exiled was a fantastic book, and I was surprised by how much I loved it and since then I've been anxious for the next book... thankfully, it's almost here! Shift is its sequel, and I love how well the two covers go together.

The synopsis below for Shift includes spoilers to the first book, Exiled. So if you're worried about some spoilers, you might want to skip reading the description. But if you want to know more about Exiled, you can check out my review for it here!

Synopsis:

Devastated by the loss of his mother, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else–a monster threatening to tear her apart.
As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.

You can add Shift (or Exiled) to your Goodreads shelf here and find M.R. Merrick on Twitter or check out his blog.

P.S. He's Canadian too! As if you need another reason to read his books ASAP.