BLOG TOUR: Brazen (Gilded #3) by Christina Farley - Ashley's Review + GIVEAWAY!

Today we’re super excited to be celebrating the release of BRAZEN by Christina Farley! BRAZEN is the third and final book in the Gilded series about a sixteen-year old girl who must use her martial art skills and wits to save her family, friends, and country from an evil Korean god.

To learn more about this series, visit the Gilded Series website. Watch GILDED's book trailer here!

Be sure to pick up the letter for this stop at the end of this post to earn extra points in the Kindle Fire or $50 Amazon gift card giveaway! Collect all the letters during the blog tour to spell out the secret message to earn more points.

About the Book

Find it: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads | Indie

Ashley's Review

You guys. This series. I've been anxiously awaiting this conclusion to the Gilded series since I finished reading Silvern, and it did not disappoint. I mean, I loved the first two books - they're full of action, romance, mystery, mythology, friendship, and incredible world-building. But this book. This book is probably my favorite in this series! 

First of all, the ending of Silvern almost killed me. I needed this book immediately, and I was so sad that I had to wait a year to read it. I mean, it was SO worth the wait, but the choice Jae had to make was horrible and definitely a no-win situation. Most of this book deals with the consequences of her choice, and follows her as she tries to make amends and right things that are even necessarily her fault. She's separated from her friends, family, and Mark, and most of them believe she's dead. It's terrible, and I don't envy her at all. 

One of my favorite things about this series is the incredible world building. I thought that this book would have less, since it is the third book, but I was so wrong. Jae travels to new places in both the real world and the spirit world, and I really enjoyed seeing them through her eyes. There's a lot more showing than telling, which is how I prefer my world building, and the descriptions are beautifully written. I felt like I was in China, and in the temple, and on the docks with Jae. I've never even been to any part of Asia, but I felt like I was seeing all of these incredible places with my own eyes. 

I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of the mythological creatures and gods. Some are familiar from previous books, some are brand new, and most of them I'd never even heard of before reading this series. I love learning about other religions and myths, even if it's from a fantasy book. I'll probably spend an afternoon researching Korean and Chinese deities now, just so I can reread and get even more from these books. And speaking of deities, Kud is awful. I mean, there are times when he doesn't seem so bad, but then he reverts back to his normal self and it's horrible. I felt so terrible that Jae was in such a bad position. 

Without giving too much away, this is a book you NEED in your hands ASAP. Especially if you've read Gilded and Silvern. It ties up pretty much all of the loose ends and is just a really excellent conclusion. I'm so glad this series turned into a trilogy, and I can't wait to read more from Christina! Also, can we just take a moment to admire that cover? GORGEOUS. Absolute favorite in the series. 5/5!!

About the Author

CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the Gilded series, a YA contemporary fantasy series set in Korea. GILDED was nominated for Korea's 2014 Morning Calm, Ohio's 2015 Buckeye award, and the Tome’s It List. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. Christina's adventures sparked her to write stories, infusing the real world with fantasy. Currently she writes from home in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown.

Find Christina Here: Website • Twitter • YouTube • Facebook • Tumblr • Goodreads • Instagram

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of BRAZEN, Christina is giving away a Kindle Fire (US only) and a $50 Amazon gift card (international). The letter for this stop is  N. Collect all the
letters from the blog tour to earn more points!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLAST: Silvern (Gilded #2) by Christina Farley + GIVEAWAY!

Hello! We're really excited to be featuring Christina Farley's newest book, Silvern, today! Silvern is the sequel to Gilded, and is out now from Skyscape. 

There's also a giveaway for a $50 Amazon giftcard, so be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post.

About the Book

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Title: Silvern (Gilded #2)

Author: Christina Farley

Publication Date: September 23, 2014

Synopsis: Jae Hwa Lee has destroyed Haemosu, the dangerous demi-god that held her ancestors captive, and now she’s ready to forget about immortals and move on with her life. Then the god of darkness, Kud, sends an assassin to kill her. Jae escapes with the knowledge that Kud is seeking the lost White Tiger Orb, and joins the Guardians of Shinshi to seek out the orb before Kud can find it.

But Kud is stronger and more devious than Haemosu ever was. Jae is soon painfully reminded that by making an enemy of Kud, she has placed her closest friends in danger, and must decide how much she can bear to sacrifice to defeat one of the most powerful immortals in all of Korea.

About the Author

After teaching and traveling internationally for ten years, Christina started writing about her adventures, tossing in a little fiction for fun. This inspired her to write the GILDED series, a YA series based on Korean mythology about a Korean-American girl who takes her destiny into her own hands.

Besides writing, Christina loves traveling, running, driving too fast, and eating dark chocolate.

Christina writes fantasy for teens. She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of the Jennifer Lyons Literary, LLC.
Learn more about Christina by visiting her at www.christinafarley.com or by chatting with her on Twitter @christinafarley.


WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

The Giveaway! 

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

Winner will receive a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gilded (Gilded #1) by Christina Farley - Ashley's Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Gilded (Gilded #1)
Author: Christina L. Farley
Publication Date: March 1, 2014

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.

But that’s not Jae’s only problem.

There's also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae's heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own—one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae's been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she's always been looking for.

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Review: I love a good fantasy novel. Especially contemporary fantasy. Through some magic and supernatural beings and a decent back story in, and you'll have me hooked. Gilded has all of that and more, and is probably one of my favorite contemporary fantasy books that I've read. At least in the past several years.

Going in to this book, I was not even close to being familiar with Korean mythology. I have no idea who the gods are or what they do or what other supernatural beings there are, so I was hoping I might learn a little bit and dove in head first. Luckily, Christina included enough information about the important deities that I wasn't completely lost every time Haemosu was mentioned or Jae was whisked away into the realm of the gods. I still wouldn't say I was familiar with Korean mythology, but I do know more than I did before and I also felt compelled to look up more. 

Jae was one of those characters that I couldn't decide if I loved or wanted to smack though. Most of the time, she's alright. She's dealing with the loss of a parent, being uprooted to a completely new country (even though she's half Korean, she was raised in the States and is definitely more American than Korean as far as culture goes), and a grandfather who keeps pushing her away and telling her to leave Korea. I'd be pretty upset about all of that if I was her too, so I can't really blame her. 

But then there are other times when she does completely stupid things. Her aunt specifically tells her not to let Haemosu touch her... and then she goes and lets him do it anyway. She is perfectly capable of saving herself, but it seems like every time she gets into a pickle, she needs someone else to rescue her. It's frustrating and I would be so annoyed if I was her grandfather or her aunt or her friend. 

There is a little bit of romance, and I think it's written very well. Jae and Marc have a sort of chemistry from the very beginning, and I enjoyed watching them become closer and watching Jae decide that it's ok to trust someone else enough to maybe have a real relationship with them. Their romance is important to the story, but it's never the MOST important thing. It comes up, but the other problems always push it to the back when necessary. It isn't overwhelming or creepy or weird, and I really enjoyed how it fit into the story. 

Overall, Gilded is a really excellent contemporary fantasy. I'm really excited to read Silvern and find out what happens next. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary YA fantasy books focused around mythology. 4/5 for this one!


--Ashley

FREE BOOK!: Backward Compatible by Sarah Daltry and Pete Clark

Happy Thursday! Today is an extra-special Thursday too, because Pete Clark and Sarah Daltry have lowered the price of their gamer geek romance down to FREE on Amazon! Ashley absolutely loved this book, and recommends it to all of her gamer/nerd/geek friends. We've also featured it, and Pete & Sarah, a couple of times, so be sure to check out this interview with Sarah & Pete and Pete's Top (more than) Ten Video Games!

In case you haven't heard about Backward Compatible, Sarah, or Pete, here's a little information about the book and the authors. 

About the Book

Amazon | Goodreads


Title: Backward Compatible

Authors: Sarah Daltry and Pete Clark

Synopsis: Not too long ago, in a town that, depending on your current location, is either not super far or actually quite close… 

It is a time of chaotic hormones.

Two nerdy gents home for winter break have discovered a female gamer at a midnight release.

During the break, the gamer trio manages to reveal the game’s secret boss, a hidden enemy with enough power to destroy anything in its path. 

Pursued by other gamers who want to be the first to beat this boss, George and Katie race to level up, and, in so doing, restore decency and sexual activity to their personal galaxy…

About the Authors

Sarah Daltry writes about the regular people who populate our lives. She's written works in various genres - romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn't as important as telling a story about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA characters but she's been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about relationships - romantic, familial, friendly - because love and empathy are the foundation of life. It doesn't matter if the story is set in contemporary NY, historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future - human beings are most interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind all of Sarah's stories.

Sarah has spent most of her life in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really anything because learning is fun.

When Sarah isn't writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window. 

She has written several books, most notably Bitter Fruits, an urban fantasy in the Eden’s Fall series, and the Flowering series, including Forget Me Not, Lily of the Valley, and Star of Bethlehem.

Pete Clark likes writing, animals, potato chips, and cheese. Midnight Riders is his first published novel, although he can also proudly say he finally finished Helix Crashing, the fantasy novel he has been working on for over a decade. In addition, he has written Across the Barren Landscape, a collection of linked Western short stories. He also writes plays, both dramatic and comedic. 

When he is not writing, Pete tends to ignore everyone around him and obsess over sports.

Author Social Media Links:

Sarah: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | YouTube | Authorgraph 

Pete: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks for stopping by and supporting Sarah & Pete! 


--Ashley & Paul

Gilded (Gilded #1) by Christina L. Farley - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Gilded (Gilded #1)
Author: Christina L. Farley
Publication Date: March 1, 2014

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.

But that’s not Jae’s only problem.

There's also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae's heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own—one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae's been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she's always been looking for.

Why?: I'm always up for a good fantasy, and I'm really excited that this one seems to deal heavily with Korean mythology. I'm not familiar with Korean mythology...at all... so I think it will be really interesting. Throw in a heroine who sounds like she's pretty kick-ass and a little romance and I'm hooked already!

Expectations: I'm expecting a pretty epic fantasy with a girl who can take control of the situation and fight her way out if she has to. I'm also really looking forward to learning a little bit about some popular Korean myths/tales/creatures. I've heard some pretty great things about this book, so my expectations are probably higher than they would normally be considering this is Christina's debut novel! 

Judging a book by its cover: I adore this cover. I love the way it is literally gilded around the edges, and how the title is also gilded. The blue of the ocean and the bird creature really makes the gold pop, and I really like how dark and mysterious and ghostly everything looks. I would definitely pick this book up off the shelf - it's part of what initially drew me to the book! 


--Ashley

Killing Ruby Rose by Jessie Humphries - Vlog Extravaganza + Giveaway!

Hello!

We're really excited today to be hosting Jessie Humphries, author of Killing Ruby Rose, as a part of her vlog tour! Jessie's publisher, Amazon/SkyScape hired a film crew to video her major extravanganza launch party in Las Vegas, NV and interview Jessie, the filmmaker of her trailer, and more! Some of those videos were used for local media, but the rest are being used for this vlog tour.

Jessie is also giving away a $20 Amazon gift card, a copy of Killing Ruby Rose in audio book format, and a Killing Ruby Rose T-shirt, so don't forget to enter via the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post.

Our video is an interview with movie director JJ Huckin on the night of Jessie's launch party. Let us know what you think in the comments!

About the Book

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Killing Ruby Rose

Author: Jessie Humphries

Publication Date: May 1st, 2014

Synopsis: In sunny southern California, Ruby Rose is known for her killer looks and her killer SAT scores. But ever since her dad, an LAPD SWAT sergeant, died six months ago, she’s also got a few killer secrets.

To cope with her father’s death, Ruby has been trying to stay focused on school (the top spot in her class is on the line) and spending time with friends (her Jimmy Choos and Mahnolo Blahniks are nothing if not loyal), but after months of therapy and more than a few months of pathetic parenting by her mom, District Attorney Jane Rose, Ruby decides to pick up where her dad left off and starts going after the bad guys herself. 

But when Ruby ends up killing a murderer in defense of another, she discovers that she’s gone from being the huntress to the hunted. There’s a sick mastermind at play, and he has Ruby in his sights. Ruby must discover who’s using her to implement twisted justice before she ends up changing Valentino red for prison orange. 

With a gun named Smith, a talent for martial arts, and a boyfriend with eyes to die for, Ruby is ready to face the worst. And if a girl’s forced to kill, won’t the guilt sit more easily in a pair of Prada peep-toe pumps?

About the Author

Jessie Humphries was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. She received a BA from San Diego State University, where she cultivated her love of the beach, then lived in France, where she cultivated her weakness for shoes, and finally earned a law degree from UNLV, where she cultivated her interest in justice. After practicing law for several years she began writing, and, appropriately, her debut novel Killing Ruby Rose is a thriller about vigilante justice set in sunny southern California with a shoe-obsessed protagonist. Jessie currently writes and practices law in Las Vegas, where she lives with her husband and children.

Web | Blog | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Tumblr | Goodreads

The Giveaway!

During this exclusive vlog event, Jessie is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card, a copy of Killing Ruby Rose in audio book format, and a Killing Ruby Rose T-shirt!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We hope you enjoyed the interview as much as we did! Thanks for stopping by! :)

--Ashley & Paul