Terrapin by A.C. Troyer - Book Blitz

EXCERPT

“Hold still,” he said.

I froze. My thoughts instantly drew a large coiling snake at my feet, but then a gentle wipe of his thumb swept across my cheek. I jerked away in response. “What are you doing?” I covered his path with my hand, as if the man-germs burned me.

“Hold still. You made it worse. And don’t look at me like I’m your favorite dessert, it’s not helping the situation any.”

There was a tease in his tone. “What situation?” I asked. “And I’m not. Trust me.” I displayed the most repulsed expression I could. The hem of his shirt pulled up over his crossed arms and cleared his head. “Whoa.” My palms few up. “You’re reading the signs all wrong. Put your shirt back on,” I pleaded to him. My eyes widened, soaking up the definition of his stomach. Holy abs.

“You like what you see?” He laughed, waggling his eyebrows.

I gained my composure and mocked a laugh. “I was just thinking you’re almost as toned as I am. Close, but not quite there yet, big guy,” I said, patting his stomach.

His closed lipped dimpled smile awakened something inside of me. The same smile I saw the morning on Senders Rock, the one that sent tingles through my body. I wanted to pull my eyes away. But he was beautiful.
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Terrapin: by A.C. Troyer 

(Nordic Airre, #1)
Publication Date: May 30, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Eighteen-year-old Charlotte (Jinx), fights her past to chase her dream of becoming an Elite Nordic Airre pilot, yet her rebellious attitude hinders her hard-earned lead status. Overcoming a string of life-altering events and the unwanted advances of Ghost Allen, a smooth talking pilot, is one thing, evading death at the hands of two comrades is another.

When Jinx comes face-to-face with an unlikely ally, she is forced to trust him in order to escape the clutches of those who want to silence her. Can a once broken girl transform her past into an iron will, or will she ultimately crumble under the destruction?

AUTHOR BIO:
A.C. grew up climbing trees and spying on her siblings. When not writing, A.C. can be found cheering on her favorite girls at a softball field or sitting in her car reading at practices and eating her hidden stash of chocolate. She enjoys family time, traveling, random road trips, watching movies, decorating, and trying new cocktails. She lives in the mitten state with her husband, two daughters, and their furbabies. Terrapin is her first novel.

Buy Links:      Amazon | iBooks

Author Links:    Goodreads | Twitter  

A Pressing Engagement by Anna Lee Huber

Praise for the Lady Darby Mysteries

“A fascinating heroine…A thoroughly enjoyable read!”—Victoria Thompson, national bestselling author

“A clever heroine with a shocking past and a talent for detection.”—Carol K. Carr, national best selling author

“A must read…One of those rare books that will both shock and please readers.”—Fresh Fiction

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In this delightful novella from the national bestselling author of A Study in Death, Lady Kiera Darby has one last mystery to solve before she can walk down the aisle...

Scotland, 1831. With her wedding to fellow investigator Sebastian Gage only a day away, Kiera is counting down the hours. But just when matrimonial jitters threaten to consume her, Kiera receives a welcome distraction in the form of a mysterious gold necklace.

The Celtic torc, thought missing for decades, was directly involved in a recent investigation. Now, Kiera feels compelled to uncover the truth behind its sudden reappearance.

But with an overwhelming flock of wedding guests, a muddled cat, an unpaid favor, and a ferocious storm throwing things into disarray, it’s anyone’s guess whether Kiera and Gage will actually make it to the altar...

Includes an exclusive preview of the next Lady Darby Mystery, As Death Draws Near.

About the Author
Anna Lee Huber is the Award-Winning and National Bestselling Author of the Lady Darby Mystery Series. She was born and raised in a small town in Ohio, and graduated summa cum laude from Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN with a degree in music and a minor in psychology. She currently resides in Indiana, and when not working on her next book she enjoys reading, singing, travelling and spending time with her family.  You will find her at these links:

Amazon | Author Website | Twitter | Goodreads | 

True Born by L.E. Sterling - Book Review

True Born

By:  L.E. Sterling

Published:  May 3, 2016 Entangled:Teen

Genre:  Young Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy

Pages:  304 Hardcover

Source: Purchase from Amazon $5.99

Welcome to Dominion City.

After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated...and their genetics damaged beyond repair.

The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…

And then there's Lucy Fox and her identical twin sister, Margot. After endless tests, no one wants to reveal what they are.

When Margot disappears, a desperate Lucy has no choice but to put her faith in the True Borns, led by the charismatic Nolan Storm and the beautiful but deadly Jared Price. As Lucy and the True Borns set out to rescue her sister, they stumble upon a vast conspiracy stretching from Dominion’s street preachers to shady Russian tycoons. But why target the Fox sisters? As they say in Dominion, it’s in the blood.
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True Born started as a Wattpad phenomenon, leading to publication with Entangled Teen, so I was curious to read this dystopian about a plague that separates humans into three camps, Splicers, Lasters, or True Borns. I charged through this in one day.

Lucy and sister Margot, privileged daughters of the Chief Diplomat of Nor-Am, are the focus of high interest for something unexpected found in their blood. By 18 everyone is supposed to know what category they fall in according to their blood and the girls’ 18^th birthday is approaching. For much of the story we see that there’s something different about them though the truth is very long coming.

I liked how the connection between Lucy and Margot, once conjoined twins, is done, and the curious attraction between Lucy and Jared who is part of a crew assigned to protect her. He’s a shifter. Their relationship develops slowly which I thought was nice.

I also like the theme that humans as a whole are evolving beyond their historical limitations (“Evolve or Die”) unfortunately via the insult of a challenging plague that wipes out something like half of the population.

Some of the story seems a little uneven as if you can feel editing bits here and there and I felt some of the cutesy language feels out of place “…her hair smells like sunshine….”. Some parts of the story are written in a curious ‘now’; i.e. ‘…Jared describes his life in the big house…”

The novel is an unusual mix of Mission Impossible exciting action, with shape shifters dystopian elements and sci-fi genetics hacks. The end is a nice lead in to the next book without too much in the way of cliff-hanger blues.

This is easy, fast reading and I found myself wanting to see what was happening next. The story line is interesting and I liked the blood theory, though putting it together came out a bit mixed. Starting price at $5.99 is a little steep for this first pub; I’d wait until it comes down before trying but a good read for dystopian lovers. 4 Stars!

You will find author L.E. Sterling at these web links:

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website | Twitter | Facebook