Book Review Tours

Monday, 21 April 2014

#TourKickoff :: ProtoStar by Braxton A Cosby

On the brink of Civil War, the Torrian Alliance continues with its mission to obliterate Star-children across the universe in order to suppress an intergalactic evil. Following the recommendations of his Council, King Gregorio Derry has agreed to send his only son William, on a mission to restore honor to his family. What starts out routine, becomes a lot more complicated as an inopportune crash landing delays the assassination. During this time, William begins to form a 'connection' with Sydney that challenges his inner being. But this conflict is the least of his problems, as a conspiracy back on his home planet Fabricius threatens the lives of those he loves and his father's royal legacy. Along with that, he must unravel a hidden threat here on Earth that seeks to secure a vested interest that threatens both his and Sydney's safety. Will William be able to complete his mission or will he choose love, sacrificing everything he stands for?

Find out More at the Website

ProtoStar is the Readers Favorite Book of the Year Award Winner for the Romance: Fantasy-Sci-Fi category.

About the Author

Braxton A. Cosby is a dreamer with a passion for inspiring others to love, in spite of circumstance and convenience. Braxton creates stories in his mind that he desires to put on paper and share with the entire world. His calling to pen a young-adult series that is smart, witty, and thought provoking, has challenged readers to answer the question: What would you choose, love or irrevocable duty? Braxton lives in Atlanta, GA, where he co-hosts a local radio show on WAOK which is a mash-up of current events and health and wellness. He also has a blog where he discusses everything from health and entertainment to spirituality and relationships.

Contact the Author:

Website I Facebook I Twitter I LinkedIn I Youtube

Tour Schedule:

21st April - Jenn @ Book Reviews & Giveaways

22nd April - Namrata @ Red Pillows

23rd April - Melissa @ Books are Love

23rd April - Maniparna @ Scattered Thoughts

24th April - Gayathri @ Blog of a Forbidden Dreamer

25th April - Kishan @ Levying Kishan

26th April - Jacquel @ She Reviews Everything

26th April - Rae @ Drunk on Pop

26th April - Monica

26th April - Sreejitha @ A Cinderella Story

Giveaway:

~ 1 Signed Copy of ProtoStar by Braxton A. Cosby

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Tuesday, 15 April 2014

#TourAnnouncement :: Starcursed by Nandini Bajpai

Book Review Tours 10:51 am 2 Comments

In the ancient city of Ujjayani, the planets align to decide the fate of two starcursed lovers. Born under the curse of Mars, brilliant and beautiful Leelavati, daughter of the famed astronomer Bhaskarya Acharya of Ujjayani, knows she can never wed. But when her childhood playmate, the handsome and rich Rahul Nagarseth, returns from sea, their attraction is rekindled under stormy monsoon skies. As Leela, forced by fate to relinquish Rahul, tries to find solace in teaching at her fathers observatory, a fleeting alignment of the stars is discovered that can help overcome her curse. But Rahul is called away on a war to defend his kingdom. Can he return in time or will she lose him forever to the will of the planets?

Set in turbulent twelfth century India, against the backdrop of the savage wars waged by Muhammad of Ghor and his band of Turkis, Starcursed is a sweeping tale of science, romance and adventure that will transport its readers to another world.

An Excerpt:

I didn’t stop running until I reached the lotus tank. The temple shone in the distance, its lights shimmering on the mirror of the water, music and laughter wafting from its crowded halls with every gust of wind. The lamp tower soared above me, quiet, inviting, deserted. I pushed open its heavy door and started to climb.

High up in the tower the sounds from the temple faded, leaving only the echo of my footsteps, and the tinkling of my silver anklets as I climbed. The steep, curved staircase could be treacherous in the dark, but tonight every niche in the tower was lit up in honour of the festival. I pushed the door open at the top and walked to the railing. There was someone there.

The clear night sky ablaze with stars framed his lithe form. His face looked serious in the glow of a single flickering lamp. I could see that the tender light of the other day still shone in his eyes—Rahul.

He’d been waiting.

My mind went blank. I was breathless from the exertion of the steep climb and shocked at finding him there. How had he known where to find me? Perhaps he knew I would try to avoid him, and guessed I might be here.

‘Leela,’ he said, coming towards me. ‘I beg leave to speak with you.’

I looked away, trying to think of a way to stall his words.

‘I’ve wanted to thank you,’ I said, buying time, ‘for saving Loky.’

He would not be distracted. ‘I came to see you,’ he said. ‘But you weren’t home. I sent a message through Loky, but you didn’t reply.’

I couldn’t deny it.

‘I don’t know if you are avoiding me of your own will or if you were compelled to do so…’ He took both my hands in his. ‘We started something on board that ship,’ he said, ‘and I’m determined to finish it. I can’t go away like this, not knowing.’

My lungs were burning before I realized I had forgotten to breathe.

A hand under my chin lifted my face to his ardent gaze. ‘You know how I feel, Leela,’ he said, ‘but do you return my affection?’

His question hung in the air unanswered.

Behind Rahul, the red glare of Mars winked at me like an evil eye, holding my tongue fast. But even its malevolent shadow could not stop my heart from pounding, yes, yes, yes.

Far below I could hear the maid panting loudly as she climbed up the stairs. Still he waited.

‘I know it’s a fine mess, with my betrothal, and you being a Brahmin and me a Vaishya, and a Jain, and a mleccha,’ he said. ‘But if it doesn’t matter to you, Leela, I promise I’ll find a way. Just say the word...’

None of that mattered. What mattered was Rahul. How could I put him in danger?

‘Shall I ask my father to speak with your Baba?’ he looked into my eyes and said, so softly I could barely hear him.

‘No!’

The word burst from my lips before I could stop it, stunning us both. I pulled my hand away and covered my lips, but it was too late.

He looked stricken.

‘Leela…’ he said, ‘you can’t mean it.’

I shook my head silently.

The maid had finally reached the door. She saw Rahul there and glared at him, but he was still staring at me disbelievingly.

‘In that case,’ he said at last, in a voice that broke my heart, ‘I apologize for… any misunderstanding.’ He bowed stiffly, ‘I wish you every happiness. Always,’ he added. And then he left, taking all hopes of my happiness with him.

‘Rahul,’ I whispered, but he was gone.

But I couldn’t shake off the look on his face when I had said ‘no’. I had to stop him, I had to explain. I paced back and forth on the narrow space on the observation deck. But how could I? Should I even try?

I stopped and smoothed a piece of birch bark I had carried for my notes under the light of the lamp. With my iron stylus I drew a rectangle and divided it with diagonal lines into twelve diamonds. Within them I wrote the names of the planets in the positions they had been in when I was born. I dipped my finger into the black ink, rubbed it over the bark, and then wiped away the ink so the lines stood out stark, etched against the bark. I handed my star chart to the maid.

‘Find him and give him this,’ I said. ‘Go quickly.’

‘Give who?’ she asked.

‘Rahul Nagarseth,’ I said. ‘Please, I beg you.’

She studied the desperation on my face for a moment, and left quickly.

I settled down on the cotton mat on the tower and started to write the observations, my hands shaking. Would Rahul be able to analyse the chart and realize my dilemma? I wanted him to understand, but what purpose would be served by telling him, when there was nothing he could do? My stars were what they were. I should not have sent it.

The maid came back soon enough, with the news that she had not been able to find Rahul. Did I want it delivered the next day? I did not.

I had refused him; that was all he knew. He would probably go ahead with his engagement now. I tore the bark up silently and threw the tiny scraps from the edge of tower, watching them float slowly down to the crowds below while the conches blew and the temple bells rang, signalling that Krishna had been born.

Buy Links:

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About The Author:

Nandini Bajpai grew up in New Delhi, India, one of four sisters and many cousins, in a family that liked to read. Although she dabbled in corporate finance, business analysis, and fostering shelter animals, her first love is writing. Her novel Red Turban White Horse: My Sister's Hurricane Wedding was published in 2013 by Scholastic India. She lives in the Boston area with her husband, kids, their dog Yogi and cat Rakhan.

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# General Announcements # Tour Announcement

Monday, 14 April 2014

#TourSchedule :: ProtoStar by Braxton A.Cosby

Book Review Tours 2:24 pm 0 Comments

Find out More at the Website

ProtoStar is the Readers Favorite Book of the Year Award Winner for the Romance: Fantasy-Sci-Fi category.

About the Author

Contact the Author:

Website I Facebook I Twitter I LinkedIn I Youtube

Tour Schedule:

21st April - Jenn @ Book Reviews & Giveaways

22nd April - Namrata @ Red Pillows

23rd April - Melissa @ Books are Love

23rd April - Maniparna @ Scattered Thoughts

24th April - Gayathri @ Blog of a Forbidden Dreamer

25th April - Kishan @ Levying Kishan

26th April - Jacquel @ She Reviews Everything

26th April - Rae @ Drunk on Pop

26th April - Monica

26th April - Sreejitha @ A Cinderella Story

Giveaway:

~ 1 Signed Copy of ProtoStar by Braxton A. Cosby

# Review Tour # Schedule

Saturday, 12 April 2014

#TourKickOff :: The Crossover Year by Bhargavi Balachandran

Book Review Tours 7:00 am 0 Comments

About the Book

Meet Sri Anuprabha, aka Anu, a twenty-nine year-old banker who is terrified of entering her thirties. She dreams of quitting her job at the bank, sporting yoga pants and traipsing around the world. Her world turns upside down when things go awry and she is faced with the prospect of spending her days watching Tamil serials. She comes up with a five-point plan for reclaiming her life back before she hits the big 30. But things are never as simple as drawing up a flowchart in real life, are they? Especially with a ghastly recession rearing its ugly head…. Anu bumbles through the corridors of domesticity and travels on a funfilled roller coaster ride in a bid to discover her passion in life.Along the way, she meets new people, experiences crazy new things and learns some hard lessons in marriage, friendship, parenting and life. The Crossover Year is a funny, yet heartwarming story of a woman in search of her identity, and a chronicle of her hilarious quest for discovering her inner mojo. Bring out a platter of cookies and a steaming mug of chai, and join Anu on the ride of her lifetime.

About the Author

I am a part-time writer,a part-time entrepreneur and a full time mom.

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Tour Schedule

12th April - Sachin @ Smorgasbord Fantasia

19th April - Namrata @ Red Pillows

26th April - Shubham @ Youth Diaries

3rd May - DDS @ b00k r3vi3ws

Giveaway

1 Copy of The Crossover Year by Bhargavi Balachandran. Open to Indian Residents only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

# Review Tour # Tour Kickoff

Monday, 7 April 2014

#TourSchedule :: The Crossover Year by Bhargavi Balachandran

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I started writing the Crossover year a few months after my twenty eight birthday. In at way it was supposed to be my advance thirtieth birthday gift to myself. Though it is not my story, the premise of the book is very autobiographical: I had just quit my new job of three months as I had hated it thoroughly. It had never occurred to me before that there was life beyond a nine-to-nine job, working for someone else. We are conditioned to live our lives in a certain way – go to school, then college, get a job, get married , procreate and grow old. In our quest to remain in the rat race, we rarely pause for a minute to figure what we really want. I was exactly in this rut.

I can’t remember how the germ of the thought that I wanted to write a novel got planted into my head. Writing was not this fashionable back when I started writing. The Chetan Bhagat revolution had just begun, so I don’t think I wanted to jump on the bandwagon mainly because of the novelty of the idea. India has been blessed with a rich crop of talented writers, but writing had been restricted to the literature graduate. With Chetan Bhagat’s popular writing, many first time readers grabbed a book other than their study guides and text books. Chetan had somehow connected with a generation that was bred on video games and demanded instant gratification. My reasons were extremely selfish: I wrote the book because I felt compelled to. It seemed to me that unless I breathed life into the story that was masticating in my mind, I wouldn’t be left alone.

I started writing with no idea of how to write a novel. My plan was to just put one word next to another, and discover that one lakh words later, miraculously the book would be done. Or so I thought. The real work only starts after one finishes writing the book. Stephen King , in his tome for writers, On Writing says,“Kill your darlings , kill your darlings, even if it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s hearts. Kill your darlings.”I discovered the truth in these words only when I started on ‘Project re-writing The Crossover Year’. Most of the plot was re-vamped; I chopped off almost fifty thousand words from the novel and spent sleepless nights thinking about the characters in the book. It seemed like I was alternating between intense highs and equally intense lows during the period I was re-writing the book. This is what writing a book, autobiographical or otherwise is for me. It consumes my every waking moment that I feel antsy till I am done.

It is almost five years since I whimsically typed “The Crossover Year” on a word document without even having thought of the plot .The book is now in print. I am in the process of finishing up my third book that is giving me sleepless nights again, but I can still vividly remember the first time I fell in love with writing, nor can I never forget the bitter fights and cold wars I have had with the manuscript. The Crossover Year will always be my first baby. And every time I see the book sitting on my book shelf, my heart soars and everything in the world seems just fine.

About the Author

I am a part-time writer,a part-time entrepreneur and a full time mom.

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Tour Schedule

12th April - Sachin @ Smorgasbord Fantasia

19th April - Namrata @ Red Pillows

26th April - Shubham @ Youth Diaries

3rd May - DDS @ b00k r3vi3ws

Giveaway

1 Copy of The Crossover Year by Bhargavi Balachandran. Open to Indian Residents only

# Review Tour # Schedule

Saturday, 5 April 2014

#TourAnnouncement :: The Crossover Year by Bhargavi Balachandran

Book Review Tours 3:18 pm 0 Comments

Excerpt

I locked my coordinates and planned on falling on the direction in which I spied a sturdy-looking guy.

15 degrees north. Launch missile.

Uh-oh. Missile aborted. I was standing rooted in my tracks.

“Let go…These are your friends. Trust them.”

20 degree north. Launch missile.

Mission successful. But wait…

“Ouch…!” I heard a squeak.

Something poked me. I realised that I was lying on top of a thin, bony…thing.

I opened my eyes to find people frantically trying to get me off a thin, sub-40 kilos waif-like girl.

About the Author

I am a part-time writer,a part-time entrepreneur and a full time mom.

Blog I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads

Giveaway

1 Copy of The Crossover Year by Bhargavi Balachandran. Open to Indian Residents only

# Review Tour # Tour Announcement

Monday, 17 March 2014

#TourKickOff :: Taming Romeo by Rachelle Ayala

Book Review Tours 12:00 am 0 Comments

Evie Sanchez is recovering from heartbreak by working at her parents’ Filipino restaurant when in walks Romeo Garcia, the boy she left behind. Only now, he’s a hot movie star surrounded by gorgeous actresses and adoring fans.
Bad boy Romeo Garcia never understood why Evie stood him up at the prom. When he rescues her from a flying coconut in the dumpster, he is determined to dig into her heart for the reason. Their mutual attraction and unresolved feelings ignite in a scintillating night of daring sex, and Romeo shows Evie what she’ll miss the rest of her life if she walks away again.
Evie lands a part as Romeo’s co-star and falls into her role, totally in love. He plays his part, too, with his romantic gestures and skillful lovemaking. But is the fantasy real or revenge? Evie and Romeo are about to discover if their buried feelings will explode in pure delight or utter disaster.

*** Taming Romeo is a contemporary romance featuring family secrets, delicious food, and hot, steamy loves scenes. Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+ ***

Excerpt #1 – Taming Romeo by Rachelle Ayala

[Evie is hiding in the dumpster to avoid Romeo and his new girlfriend when they come out of her family restaurant, Barrio XO, with a dessert in a coconut shell.]

“I’m not carrying that coconut shell,” she complains.

“It’s buko.” He enunciates clearly as if she were a small child. “They’re not easy to come by.”

You’re darn right, Romeo.

Buko is a young green coconut we Filipinos take pride in, using its soft meat and pure juice in pies, cakes, gelatin, and salad. Okay, the salad is more like a custard made with condensed milk, no lettuce in sight. Take that, Vegan Barbie.

A shot of pain bursts on the top of my head.

“Ow!” I yelp and fall on my behind onto something squishy. The dessert laden coconut shell bounces off me, showering me with ube, or purple yam bits, jelly cubes of many colors, shaved ice, tapioca balls, mango pieces, red bean, and ice cream. Boy am I glad Mr. Dee got his golf cap back before I came out here.

My lower lip quivering, I wipe the chilly ooze off my face, unable to resist a lick. Maybe he didn’t hear me. Maybe he’s getting on his bike. Didn’t his friends say to meet and set up for a film shoot? The coast will be clear soon.

“Evie.” A masculine, brown-skinned hand sweeps gelatinous hair from my face. “Are you okay?”

Dreamy eyes soften into luscious pools of dark chocolate as the signature Romeo grin slides across his, gulp, chiseled, manly face.

Five years ago, he was cute. Now, invincible.

“Let me help you out.” His voice croons, low and sexy.

Before I can respond, he lifts me out of the dumpster as if I were a rag doll and puts me on the motorcycle.

“Who’s she?” Beach Slapped Blondie sneers. “Eww… you’re dirtying the seat.”

Romeo tips his finger in a ‘one-minute’ gesture and turns to Blondie. “I’ll call you a cab. Take a nap before meeting us at the shoot so you won’t be so cranky.”

“I’ll call my own cab.” She stalks off, making sure to drive her displeasure home by kicking gravel onto the shiny fender of Romeo’s bike.

We both wince in unison.

Romeo examines my head. “I’m really sorry. I had no idea you were in the dumpster. What were you doing there?”

“Looking for my contact lenses?” I squint and avert my eyes from his shining lip ring. Dang, he’s hot.

He puts his arm around me. “You should have said something. We could have shared the dessert together. Now it’s wasted.”

If my heart was palpitating earlier, now it’s practically in arrest. “I’ll get you another. Let’s go in.”

“Later.” He traces the side of my sticky face and licks his finger, touching his lip ring. “I could eat you right now, but first, answer my question.”

“Sure.” I suck in a shuddering breath as visions of tonguing his lips and handling his man parts raise my core temperature.

“Why did you ditch me at the prom?”

Buy Links:

Amazon US I India I UK I Canada I Barnes & Noble Nook I Kobo Books I Smashwords I iTunes

Rachelle Ayala was a software engineer until she discovered storytelling works better in fiction than real code. She enjoys writing love stories and has always lived in a multi-cultural environment. The tapestry of characters in her books reflect that diversity. She is an active member of online critique group, Critique Circle, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe.
Check out her four romantic novels. Michal’s Window is a powerful, emotional journey as lived through the eyes of Princess Michal, King David’s first wife. Broken Build is a story of healing where a man learns to love and trust the woman who destroyed his life. Hidden Under Her Heart is a heartfelt love story combined with controversy over difficult decisions, and Knowing Vera is a suspenseful, cross-cultural romance mixing an unsolved murder, adventure, and hot, steamy love scenes.

Connect with the Author:
Website I Blog I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads

Giveaway:

~ $10 Amazon Gift Card to the Best Review on the Tour

~ 1 Paperback Copy of Winner's Choice of Rachelle Ayala's Books

a Rafflecopter giveaway

# Book Tour # Tour Kickoff

Wednesday, 5 March 2014

#TourSchedule :: Taming Romeo by Rachelle Ayala

Book Review Tours 2:07 pm 0 Comments

*** Taming Romeo is a contemporary romance featuring family secrets, delicious food, and hot, steamy loves scenes. Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+ ***

Buy Links:

Amazon US I India I UK I Canada I Barnes & Noble Nook I Kobo Books I Smashwords

Tour Schedule:

17th March - Namrata - Book Review

17th March - Elizabeth McKenna - Promo Post

17th March - Literary Chantuse 2 - Promo Post

18th March - Aimee - Book Review

18th March - Annamaria - Promo Post

18th March - Deea - Promo Post

19th March - Milto Psomas - Book Review

19th March - Rae Quigley - Promo Post

20th March - Kay LaLone - Book Review

20th March - Mindy Wall - Book Review

20th March - Angelique - Book Review

20th March - Dawn Heslin - Promo Post

20th March - Jaideep - Promo Post

20th March - TB Markinson - Promo Post

21st March - Amrita Dasgupta - Book Review

21st March - Dani Chapman - Promo Post

22nd March - Maniparna Sengupta Majumder - Book Review

22nd March - Sanchit - Promo Post

24th March - Books are Love - Book Review

24th March - Ruth Hill - Promo Post

25th March - Christie Mitchum - Book Review

25th March - Raizza Mae Cinco - Book Review

25th March - Lori - Promo Post

26th March - Kumiko Lei - Book Review

26th March - Vicky - Promo Post

27th March - Laura Greenwood - Book Review

27th March - Christina Livingston - Promo Post

28th March - Nikita - Book Review

28th March - Philomena Callan - Book Review

28th March - Jacquel Chrissy May - Promo Post

29th March - Paula - Book Review

29th March - Jessica Webb - Book Review

29th March - Cinta Garcia de la Rosa - Promo Post

# Book Tour # Schedule

Monday, 3 March 2014

#TourKickoff :: In Pursuit of a Lesser Offence by Sujata Parashar

Book Review Tours 9:00 am 0 Comments

About the Book:

A chance meeting between Avinash Vyas, a married man and Sangeet Mishra, a young divorced woman turns into something more than what they had ever wanted or asked for. Both part ways, nurturing a dislike for the other in their hearts. They meet again under different circumstances. Their prejudices keep them away until both learn that they had committed similar offences in the past that had not been fully dealt with. It was a past they wanted to avoid. What was their offence? Why do people marry? What is the relevance of the institution of marriage in modern times? Bestselling novelist Sujata Parashar's third novel attempts to answer these questions and more as she takes you through the intricacies of modern day relationships.

Buy Links:
Flipkart I Homeshop 18 I Amazon India

Short Excerpts:

Kanupriya laughs at her friend’s innocence. “You are such a darling. Don’t be so worried about me. I told you, I can never fall in love. I can be attracted to a guy. I can sleep with him. But love? Well, that is something entirely different. I think love is an overrated term. The only true love I believe in is the love between a mother and her child. Other kinds of love are mere transactions,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

I think, with the passage of time, marriage as an institution will either fade away or people will start getting married on a contractual basis. The contract will end with something like: For the next ten years we promise to remain committed to each other. After the stipulated time period expires, both the parties will review it and then decide whether to apply for a renewal or say goodbye to each other amiably.

Both the above statements have been made by Sangeet's close friend Kanupriya. Sangeet (the main female protagonist) is a divorced young woman from Kolkata who goes through a bad marriage before deciding to end it. She's still trying to cope with her painful situation when she meets her rebellious friend Kanupriya in Delhi and this conversation takes place.

About the Author:

Sujata Parashar is a best-selling novelist, poet and activist. Her debut novel, In Pursuit of Infidelity (2009) was a bestseller. The second in the series, In Pursuit of Ecstasy (2011), was long listed for The Economist Crossword Book Award 2012. In Pursuit of a Lesser Offence, completes the ‘pursuit’ series. Her book on poetry, Poetry Out and Loud, was awarded the first prize in 2012 by Butterfly and the Bee, a literary agency.

Links:
Website I Goodreads

Tour Schedule:

3rd March - DDS @ b00k r3vi3ws

10th March - Shubham @ Youth Diaries

17th March - Dhivya @ Readers' Muse
24th March - Priyanka @ One and a Half Minutes