[Book #Review] The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden

Title: The Casquette Girls

Author: Alys Arden

Publisher: Skyscape

Date of Publication: November 17, 2015

Seven girls tied by time.
Five powers that bind.
One curse to lock the horror away.
One attic to keep the monsters at bay.

**

After the storm of the century rips apart New Orleans, sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne wants nothing more than her now silent city to return to normal. But with home resembling a war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter,normalneeds a new definition.

As the city murder rate soars, Adele finds herself tangled in a web of magic that weaves back to her own ancestors. Caught in a hurricane of myths and monsters, who can she trust when everyone has a secret and keeping them can mean life or death? Unless . . . you’re immortal.

The Casquette Girls is hands down one of the best books that I have read in 2015. Filled with mystery, fantasy, romance, and magic, I couldn't put it down. Taken place in New Orleans after a huge storm destroyed the city and left so many families stranded, it also shows a different side of magic that's hidden in the broken windows. 

“And when all was done and all was said, we sat silently staring at the moon's reflection on the rippling river, soaking it all in. The differences between people, cultures and times.
The monsters. The myths.
The heroes.
The victims.
The love and loss.
Loss and love.”

Story begins with Adele Le Moyne returning from living with her mother back into New Orleans to stay with her dad. And just because her wardrobe improved, doesn't mean that she isn't still the same girl that had to leave her house when the Storm started. Struggling with the destruction around the city that she knows so well, Adele witnesses way too many strange things that should not happen. Even being able to move things without even touching them starts to wake her up. When she meets two brothers that are even stranger than anything she have seen, her life would be changed forever. 

“In the words of the great Monsieur Baudelaire, 'The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he doesn't exist.”

I loved Adele, I really did. Although she seemed to be naive and a little too immature for my taste, I learned how to appreciate her personality and view on the world. The book had a good pace, was entertaining, and will make a great read on those cold windy days! 

Alys Arden was raised by the street performers, tea leaf-readers, and glittering drag queens of the New Orleans, French Quarter. She cut her teeth on the streets of New York and has worked all around the world since. She either talks too much or not at all. She obsessively documents things. Her hair ranges from eggplant to cotton-candy-colored.

One dreary day in London, while dreaming of running away with the circus, she started writing The Casquette Girls. Her debut novel garnered over one million reads online before being acquired by Skyscape in a two book deal. Rep’d by ICM.

Website | Twitter: @alysarden | Facebook | Blog

Giveaway

2 physical copies open US only.

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[10 Random Things + Giveaway] A Haunting Desire by Julie Mulhern

A Haunting Desire

by Julie Mulhern

New Orleans, 1902 

A killer walks the streets of New Orleans, eviscerating men and leaving them in the streets, and for madam Trula Boudreaux, it's bad for business. Trula needs help but she's not prepared for Zeke Barnes, the charming would-be savior who darkens her doorway-or the yearning he awakens. For while Trula knows well the delights of lust, she avoids love at all costs... 

Investigating the killer was one thing, but Zeke can't help but be enchanted by the gorgeous mystery woman who runs an exclusive brothel. Caught between his duty to protect the city and his clear-as-day desire for Trula, Zeke sets about capturing Trula's heart-or at least a place in her bed. But with every moment Trula resists, Zeke falls into greater danger. 

For his investigation into the haunted city and madam doesn't just risk his heart but both their lives.

GOODREADS 

10 random things

·         I speak French

·         I’ve lived in Paris

·         I’m allergic to chocolate but sometimes I eat it anyway

·         I lose my car keys at least once a week

·         I adore brewed coffee

·         I grew up around horses

·         I have double-jointed thumbs

·         I write both romances and mysteries

·         Hyacinths are my favorite flower

·         I mortified my teenagers by crying in public when I learned I’d hit the USA Today bestsellers list

about the author

Julie Mulhern is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean--and she's got an active imagination. Truth is--she's an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions.

Her first romance was a finalist in the 2014 Golden Heart® contest. That book, A Haunting Desire, released July 28, 2015.

Julie also writes mysteries. The Deep End (available now) is her first mystery and is the winner of The Sheila Award. Look for book two, Guaranteed to Bleed, October 13, 2015.  http://www.juliemulhern.com/

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[Author Interview + Series Spotlight] The Cobbogoth Series by Hannah L. Clark

Title: Uncovering Cobbogoth - Amazon
Author: Hannah L. Clark
Published:  May 13th 2014 by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
Synopsis:

Norah Lukens needs to uncover the truth about the fabled lost city of Cobbogoth. After her archaeologist uncle’s murder, Norah is asked to translate his old research journal for evidence and discovers that his murder was a cover-up for something far more sinister.

When she turns to neighbor and only friend James Riley for help, she realizes that not only is their bitter-sweet past haunting her every step, but James is keeping dangerous secrets. Can Norah discover what they are before its too late to share her own?

Title: The Lemorian Crest (Book 2 in The Cobbogoth Series) - Amazaon
Published: August 23rd 2015 by KinStone Publishing, LLC

We are SUPER excited to be kicking of The Cobbogoth Series Blog Tour today. We thought it'd be fun to have Norah give a little glimpse into her world in a fun way, through the legends and fairytales she was told as a child. So we hope that this little foray into the Cobbogothian civilization gets you excited to check out this series.  

Hello, my name is Norah Lukens. Thanks for having me on Page Turners today. As you know from my story, Uncle Jack told me a ridiculous amount of myths and legends growing up. He was pretty much relentless, so if you’ve heard of a legend, then chances are excellent that I’ve probably had to memorize it. As a kid, I was convinced telling these stories to me was my uncle’s own special brand of torture, but it turns out he was actually trying to prepare me for something extraordinary in the best way he knew how.

While you and I have probably heard most of the same myths, legends, and fairytales as bedtime stories and such, there are a set of legends Uncle Jack told me in secret that you probably don’t know—legends about the lost civilization of the Cobbogothians.  I’m excited to share with you my most favorite of the bunch, especially since I’ve just discovered that Uncle Jack’s theories about myth and history being intertwined is actually true.

Author Interview

• What are three things that as a writer you absolutely cannot live without?


Bottled water, my space heater, and SweetMint Orbit gum.


• Did you have any mind blocks while writing these books and what were they?


Um. . . yes. They included pretty much all of Uncoveirng Cobbogoth. J But thankfully, by the time I started The Lemorian Crest, a wise writer friend told me his secret to working through blocks. He said that when he was stuck on something, he would make sure it was the last thing he thought about before he went to bed. Nine times out of ten, his subconcious would have it all work out for him by the time he woke the next morning.

This actually works, by the way. No joke.


• Friendship in The Cobbogoth Series - Talk a little about how important friendship will be for Norah in The Lemorian Crest.


Without spoiling anything for those who haven’t read Uncovering Cobbogoth, I will say that friendship has pretty much evaded Norah her whole life. She’s a pretty lonely soul, and has been an outcast for as long as she can remember. This is because of the way she looks and the things she can do. When she finally begins to understand why she is the way she is toward the end of Book 1, a whole new world of possibilities opens up for her, and friendship happens to be one of them.

GIVEAWAY TIME

Hannah is generously offering a $120 gift card (Amazon, B&N or iTunes) to one lucky winner! This giveaway is being hosted by the blog tour and is NOT a PTB hosted giveaway. Please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway is open internationally. Also be sure to read all terms and conditions on the widget below before entering.
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[Audiobook Review + Giveaway] Blades of Magic by Terah Edun

Blades of Magic (Crown Service #1)

by Terah Edun 

Release Date: 03/31/14

Length: 8 hours and 14 minutes

Narrator: Sylvia Roldn Dohi

Summary from Goodreads:

It is not a peaceful time in the Algardis Empire. War is raging between the mages and seventeen-year-old Sara Fairchild will be right in the middle of it.

She just doesn't know it yet.

Sara is the daughter of a disgraced imperial commander, executed for desertion. Sara is also the best duelist and hand-to-hand combatant in Sandrin. She lives quietly with her family’s shame but when challenged about her family’s honor, her opponent inevitably loses.

On the night she finds out her father’s true last actions, she takes the Mercenary Guilds’ vows to serve in the emperor’s army. Using her quick wits and fierce fighting skills, she earns a spot in the first division.

There she discovers secrets the mages on both sides would prefer stay hidden. Dark enemies hunt her and soon it's not just Sara questioning the motivation behind this war.

While fighting mages, blackmailing merchants and discovering new friends, Sara comes across something she’s never had before - passion. The question is - can she fight for her empress against a mage who might unwittingly claim her heart?

This is year one of the Initiate Wars. Sara is hoping it doesn't become the year she dies.

Buy Links:

Audible│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks

About the Author

Terah Edun is a young adult fantasy writer that writes the stories that she always loved to read as a young girl. She prefers reading and writing high fantasy tales of adventure, magic, fellowship and courtship. Her latest book is Sworn To Conflict, the third in the Courtlight series.

Author Links:

    

The simple idea behind thinking that your father died as a disgraced soldier would put any daughter in bad position within herself. And Sara, being the skilled warrior that she is, must obey her family in order to have some sort of memory of her father that is not changed by what everyone thinks. When she discovers that her father might not be guilty overall, she is determined to find the truth and bring respect and honor back to her family's name.

I loved the way the story started - with a big bang. The fights, the witty side of Sara was really entertaining and she was the ultimate badass in my book. And can I mention that she also possessed some sick magic skills and had a sidekick? This book was entertaining, fast, and with the perfect narrator, it brought the story to life. Highly recommended for all High Fantasy lovers! 

 

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[Book Tour Review] Love is Red by Sophie Jaff

Love is Red
by Sophie Jaff

Katherine Emerson was born to fulfill a dark prophecy centuries in the making, but she isn’t aware that this future awaits. However, there is one man who knows the truth: A killer stalking the women of New York, a monster the media dubs the “Sickle Man” because of the way he turns his victims into canvasses for his mesmerizing, twisted art.

Unleashed upon Manhattan after lying dormant for centuries, the Sickle Man kills to harvest the precious hues of his victims. As his palette grows, so too does his power. Every death brings him closer to the one color, and the one woman, he must possess at any cost.

While the city hunts the Sickle Man, Katherine must decide what to do about two men who have unexpectedly entered her life: handsome and personable David, and alluring yet aloof Sael. Though she’s becoming increasingly torn between them, how well does she really know them? And why is she suddenly plagued by disturbing visions?

Told from the alternating viewpoints of Katherine and the Sickle Man,Love Is Red is a riveting thriller that unfolds into an intense story of obsession and control, desire and fate. Katherine may not realize it yet, but with this haunting novel—as arrestingly original as Marisha Pessl’s Night Film, Patrick Süskind’s Perfume, and Lauren Beukes’s The Shining Girls—her moment of awakening is here. And soon she will find herself fighting a battle at the edges of our world, among forces more dangerous than we can possibly imagine. 

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

Love is Red took me by surprised. A Mystery Thriller mixed with romance and a slight twist of fantasy, this book will leave you breathless and even if you decide to put the book down to do Earthly things like eat and sleep, the whisper of the words from the book still stay with you. 

Going between two different POVs of Katherine and the serial killer called the Sickle Man, the story stays disturbed and intense the whole way through. Through the chapter we discover that the Sickle Man is preparing some sort of ritual that involves Katherine, his "beloved, the only one". Being born to fulfill the dark prophesy, she does not know what impact she has on the universe. 

While Sickle Man is killing woman after woman and engrossing them with carvings using a unique knife, Katherine meets two attractive guys that she is attracted to but has different connections with them. David is sweet and caring, while Sael is dramatic and intense. But Katherine has more things happening in her life than trying to juggle two men - like pennies that appear under her bed every time a new girl is killed. 

………………………………………………………………………

This was book was intense. I don't think I could find any other word that would describe what was going through my head when I was reading it. One of the things that really got to me was the way the serial killer talked. He was smooth. OH HE WAS SO SMOOTH! The thoughts he could hear, the girls that he picked were all spoken by this smooth, a little disturbing and arrogant tone. I loved it. Love is Red is definitely a book to read, it has flipped my head upside down. 

About Sophie Jeff

A native of South Africa, Sophie Jaff is an alumna of the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, and a fellow of the Dramatists Guild of America. Her work has been performed at Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, the Duplex, the Gershwin, and Goodspeed Musicals. She lives in New York City.

Find out more about Sophie at her website and connect with her on Facebook.

[Book Tour Spotlight] A Reunion of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell

A Reunion of Ghosts

by Judith Claire Mitchell

A compulsively readable literary masterpiece, A Reunion of Ghosts is the shared confessional of three sisters who have decided to kill themselves at the end of the 20th century, honoring the dark legacy that has haunted their extraordinary family for decades

How do three sisters write a single suicide note?

In the waning days of 1999, the Alter sisters—Lady, Vee, and Delph—finalize their plans to end their lives. Their reasons are not theirs alone; they are the last in a long line of Alters who have killed themselves, beginning with their great-grandmother, the wife of a Jewish Nobel Prize-winning chemist who developed the first poison gas used in World War I and the lethal agent used in Third Reich gas chambers. The chemist himself, their son Richard, and Richard’s children all followed suit.

The childless sisters also define themselves by their own bad luck. Lady, the oldest, never really resumed living after her divorce. Vee is facing cancer’s return. And Delph, the youngest, is resigned to a spinster’s life of stifled dreams. But despite their pain they love each other fiercely, and share a darkly brilliant sense of humor.

As they gather in the ancestral Upper West Side apartment to close the circle of the Alter curse, an epic story about four generations of one family—inspired in part by the troubled life of German-Jewish Fritz Haber, Nobel Prize winner and inventor of chlorine gas—unfolds. A Reunion of Ghosts is a magnificent tale of fate and blood, sin and absolution; partly a memoir of sisters unified by a singular burden, partly an unflinching eulogy of those who have gone before, and above all a profound commentary on the events of the 20th century. 

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

Praise for a reunion of ghosts

“A rich portrait of a complicated family, at turns violent and hilarious, shot through with love and death and the scars that reappear generation after generation.” — Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of The Vacationers

“This is a triumphant, beautiful, and devastating novel about coincidences, family, and the sins of our fathers.” — Anthony Doerr, New York Times bestselling author of All The Light We Cannot See

“For the Alter sisters, living with the guilt of the generations, there is only one way out…. This novel is a carefully crafted, thought-provoking examination of history past and present as seen through the eyes of a complex yet humble family.” — Booklist

“A clever, modern tale that…hearkens back to…a host of unusual, lively memorable characters.… Darkly humorous.” — Library Journal

“Mitchell explores the mixed-blessing bonds of family with wry wit. This original tale is black comedy at its best.” — People Book of the Week

“What’s so funny about three sisters bent on committing suicide? Plenty, in the imagination of Judith Claire Mitchell…. Darkly witty.” — Dallas Morning News

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

About Judith Claire Mitchell

Judith Claire Mitchell, author of the novelThe Last Day of the War, is an English professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she directs the MFA program in creative writing. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Judy has received fellowships from the James A. Michener/Copernicus Society, the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, the Wisconsin Arts Board, and elsewhere. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, the artist Don Friedlich.

Find out more about Judith at her website, and connect with her on Facebook.