[Book Tour-Review] Have You Seen Me? by Alexandrea Weis [GIVEAWAY] Storytellers Box and $20 Amazon GC

 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vesuvian Books (August 17, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 260 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1645480755
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1645480754

Praise for HAVE YOU SEEN ME?

"Every five or ten years you'll read a book that'll grip you from start to end and you'll find you're up at 3am in the morning bewitched by the plot, the characters, and the setting. Have You Seen Me? is one such book, the pace is frenetic, urgent, and comes across as vividly telegenic. It takes a truly talented and masterful author to craft a novel which creates a three-dimensional drama inside your mind. Alexandrea Weis is one of the most talented authors around, she straddles several genres, and in a short time her novels are destined to stand along with authors such as Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, Joyce Carol Oates, and Jeffery Deaver." —The Strand Magazine

"With atmosphere, mercurial threats, and intrigue, Alexandrea Weis excels in probing the psychological undertones of the prep school and a new teacher's return to her past. She also does a fine job of evolving the plot that connects students and teachers to an unpredictable truth. As school and local history are revealed by the determined team, readers receive an eerie feel of inevitable disaster much in the manner of the classic film 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'. The buildup that leads to the truth about the killer's identity makes for a fine story that will reach from young adult to adult audiences with a winning exploration of prep school pressures, politics, and the special interests that lead to murder. Very nicely done." —D. Donovan, Senior Editor, Midwest Book Review

"Riveting, fast paced thriller wrapped up in a mystery. Is history repeating itself or is it a coincidence? Alexandrea Weis slowly peels away layer after layer to reveal the truth. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it even if you don't usually read thrillers." —Erin E. Forys, Barnes and Noble, Williamsburg, VA

"Alexandrea Weis addresses cultural issues such as class systems, race, and bullying all the while providing chilling and spooky imagery that is sure to have all readers begging the question: "Who will be next?" A thrilling spine-tingling novel Have You Seen Me? had my heart racing on every page." —Tanya Roberts @bookswihtanya, CER at Indigo Books, Québec Canada

"A fast-paced thriller that will engage readers with great characters and a chilling mystery! I was sucked in and fully invested in finding the killer!!" —Gretchen Hall, Barnes and Noble, Houston, TX

"A dark, complex tale of psychological suspense that will captivate and thrill readers, especially those who love slashers!" —Monique Snyman, Bram Stoker Awards Nominee

"...capably written with a vibrant setting that feels lived-in and starts off with an intriguing mystery ... that leads to a shocking revelation." —IndieReader

Lindsey Gillett is missing.

And she’s not the first girl at Waverly High to vanish without a trace.

To help cope with the tragedy, new history teacher Aubrey LaRoux organizes a student investigation team. But when the project’s key members start turning up dead across campus, Aubrey suspects there’s more going on than anyone is willing to admit.

*I received a copy of Have You Seen Me? in exchange for an honest review.* 

All I can say is that was an intense ride from start to finish! I was so engrossed in the book, that by the end I was just suspicious of everyone. Aubrey? Sheriff? Bella? Sara? Samuel? IT COULD BE ANYONE. I trusted no one and everyone could be the killer.

 I was pleasantly surprised by the slasher aspects of the novel. When it showed the persons dying POV I was shocked. Usually when you get a POV like that, the person survives. But, nope. You get a pretty detailed, and graphic account of their last few seconds of life and dying thoughts. It created a powerful and unique aspect to this novel that actually upped the rating from 4 to 5 stars. Another aspect that created a five star experience was the emotional roller-coaster that I went through as a reader. Usually I suspect someone from the get go (which I did this time and was actually right), BUT in this novel I was constantly questioning every single character. I had my main suspect, but by the end I didn't trust a soul. 

I really enjoyed the characters in this novel and how they were all together as a mosh up of all different types of personalities. I also enjoyed that Aubrey was believable as a teacher, but as a mentor to the kids. She had to hold back at first because she was primarily their teacher, but throughout the investigation she had some slip ups into friend territory. And, which everything they had going on, I felt like this made her feel more real. I didn't get too attached to any of the characters, because I knew after the first death that most of them were going to die, I could just feel it in my bones. I was right. But, I still was sad after each of their deaths. I felt like I was there with them during the investigation and their deaths. I was invested and was always sad when another one was picked off. 

This book gave me "I know what you did last Summer" vibes, except they did nothing wrong. The killer is just a literal psycho with an entirely skewed moral compass. Those poor kids. If I had one critique, it would be that the big reveal was too short. The killer got their just desserts, but I wish I would have gotten more of their perspective as to why they thought they HAD to do this, rather than them just being crazy and thinking the kids knew their secret. I just wanted a little more of their viewpoint.

Overall, this is an excellent mystery novel. The writing is skillful and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are great, and I am looking forward to reading more novels by Alexandrea Weis. 

The murdered students all had something in common with Lindsey. They shared a secret. And what they uncovered could threaten the future of the historic school.

At Waverly High, someone wants to keep the past buried—and you don’t want to get in their way.

You can purchase Have You Seen Me? at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Alexandrea Weis

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.

A member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers Association, Weis writes supernatural, horror, mystery, and thrillers. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals.

WEEK ONE

OCTOBER 11th MONDAY JeanBookNerd GUEST POST

OCTOBER 12th TUESDAY Movies, Shows, & Books REVIEW

OCTOBER 13th WEDNESDAY Twirling Book Princess EXCERPT

OCTOBER 14th THURSDAY BookHounds INTERVIEW

OCTOBER 15th FRIDAY Living in a Bookworld EXCERPT

WEEK TWO

OCTOBER 18th MONDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW

OCTOBER 19th TUESDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW

OCTOBER 20th WEDNESDAY Reading Adventures of a Book Dragon REVIEW

OCTOBER 21st THURSDAY Coffee and Wander Book Reviews REVIEW

OCTOBER 21st THURSDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

OCTOBER 22nd FRIDAY My Fictional Oasis REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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[Book Tour Stop] A Rebel in Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather [GIVEAWAY] Physical copy of book

 

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the A REBEL IN AUSCHWITZ by Jack Fairweather Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About the Book:

Title: A REBEL IN AUSCHWITZ: The True Story of the Resistance Hero who Fought the Nazis from Inside the Camp

Author: Jack Fairweather

Pub. Date: October 19, 2021

Publisher:  Scholastic Focus

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 352

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks (audiobook), Kobo (audiobook), TBD, Bookshop.org

With exclusive access to previously hidden diaries, family and camp survivor accounts, and recently declassified files, critically acclaimed and award-winning journalist Jack Fairweather brilliantly portrays the remarkable man who volunteered to face the unknown in the name of truth and country. This extraordinary and eye-opening account of the Holocaust invites us all to bear witness.

Occupied Warsaw, Summer 1940:

Witold Pilecki, a Polish underground operative, accepted a mission to uncover the fate of thousands interned at a new concentration camp, report on Nazi crimes, raise a secret army, and stage an uprising. The name of the camp -- Auschwitz.

Over the next two and half years, and under the cruellest of conditions, Pilecki's underground sabotaged facilities, assassinated Nazi officers, and gathered evidence of terrifying abuse and mass murder. But as he pieced together the horrifying Nazi plans to exterminate Europe's Jews, Pilecki realized he would have to risk his men, his life, and his family to warn the West before all was lost. To do so meant attempting the impossible -- but first he would have to escape from Auschwitz itself...

Praise for The Volunteer (adult edition):

"This is a story that has long deserved a robust, faithful telling, and [Fairweather] has delivered it." -- Wall Street Journal

"An extraordinary story." -- The Times

* "A forceful narrative with unstoppable reading momentum, Fairweather has created an insightful biography of a covert war hero and an extraordinary contribution to the history of the Holocaust." -- Booklist, starred review

"Witold Pilecki is one of the great -- perhaps the greatest -- unsung heroes of the second world war... Jack Fairweather's meticulous and insightful book is likely to be the definitive version of this extraordinary life." -- Economist

 

*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

Growing up, I was always fascinated by the darker points of history such as Titanic, the Black Plague, WWII, etc. So, I love to devour more morsels of history during these tragedies, and this book did not disappoint. I would have loved it as a teenager, and I loved it now as an adult. It's amazing to me that there are deeper and more complex roles people took during these times in history and that their stories are still emerging even to this day. 

Witold and his wife and children

This book covers the role Witold played during WWII. He was asked to go to Auschwitz and to report back via the Underground, as the Underground in Poland felt that Auschwitz was worse than the Germans were making it out to be. Witold ended up spending over 2 years of his life in Auschwitz and watched it go from a prison/labor camp to a death camp. He was there when the Germans had not quite figured out that they wanted it to turn into a death camp yet. He literally watched history unfold before his eyes, and he quickly realized that an uprising within Auschwitz would not be possible. The conditions were so deplorable, that the men would not be strong enough to have an uprising. So, he had to depend on released and escaped prisoners to convey his messages to the Warsaw Underground. Eventually, he escaped himself after finally realizing that he would no longer be able to do much more within the camp. Unfortunately, the Underground dismissed the atrocities within Auschwitz as they felt they had bigger fish to fry. 

I really enjoyed Witold's story, as it was a part of history that I never learned in class. He was a strong, courageous man that mad a difference in history, even if he died feeling like he did not. I'm glad that Jack Fairweather was able to bring his story to light and shed more facts and knowledge about the horrors in Auschwitz from a unique perspective. This man volunteered to go into Auschwitz, which makes him more valiant than anyone I know. 

 

About Jack Fairweather:

Jack Fairweather is a former war reporter in Iraq and Afghanistan and the author of A War of Choice and The Good War. The adult edition that tells this story is titled The Volunteer: The True Story of the Resistance Hero Who Infiltrated Auschwitz, which was named winner of the Costa Award and a #1 Sunday Times bestseller. Jack has served as the Daily Telegraph’s Baghdad bureau chief, and as a video journalist for the Washington Post in Afghanistan. His war coverage has won a British Press Award and an Overseas Press Club award citation.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of A REBEL IN AUSCHWITZ, US Only.

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/11/2021	Fire and Ice	Review
10/11/2021	BookHounds ya	Excerpt
10/12/2021	Lexijava_Bookish/Lexijava	Review
10/12/2021	@minnesota_mailer	IG Post
10/13/2021	@curlygrannylovestoread	Review
10/13/2021	Pick a good book	Excerpt
10/14/2021	Jazzy Book Reviews	Review
10/14/2021	Nerdophiles	Review
10/15/2021	Books Are Magic Too	Review
10/15/2021	Lifestyle of Me	Review

Week Two:

10/18/2021	Locks, Hooks and Books	Review
10/18/2021	Nikki's Book reviews	Review
10/19/2021	Books and Kats	Excerpt
10/19/2021	Simply Daniel Radcliffe	Review
10/20/2021	@coffeebooksandmascara	Review
10/20/2021	Readingmurakami	Review
10/21/2021	The Momma Spot	Excerpt
10/21/2021	Coffee and Wander Book Reviews	Review
10/22/2021	Popthebutterfly Reads	Review
10/22/2021	@jypsylynn	Review

[Book Blitz] Seduced by Magic: A Steamy Paranormal Romance Anthology [GIVEAWAY] Books, GC & More!

I am so excited that the SEDUCED BY MAGIC: A Steamy Paranormal Romance Anthology is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes an awesome giveaway courtesy of SEDUCED BY MAGIC team. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

About the Book:

Title: SEDUCED BY MAGIC: A Steamy Paranormal Romance Anthology

Authors: Skye Alder, J.L Beck and C. Hallman, Ariel Marie, Rianne Thaxton, ML Preston, Jamie K. Schmidt, Lilliana Rose, Ashley McLeo, Dee J. Holmes and Nova Blake, T. M. Caruana, Ember-Raine Winters, D. D. Larsen, Amy Pennza, AJ Renee, Gracen Miller, Kiana Hettinger, Evangeline Priest, Carmilla Quinn, and Mira Kane

Pub. Date: October 19, 2021

Publisher: Wildrose Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Books2Read link for all retailers

Crawling under your skin.

Nibbling at your neck.

Sending tendrils of red heat through your body.

Delve into a world that exists just beyond the boundary of our reality.

Alphalicious shifters, lusty witches, sultry vampires, and all creatures supernatural and sexy are ready to lure you into the dark, where you’ll taste danger, embrace deliciously sensual pleasures, and find a romance to rival the ages.

Are you ready to be seduced? Satisfy your paranormal romance cravings with SEDUCED BY MAGIC – a 20 book collection from USA Today authors. You don’t want to miss out on this limited-edition collection. Grab this ultimate bundle before it vanishes forever!

For fans of: J.R. Ward, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and Laura Thalassa

Authors in this set include: Skye Alder, J.L Beck and C. Hallman, Ariel Marie, Rianne Thaxton, ML Preston, Jamie K. Schmidt, Lilliana Rose, Ashley McLeo, Dee J. Holmes and Nova Blake, T. M. Caruana, Ember-Raine Winters, D. D. Larsen, Amy Pennza, AJ Renee, Gracen Miller, Kiana Hettinger, Evangeline Priest, Carmilla Quinn, and Mira Kane.

 

Check out Teasers and Excerpts over at the SEDUCED BY MAGIC WEBSITE!

 

Find out about all of the authors at the SEDUCED BY MAGIC WEBSITE!

Join the party over in their FACEBOOK GROUP!

Giveaway Details:

Three chances to win!

1 $50 Amazon Giftcard Winner

1 Paperback Winner (All 16 Paperbacks!)

20 Ebook Winners (E-Copy of Seduced By Magic)

(US Only)

To celebrate the release of Seduced By Magic, we've teamed up with some AMAZING authors to bring you this epic giveaway!

 

What will you win?

1 Winner of an Amazon gift card by Sharing, Liking, and Tagging a book bestie in the original post.

1 Winner of ALL 16 Paperbacks

20 Winners will win an ebook copy of Seduced By Magic

Follow each author on Instagram for EXTRA entries.

Giveaway closes October 23rd, 2021

*US ONLY*

The winners will be notified via email.

[Book Excerpt Tour] She’s the One Who Doesn’t Say Much (Book Four of the War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters) by S.R. Cronin [GIVEAWAY] $20 AMAZON/ B&N GC

 

         She’s the One Who Doesn’t Say Much 

(Book Four of the War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters)

by S.R. Cronin 

GENRE: Historical Fantasy

BLURB:

Do you know what your problem is?

Olivine knows hers. This quiet thirteenth-century artist has been hiding a secret as she travels to K'ba to meet her friends. Others assume she's fallen in love with another artist, but it's much worse than that. For on the way to K'ba is the dirt poor nichna of Scrud, a place scorned by other Ilarians. And in Scrud is the one man who understands her.

However, Bohdan recognizes the dangers posed by an impending Mongol invasion. When he learns of Olivine's unusual visual powers, he convinces her to pick up her bow and start practicing.

She does, though she's more concerned with moving to K'ba where she can paint all day and see Bohdan whenever she wants. If only her sister hadn't decided Olivine and her fellow long eyes held one key to defending the realm.

Then, as if life wasn't complicated enough, Olivine learns the artist community she yearns to be part of has developed a different take on the invasion. They're sure the only way to survive is to capitulate completely to the Mongols’ demands. Artists who feel otherwise are no longer welcome.

Where does her future lie? The invasion is coming soon and Olivine doesn't have much time to decide.

EXCERPT:

Bohdan surprised me by being more upset than I expected after I failed to spend some of the holiday with him. 

“We agreed to be a proper couple. Does this mean we are one only when you don’t have anything better to do?”

“Don’t say things like that. You know it’s not true.”

“Do I?” 

Perhaps I’d taken his understanding nature for granted. I didn’t know how to respond. Would I always be having to prove to him he mattered? I hoped not.

Once I explained my reasons for staying in the forest, however, he surprised me again. After learning how Ryalgar wanted to ensure Ilari’s safety, he went from frustrated to delighted.

“It’s exactly what we need,” he said. “Those Svadlu, so full of themselves, they think they can do anything. We’ve heard how these Mongols have overrun realms far larger and fiercer.”

“Well, her plan is for both the Velka and the Svadlu to play a role in our defense, as well as any Ilarians who are willing.”

“It’s brilliant.” 

“Complicated would be a better word. Her ideas will take a lot of people, a ridiculous amount of coordination, and a giant helping of luck. And yet, I agree. It’s better than waiting to get slaughtered. So, I’ll be part of her initial wave of defense, the piece that peels off the first part of their army.”

“What else does this initial wave need?”

“Well, mostly long eyes who’ve become capable archers. I don’t know how many of those we can find. And oomrushers, of course, but the Velka will provide those. I think that’s it.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You need bows, which you have. And you need arrows, but not just any arrows. You need the best my people can make for you.”

“We have plenty of arrows. I don’t think they can be made better.” 

“Of course they can. We’ll make arrows with wood that understands the need for a longer flight.”

Understands? I thought maybe I hadn’t heard him right, but I didn’t want to say anything to dampen his enthusiasm.

Sherrie Cronin is the author of a collection of six speculative fiction novels known as 46. Ascending and is now in the process of publishing a historical fantasy series called The War Stories of the Seven Troublesome Sisters. A quick look at the synopses of her books makes it obvious she is fascinated by people achieving the astonishing by developing abilities they barely knew they had.

She’s made a lot of stops along the way to writing these novels.  She’s lived in seven cities, visited forty-six countries, and worked as a waitress, technical writer, and geophysicist. Now she answers a hot-line. Along the way, she’s lost several cats but acquired a husband who still loves her and three kids who’ve grown up just fine, both despite how odd she is. 

All her life she has wanted to either tell these kinds of stories or be Chief Science Officer on the Starship Enterprise. She now lives and writes in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she admits to occasionally checking her phone for a message from Captain Picard, just in case. 

Author Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cinnabar01 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/46Ascending

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.r.cronin/

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5805814.Sherrie_Cronin

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Sherrie-Cronin/e/B007FRMO9Q

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/s-r-cronin

Author Blog: https://sherriecronin.xyz/

Book Series Blog: https://troublesome7sisters.xyz/

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Doesnt-Stories-Seven-Troublesome-Sisters-ebook/dp/B09128H2YJ

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shes-the-one-who-doesnt-say-much-s-r-cronin/1139107112

GIVEAWAY

S. R. Cronin will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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[Book Review] Starcrossed by Katie Jane Gallagher

 

Classic fairy tale meets alien abduction in this second riveting installment in the Beauty and Her Alien series.

It’s all very well to make out with an alien prince. A few kisses should be harmless—right?

Yet that alien prince is the only male present on the spaceship that serves as Corinne Kaminski’s gilded prison. Faced with a thorny status quo, Corinne begrudgingly keeps plotting her escape, despite her growing feelings for Del.

Complicating matters even more is the sudden, grand entrance of Del’s sisters onto the ship. The two cunning princesses would be most unhappy to learn that their brother, heir to the throne of Ailopt, has his eye on a human girl from Montana—and that said human girl returns his affection.

Then a chance at freedom becomes tantalizingly close, just when things are heating up behind closed doors. Corinne will have to decide what’s more important: returning home for good or taking a chance on cosmic love?

With one-of-a-kind characters, captivating intrigue, and aching desire, this next book in the Beauty and Her Alien series will enchant any fan of sci-fi romance.

Again, the cover of this sequel is just as beautiful as the first book, Unearthly! In this sequel, the relationship between Corinne and Del is explored more, but there's also a little problem: Del's sisters have decided to board the ship and check in. 

Del's sisters are a little disappointing. I was hoping that Corinne would get a long with them, and a new relationship would blossom to help her with her stay on the ship. Unfortunately, it appears the sisters do not have Corinne's best interest in mind, but that could also be chalked up to be a cultural thing? I guess we will find out in the next book. In Starcrossed, Corinne is still stuck on the ship and it is still Earthbound. But, never fear, our Corinne has some tricks up her sleeve to potentially leave. Unfortunately, these tricks could compromise the tenuous relationship she and Del have built on the ship. 

I enjoyed this book because we are able to see more into Del's character. We learn why he is so grumpy and cross, and it is heartbreaking. Del's character development is realy built upon in this book. I also enjoyed the different cultural references from Del's home planet. I'm sure the politics of everything will turn out to be a problem in Del's and Corinne's relationship in the future, but that's not a worry in this book. Del's sisters are not exactly happy that their brother is showing affection for a human, especially with the duties he needs to face in the immediate future regarding the throne. 

I am excited to see where the next book goes in the future. I know Corinne plans to visit Del's home planet, and I expect they will face a lot of backlash from Del's people. Also, I'm glad Joe got his just desserts in this book. I didn't like him from the beginning and I always regarded him suspiciously. 

I recommend this series to anyone that wants a unique, slow burn alien romance!

Katie Jane Gallagher is the author of the Beauty and Her Alien series, the BBNYA finalist Specter and The Gold in the Dark. Her stories feature relatable, realistic characters who get swept up in extraordinary events. An avid reader of genre fiction, she has a self-proclaimed affinity for the best sorts of trash.

Born and raised in Illinois, Katie currently lives in Connecticut with her stupendous, half-human half-neanderthal husband and their dopey boxer dog. She graduated magna cum laude from Connecticut College in 2012, with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language and literature and a minor in history.