[Blog Tour] Blood and Sand by C.V. Wyk Excerpt + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Blood and Sand Blog Tour! For today's stop, I have a an exclusive excerpt of Chapter One. Don't forget to check out the other tour stops and enter the giveaway below.

In stores and wherever books are sold January 16, 2018

Hardcover|Ebook| 320 Pages

Published by Tor Teen

Pre-Order|B&N|Amazon|

FORGED IN BATTLE...

FROM THE DUST OF THE ARENA...

A LEGEND WILL RISE 

The action-packed tale of a 17-year-old warrior princess and a handsome gladiator who dared take on the Roman Republic—and gave rise to the legend of Spartacus...

For teens who love strong female protagonists in their fantasy and historical fiction, Blood and Sand is a stirring, yet poignant tale of two slaves who dared take on an empire by talented debut author C. V. Wyk.

Roma Victrix. The Republic of Rome is on a relentless march to create an empire—an empire built on the backs of the conquered, brought back to Rome as slaves.

Attia was once destined to rule as the queen and swordmaiden of Thrace, the greatest warrior kingdom the world had seen since Sparta. Now she is a slave, given to Xanthus, the Champion of Rome, as a sign of his master’s favor.

Enslaved as a child, Xanthus is the preeminent gladiator of his generation.

Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a tentative bond. A bond that will spark a rebellion. A rebellion that threatens to bring the Roman Republic to its end—and gives rise to the legend of Spartacus...

Excerpt 

Chapter 1

They called them slaves.

In the shadow of the Coliseum, through the paved streets of
Rome, armed guards dragged them by the neck. Rusted iron
shackles cut at their wrists and ankles. Each labored breath was
fouled by the bitter stench of the city. Old and new blood darkened
the rope that bound them together. Clumps of hair, torn
fingernails, and other bits were trapped in the heavy, twisted
strands. It was a rope that had been used many times before.

A crowd of dusty citizenry parted to let them pass, urged
along by the guards and watchmen flanking the slaves on their
walk to the auction block.

Twenty-one women in total, and they all averted their eyes,
trembled with terror. All but one.

At the very end of the line, a slight figure lifted her head and
stared around her, her gaze steady, penetrating. The dirt and
mud that streaked her face wasn’t enough to hide her disgust.

She knew what was going to happen to her and the others. She
knew the warped rules by which the Romans played. Patricians
and plebeians. Masters and slaves. They all filled their roles
without exception. It didn’t matter who she was sold to, just that
she would be sold. She would be bought, and she would be paid
for, and she would be a slave.

She tried to summon calming pictures of her home—the
salty air that drummed against the walls of her father’s tent, the
alternating calm and fury of the Aegean, the stormy gray of
her mother’s eyes. But the pictures quickly turned to images of
carnage and violence.

She’d been a warrior once, and free. Now she was the only
one left, the last Thracian the world would never know. She
wondered if history would remember the genocide of the Maedi,
the annihilation of her people.
Doubtful, she thought. History only serves the winner.
Roma victrix.

She knew she didn’t have the luxury of denial—not if she
was going to survive. So when the bloodstained rope pulled her
forward with a sharp jerk, she focused instead on her training
and her discipline and managed to remain steady.

“Keep moving,” the guard behind her grumbled.

Gripping her rope with bleeding fingers, she spat into the
sand and walked on.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C. V. Wyk was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. She has lived in five states in the continental US (and hopes to add a few international locales to that list). Prone to wanderlust and getting lost, Wyk likes to explore local hiking trails, mountain ranges, dark caves where nefarious mythical creatures undoubtedly reside, and libraries. She currently lives in Maryland with a precocious mini poodle and a demanding guinea pig. 

In her not-so-spare time, she enjoys playing MMORPGs, kayaking, coding, staring listlessly at blank walls, and nursing a totally healthy coffee addiction.

Twitter|Facebook|Website|IG|Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Tor Teen has provided 3 Hardcovers to be sent to 3 winners in the US or Canada. You must be 12 years or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule (weekdays Jan 8 – Jan 26)

Jan 8 – Mary Had A Little Book Blog

Jan 9 – Novel Knight

Jan 10 – The Book Nut

Jan 11 – Short & Sweet Reviews

Jan 12 – Rabid Reads

Jan 15 – Brittany’s Book Rambles

Jan 16 – Powder and Page

Jan 17 – Arctic Books

Jan 18 – My Friends Are Fiction

Jan 19 – Itching for Books

Jan 22 – Pretty Deadly Reviews

Jan 23 – Chasing Faerytales

Jan 24 – Bumbles and Fairytales

Jan 25 – Ageless Pages Reviews

Jan 26 – Gizmo’s Reviews

[Blog Tour] Review: Vacant by Alex Hughes + Giveaway

Title: Vacant
Author: Alex Hughes
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Mindspace Investigations #4

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
Publication: December 2, 2014

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review/blog tour.

Buy|Amazon|Book Depo|

Nothing ruins a romantic evening like a brawl with lowlifes—especially when one of them later turns up dead and my date, Detective Isabella Cherabino, is the #1 suspect. My history with the Atlanta PD on both sides of the law makes me an unreliable witness, so while Cherabino is suspended, I’m paying my bills by taking an FBI gig.

I’ve been hired to play telepathic bodyguard for Tommy, the ten-year-old son of a superior court judge in Savannah presiding over the murder trial of a mob-connected mogul. After an attempt on the kid’s life, the Feds believe he’s been targeted by the businessman’s “associates.”

Turns out, Tommy’s a nascent telepath, so I’m trying to help him get a handle on his Ability. But it doesn’t take a mind reader to see that there’s something going on with this kid’s parents that’s stressing him out more than a death threat.

Vacant is the fourth book in the Mindspace Investigation series, and it doesn’t look like this series is slowing down. The series just gets better and better with each installment; growing leaps and bound in terms of world building and character growth/development. And from what I can see in this latest book, Vacant, is that from here on out, this series can only go up.

Vacant picks up a few weeks after the events in Marked, everything been quite calm on the police and Guild front and even Swatz is doing much better from his heart scare. But of course too much of a good thing never lasts long. A date night for Adam and Isabella turns bad when a solicitor picks a fight with them and 10 minutes later ends up dead…and the first and only suspect is Isabella. Things go from bad to worse when Isabella is investigated for police brutality and Adam is called out of town to help on an FBI case involving an attempt kidnapping of a 10-year-old boy. But the trouble doesn’t stop there as Atlanta’s Big Boss and an old archenemy of Adam are out to get him, or worst kill him.

Vacant took a different route from the previous book in which Adam was mostly working alone and on a case separate from the police department and Guild. Adam is usually always with Cherabino, working either with a case for the department, Guild, or a combination of both; so it was nice to see him out of his element and taking the lead. With Adam’s drug history and being a telepath people see him in a certain light and in a way discriminate him/categorize him before they even get to know him; they also make decisions on his behalf whether he likes it or not (wage, how he handles his money, and for a time he wasn’t even allowed to drive). In Vacant, readers saw a different Adam, one with more freedom, more acceptance, decisive and respected. Adam had a lot of challenges this time around; both physically and mentally and the occasional self-doubt or feeling of hopelessness but at the end of the day Adam persevered and got the job done. It was a really nice change, and I loved seeing his growth…this better version of Adam.

Overall, Vacant was a very fast-pace read; the story pretty much hit the ground running within the first couple of pages and didn’t let up till the end. I also really enjoy the plot and how it connected to the overall arc of the series. Even though I knew who all the baddies were early on in the story, it didn’t take away any of my enjoyment as I still found myself riveted and unable to flip the pages fast enough. With Cherabino and the usual cast of characters back in Atlanta and Adam out in Savannah, readers were presented with a whole new group of characters, and I must say I loved them all. From Tough but lonely kid Tommy, Agent Jarrod and the entire FBI crew to charming Quentin (Tommy’s dad); they all made a lasting impression that I hope we’ll see more of them in future books.

Vacant is a stellar addition to the series and with how the book ended, I can’t wait to see what Hughes does next with the world and characters. This is by far one of the best Sci-Fi series I’ve ever read and I can’t recommend this book enough. Read this series if you haven’t already, and start at the beginning with Clean, you won’t be sorry! Now, bring on Mindspace Investigation #5!

VACANT CLUE

In addition to fun blog posts, interviews, and exclusive excerpts, fans will have a chance to solve a mystery during the month-long VACANT blog tour! A “Clue-like” checklist is available to download from the author’s blog, here,to be marked off as readers visit stops along the tour schedule. Somewhere on participating blog posts will be clues (clearly marked) that will eliminate specific “Location”, “Weapon”, or “Suspect” options. At the end of the tour, a rafflecopter entry form will help Alex choose a grand prize winner amongst all who correctly guess “who dunnit?” based on the remaining options.

US/CAN/UK ONLY

The author is generously giving away an audiobook copy of one (1) Mindspace Investigation novel (winner's choice) to a blog reader. To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Hughes, the author of the award-winning Mindspace Investigations series from Roc, has lived in the Atlanta area since the age of eight. Her short fiction has been published in several markets including EveryDay Fiction, Thunder on the Battlefield and White Cat Magazine. She is an avid cook and foodie, a trivia buff, and a science geek, and loves to talk about neuroscience, the Food Network, and writing craft—but not necessarily all at the same time! For all the latest news and free short stories, join Alex’s email list at http://bit.ly/AlexsList.

Connect with Alex

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Blog Tour Schedule:

Nov 25^th - SF Signal

Nov 26^th - I Smell Sheep

Nov 27^th – Thanksgiving (US)

Nov 28^th - Ashley’s Random Blog

Dec 1^st - What The Cat Read

               BookHounds

Dec 2^nd - NicholasKaufmann.com

                Eclectic Library

                Books Make Me Happy

Dec 3^rd - Vampire Book Club

Dec 4^th - Little Read Riding Hood

Dec 5^th - Insane About Books

Dec 8^th - BiblioFiend

                Between The Lines

Dec 9^th - Smart Girls Love Sci/Fi & Paranormal Romance

Dec 10^th - Reading Reality

Dec 11^th - Short & Sweet Reviews

Dec 12^th - That’s What I’m Talking About

                  Anna’s Book Blog

Dec 15^th - Tynga’s Reviews

Dec 16^th - Janice Hardy – Fiction University

Dec 17^th - Preturnatura

                  Amberkatze’s Book Blog

Dec 18^th - Fantasy Literature

                  That’s What I’m Talking About

Dec 19^th - Books That Hook

                  Literal Addiction

Dec 21^st - Literary Escapism

Dec 22^nd - Open Book Society

Dec 23^rd - My Bookish Ways

[Blog Tour] Mind Games by Christine Amsden

 Title: Mind Games
Author: Christine Amsden
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal
Series: Cassie Scot #3

Trade Paperback, 278 Pages
Publication: April 10, 2014 by Twilight Time Books

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|

Beware your heart and soul…
Evan broke Cassie’s heart two months ago, and she still doesn’t know why. She throws herself into family, friends and her new job at the sheriff’s department, but nothing helps. The only thing that finally allows her heal and move on is the love of a new man, mind mage Matthew Blair. Cassie finds him... irresistible

Matthew may also be the only one who can help keep the nonmagical residents of Eagle Rock from going crazy over the murder of a beloved pastor’s wife. It looks like a sorcerer is to blame, but while Cassie tries to figure out who, others take matters into their own hands. With tensions running so hot, a single spark might set Eagle Rock ablaze.

Mind Games is the highly anticipated third book in the Cassie Scot series.  In the same vein as the previous two books, Mind Games start off with a bang and continues that way till the end. The action starts immediately from the moment readers open the book, with a murder involving the McClellan, one of Eagle Rock Magical family, a pastor on a witch hunt and an out of town sorcerer new to Eagle Rock with the hope of unifying the magical community all across the continent.  And like before, Cassie is on the case for every problem that pops up in Eagle Rock, whether it is magic related or not.   

Mind Games had so many plots going on at once that I wonder how Amsden kept everything straight! There was a lot happening in the Magic community, as a new sorcerer comes to town promising to create a legal and fair governing system for anyone with an ounce of magic…but the magical families of Eagle Rock built their home/lives in the town for precisely one reason, freedom; to live their life by their rules and no one else (human and nonhuman alike). Then on the human front, a pastor who has been preaching against magical folks for year is finally acting on his word when he accuses witches of killing his wife when she dies in a fire. He riles up his parishioners and the community to boycott the witches in the town, and goes even farther by suggesting the witches to be burn at the stake like in the medieval times! The hypocrisy of the entire situation was kind of annoying, especially when readers find out the pastor’s somewhat relations to one of the magical family and as man of god, how can he condone violence against the unprovoked, and the women and children? 

There were a lot of old and new characters introduced this time around. For the old characters, readers learn something new that they didn’t already know in the previous books, and it’s like peeling an onion as we get to see the different layers of the characters.  I enjoyed seeing glimpses of each of the magical family as well because while they are all powerful they are very different from one another. In the book, Cassie’s boss gives her a task of interviewing all of the magical family in regards to McClellan’s murder, and in the short interactions she had with the families, readers learn a lot of history between the families; especially with the Blairs, Blackwood and Cassie’s family the Scots.  

With the recent breakup with Evan, Cassie has two ‘new’ men in her life, one a partner and another love interest.  Cassie’s new partner is an out of Towner who transferred from St. Louis. I knew something was off when Wesley showed up in Cassie’s life but I couldn’t put my finger on it…and when the big reveal came at the end I was super surprised because like Cassie, I should have seen it coming from a mile away LOL. Then we have the love interest who happens to be Matthew Blair, a sorcerer and a councilman. Matthew, I’m sure, rubbed everyone the wrong way, his character just screamed scumbag. I wasn’t keen on the addition of his character because it created a weird love triangle (using this term loosely, as it isn’t really a love triangle, but felt almost like one) And like Cassie’s family and friends suggested is bad news. Matthew is a mind mage, meaning he can hear anyone’s thought and can influence one’s action without them knowing.

All in all, Mind Games was another stellar addition to the series. I swear each book just gets better and better! You’d think with a series with books written less than 5-6 months apart that it wouldn’t be as good or well written as say the first book, but it is definitely not the case with Amsden. Amsden is a talent writer that knows her craft. If you enjoy character driven novels and amazing strong female protagonists (that don’t necessarily need magic to be kick-ass) then you seriously NEED to pick this series up, I guarantee you will not regret it! I can’t wait to read the final installment in the Cassie Scot series, especially since reader are left with another shocking ending (not really a cliff-hanger); crossing my fingers that Evan and Cassie gets a happy ending!