Book Promo [#15] Blackout (T.O.E #2) Cover Reveal!

Well, fancy seeing you here! Top of the day to ya ;)
Have you noticed lots of new covers being revealed of late? Well, here's another one to add to the list! With Alecia Stone's cover for...

Centrinian Publishing Ltd
Blackout (T.O.E. Trilogy, Book 2) 

 RELEASED March 19 2014!

Series: ☑ Blackout is the sequel to the Amazon bestselling YA fantasy novel Talisman Of El. Paranormal aspects meet, with Charlie in the middle of it... What can the prophetic boy do?

  

WHAT was shall no longer be. What was not shall now become. Despite having the protection of the talisman and the Legion, a reforming force of warrior angels and elementals, guarding his every move, things are not looking good for Charlie Blake. Tasked with the responsibility of saving mankind, finding the four diamonds to restore the talisman is all he can think of, but when his prophetic visions start to invade his reality and he suddenly can’t distinguish the dream world from the real world, the pending extinction of mankind becomes the least of his problems. Everyone assumes Charlie’s dormant powers are activating, until he starts showing symptoms of a deadly disease. With his nemesis, Gaddis, threatening the lives of his loved ones, he faces a race against time to locate Raphael’s Stone, the air diamond, before an imminent pandemic destroys civilization. As he ventures into dangerous lands once again, he unearths shocking revelations about his past life that forces him to question his allegiance. With no one to turn to for answers, he can’t help but wonder if his purpose is truly to save mankind.  ~Blackout

About The Author: Alecia Stone
 at: S Facebook  ¦ Twitter ¦ Pinterest ¦ Goodreads ¦ Amazon ¦ AleciaStone.com Website  S

Alecia Stone is a full-time writer who spends most of her days with her head in a book. She loves anything and everything paranormal - the stranger the better. Her fascination with all things supernatural sparked her obsession with books, particularly young adult fantasy fiction, which she has never grown out of. She graduated with a BA in Film & TV and has worked in television for a short period of time before branching out into storytelling.

When she's not writing, she enjoys watching movies and travelling. She currently lives in the UK with her family.

Excerpt from Blackout:

Charlie’s eyes shifted back and forth between Derkein and the knife. Derkein had a look in his eyes he didn’t recognise. This wasn’t the man he had moved in with. He wasn’t the man who was soon to become his adoptive father. This was an impostor.

‘My father always said everything happened for a reason,’ Derkein said, ‘but he never met you. What good is immortality if I’m stuck in one place?’ He stopped and dropped his arm by his side, the knife slipping out of his grasp and landing with a clunking noise on the marble floor.

Charlie stopped, leaving a few inches between him and Derkein, who was standing with a guarded stance. Charlie couldn’t help but wonder who was more afraid of whom.

‘You’ve left me to rot in this god forsaken world for the rest of my life, so forgive me if I seem a tad ungrateful,’ Derkein went on in a flat tone. His blank expression left no room for interpretation. ‘If I have to rot in hell, I don’t see why I should have to suffer alone.’

Charlie didn’t see it coming. Derkein lunged at him, grabbed him by the arms, and thrust him backwards. Charlie waited for the collision of his back with the conservatory door, but the impact didn’t occur. Instead, he found himself falling and landing hard on his back in darkness. The only source of light came from the kitchen ahead of him where Derkein was standing.

‘Why do you look so surprised?’ Derkein asked. ‘What did you expect was going to happen when you resurrected me, or did I not deserve the common courtesy of a conscious thought? I’m not like you. I’m not like them. Tell me, Charlie. What am I, exactly?’

Charlie rose up into a sitting position. He didn’t have the answers Derkein was seeking. ‘I’m sorry.’ The words barely escaped his mouth.

‘Yeah. Me too.’ In the blink of an eye, Derkein and the kitchen vanished, leaving Charlie in complete darkness. He sat in the empty silence, waiting. It wasn’t until he heard his rapid breathing that he realised panic had overcome him. Charlie scampered to his feet and charged ahead of him, ramming into the hard, rough texture of a brick wall.

‘Derkein!’ he yelled, pounding the wall with his fists. ‘Derkein, please –’

‘Sol.’

Charlie felt a crawling sensation move down his spine as a shrill voice echoed around him. With his palms braced against the wall, he remained still as the voice slowly faded. He held his breath as silence invaded the space once again. When the voice didn’t return, he made a move to the right, running his hand over the wall as he searched for the door.

Within seconds, he felt a tingle of cold air on the back of his neck that made him jump, and he released his breath. He spun around, shifting his head left and right, but his eyes couldn’t penetrate the darkness that surrounded him.

He reached up towards his neck and froze. The rhythm of his heart accelerated as he moved his hand over his chest in search of the familiar touch of the two silver rings he had become so accustomed to over the past five years, but the chain wasn’t around his neck. Although he couldn’t see anything, he suddenly felt as though the darkness was closing in on him, compressing his lungs as if attempting to stifle him.

A spotlight appeared a few feet in front of him, and his heart stopped. He gulped down the lump forming in his throat as he stared at the figure submerged in the light, dangling about two feet off the ground.

Hope you enjoyed that extract & the post :) Now you are rewarded with a giveaway!

Cover Reveal Organised by:

Blackout Cover Reveal Giveaway - ends March 31st!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is international. Open to anyone who can receive gifted ebooks from amazon.com and gift cards from either amazon.com or amazon.co.uk. Alternatively, gift card winners may opt for Paypal cash ($10) or a book of choice from The Book Depository ($10).

Good luck!

Reviewing... [9] Challenging Zed

People...! I’m late to read Challenging Zed, and review it too. Late for both- what is the world coming to? But it has given me a chance to reflect on quite how ludicrous it is that I write titles on my posts even when there is already one. You are looking at the wrong post if you want to see quite how blatantly idiotic I have been in the past with my blogging. Now, before I end this confession, I want to check that you all like my spoiler-free review of Seeking Crystal. You did? YOU DID? Yeah; I did do the previously mentioned stupid thing there. You want proof? Here you go!

Reviewing [9] Author: Seeking Crystal is written by Julia Golding. NO, it is. She wrote the Benedicts series under one of her pen names, Joss Stirling. Source: FREE on Kindle. Recommended for: Everyone. Ever. Rating: 4.5 (compromised cos this is a short story)

In that review I did avoid mentioning a very big thing. But this book would even introduce you to the concept. So do I think it’s a good book to start with? (Especially as I was like... Start with Seeking Crystal, it’s got my favourite brother so far in it- Uriel being my other, who I sort of have claims to. I had claims to him until the last page, OK?) Yes. I wasn’t fangirling for Zed but now...



Yes, he is not what he seemed. Oh. My. Interested. Sugarcubes (sorry for that reference. I wish I could say this book contained sugarcubes, but it still has a whole lot of sweet.)
What sweet moments you ask? Well, I suppose I can tell you the gist. You get to see insight into little Benedict brothers. Yves was still more clever than his adult brothers when he was 10. Not only do I love Zed more... But Yves too.
The characterization was already better than most brands of chocolate (I haven't given up on the Valentines theme- I mean c'mon, this book came out on Valentines!) but now it is like nutella on pancakes (proving Pancake Day is just as important than February 14th).
Not only do we see the future years before Sky moved from England & had the exact same reaction to Zed as Rachel Berry (seen above, duh) but we see scenes, through Zed's eyes (sort of- it actually wasn't in first person), before.
Unfortunately we didn't get to see the vast series of events as in Finding Sky but I suppose had it been a lot longer it wouldn't have been as poignant for it's difference.

I loved it.

3 things [2]: Valentines, eh?

Yesterday was Valentines (says my timezone).

Yes... my timezone can speak. And along with me the GMT timezone has book pet peeves.

Well... Today I'll just be listing 3 book (relationship related) pet PEEVES which bug me. You'll get the gist...

Instalove
Love. Is. At. First. Sight?
I don't tend to do the book-chucked-across-the-room drama queen act but instalove... Hey, annoying book-ruining (not just because it now has to be checked for bruises after my fit) thing. It is often accompanied by lots of romance which makes your stomach turn inside out (or at least mine). For example, instead of going to solve the issue he bites her... An ear nibbling, perfect boyfriend with greek god looks... Basically they are encouraging people to love for looks. That, to me, is what love is at first sight.

Vampires trying not to bite their love.
This is the parallel opposite. Oh, extremes. He's perfect, just in another way... His determination not to bite her- isn't it so valiant? I can say that this, single-handed, is what has soured my taste in Paranormal books. The other things are probably more contemporary (but can be in paranormal too) but this is just something which puts me off entering those vampire-teeming worlds. Why would I want a vampire when I could have a shapeshifer, a savant or a werewolf?

Mary-Sue love (and other such things)...
Because it isn't bad enough that this character is probably flawless, or whiny, or a miracle worker but they also have not one, probably not two but THREE (or more) people after them. At least two guys and often a friend (who is supposed to be straight but apparently is no longer) or another guy (because y'know Mike Newton was a necessary character). Perhaps it is just a love triangle, but what is so desirable about such characters? Nada.
Of course there are Marty Sam/Gary Sue's but they don't appear as much. There are characters which don't fit the description but still seem to get lots of admirers and that is as annoying as having to listen to a moan-a-page protagonist.

Reviewing... [8] What's Up With Jody Barton?

Not exactly a Valentines read (despite the cover)

The cover doesn't really stand for what it is about-  nil girlishness save the cover. It is artistic. That's true. But it's not light-hearted.

Reviewing [8] Author: Hayley LongSource: Purchased signed-copy (YESSSS!)Recommended for: fans of Perks of Being A Wallflower

Absolutely incredible.
I have to say there was at least one twist and at first I thought that in this book the word ‘gay’ was just being thrown about. Lots of words were just thrown about- peng, dibbling (which I haven’t heard as much as I have read it here) etc. A lot of very british phrases and words but also a lot that I would say are more Americanized but do add to the realism of the story. Some were thrown about more clearly than others.
This is a book that probably will differ in its meaning to people. I think that it poignantly evoked my emotion as it was a lot deeper than I was expecting. I wasn’t expecting a full-on chick-lit as Hayley Long just doesn’t do that, but this knocks off the contemporary label too.

Image from book.

It’s the uncommon formatting. The pictures.
For example (this picture comes shortly after the event & when I’ve realized something that wasn’t known & this was an appropriate reaction- that’s like the GIF of the review) --->

With all of the above there is no way even a less confident YA/teen reader could not pick this up. It’s more than a diary... Imagine a song you’ll never get tired of- it might be Light My Fire (which was the only 20th century thing I understood- hey, I’m a 90’s child...) that’s Jody’s voice. It was easy to connect to.

I don’t mean this ‘insensitively’ but Jody went through a lot & I like how the things mentioned were a mix of antagonists that didn’t seem so bad at first, that were a bunch of people & that were also emotions or family issues. There is insight into Jody’s emotions, other character emotions & lots, LOTS of good stuff. The twins were great characters and their Mum was such a nice touch.

Why I am recommending it to fans of Perks

The novel reminded me, only slightly as the family units were very different, of Perks (which I read not watched). They both have twists and loveable, realistic characters.
There is a deeper reason- if you haven’t read this or Perks don’t read the below-
The scene where Patrick kissed Charlie ran through my head when Jody got the punch. Such different experiences but I think that’s what made it sweet. They were both told through voices that communicated so excellently & I daren’t compare the two voices- they’d clash if they were in the same book but if Charlie, Patrick, Jody & that horrible character- Liam- were in the same room I’d love to see what would happen. Also Jolene & Sam... imagine them together. Yes... I’ll shut up now.

So just like you wouldn't read Perks because it is Valentines, don't read this because it's soon to be February 14th soon. Ah, it's only a date change isn't it? Why read something with a perfect boy or relationship? Nah, soppy stuff... Pfft. We're too cool to read a book with a guy that we want to marry in just because it's Valentines- aren't we?
I know you'll love this book. So pick it up and like I did... GUSH ABOUT IT!

Got it?

<--- That was part of my reaction to some of the book...

Now you may have a happy Valentines. With...

this book. Or your other half (if you're me, other half would be a book character). Let me know in the comments what your Valentines will involve- a book boyfriend? Enjoying the commercial day with Valentines Day cards arriving at your door (or in your locker if you're a high schooler)? Eating love heart sweets while crying (because... friends have the habit of being a bit 'abandoning' on this love-filled day)?

(Is this post really as long as I think it is?)