Blog Tour: Enchanting Wilder (Wild #1) by Cassie Graham

Title: Enchanting Wilder

Series: Wild #1

Author: Cassie Graham

Release Date: July 28, 2016

Declan Wilder has never met a witch he didn’t hate. He is in the business of protecting the world from all things paranormal, after all. But what happens when one glimpse at an enchanting McKenna Sawyer sends him spinning? Suddenly, Declan can’t help but question everything he thought he knew about the world he’s been sworn to protect for so long.

Plagued by her parents’ death, McKenna Sawyer has no interest in anything outside of her family’s business and her sister’s happiness. So when she’s assigned to warn a Pursuer about his impending death, she’s less than prepared for the way he shifts her world on its axis. And when more time spent with him leads to more secrets about their world revealed, they must decide how their universes fit together — if at all.

The paranormal world is gearing up for a fight, and both Declan and McKenna have been called to battle. But the question remains — will they be fighting for or against each other?

3 Stars

Enchanting Wilder by Cassie Graham is a very original paranormal romance. There is a little bit of everything in this book from witches to demons to angels to hybrids. This book contains paranormal beings galore!

McKenna is the witch that this story is mostly centered around. She is a Strix, which is a good witch that tries to help people choose the good path. She and her sister are left to run the family business and carry out their legacy, but then, things start getting weird. Declan is a Pursuer. He is mortal, but he fights all things evil. When he meets McKenna, there is a unexplainable pull towards each other. As the two start to slowly give in to the pull, secrets come out. The duo, along with their siblings and one demon in touch with his humanity, wade through the secrets to find a way to save the world.

This story was definitely one of a kind. This book was up and down for me. At times, the story felt slow, but then it would suddenly pick up and I was hit with (almost) information overload. Even with all the things thrown into the story, it was quite easy to follow. I didn't feel lost in the least. I was just hoping for a bit more action and adventure than I got.

Amazon | Goodreads

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the relaxed smile on Declan’s lips as he felt the ocean for the first time, or the way he pulled me into his embrace when we finally decided to leave. His needy hands trembled on my leg as we drove back to town because we both knew that was it. Or even the way he looked at me with earnest when he dropped me off at home—promising it wouldn’t be the last time. I won’t forget the forced, dejected smile he had as he waved goodbye because he recognized what he had just promised was a lie. I won’t forget the taillights as he drove around the corner and out of my sight. And, I won’t forget the way my heart ached when I was all alone because I’ve never felt such a sensation before.

I’ll chase those feelings—the ones I shared with Declan. The good and the bad—I’ll pursue those forever. Because they’re some of the best ones I’ve got.

Cassie Graham is a firey redhead with an intense love for fairytales--angsty, suspenseful fairytales--but fairytales nonetheless. She's had all kinds of jobs--but the one she loves the most is being a writer. She finds solace in it.

She's also the mom to a beautiful little girl. Her greatest joy is watching her grow.

Cassie has always loved to write and is so thankful that she's able to do it full-time. She's very lucky to have a husband who works non-stop so she can live out her dream. He's the reason why writing romance is so easy.

Cassie is a born and raised Arizona girl. Though she has moved around a bit, her home always calls to her. It's where her heart will remain.

If Cassie isn't writing, she's more than likely cooking in the kitchen with her daughter or has her nose buried deep in a good book. She loves front porch sitting, drinking coffee, and constantly dating her husband.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Release Day Blitz: Enchanting Wilder (Wild #1) by Cassie Graham

Title: Enchanting Wilder

Series: Wild #1

Author: Cassie Graham

Release Date: July 28, 2016

Declan Wilder has never met a witch he didn’t hate. He is in the business of protecting the world from all things paranormal, after all. But what happens when one glimpse at an enchanting McKenna Sawyer sends him spinning? Suddenly, Declan can’t help but question everything he thought he knew about the world he’s been sworn to protect for so long.

Plagued by her parents’ death, McKenna Sawyer has no interest in anything outside of her family’s business and her sister’s happiness. So when she’s assigned to warn a Pursuer about his impending death, she’s less than prepared for the way he shifts her world on its axis. And when more time spent with him leads to more secrets about their world revealed, they must decide how their universes fit together — if at all.

The paranormal world is gearing up for a fight, and both Declan and McKenna have been called to battle. But the question remains — will they be fighting for or against each other?

Amazon | Goodreads

Crickets chirp in the distance and I wonder if they’ll ever hold the same mundane significance they did before. They used to be irrelevant, unimportant creatures. But now? I can’t imagine a world without them. They’re the soundtrack to a kiss that brought me back to the land of the living. Everything I’ve wanted—everything I’ve needed—is being laid out in front of me by Declan. His passion overwhelms me, and for the first time in my life, my sense of self is overflowing. I no longer feel the need to second-guess my desires.

Every kiss, every stroke of his tongue with mine brings me closer to who I’m supposed to be. It feels as if I’ve been waiting my entire life to find someone to kiss me like this. So passionately—full of want and need.

Declan takes hold of me gently, placing both hands on the side of my face. He slows his pace, and pulls away, kissing my nose.

I’m panting with fervor and smile when his green eyes look into mine.

Declan lowers his voice. “That was…”

I nod, still gasping for air. “It was.”

Cassie Graham is a firey redhead with an intense love for fairytales--angsty, suspenseful fairytales--but fairytales nonetheless. She's had all kinds of jobs--but the one she loves the most is being a writer. She finds solace in it.

She's also the mom to a beautiful little girl. Her greatest joy is watching her grow.

Cassie has always loved to write and is so thankful that she's able to do it full-time. She's very lucky to have a husband who works non-stop so she can live out her dream. He's the reason why writing romance is so easy.

Cassie is a born and raised Arizona girl. Though she has moved around a bit, her home always calls to her. It's where her heart will remain.

If Cassie isn't writing, she's more than likely cooking in the kitchen with her daughter or has her nose buried deep in a good book. She loves front porch sitting, drinking coffee, and constantly dating her husband.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Blog Tour: Crimson Cove by Eden Butler

Title: Crimson Cove

Author: Eden Butler

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: December 31, 2015

Tour Hosted by: As the Pages Turn

Ten years ago Janiver stole a kiss from the meanest boy in school.

He never forgot.

Senior year.

One minute before the tardy bell rang, Bane Illes would slip through the door.

He never smiled.

He never spoke.

Each day, that dark, dangerous boy gave Janiver Benoit a glance. And when she could not take another quiet stare, or the warmth that look sent over her skin, she took from Bane something he’d never give freely—one lingering, soul knocking kiss.

Ten years later, her family needs her, and Janiver will have to face the one person she promised herself she’d never see again.

The dangerous wizard that might make leaving Crimson Cove the last thing she wants to do.

Crimson Cove is Eden Butler's first stab at Paranormal Romance and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. On one hand, this is Eden Butler. Her style of writing is so easy to follow and flows seamlessly. You get a complete story and a happily ever after. On the other hand, the story felt more "wordy" than I'm used to with this author. It felt quick, but at the same time long due to descriptions. I felt like some things needed less description and some needed more explanation.

Janiver (or Jani) ran away from Crimson Cove when she was 18. She and Bane has always had a complicated relationship. They have always gravitated towards each other and they don't know why. Bane is from a higher, richer coven. Jani is from a lower coven. They share one powerful kiss (which she blocks from his memory), and due to the hierarchy of covens, runs away because she can't have him. He's the one thing that she wants for herself, but leaving is in the best interest of Crimson Cove as a whole.

She returns when Bane practically drags her home in order to search for the Elam. The Elam is very important to the magical beings. It helps stem the flow of magic and keep them hidden. Jani is the best at finding things, that's why she is called back to The Cove. Of course, Bane feels the magnetic pull towards her, even though he doesn't know why. BUT, he is engaged to marry a woman from a higher coven. He is supposed to marry her for the good of The Cove. As the story gets more involved, Bane and Jani are pulled together again and again until it takes a terrible secret to tear them apart.

As a whole I thought this story was pretty good. It was very imaginative and it was a complete yet short snippet in time. I personally had a hard time connecting to this story and the characters. I honestly don't know what it was, but that magic I always get with Eden Butler's books wasn't there. The characters were likable enough and the story itself flowed pretty well. I just unfortunately could not find that complete connection.

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Amazon AUS

Your secrets are your own, he finally said, a little of his confidence dimmed, but his resolve stronger than ever.

Good, I thought. He’ll need it.

They are.

One step forward and Bane stared down at me. Then why do I get the feeling that what’s behind that wall isn’t just for you?

Beyond us, I sensed the weight of the lines trying to breech across the safeguard Bane had placed inside me. He sensed it too, even nodded toward it when I looked at him, expecting confirmation. But he wanted an answer, didn’t seem to care that his spell had worked on me.

Don’t go poking, Bane. Not all secrets need telling.

Bane was only a foot away from me, his mind likely lingering around the confusion of that day, ten years ago, and the heat he thought he’d imagined. But it had been real. Hell, it was still so damn real and even with him tempering the lines from me, Bane seemed to know it too.

A warning, he started looking as though he wasn’t sure if he wanted me or wanted to be angry with me. I may not be able to have complete awareness of your thoughts, but I can tell what direction they’re heading toward.

Meaning?

Meaning if I piss you off, I’m gonna know. I shook my head, not caring if Bane knew how often he pissed me off. Meaning that if I do something you like, he moved his gaze down my body, then back up, Well, I’ll know just how much you like what I do.

And if someone else does something I like? He grunted, but remained silent. I mean, if say, one of those primal, alpha shifters do something I really, really like...͟

I’ll damn well know. The clip of his voice was a warning I took to heart.

I see.

There was little time left now for us to squabble or argue over what I kept from him so when I turned away, needing the distance, and he grabbed my arm, stopping me, and the shock was quick and, despite knowing him as I did, unexpected. That daydream...͟ He pressed his lips together. Felt damn real.

My eyes kept steady on my wrist in his grip, as though on their own, they’d decided looking at Bane wouldn’t be smart. Why are you touching me again? Finally able to control 

myself, I looked up. The spell is over.

Is it?

There was something new, something strange to how Bane pulled me in. The lines weren’t calling me, insisting that I take him, claim him once again. They were, in fact, nothing more than a quiet whisper I could barely make out, begging now instead of insisting. The sensation had no bite, not as it did before Bane’s spell, but there was still a heat between us, that constant energy that no block could keep from us. We were drawn to each other even without the lines’ interference.

Bane...͟ He inched closer and I held my breath as that pull—our pull—between us drew us closer. What am I thinking now?

He growled, rushing toward my mouth, warming it with just a brush of his lips.The same damn thing I am. He gripped my face between his fingers and kissed me hard, scorching against my mouth like he wanted to claim it. God, how I wish he would, and just that thought made that low, deep groan in Bane’s throat transform into a growl of pleasure.

The air around us dropped, the temperatures cooling the wind, bringing brittle leaves and small twigs from the trees around us. Nothing slipped into my thoughts as we came closer, as I forgot that I wasn’t supposed to touch Bane, that he belonged to someone else, that he was meant for something else in which I played no part. But just for that moment, I wanted to take him. I wanted his touch and taste all over me.

At the thought, Bane broke away, his hot, hurried breath fanning down my nose as he rested his forehead against mine. This spell was an insanely bad idea.

Why? Fingers fisted in his collar, he moved when I pulled him toward me, too eager, too anxious to keep from touching him.

God, Jani, because now I know you’ve been thinking the same thing I have since the second I walked into your apartment.

But I knew, I knew that it had all started for us far longer than a few days before.

Bane...͟ Tell him no, I thought. Remind him who he is, who you are. But even thinking it was enough to settle him.

I don’t think I much care, he stopped me, answering my unspoken question about what would be or what should be. God help me. I don’t fucking care about any of it.

Like a flame igniting, like the rush of decision that is never given much thought, a decision that is more instinct than logic, we moved away from ourselves, from the people we were always supposed to be. There was no duty, no honor, no distinctions to be maintained, no expectations that need to be protected. We’d come this close before, the near making of something new, something forbidden, but this time I gave no thought to what would happen if I let Bane forget that I was not for him.

Just one flashing moment where we pulled against each other, where his touch felt like liquid fire on my skin, where my mouth against his throat made that huge man shudder at the feel of it.

I don’t care either.

It was all it took. Providence, destiny, the twist of some life altering event set in motion by the lines, by the gods, by whatever it was that bent our wills, directed our paths down the roads we took. My declaration, my small lie that I truly didn’t care, was enough to pick apart the moment that might keep us from it. It was enough to ricochet into something that could never be unmade.

That’s when the screaming started.

In the quiet din of darkness, with Bane holding me, devouring my mouth, insisting my body bend this way and that, a scream rent through the moment and torn it to pieces, followed by another, and another.

Eden Butler is an editor and writer of New Adult Romance and SciFi and Fantasy novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum. Her debut novel, a New Adult, Contemporary (no cliffie) Romance, Chasing Serenity launched in October 2013 and quickly became an Amazon bestseller. When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden edits, reads and spends way too much time watching rugby, Doctor Who and New Orleans Saints football. She is currently imprisoned under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana. Please send help.

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr | Blog | Goodreads

The following goodies are up for grabs!

• (3) Signed paperback copy of Crimson Cove (US Only)
• (5) eBook copy of Crimson Cove (International)
• (1) $50 gift cards for either Amazon or B&N, winner's choice (International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: The Ghost Host by DelSherree Gladden

Everyone thinks Echo Simmons is crazy, but being The Ghost Host isn’t just a YouTube hoax like people think. It’s the only way to control the ghosts haunting her…at least until the FBI shows up asking questions.

The first eighteen years of Echo Simmons’ life have been less than ideal. On more than one occasion her parents have considered committing her. They don’t believe she sees ghosts or that they harass her on a daily basis. So when a rogue ghost begins tormenting her, they’re the last people she’s going to tell. Her best friends Holden and Zara are doing their best to help, but ghost attacks are only the beginning of Echo’s problems.

Handling the ghosts by giving them a voice on YouTube through her webshow has been her saving grace—even if her parents think it’s all a hoax—but that gets a little complicated when the ghost of Madeline Crew reveals a little too much about her previous life and the FBI shows up at her door wanting to know how she gained access to long-buried government secrets.

It just keeps getting worse from there. Madeline’s message to her great grandson sparks a strange connection between Echo and Malachi, which leads to Georgia, secrets, mistakes, love, lies, and life changing revelations.

I had really high hopes for this book. The synopsis sounded great and I love a good paranormal/physic medium book. This seemed right up my alley, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping for. I wasn't totally disappointed, the storyline held, I just had a really hard time connecting with the characters. 

Echo is the ghost medium in this story. She controls her ability/situation with the ghosts by hosting an online show, The Ghost Host, in order for the ghosts to get their messages across. The ghosts have to adhere to certain rules in order to be guests on her show. It is one of the ghosts with a message to her grandson Malachi that helps set this story in motion. Malachi sees that particular episode and reaches out to Echo for more information, especially to find out if she is a fake. He isn't quite sold on the idea of ghosts and mediums. Malachi and Echo feel an instant connection on the phone. They are separated by distance, so they talk on the phone, Skype, and text.  

Echo kinda drifts along life. She doesn't have a plan, her parents pretty much rule her life, and what they can't control (the ghost aspect, which they don't believe in), her friend Holden makes decisions for her and protects her. She finally starts getting a backbone when it comes to Malachi. I enjoyed watching her come out of her shell and figuring out things for herself. She is really starting to become a strong solid character. 

Malachi is a freshman in college. He is pretty much a rock solid character. He knows who he is and pretty much where he is going in life. I liked him right away. One issue I have with him is his dialogue. I felt the author threw in phrases to make him seem more "Southern" since he is from Georgia. Yes, different regions have different phrases and ways of saying things, but I felt like it was too much. They aren't always spouting off these saying whenever they can. Also, his need to not push Echo in their relationship. While I respect it, it didn't seem very realistic. He is an experience guy in college, and suddenly he holds himself back (for a while) without even kissing Echo when they are in a relationship. I understand not pushing sex, but kissing... It seemed pretty juvenile.  

All in all, this book was pretty good. There was a good amount of mystery that kept me reading. The relationships between the main and secondary characters were fun and believable. There was also quite a bit of action. Keep in mind that this is the first book in the series, and it is not really a stand alone. The story of the Ghost Host is far from over!

Amazon

Somehow, I always knew the people I saw hovering around looking aimless were ghosts, and it never really bothered me. Sometimes I talked to them when I was little. They never talked back. Sometimes they would play with me, though. My mom used to tell people what a good baby I was, how I never cried or fussed. She thought she had just lucked out with an easy first kid. Really, I always had someone standing over my crib smiling at me or making silly faces. Ghosts really seem to like being around babies for some reason.

It wasn’t until I got a little older that I realized some of my ghostly friends were hanging around for a reason. A few of them were just lonely and either weren’t ready to move on or didn’t know how. I haven’t got a clue about how to send them on their way, so I figure the least I can do is keep them company.

Others, they had messages they wanted to pass on. At first, I didn’t know how to do that without getting into trouble. My mom refused to make phone calls or send my letters to who she deemed were random strangers. I found ways to get the letters in the mail, at least, without her knowing, but it wasn’t easy and they occasionally got sent back to us when the address proved inaccurate. Mom wasn’t happy when she found one and realized what I’d been doing.

Holden was the one who came up with the idea for the webshow. It made things a lot easier since my parents think it’s just a funny hoax we like to pull, and it gives us a hobby and keeps me out of trouble for the most part. That’s the biggest reason they let me do it. As I got older and more capable, more able to help the ghosts, they became more insistent. That’s when things got really bad.

Up until that point, I didn’t know the ghosts could affect my dreams, and not in a good way. The nightmares got progressively worse, morphing into full on night terrors. The headaches followed, though I’m still not sure if the ghosts were trying to talk to me, or just doing whatever they could to get my attention. Sometimes, their presence would become so oppressive as they tried to communicate that I would completely zone out… which sent my grades into the toilet and my behavior into the realm of unmanageable. The worst by far is when they try to touch me.

DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads