Hall Ways Blog: adult for YA

Showing posts with label adult for YA. Show all posts

Monday, July 22, 2019

Bride ~ Audio Book Blog Tour, Review, Audio Clip, & Giveaway!

BRIDE

BY KYLE ALEXANDER ROMINES

Narrated by Becca Ballenger

Length: 9 hours 52 minutes

Released: Apr. 14, 2018

Genre: Horror / Romance

The year is 1795. Frankenstein’s monster has given his creator an ultimatum: Victor must build the creature a mate, or watch as the monster destroys everything and everyone he has ever loved.

You know their story.

You don’t know hers.

She is born into darkness, her destiny entwined with an unspeakable evil. Her sole companion is her creator, the inscrutable Victor Frankenstein, gatekeeper to a life she has never experienced. As her understanding of humanity takes shape, she must contend with the horrific nature of her intended mate and conflicting feelings for her creator.

She wants more from life than to be the bride of Frankenstein’s monster, but will she seek freedom, vengeance, or something else entirely?

HALL WAYS REVIEW: What first drew me to Bride by Kyle Alexander Romines was *SHOCK* the creepy cover. With the eerie coloring, stormy sky, graveyard, and of course, the shadowy veiled woman, how could I pass-up the chance to have a read (with my ears)? Happily, the story held within is just as intriguing in this interesting companion story to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Both books share the core elements of being horror with a bit of suspense and much tragedy, but Bride has the added element of romance. Strangely, it is really love that ultimately drives the action and consequences of nearly every event in the story – and it works.

Romines sets the stage with an excellent prologue that shows just how beautiful and vibrant main character Justine is before her death, and it shows just how quickly mob mentality can change the world in a blink of an eye. The consequences of that fateful day are far-reaching. As Justine is re-born, she’s also re-named Persephone. Even while Persephone doesn’t understand the significance of her name, readers know that it’s apropos enough. Just like the Greek goddess was abducted to become the wife of Hades, Justine was taken to become the wife of the Creature created by Victor Frankenstein.

As Persephone evolves and becomes smarter -- brilliant really -- she discovers love and tenderness. She reads stories that raise her awareness of feelings of affection, and naturally, she has those feelings for Victor. Again, author Kyle Romines does a terrific job of allowing readers to feel what Persephone feels and aptly describes her evolution as random pieces of Persephone’s memory return to her and she blossoms. But always lurking in the background is the Creature – fierce, dangerous, mysterious, but not wholly evil.

When Persephone grows smart enough to put the pieces together, she gets pissed… uh-oh. There is ruthlessly executed revenge, but there is also regret, heartbreak, love, and compassion – and Persephone the monster is more than anything else, human. Persephone struggles with her feelings, and her revelations make her (and readers) question who are the real monsters in the world.

Love is as much a driving force as hate and vengeance, which was a surprise to me. Had I known this beforehand, I likely would have passed on reading Bride, so I am glad I didn’t know. The book is longer than it needs to be, and there are two major plot holes that I feel need to be addressed regarding Victor and the Creature. However, Bride keeps the reader engaged and enthralled with its twists and turns, and the story finishes perfectly. Predictably, yes, but even this ending has an unexpected twist and there is definitely unfinished business that could merit another book. (I would read it.)

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Technically, there isn’t a single glitch in the recording. It’s professionally done, through and through. Narrator Becca Ballenger gives readers a wonderful performance with perfect pacing (I listened at regular speed). She speaks in a British accent, and in true Brit form, keeps the delivery fairly even with the emotions coming across in the enunciation and slight inflections of the words. Her voicing of Justine/Persephone is outstanding and authentic, making listeners forget they are hearing a work of fiction. She skillfully tackles male and female characters, giving each of them unique voices, and her delivery of the Creature’s lines perfectly conveys the rage within him. Well done.

Thank you to AudioBookWorm Promotions and the author for providing me an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.

I received this audio book as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Kyle Alexander Romines. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Click to Listen!

Kyle Alexander Romines is a teller of tales from the hills of Kentucky. He enjoys good reads, thunderstorms, and anything edible. His writing interests include fantasy, science fiction, horror, and western.

Kyle's debut horror novel, The Keeper of the Crows, appeared on the Preliminary Ballot of the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in a First Novel. He obtained his M.D. from the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

You can EMAIL Kyle and can also subscribe to his author newsletter to receive email updates and FREE electronic copies of his Warden of Fál prequel short, The Path of Vengeance, AND his horror/science fiction novella, The Chrononaut.

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A trained actor and a book lover, Becca has experience on stage, camera, and in front of the microphone, with over 19 audio books (and counting!) to her name. She graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University and has been performing as an actor in New York ever since. She is particularly adept with heightened language and dialects.

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Jul. 18th:
Jazzy Book Reviews
T's Stuff

Jul. 19th:
Dab of Darkness Book Reviews
The Book Junkie Reads . . .

Jul. 20th:
All the Ups and Downs

Jul. 21st:
Reader Voracious
Momma Says To Read or Not to Read

Jul. 22nd:
Hall Ways Blog
Stressed Rach
Ruby's Books

Jul. 23rd:
Notes from 'Round the Bend
My Creatively Random Life

Jul. 24th:
eBook Addicts
Locks, Hooks and Books

Plugging you into the audio community since 2016.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

When the Men Were Gone ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Review, Author Video, & Giveaway!

WHEN THE MEN
WERE GONE

MARJORIE HERRERA LEWIS

Genre: Historical / Biographical / Sports Fiction

Publisher: William Morrow

Date of Publication: October 2, 2018

Number of Pages: 240

Scroll down for giveaway!

A cross between Friday Night Lights and The Atomic City Girls, When The Men Were Gone is a debut historical novel based on the true story of Tylene Wilson, a woman in 1940s Texas who, in spite of extreme opposition, became a female football coach in order to keep her students from heading off to war.

Football is the heartbeat of Brownwood, Texas. Every Friday night for as long as assistant principal Tylene Wilson can remember, the entire town has gathered in the stands, cheering their boys on. Each September brings with it the hope of a good season and a sense of unity and optimism.

Now, the war has changed everything. Most of the Brownwood men over eighteen and under forty-five are off fighting, and in a small town the possibilities are limited. Could this mean a season without football? But no one counted on Tylene, who learned the game at her daddy’s knee. She knows more about it than most men, so she does the unthinkable, convincing the school to let her take on the job of coach.

Faced with extreme opposition by the press, the community, rival coaches, and referees -- and even the players themselves -- Tylene remains resolute. And when her boys rally around her, she leads the team -- and the town -- to a Friday night and a subsequent season they will never forget.

Based on a true story, When the Men Were Gone is a powerful and vibrant novel of perseverance and personal courage.

PRAISE FOR WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE:

"Sublimely ties together the drama of high school football, gender politics, and the impact of war on a small town in Texas.” – Best of Books, 2018, Sports Illustrated

“A beautiful story that stays in your heart long after you finish reading.” - Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author

"Based on a true story that most people probably don’t know, readers will find plenty to love in Herrera Lewis’ debut." -- Kirkus Review

CLICK TO PURCHASE

HALL WAYS REVIEW: AUDIO BOOK REVIEW. This fictionalized story of the very real Tylene Wilson was excellent, but the audio book narration by Eva Kaminsky was amazing. Kaminsky sounds natural, and perfectly captures the Texas accent with just the right flair and inflections to her words. She's a real storyteller, and her narration raises WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE to the next level -- which is hard to do because the story is pretty darn good.

"Brownwood is that kind of town. You share what you have. Sometimes that means sharing a dog. Other times, it means sharing the pain."

What author Marjorie Lewis captures is the essence of small-town Texas -- not only during the book's setting during World War II, but in general, especially with the football is all and the women have their place mentality that persists. Lewis describes it all and brings it vividly to life, warts and all, and gives readers a lot to chew on beyond the main conflict that must be resolved: is Brownwood going to have to cancel its football season because all the men are gone?

There is so much to like in this story: the relationship between Tylene and her husband John; the fond reflections of a happy childhood; the sprinkling of historical facts that enrich the story. And the story, of course. This is much more than a story about saving a football season; it is about a woman saving the lives of a town's high school boys who would surely enlist if there was nothing to keep them home.

Wally's Drug Store . . . Wally, killed in France

Hank's Appliances . . . Hank, killed in Italy by friendly fire during a training exercise

Cramer's Bakery . . . Cramer, a prisoner of war

What's always humming in the background is the impact the war has had on the town and its people. Every time a plane flies overhead, it's the sound of death as yet another fallen soldier is coming home. There are some poignant pieces of writing that make the reader/listener stop and take a ragged breath and remember that there are no winners in war.

Not only was Tylene's story new to me, but I learned other bits of history. I hadn't realized that Camp Bowie housed thousands of American soldiers AND German POWs, for example. And references to other events and people beyond the war -- the Zephyr tornado, the Galveston Giant, and Ma Ferguson -- had me looking up information to refresh my memory. All these fine details gave authenticity and perfectly contextualized WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE.

My only complaint is with the ending. Yes, readers know how the main plot conflict was resolved: we know who wins the big game, etc., and this may be enough for some readers/listeners. But what about Tylene? Did she continue to coach the team? Did the town ever fully accept her as the coach -- or even thank her for what she did? Given the book was a fictionalized biography, I wish the author had shared the results of her research. An epilogue or author's note to tell us the facts of the rest of Tylene's story would have made this book perfect, but as I said before, it came pretty darn close to perfection.

I obviously heard about this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours, but I purchased the audio copy on my own, with no strings attached to write a review from anyone but myself. My review is my honest opinion -- the only kind I give.

Debut author Marjorie Herrera Lewis talks about her journey from writer to novelist.

Marjorie Herrera Lewis is an award-winning sportswriter, named the first female Dallas Cowboys beat writer when she was with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She later joined the SportsDay staff of The Dallas Morning News, where she continued to cover the NFL and professional tennis. She is currently a contributing sportswriter for PressBoxDFW.com.

While writing When the Men Were Gone, she became inspired to try her hand at coaching football herself and was added to the Texas Wesleyan University football coaching staff in December 2016. Marjorie has degrees from Arizona State University, The University of Texas in Arlington, Southern New Hampshire University, and certificates from Southern Methodist University, and Cornell University. She is married and has two grown daughters and one son-in-law.

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

THREE SIGNED COPIES OF WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE

June 18-28, 2019

(International)

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CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

6/18/19	Author Video & BONUS Review	Hall Ways Blog
6/18/19	BONUS Review	StoreyBook Reviews
6/19/19	Review	That's What She's Reading
6/19/19	Review	Sydney Young, Stories
6/20/19	Excerpt	Texas Book Lover
6/21/19	Author Interview	Chapter Break Book Blog
6/21/19	Excerpt	Momma on the Rocks
6/22/19	Review	All the Ups and Downs
6/23/19	Review	Tangled in Text
6/23/19	Scrapbook Page	Rainy Days with Amanda
6/24/19	Playlist & BONUS Review	Reading by Moonlight
6/25/19	Review	#Bookish
6/25/19	Guest Post	Missus Gonzo
6/26/19	Review	The Clueless Gent
6/27/19	Review	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews

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Thursday, October 25, 2018

Lake Effect ~ Book Blog Tour, Author Interview, & Giveaway!

Lake Effect
By Nicole Tone

Publisher Pen Name Publishing
Published September 25, 2018
Pages 308

After the death of her fiance, Sophie Daniels is struggling to keep herself together. Painting is the only way she’s able to clear her head and stay grounded. For her art isn’t a hobby — it’s her religion. With a semester away from finishing graduate school, she knows that, despite her loss, things are going to get better. In fact, her thesis adviser has even taken a special interest in her. Sophie’s convinced that she’s found the mentor that she’s been looking for. When he shows he’s interested in her in more than just a student/teacher way, she obliges him. Until his wife leaves him.

Sophie learns the hard way what happens when a man cannot take responsibility for his own actions.

Now she’s back to square one in pulling herself back together. She hasn’t just lost her fiancé anymore: she’s lost parts of herself she’s not sure she’ll ever get back.

Like her ability to create.

Lake Effect is a raw exploration of human emotion and what it takes to save your own life.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase through Amazon

What literary world would you love to visit for a day?
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I’m a die-hard Potter fan (Deathly Hallows tattoo and all) and even though I don’t think a day is enough to get enough magic, I’d still take it.

What book have you read that has most influenced your life and writing?
That’s a tie between The Bell Jar and White Oleander. Both books don’t shy away from difficult topics. Their main characters own their voice, their trauma, their need to survive. Both Janet Fitch and Sylvia Plath have very distinct ways of writing, too, that incorporate poetry into prose. The results are beautiful, raw, real stories about strong women who you root for even in their moments of weakness.

When you write, do you listen to music or do you prefer silence?
I make playlists for every project I work on! Music helps me keep a scene’s mood and tone even. There are many songs I’ve put on repeat for hours just to get a scene or chapter right.

Are you a morning writer, afternoon writer, or an evening writer? Does the time of day you write impact your writing?
Evening for sure. I like writing under the cover of darkness. Everything is quiet: the world, social media. There are less distractions and it’s way easier for me to focus on my personal projects once I’m done with my other work.

Tell us a little about your plans for the future.
More poetry and more novels! It’s just a matter of when I can actually get around to finishing up projects. I have a few ideas kicking around, in genres I haven’t written in before, but I’ve been working on Lake Effect for almost a decade so right now I’m enjoying this book finally being out in the world.

What steps do you take in drafting an outline?
I don’t write up an outline until I have the first draft done. I want to make sure my projects are character-driven, not plot-driven, because I find it’s easier for me to stay true to characters this way. Once I have that first draft written, I plot out everything to make sure timelines make sense and there’s consistency. This also shows me where I need to add to the book and how sub-plots would affect the book.

Is there another genre you are interested in trying out?
I’ve been reading a TON of domestic and psychological thrillers lately and I’d love to try my hand at something with a good mystery, and big twists, at the heart of the story.

Nicole Tone has always had a passion for writing. She has her BA in Creative Writing and Literature and an MFA in Writing. Nicole is a freelance writer and editor with pieces in Heels Down Magazine, Hello Giggles, Femsplain, and more. She is also the editor-in-chief of Pen Name Publishing.

When she isn't writing, she likes to dabble in photography, horseback riding, and traveling. She has a deep love for herbal tea, craft beer, and good coffee.

Nicole lives in Buffalo, NY, with her husband, three cats, and two very large dogs.