{Book Review} OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon

Book Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
Publishing Date: June 1991
Length: 870 pages
Source: Borrowed from my mom

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Why did I wait so long to read this? Years ago my friend, Jen, told me to read this. I said, YES YES I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO! I even checked out the first three books from the library. But I never got around to picking it up. She reminded me again and again, and I went and bought the first three books. I gave them to my mom who raved about them and asked why I hadn't read them yet. *shrugged* I had a huge TBR and was going through them. Wasn't feeling a long series. I dunno.

*slaps self repeatedly*

So, since the show is coming out and the premier was offered for free, I decided to watch the premier. Hold the phone. God this sounds good! I should read it!

I don't have Starz, so I'm not going to be able to watch the rest until the first season is up and on netflix or something so NOW IS THE TIME. Called mom, picked up book, opened to the first page. Hissed, clawed, and growled at anyone who tried to interrupt me.

Claire Randall neé Beauchamp is on a second honeymoon of sorts, getting to know her husband again after six years apart due to the war. It's 1945. Claire worked as a nurse while her husband was abroad. To say that the war has changed them would be an understatement. As Frank's passion is genealogy, they are in Scotland tracing the route of his ancester Black Jack Randall when he was a dragoon commander in the highlands, two hundred years ago. And so the story begins. When Claire and Frank discover a stone circle and witness a druid ceremony, they are enchanted. Claire is interrupted before she can discover what that flower she saw was. She goes back the next day, touches one of the stones, and falls through time. She is at first convinced that she is watching a re-enactment or a movie being shot. But it becomes more and more clear that she is no where near 1945.

And so this tale revolves around Claire in the 18th century. She finds herself hostage/a guest of a scottish clan and inexplicably drawn to one James Fraser, nephew to the chieftain and a laird in his own right. Circumstances require that she marry him and suddenly she now has two husbands.

Let me tell you, ladies. From the brief description and interactions with Frank, from the get go you want her to choose Jamie. And I was SO frustrated with how she kept being a wishywashy about returning to Frank, returning to Frank, returning to Frank, when Jamie has done nothing but demonstrated that he puts her first. Not to mention, Jamie is very alpha, Frank is very not. This may be unfair to Frank as we haven't explored his character much in this book, but I'm one of those "it happened for a reason." I was so incredibly happy when she makes her decision. But then there is more heartache and danger and turmoil lurking about in the form of Frank's ancestor, Black Jack Randall.

Oh, he's hideous. He makes your skin crawl. He's vile. And you'll be brought to tears when Jamie comes to the rescue, and again when Claire comes to the rescue, and again when Claire understands and helps with the internal healing.

Wonderfully written, no grammatical errors, prose that flows, language that is salty and appropriate to both time periods, laughter as you read this romance and Jamie is asking things like "Who is John Wayne?" and Claire answers, "You." With a plot full of action and tension and anticipation, with betrayals and romance, with adorable conversations between characters, this is immediately on my favorites list, my re-readable, my kindle-bruiser, and one I look forward to reading again...after I finish the series of course. 

{Blog Tour} Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. by PK Hrezo --- with review and giveaway!

Welcome to my tour stop for Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc by PK Hrezo. This is a New Adult Time Travel Adventure Romance and the tour runs Feb. 10-21 with reviews, author interviews and a few guest posts and top tens.  It also includes a great giveaway.  Be sure to stop by the tour page for all the additional information and list of tour stops.

{Blog Tour} FIND ME by Ella Jade -- with excerpt, giveaway, and review!

A love that transcends time…

As her 25th birthday approaches, Riley Sparrow begins to dream of a handsome, intriguing stranger. Each night the dreams get more intense and the stranger starts leaving her clues to his whereabouts. The dreams always end in a whisper…

Find Me.

Riley has denied her birthright her entire life. She descends from a strong line of witches and warlocks, but she's refused her powers up until now. With the help of her estranged grandfather she learns that her mystery man is from the past and his life is in danger. Will her grandfather help her travel back to 1963 to save the man she believes she's meant to be with? A man she knows nothing about but feels a strong connection to.

If she finds him, can she save him from the evil that haunts them both? By securing his past, she knows there can never be a future for them in her time.

Content Warning: contains sensual sex scenes

Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway after the jump!

BLOG TOUR: KISS ACROSS CHAINS by Tracy Cooper-Posey - spotlight, review, & giveaway!

SERIES SPOTLIGHT INFO:

KISS ACROSS TIME

Kiss Across Time, Book 1 

Genre:  Time travel, MMF ménage romance, contemporary and historical settings

Format:  eBook and print

Short novel length

Available at Amazon:  Amazon Kindle | Amazon Print

*KISS ACROSS TIME will be FREE from July 24 - 28 for Kindle*

A single kiss can change more than one life…or two.

Taylor Yates is fired for insisting the Fifth Century Arthurian poet, Inigo Domhnall, existed. When she hears Domhnall’s lyrics in a death metal song, she engineers a meeting with lead singer, Brody Gallagher. An unintended kiss sends them spinning back to the poet’s time, when Saxons were pillaging King Arthur’s Britain.

Brody’s all for kissing her again.  More, he wants her to kiss his friend and lover, Veris, to see what will happen.  When Veris’ kiss sends them back to the time of the Vikings neither man is willing to let Taylor simply walk out of their lives.

But Brody and Veris are more than lovers and sexual playmates, as Taylor learns when they investigate the kisses that send them across time.  The secrets they share have the power to completely alter her life.

A_TiffyFit's Review - I should start by saying that when I sign up for these book tours, I read the blurbs and sign up for the ones I think I'll like. Then I get the review copies (thank you, Tracy Cooper-Posey and Book Monster Promotions!) and dive in without re-reading the blurb. I like doing it this way because then I have NO expectations or preconceived ideas as I'm reading. Had I had expectations, this book would have exceeded them! 
This is a sexually charged enjoyable read that made me fan my face.  I wasn't expecting the paranormal aspect, although it makes sense for it to be so. This is the second series I've come across with a MMF romance (and sex) and one that I enjoyed. The time travel loops were really cool and I liked how Taylor, a history professor, is able to go with it and take it in stride as opposed to being freaked out and having to be calmed down.I was jealous of her, I admit it: gets to experience little blips of the past while romanced by two hot guys? Mmmmm! I look forward to reading the next two books in the series, culminating in KISS ACROSS CHAINS as soon as possible. I would love to see how this romance works out with the three of them, espeically as I'm worried about Tira and how she may retaliate! Who is Tira? ;) You'll have to read to find out! 

KISS ACROSS SWORDS

Kiss Across Time, Book 2

 Genre:  Time travel, MMF ménage romance, contemporary and historical settings

Format:  eBook and print

Short novel length

Available at:

Amazon US | Amazon US Print | Amazon UK | Amazon UK Print | Smashwords | Kobo | All Romance eBooks | B&N Print 

Taylor Yates never dreamed growing up she would end up happily living with two drop-dead sexy vampires and time-hopping through their thousand years of personal history. Her life is complete…or is it?

When she finds herself at the seige of Jerusalem during the first crusade, Veris doesn’t know her at all and doesn’t want to.  Worst of all, he and Brody are total strangers, and Taylor drives a wedge in deep between them by trying to seduce Veris at their first meeting—not something a lady of the day does if she wants to keep her head.

Taylor and Brody must woo Veris using the customs of medieval England, win his heart and his full commitment before Jerusalem falls in four days time—or when they return to their own time, their lives as they know them will be gone…

A_TiffyFit's Review: I admit to being worried when I saw how Veris was reacting and that he didn't come across time with him. If they can't control the jumps, how the heck are they gonna end up back in time? Why is he so different? Yikes! I'm totally rooting for this threesome as a stable relationship. I just read one series where this was possible, so surely this one will be possible, too! Steamy sexy scenes plus great glimpses of history. I'm really enjoying this imaginative series and how it deals with the consequences of time travel and how it approaches love. 

KISS ACROSS CHAINS

Kiss Across Time, Book 3

 Genre:  Time travel, MMF ménage romance, contemporary and historical settings

Format:  eBook and print

Short novel length

Available July 1, 2013:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | All Romance eBooks | Kobo | Smashwords

It is four years since Taylor and Brody almost lost Veris during the First Crusade. Now they know how to control time jumps, they have settled into a very nearly perfect, nearly human life, raising their daughter Marit.

When Brody defies Queen Tira to protect Marit, the three of them jump back three days in time to collect evidence the queen set up Brody for a drug bust in retribution.  The jump sends them back to Brody’s personal nightmare:  Fifth century Constantinople.

While Brody survives as a flogged slave, Taylor masquerades as the wife of an aristocrat and searches for Brody to release him.  They must wait for Veris to find them before jumping home and Taylor watches each brutal chariot race, wondering if this will be Brody’s last.  Brody once died in the Hippodrome and he is human this time, too…

A_TiffyFit's Review: I just KNEW that nasty Queen Tira was going to cause problems; such a selfish, self-centered jerk! In this book, they have a firm handle on time jumping and how to do it. But if you don't keep your guard up and focus, things can go awry. The end up back in the time of Brody's enslavement in Constantinople, a brutal, dirty time and one that Taylor has difficulty controlling her "modernness" at first. She then uses her intelligence and manipulates the situation to her and Brody's benefit while waiting for Veris to find them. Absolutely loved in the previous book how Alexsander came to be and I like how this one they managed to preserve the past to an extent as well as introduce someone new. This series was a fun sexy romp through time that did a wonderful job of showing emotions, both obvious and repressed. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracy Cooper-Posey is an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author.  She writes erotic vampire romances, hot romantic suspense, paranormal and urban fantasy romances.  She has published over 50 novels since 1999, been nominated for five CAPAs including Favourite Author, and won the Emma Darcy Award. 

She turned to indie publishing in 2011. Her indie titles have been nominated four times for Book Of The Year and Byzantine Heartbreak was a 2012 winner.  She has been a national magazine editor and for a decade she taught romance writing at MacEwan University. 

She is addicted to Irish Breakfast tea and chocolate, sometimes taken together.  In her spare time she enjoys history, Sherlock Holmes, science fiction and ignoring her treadmill. An Australian, she lives in Edmonton, Canada with her husband, a former professional wrestler, where she moved in 1996 after meeting him on-line. 

Catch up with Tracy at her:

 website | Amazon | All Romance eBooks |  Smashwords | Kobo | Facebook | Twitter.

GIVEAWAY

Tracy is giving away the following prized when the tour ends:

Grand Prize:  $30 Amazon GC
2nd Prize:  $15 Amazon GC
3rd Prize:  a signed paper set of Kiss Across Time (North America) or an eBook set if international winner.
Runners-up:  6 runners up will receive eBook sets of Kiss Across Time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tracy Cooper-Posey's KISS ACROSS CHAINS Tour Schedule

July 1 - July 31

Stop by one of the other tour hosts on this tour! There are guest posts and interviews and reviews galore! :) 

7/01- Book Monster Reviews (Guest Post)

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

7/02- Close Encounters with the Night Kind (Guest Post)

http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/

 7/03 - Romance Junkies (interview)

http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/

7/04 - Toot's Book Reviews (series spotlight)

http://tootsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

7/05- You Gotta Read Reviews (interview)

http://yougottaread.com/

7/06- Riverina Romantics ( guest post)

http://riverinaromantics.blogspot.com/

7/08- Book Lovin' Mamas (guest post & series spotlight)

http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com/

7/09- Brynna Curry's In Shadows Blog (series spotlight)

http://brynnacurryguests.blogspot.com/

7/10- Night Owl Reviews (series spotlight & giveaway)

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5

7/10 - Book Pages & Dripping Ink (series spotlight)

http://bookpagesanddrippingink.blogspot.com/

7/11- I Smell Sheep (guest post)

http://www.ismellsheep.com/

7/12-  Curse of the Bibliophile (interview)

http://curseofthebibliophile.blogspot.com/

7/14- Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews (series spotlight + reviews)

http://literalhottiesnaughtybookreviews.blogspot.com/

7/15- The Next Chapter (interview and series spotlight) + reviews

http://www.costhenextchapter.blogspot.com/

7/16- United by Books (series spotlight)

http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/

7/17- Romancing the Book (series spotlight + reviews)

http://romancing-the-book.com/

7/19- Celestial Reviews (series spotlight) + reviews

http://cecesreviews.blogspot.com/

7/20- The Reading Café (series spotlight + reviews)

http://thereadingcafe.com/

7/21-Offbeat Vagabond (guest post) review later

http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/

7/22- Literal Addiction (guest post + series spotlight)

http://www.literaladdiction.com/

7/22 - Page Flipperz (series spotlight)

http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/

7/23- Vampires, Werewolves &Fairies Oh My! (Guest post) reviews

http://vampireswerewolvesfairiesohmy.blogspot.com/

7/24- Cocktails & Books (series spotlight)

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/

7/25- Wicked Readings by Tawania (series spotlight & reviews)

http://www.wickedreadingsbytawania.blogspot.com/

7/26- Mad Hatter Reads (interview)

http://madhatterreads.blogspot.com/

7/26 - Coffee & Characters (series spotlight)

http://daniellecromero.blogspot.com/

7/27- Smoldering Heat (guest post)

http://smolderingheat.wordpress.com/

7/27 - Tiffy-Fit's Reading Corner (series spotlight + review)

http://tiffyfit.blogspot.com/

7/28- Mimmi's Musings (series spotlight)

http://mimmismusings.blogspot.com/

7/29-GraveTells (guest post)

http://gravetells.com/

7/30- Salacious Reads (series spotlight)

http://www.salaciousreads.com/

7/30 - My Secret Romance (series spotlight + reviews)

http://www.mysecretromancebookreviews.com/

7/31- Fandom Fanatic (series spotlight) and reviews

http://fandomfanatic.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Jumper by Jeff LaFerney

Jumper
Jeff LaFerney
Published by Tower Publications
Publishing Date: April 25, 2013
Length: 280 pages
Editions: ecopy and print
Source: Author for honest review

After spending three years in jail and others completely alone, twenty-four-year-old Cole Flint discovers an amazing ability—he can time-travel and teleport. He’s a jumper. So what should the motorcycle-riding, cage-fighting tough guy do? He should protect an innocent eighteen-year-old girl who happens to be in possession of the Staff of Moses. Following the direction of a trio of angels who are determined to shake things up in the Middle East, Cole pairs up with Hannah Carpenter and her pet grizzly while he also tries to change his past and learn the mystery of his birth. Curiously, the King of Jordan knows all about Hannah, and he’s determined to gain possession of the staff. He’ll do anything to possess its power, but is it possible that he’s no more than a pawn, manipulated in time along with Cole and Hannah? Jumper is a mysterious roller coaster of action and a time-traveling adventure that will keep readers guessing right to the very last page.

Review:
Imagine one day you discover that you can time travel. That's what happens with the protagonist, Cole, in this book. Cole is a loner who has basically raised himself beyond the age of 13 after leaving his mother, and although there was a father, he was not a person Cold rely upon for care or love.

Cole learns from an angel that his gift's spark was for the purpose of humankind as well as his new responsibility to protect a young woman destined to make her mark in changing history & the collapse of mankind. In the pursuit of Hannah's protection, Cole learns much about himself, his origin, his capabilities, and his destiny. Ultimately he learns about his adoption and discovers his birth mother.

The author's incorporation of current politics in the middle east made this novel seem more real. I felt myself wishing that something like jumping were real. Imagine how the world would be! The prose and the plot are dynamic and full of energy; there are no glaring holes or glitches. A very entertaining read!

Book Review: Ripped: A Jack the Ripper Time-Travel Thriller by Shelly Dickson Carr

Title: Ripped - A Jack the Ripper Time-Travel Thriller
Author: Shelly Dickson Carr
Publisher: New Book Partners
Publishing Date: December 2012
Length: 520 pages
Editions: print, ebook
Source: Netgalley for honest review

Synopsis:
Katie Lennox wishes her parents were still alive. Having to leave Boston to live with Grandma Cleaves in London was hard, but she's making new friends, working on her British accent and even learning some Cockney rhyming slang. London's cool and actually feels like home in some ways, like she's been here before, belongs here. When a museum visit with her cousin and his cute friend turns funky, Katie finds herself in a long, uncomfortable dress, wearing a ridiculous hat, wondering what happened to her jeans and high-top sneakers? And where's her iPhone?... It's London, 1888. Smart and gutsy, Katie knows she's here to stop Jack the Ripper. The serial killer didn't just slash his victims' throats; he butchered the women. Katie has read about the Ripper, knows the names of his victims and where and when they were killed. She's watched her fair share of CSI. Can Katie save their lives?

A_TiffyFit's Review
Kate, the protagonist in this story, gets her wish and travels back in time to London 1888, the time when the notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper, roamed the London streets in the Whitechapel area, and frightened its citizens so famously. She swears to herself that she'll discover who Jack the Ripper is and stop him from killing innocent women, but mostly to stop him from killing one of her ancestors.

In the process, Katie discovers and learns a lot about Victorian England, experiencing what the like was like for both the common people as well as the noble. What Katie finds out is that it isn't as she has always imagined it. Although she's read many books pertaining to its time, she had romanticized the period, so when she actually had to experience a few of the actual life styles, all those fanciful thoughts were promptly dashed. For instance, the beautiful gowns and accessories she had so admired and fantasized wearing were not as she had imagined! The binding corsets, the sheer number of undergarments that ladies had to wear to support the yards and yards of heavy but "gorgeously embellished" fabrics were not to her liking. She disliked the inability to breathe properly in a stifling environment because of those tightly bound corsets, which isn't something a woman can even get into alone, but rather must be aided by a lady's maid servant. Then there's her discovery of the males and learning not all is as she thought. A dashing, charming Romeo they were not, but rather she finds them highly chauvinistic and often unable to be withstood due to their opinions of women.

Although the story was fun, imagining time-traveling and the possibility of changing history, at times I found myself lost, not quite understanding what the point of this story was. I felt it sidetracked often and far away from the original idea, where Katie would ease her suffering of losing her parents and the distancing from her sister by somehow affecting something in the past so that the pains of her heart are eased.

Yes, in the end, those things did come together, but I lost the point of what Jack the Ripper had to do with Katie.

I came off the story feeling satisfied because of the wrap up, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was just off about the novel/story as a whole, something I may have missed, etc. It's hard to describe this vague feeling of unfinished business or muddled sense of satisfaction, but the tangents disrupted the flow and threw me off. All in all, an enjoyable book. 

SPOTLIGHT: Jumper by Jeff Laferney

 Jumper by Jeff LaFerney
Publisher: Tower Publications
Published: April 2013
Length: 280 pages
Editions: ebook/print

After spending three years in jail and others completely alone, twenty-four-year-old Cole Flint discovers an amazing ability—he can time-travel and teleport. He’s a jumper. So what should the motorcycle-riding, cage-fighting tough guy do? 

He should protect an innocent eighteen-year-old girl who happens to be in possession of the Staff of Moses. Following the direction of a trio of angels who are determined to shake things up in the Middle East, Cole pairs up with Hannah Carpenter and her pet grizzly while he also tries to change his past and learn the mystery of his birth. 

Curiously, the King of Jordan knows all about Hannah, and he’s determined to gain possession of the staff. He’ll do anything to possess its power, but is it possible that he’s no more than a pawn, manipulated in time along with Cole and Hannah? 

Jumper is a mysterious roller coaster of action and a time-traveling adventure that will keep readers guessing right to the very last page

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff is currently an 8th grade English teacher for Davison Community Schools. He coached for 25 years. In the past three years, he stopped coaching and has published three mystery/suspense novels. Loving the Rain, Skeleton Key, and Bulletproof are three stand-alone novels featuring Clay and Tanner Thomas. A fourth novel, a time-traveler action/adventure called Jumper was published on April 30, 2013. Jeff loves sports, reading, writing, and spending time with his awesome family.

Connect with Jeff:
Facebook
Blog
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads



I haven't yet had the chance to read JUMPER, but I'm definitely looking forward to it! I'll be sure to post a review as soon as I have the chance. I really like time-travel novels!

Book Review: The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway

Title: The River of No Return
Author: Bee Ridgway
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Publishing Date: April 23, 2013
Genre: time travel, romance, adult fiction
Editions: kindle and print
Length:464 pages

In Bee Ridgway’s wonderfully imaginative debut novel, a man and a woman travel through time in a quest to bring down a secret society that controls the past and, thus, the future. 

“You are now a member of the Guild. There is no return.” Two hundred years after he was about to die on a Napoleonic battlefield, Nick Falcott, soldier and aristocrat, wakes up in a hospital bed in modern London. The Guild, an entity that controls time travel, showers him with life's advantages. But Nick yearns for home and for one brown-eyed girl, lost now down the centuries. Then the Guild asks him to break its own rule. It needs Nick to go back to 1815 to fight the Guild’s enemies and to find something called the Talisman.

In 1815, Julia Percy mourns the death of her beloved grandfather, an earl who could play with time. On his deathbed he whispers in her ear: “Pretend!” Pretend what? When Nick returns home as if from the dead, older than he should be and battle scarred, Julia begins to suspect that her very life depends upon the secrets Grandfather never told her. Soon enough Julia and Nick are caught up in an adventure that stretches up and down the river of time. As their knowledge of the Guild and their feelings for each other grow, the fate of the future itself is hanging in the balance.

A_TIFFYFIT'S REVIEW

The time jump sounded fantastic and it's something that I'd like to experience until -- always, there's that inevitable "until", isn't there? I wanted to jump in thinking this was fluff and fun until he started to come to the crosshairs, the problems, the implications, the "gotcha!"s.

The story immediately grasped my attention as the reader - as all good books ought to in my opinion -- and that involvement didn't halt throughout. I was definitely on the side of the protagonist, Nick, and felt as if I were a part of his experiences along with him. And there are many experiences! 

"The River of No Return" deals with the metaphysical nature of time and space and how we think of it. It takes how you think of it and just...throws it off vortically, tossing you completely off balance with this yarn that is fantastically unbelievable and magical and leaves you wishing it were possible. Bee Ridgway did a remarkable job of weaving this well-imagined story. My copy was an advanced reader's edition and comes with the disclaimer that it's not in its finished state. It is hard to believe that there will be any editing other than minor spell corrections and typos; this book felt wholly finished and was really really enjoyable. This is a book that I will be re-reading time and time again, I am sure, especially when I want to escape reality and delve into the realm of possibilities.

What would we do if the end of time caught up to us? Or if time were turned around and  was barrelling towards the present? Nick, the baronet from 19th century England, is faced with this dilemma. What would any of us do if we knew? Would we try stopping it from coming towards us? And if we cannot stop it, what would we do? How would the world react?

Within the fictional context of this time-warping and time-traveling, the tale aims to discuss social and religious issues. Basically, it stirs all aspects of life's issues and emotions. Love, hatred, human interactions, jealousy, selfishness, death, religion (heaven & hell), and whether or not it exists and if so how it affects human creatures. It even deals with social conscience - environmental issues, wealth distribution concerns, male/female equality, socio-economic class differences/warfare and politics. Ridgway mentions about the 1971 abolishment of the Gold Standard and the credit system being established giving the general populace credit cards and how this gives perceived wealth lending towards perceived feelings. As we know, money drives EVERYTHING - past, present and future. This novel covers it all without exception and without tedium. I did not feel like I was being lectured or prodded to think, but think I did. Within the "fluffy" realm lies deeper more meaningful issues that matter, allowing the reader to get involved and to question and think about all of the above things.

I want to read it again! Highly recommended!

Xpresso Book Tours BOOK BLITZ! Timespell by Diana Paz!

Xpresso Book Tours presents TIMESPELL by Diana Paz! I don't know about you guys, but this book sounds right up my alley! YA Time Travel, French Revolution, paranormal elements! Check it out!

Timespell by Diana Paz
Publication date: April 1st 2013
by Rhemalda Publishing
Genre: YA Time Travel

Synopsis:
In TIMESPELL, the brash and impulsive Julia must team up with her sweet and straight-laced best friend, Angie, and the malicious and power-hungry Kaitlyn in order to keep the witch-like powers of her inheritance. But these powers come at a cost. The girls are bound to serve the Fates, and their first mission sends them back in time to Marie Antoinette’s Paris and eventually, into the chaos and war of the French Revolution.

Goodreads - Add it to your queue!

Buy It @ Amazon.com!  or Buy it @ 

Barnes and Noble!

About the Author:

Diana Paz writes books about magic, adventure, and romance. She was born in Costa Rica, grew up on Miami Beach, moved to Los Angeles in high school, and went to college in San Diego. Basically, she’s a beach bum. Diana graduated from California State University, San Marcos with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. She loves old movies, epic fantasy, all kinds of music, and heading to the beach with a good book. Preferably sipping a highly sweetened iced coffee. 

Author Links:
Website: http://www.dianapaz.com/
Blog: http://www.dianapazwrites.blogspot.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianapazwrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianapazwrites

Interview with the Author!

Let’s start with your writing routine. Do you have a particular place you like to settle in to write?
I usually start with a snack and music, sometimes I spend a few minutes daydreaming about my characters and what I have planned for them… then I dive into my manuscript! My favorite place to write is on my sofa, tucked into the corner with my laptop, and I’m big on having a steady supply of tea and cookies within reach. I tend to snack a LOT while writing, but it balances out because I end up forgetting to eat during revisions.

In the novel, the three main characters seem very different. How would you describe them? Was writing in three points of view a challenge? 
I enjoyed the challenge of viewing the world through each of my character’s eyes. Julia is sarcastic, outspoken, protective, and impulsive. Angie is steady, polite, thoughtful, and reserved. Kaitlyn is contemptuous, cynical, guarded, and fearless. They each have flaws and strengths that play into their relationship. I wanted to see if three girls who were so dissimilar could overcome their differences and, if so, would their experiences change them? What would their motivations be? Would they cooperate for the good of the world? For their own agendas? For personal gain? What about loyalty to one another? It was fascinating to me to think about how the girls would react to an existence that forced them to unite, and I loved seeing each of them grow.

Do any of the characters personalities resemble your own, or people you know?
Even though I created the main characters as their own people, I can’t help but infuse pieces of myself, and the experiences I’ve had, in every character I write. Because of this, I would say that I can relate to each of them.

Timespell delves into the time period of the French Revolution. What drew you to this historical period? What made you choose certain locations in the book?
I loved the idea of Marie Antoinette being the same age as my main characters when she made her Parisian debut. I think that’s probably what first had me poking into researching this particular era. The more I read, the more fascinated I became, and before I knew it, I had several scenes in mind for the story based around key events surrounding Marie Antoinette’s life. I liked choosing locations that made sense in the story and the timeline, so I decided to use Tuileries Palace as an anchor throughout a lot of the time travel that occurred in Timespell. Between Marie Antoinette’s Parisian debut and the terrifying march on the palace many years later, it was a great place to have the girls battle demons and experience key events of the Marie Antoinette era.

In TIMESPELL, the brash and impulsive Julia must team up with her sweet and straight-laced best friend, Angie, and the malicious and power-hungry Kaitlyn in order to keep the witch-like powers of her inheritance. But these powers come at a cost. The girls are bound to serve the Fates, and their first mission sends them back in time to Marie Antoinette’s Paris and eventually, into the chaos and war of the French Revolution.

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