Blog Tour: When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hello fellow book nerds!
I am SUPER excited about being part of this fabulous blog tour for the book When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling! Today is my stop on the tour and I will be reviewing the book and oh what an amazing book it truly was! There is also a giveaway at the end of this post. You can win 1 of 5 finished copies. Good luck and I hope everyone will enjoy my review!

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Title: WHEN MY HEART WAS WICKED Author: Tricia Stirling Pub. Date: February 24, 2015 Publisher: Scholastic Press Number of Pages: 192 Formats: Hardcover, eBook Genre: YA - Paranormal > Witches

"I used to be one of those girls. The kind who loved to deliver bad news. When I colored my hair, I imagined it seeping into my scalp, black dye pooling into my veins.But that was the old Lacy. Now, when I cast spells, they are always for good."

16-year-old Lacy believes that magic and science can work side by side. She's a botanist who knows how to harness the healing power of plants. So when her father dies, Lacy tries to stay with her step-mother in Chico, where her magic is good and healing. She fears the darkness that her real mother, Cheyenne, brings out, stripping away everything that is light and kind.

Yet Cheyenne never stays away for long. Beautiful, bewitching, unstable Cheyenne who will stop at nothing, not even black magic, to keep control of her daughter's heart. She forces Lacy to accompany her to Sacramento, and before long, the "old" Lacy starts to resurface.

But when Lacy survives a traumatic encounter, she finds herself faced with a choice. Will she use her powers to exact revenge and spiral into the darkness forever? Or will she find the strength to embrace the light?

PURCHASE: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo | Indiebound

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. Like many other beautiful cover in the YA genre, this one had me wondering what type of story lies behind it. Once I read what the book was about, I decided there was no way I could pass up at a chance to read it. I had very high hopes for When My Heart Was Wicked, and more so because it was coming from a new debut author. I'll tell you honestly, I DEVOURED this book in less than 5 hours! I was half tempted to re-read it again right after finishing. Yes, IT WAS THAT GOOD! Going into the book like I said my hopes were high in finding a excellent read but boy oh boy they definitely exceeding by leaps and bounds. So let me tell you why...

As the story begins you learn 16 year old Lacy has recently lost her Father. She continues to live with her Stepmother, Anna who she has developed a close relationship with over the years. Lacy and Anna now live alone with their cat Mr. Murm. Lacy receives a sudden and very unexpected visit from her real Mother, Cheyenne. With this also comes an evil Lacy knows all too well. Cheyenne demands that "her daughter" leaves with her at once, moving away from Anna, her friends, the city she loves and even her cat. Having no other choice legally, Lacy goes with her Mom to live in Sacramento. A dark past with her Mother has lead Lacy to hate Cheyenne. There always has been darkness within her Mother, and Lacy knows better to trust her Mother again. 

Both Lacy and her Mother are witches. Lacy is and needs to be a good witch. She uses plants for spells, adores science and botany and tries hard to help others. Her Mother is the total opposite, only doing things for the good of herself, and more so hiding the evil that lies within her. 

As Lacy spend more and more time with her Mother things around are beginning to feel "off".  Little things really, a tea her Mother gives her that makes Lacy sleepy, a garden that kills everything that Lacy plants, all except her Mother's flowers. Now starting out at a new school Lacy finds herself being tormented right away. Mean girl, Olive finds things to pick on Lacy about, being the new girl and a witch is never easy. The unexpected happens and a really hot guy from her school begins to flirt with her and even asks her out. Deciding to give it a go, Lacy finds herself really falling for this guy until "something" bad happens to ruin it all. 

Lacy decided enough is enough, leading her to tap into the "darker side" of herself. With one simple spell Lacy begins turning out more like her Mother than she cares to admit. But there's something her Mother is hiding from her, something dark and wicked, something that may hold Lacy to her forever....

....but to find out what, read the book!

Of course there is a LOT more to the story than that but I don't want to spoil it for everyone (I hope I haven't already). One of the many things I loved about this book was LACY herself. I really loved her character, everything thing about her. She's edgy, strong-willed, smart, loyalty, and more than anything she's a witch.  She's had such a hard life but fights to stay afloat. The way she "handled" all of the tough decisions she was forced to make in the book and decided how she wanted to live her life was what made Lacy kick-a$$ witch she is. 

The whole story while short, a mere 184 pages, really packed a "epic" punch! I was hooked from page one. There was magic, betrayal, good vs evil, and a frenzy of excitement. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next.  I fell instantly in love with When My Heart Was Wicked and I can't wait to find out what other books author Tricia Stirling has coming out next! 

Trust me guys, this book is one not to miss! If you like books about witches, magic, and good vs. evil with a twist of a mystery then When My Heart Was Wicked is a sure fire winner. I know it was for me! ❤

Totally EPIC! One of the best books I have read. A MUST read!!

About The Author: Tricia Stirling

Find Tricia @ Website | Blog | Twitter Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

I am a writer. I am also a mother, daughter, wife, sometimes crafter, and voracious reader. I'm outdoorsy and kind of shy. As a child, I was kicked out of girlscouts. I love cheese and bread. I love Anthopologie and Mary Margaret's apartment in Once Upon a Time.  I'm a sloppy dogloving person, but I admire the sleek cool of cats. My favorite writers include Alice Hoffman, Janet Fitch, Donna Tarte, and Aimee Bender. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were also good.

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Giveaway Details:

PRIZE: 5 Finished Copies of WHEN MY HEART WAS WICKED

OPEN TO US ONLY!

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Tour Schedule

Week One:

2/23/2015- Moonlight Gleam Reviews- Review

2/24/2015- Novel Ink- Review

2/25/2015- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Interview

2/26/2015- Bookish- Interview

2/27/2015- Once Upon a Twilight- Review

Week Two:

3/2/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

3/3/2015- MEReadALot- Review

3/4/2015- paranormal book club (PBC)- Interview

3/5/2015- Bittersweet Enchantment- Review

3/6/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads - Guest Post

Blog Tour / Book Spotlight: Ghost of You by Amanda Burckhard + Giveaway!

Hello and welcome everyone to the BOOK TOUR for The Ghost of You by Amanda Burckhard! Today I will be sharing with my readers a book spotlight and a giveaway. I really love the sound of this new novel, and the cover is freakin' awesome! PURPLE! xxoo

Enjoy!

The Ghost of You by Amanda Burckhard

Number of Pages: 213

Release Date: 12/30/14

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Genre: YA - Contemporary / Realistic Fiction > Romance

Emmy has everything she’s ever wanted: a hot boyfriend she adores, great friends, a promising future, and even a well-connected family. But one night rips it all away.

A car accident shatters her world, claiming the lives of her twin brother and her best friend. In the wake of the accident, her friends drift away, her family falls apart, and her boyfriend cheats.

The grief is more than she can handle, so she finds escape at the bottom of a bottle of painkillers. Taking the pills makes her brother alive again, if only in her head. Seeing and talking to her brother as if he were still alive is the only thing that keeps her going. Until Logan King moves to town.

Logan sees past the mask of pristine popularity she wears in public and he’s the only one who can tell she hasn’t moved on. His uncanny ability to read her forces her to open up and she starts to fall for him, no matter how unwilling she is to admit it. But Emmy isn’t the only one keeping secrets and when a close brush with death sparks events that bring everything to light, Emmy will have to decide what’s more important: learning how to forgive and move on, or holding onto the pills and the ghost of her past.

Purchase at: Amazon 

Everything in my room reminded me of him somehow. The candle Mom got me he used to joke smelled like cinnamon on steroids. The lopsided dream catcher we made at a school carnival in middle school. The running shoes he got me last Christmas. I didn’t want to see any of it. I wanted him. 

Then I was screaming, ripping, tearing, throwing anything I could get my hands on. My vision blurred. My head pounded in my ears. When my hand tightened around a smooth cylinder on my desk, I almost didn’t realize what it was in time to stop myself from shattering it against the wall. Derek had given me the green, plastic flashlight when we were ten as a way to ward off nightmares. It didn’t work anymore, even with new batteries, but I could never bring myself to get rid of it. I collapsed onto the floor, hugging the flashlight to my chest, crying and sobbing so hard I couldn’t breathe or see or think. 

 What was I going to do without him? We were the Grayson twins. We did everything together. I didn’t know who I was without him. He couldn’t be gone. He couldn’t. 

When I pulled myself off the floor, it was nearly dark out. I looked around the room that appeared as if a tornado went through it. The shelves from my dresser lay on the floor, their contents scattered. Papers and posters lay crumpled and torn into pieces. My bedding and clothes were strewn everywhere. Almost every visible inch of the floor was covered. I couldn’t remember doing most of the destruction. I didn’t even feel better after doing it. 

Something on the ground caught my eye. Something orange and familiar. I reached for the small bottle of pills and read the label. Vicodin. They were from my tonsillectomy last year. They must’ve been stuck away in a drawer, forgotten and unused. 

I remembered how they made me feel like I was floating on water, like my brain was fuzzy and nothing seemed like a big deal. That feeling would be a nice change to what I felt now. 

Throwing two pills into my mouth, I grabbed a week-old bottle of Gatorade from my dresser and took a swig. I left my disaster of a room and went down the hall to Derek’s room. The room felt dull and lifeless without him. The posters of old rock bands plastering the walls and wrestling trophies displayed on every shelf didn’t fit without the boy who had put them there.  

I set the flashlight on his nightstand and crawled into his bed. His pillowcase smelled of peppermint. Jess and I had picked out that shampoo for him a few weeks ago. He swore he’d never use it, but I guess he changed his mind. 

I stared at the flashlight until the pills made my eyelids droop and my mind slipped off into darkness.  

Derek’s voice reached out to me just as I was falling asleep. “It’ll be okay, Em. Sleep. I’m here.”

About The Author: Amanda Burckhard

Find Amanda @

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

Amanda Burckhard grew up exploring bat caves and hunting for dinosaur bones in the Black Hills of South Dakota. When she wasn’t crossing paths with mountain lions, she was making up stories and devouring books at the library. Although, she still does that.

Amanda loves to travel and cross out things on her adrenaline packed bucket list. Some of the things she's been able to cross out include see an active volcano erupt, ride a gondola in Venice, and pet a tiger.

She currently lives in North Sioux City, South Dakota and works as a microbiologist by day. Some of her obsessions include comic book movies, hot chocolate, sushi, sunshine, and Doctor Who.

Enter to win 3 ebooks of The Ghost of You! OPEN INTL!

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Release Book Blitz: BECOMING RAIN by K.A. Tucker + Giveaway!

Hi Everyone!

We are dying to share this Release Blitz with you all to celebrate K.A. Tucker's BECOMING RAIN! BECOMING RAIN is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel, and the second novel in K.A. Tucker’s Burying Water Series, published by Atria books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster. We hope you're ready for this!

About BECOMING RAIN: Luke Boone doesn't know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it-the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he's finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set-one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it's not exactly legal, Luke's never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain. 

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game-at only twenty-six years old, she's one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington D.C. major crime unit, and she's just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the west coast's most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she'll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle's footsteps. 

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she'll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she'll even want to. 

BECOMING RAIN US BUY LINKS: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million 

IndieBound | Apple | Blio | Books-a-Million | Google

UK BUY LINKS/BECOMING RAIN:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Google | Waterstones | Foyles

“Let us know if you have any more problems.” Luke flashes that wide, charming smile that stalls my feet just a little.

Still no mention of connecting again. In fact, I’d say Luke has gone out of his way to skirt the subject. He’s just not interested. That’s all there is to it. Or maybe he’s waiting for me to bring it up again. But if he’s not, then bringing it up will make me look desperate. I’m guessing he doesn’t like desperate women.

Luke Boone has me in a tailspin. No target has ever had me second-guessing myself this much, this early. It’s just the pressure of the case, I remind myself. “I’m sure I will.” I take long, slow steps, ensuring my movements are sleek and appealing, the opposite of my frantic thoughts, as I desperately search for another hook, since nothing I’m casting has caught so far.

“So, when did you say you’re cooking dinner for me?”

I fight the urge to groan with relief but I can’t keep the smile from exploding across my face. “Whenever you call me.” I turn to regard him, to see his smug face—like he knew I was waiting for it all along, like he was toying with me—and nod to the sheet on his desk. “You have my number.”

“I do.” His eyes twinkle. “I’ll call you soon.”

Thank fucking God.

I wait until I’m in my car and around the corner before turning off my wire and squealing like a fourteen-year-old who just got asked out to the movies. I dial Warner to debrief, my heart still racing. It’s standard protocol to call in after every meeting with my target. Up until now, I’ve had nothing but failure to report. And, while this may not seem like much . . .

I think I’m finally in.

And don’t forget BURYING WATER, the first book in this thrilling series…

About BURYING WATER: The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away. 

Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him? 

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried. 

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface. 

Purchase at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | IndieBound

ABOUT K.A. TUCKER: Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.       

Blog / Website / Author Facebook 

Twitter / Author Goodreads / Atria

Enter to win a Signed Ten Tiny Breaths Series (IN HER WAKE not signed), signed BURYING WATER & signed BECOMING RAIN for one winner!

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