Blue Hearts of Mars Book Blast

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas


Retta Heikkinen knows the unspoken rule of society: love between androids and humans is forbidden. A simple enough edict until Hemingway Koskinen spends an evening charming her with his intense gaze, bewitching smile, and sparkling conversation that hints at so much more than the usual obsessions of high school boys. Rules were meant to be cast aside, especially when love beckons.

If only it were as simple as being in love.

Trouble is brewing, not just for Hemingway--for all androids. Secrets have been kept, lies propagated, and Retta soon discovers that a frightening future awaits thousands of androids if she doesn’t do something to stop it. Worse yet, she will lose the one love she’s ever endangered herself for: Hemingway.

Grab a FREE copy on Amazon - March 27th & 28th 

Praise

"Nothing like I've read before. A true original story! Everything is so well described. Now if they could make a follow up book and movie, that would be great!" ~Mrs. Z (Amazon)

"I was addicted to this book from the beginning. Life on Mars was very real and not at all a sci fi world I didn't understand . . . I found myself rooting for Retta and Hemingway from the very beginning. Easy reading, couldn't put it down and had it read in a weekend. Waiting for a sequel!" ~TNielsen (Amazon)

"The ending of this book is exceptional. While it was different from what I imagined, the way the author brought in a shocking revelation was amazing. I probably reread the last chapter 3 times letting it sink in and the meaning behind it. It was truly beautiful . . . I would love to see more of Retta and Hemingway!" ~Kat Meyer, (Goodreads)

"I love how the author populated Mars . . . so descriptive and comprehensive . . . I could clearly picture everything as if I was seeing the movie &/or was along for the ride. . . . Retta, the main character, is strong, opinionated, and a great champion for her cause." ~Megan (Amazon)

"I had been in the worst reading slump ever and came across this on Goodreads and thought I'd give it a try. Well, I was pleasantly surprised on how funny and exciting and mysterious it was . . . Mei, Retta's bff, had me laughing out loud quite a bit as well as Retta herself. I'd definitely hang out with those two." ~Deanneluvbooks (Goodreads)

Blue Hearts of Mars has made it to the quarterfinals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Readers are invited to download the excerpts (here) and rate and comment on the entries. So please, if you want to contribute, download and rate Blue Hearts! Your support is incredibly appreciated!


Or purchase the full version of the book here: Amazon

Author Nicole Grotepas

Nicole wrote her first fantasy novel in 7th grade on her mother's old Brother typewriter. It was never finished but it strongly resembled a Dragonlance plot and she's forever wondered what happened to the manuscript and Tonathan--the handsome elven protagonist. After living in Nashville where she worked as an editor, she returned to the Utah desert where she was raised. Nicole now lives near the Wasatch mountains with her husband. She writes and raises her son and three cats full time.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/14/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Starseed Book Blast

Starseed
Author: Liz Gruder
ISBN: 978-1937178291
Publisher: WiDo Publishing
Published: February 2013

SUMMARY

Kaila Guidry has always known she is different. When she meets Jordyn Stryker at school, she finds out just how different.

Jordyn was born and raised far from Earth, a starseed, one of six new students sent to Louisiana's Bush High to learn human ways. But Jordyn didn't count on meeting someone like Kaila.

When Kaila is pushed to her limit by high school bullying and cruelty, Jordyn awakens her to a new reality—and to love. But to prove herself, Kaila must look the other way as the real purposes of the starseeds unfold.

As the horrific plan behind the starseed visit to Earth moves inexorably forward, Kaila and Jordan, caught in an impossible love, must determine where their true loyalties lie.


Praise

"You know from the opening paragraph that something very strange is going on… We see Kaila try to live the life of a normal teen, and we see her "otherness" pull her back into an increasingly tangled web of questions, deceit, and hidden intentions. Liz really shines as a writer, lining the closets and drawers of everyday life with spine-chilling suspense that springs out at you when you least expect it. Starseed is an entertaining read. I highly recommend."
--Patricia B. Smith. Author “What the Animals Tell Me” and “Fifty Shades of Santa” (clean romance fiction)

"Liz Gruder’s characters come alive through youthful, spunky narrative, and her headstrong heroine, Kaila Guidry, elicits a reader’s encouragement from the first page. Fans of Amanda Hocking will find themselves similarly transported into Gruder’s exploration of the dark sides of faith, love, higher dimensions, and, of course, high school." --Jadie Jones, young-adult fantasy author

Purchase

Publisher * Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

Author Liz Gruder

As a youth, Liz Gruder saw a series of UFOs with her best friend while riding bikes. Ever since, she’s held a fascination for the stars. An avid reader, she used to hide under her covers and read with a flashlight. She has degrees in English and Psychology from Tulane University, a nursing license and a yoga certification. After going through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Liz realized how short life is and is now slowly fulfilling her bucket list: she’s been to the Egyptian pyramids (totally awesome and thought provoking) and is now teaching yoga and writing speculative fiction. Starseed is her debut novel.

Goodreads * Twitter * Website * Blog * Facebook

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 4/7/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



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SFR Bookshelf goodies!

Hello ladies and gents! We're more than half way through the challenge. How is everyone coming along?Any early finishers? If you're itching for more SFR reads, here's a heads up on some newly released and coming soon goodies. Add them to your shelf!

 Now Available

  A decade surviving on her own. 
       Three days with the enemy. 
            Can love conquer all?

Cressenda knows how to survive. With her sled dogs as her only companions, she’s spent the past ten years hiding in the snow covered wilderness from the oppressive regime of the Affinity. When a routine trip to civilization takes a turn for the worst, Cressenda is forced to take refuge with the enemy or lose her life to the frozen countryside.

But Beckett, a Guard of the Affinity, is more than a man in uniform. His desperate need to help Cressenda escape both- the blizzard and the Affinity- makes her feelings for him all the more troubling. Will Beckett be true to his word and set Cressenda free? Will her heart let her leave after all they’ve shared?

Buy Now

Part 1 of the Colliding Worlds Trilogy
Sienna Wolfe knows it’s going to be an interesting day when a man with golden skin and strange tattoos crashes in her backyard… and ends up tied to her bedposts. She likes her life just the way it is – simple, easy, relaxed. But when the gorgeous new alien in her life asks for her help in an inter-galactic war on a collision course with Earth, she can’t say no… but she’ll soon wish she had.
The U.S. military has figured out they have uninvited company, and they’re not happy. Sienna knows it won’t be easy protecting Earth from an alien invasion, but as a woman of action, she refuses to back down.
Now it’s up to Sienna to pull off the impossible: save the world and – hopefully – live a little happily ever after.

Buy Now

Young Adult

Cadence, JD, and Orlando couldn't be more different from one another. Under normal circumstances, the three wouldn't so much as say hi to each other if they could get away with it. Then an alien crashes through the roof of their local mall, and everything changes. Not only do the three teens gain new abilities, but they're also chosen to help fight in an intergalactic war where the next chosen battlefield is Earth.

Reluctant at first, they change their minds when the fight hits close to home. Teenagers from school start to go missing, and some are dead. Together they must learn to work together and solve the mystery behind these disappearances before more lives are lost.

Buy Now

Twelve teenagers were injected by The Doctor on that fateful day back in November. And twelve teenagers have been thrust into an intergalactic battle against their will. Orlando Holmes, JD Smith, and Cadence Sinclair must find these twelve before someone else does – someone bad.

Things get complicated quickly, though, when emotions start to run high. Those who used to be deemed trustworthy, are no longer safe. The three teens soon learn that anyone is a suspect. As they embark on their most dangerous mission to date, morals are tested. To protect the twelve teenagers who have been experimented on, what must JD, Orlando, and Cadence give up? Their hearts? Or even their lives?

Buy Now

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.
Buy Now

Coming Soon

Coming November 7th

Finding a new home has never been so dangerous.

Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.

But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius's ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.

Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to protect her new home. What she didn't expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.

Can she save the colony and discover her true love?

Blast From the Past Review: Cold Warriors by Clare Dargin

I'm listening to Beth Revis's awesome Across the Universe at the moment and the theme of cultures clashing, interracial relationships and cryo reminds me of one of my fave SFRs (and perhaps my first one) Clare Dargin's Cold Warriors. I'd recommend both as companion reads perhaps Revis's books for YA enthusiasts and young people (older young adults due to some situations and stronger language similarities in the book) and Dargin's book when they get older.

My Across the Universe review will be posted once I finish listening but for now I thought I would bring a review of Cold Warriors as a recommended read if you're looking to fill up your SFR reading lists.

This is definitely one of my favorite books and probably my first sci-fi romance. If I can find more with this amount of quality, it surely won't be my last. Not only did it have a GREAT story with wonderful characters I couldn't help sympathizing with, it was also packed with action and the techie futuristic goodness I love in my sci-fi books.

I often liken this to the new Battlestar Galactica only written better and more coherently. Fans of the show will love this story of a future where humankind is fighting a war on the outside and also prejudice within it's own walls.

Caitlin Driskoll is our heroine. She is a strong minded and strong willed woman who was once wife to a Navy JAG officer before being cryogenically frozen. The cryos, as they are called, were once people who were nearing death and ended up frozen to prolong their life for the future. Caitlin is one of the cryos now waken up and placed into the military to work their keep. She awakens during this new century at a tumultuous time when cryos are treated like second class citizens, especially since they were well off in the previous century and the marines have believed they have 'cheated death'.

Colonel Medoro Keegan is our hero. A man who lost his wife and child and now serves as Executive Officer with a close knit relationship to his Marines. Keegan has closed himself off to any contact even when his attraction begins once he sees the lovely Caitlin Driskoll. As the story goes on, Caitlin and Keegan butt heads a bit and there's also some tension between one of Keegan's officers who doesn't like cryos. This is definitely a military romance in that we see the inner workings of how the Marine structure works in this particular future.

I can't say enough goodies about this story and I'll probably be rereading it again as a comfort read in the near future. I hope Ms. Dargin releases more books because I'd sure love to check out what other stories she has to offer.

If you love futuristic sci-fi military romance, definitely check out Cold Warriors!

Cold Warriors is currently out of print but hopefully will be made available again soon.

2011 SFR Reading Challenge Sign-ups!

Come on down and sign up for the 2011 SFR Reading challenge! Mr. Linky is ready to grab your blog links and we're using the same reading amount as last year so we can ease everyone in. Don't forget to grab a button and please help spread the word around the blogsophere for anyone interested!

I'll be collecting SFR titles for both movies and books so I can doll up the sidebars. If you have any suggestions or anything for things you'd like to see here, post away and let me know!

Mosey on over here to sign up: http://sfrreadingchallenge.blogspot.com/p/2011-sfr-reading-challenge.html