Blog Tour {Guest Post} + Giveaway - Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty by Katie Hamstead

  Today I am super excited to be participating in the blog tour for Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty, the 3rd and finale book in the Kiya trilogy. I can't believe that Kiya's story has finally come to an end. This has been such a great series and it feels slightly bittersweet having to say goodbye. Not only have I enjoyed these novels but Katie Hamstead has been one of the most talented and nicest authors that I have had the pleasure of corresponding with. I will cherish every moment. Okay, enough fangirling and on with the tour.

 Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty (Kiya Trilogy Book #3)

By Katie Hamstead

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Genre: New Adult Historical Romance

Release Date: February 25th 2014

Add it to  Goodreads

Buy it here: Amazon /  B&N / Kobo

Blurb

Tut has grown into his position as Pharaoh, but he is a wild young man. Naomi fears for him, not only because of his recklessness, but because he has put his trust in Ay–the man determined to destroy Naomi—despite her and Horemheb advising against it.

Meanwhile, death and slavery hang over Naomi and her family. With fear of the booming Hebrew numbers causing talk of enslaving them, conscription is reinstated and Naomi fears for the lives of her other children. Especially since Ay's children are now adults, and just as dangerous as their father. They threaten to take Itani, conspire against Tut, and push for power.

But Tut is in trouble. While Ay's daughter draws Horemheb's attention, and Naomi deals with the struggles of her family, everyone's distraction could spell death for the young Pharaoh.

About Katie:

Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the ―bus, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing. After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.

She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing. Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

Places you can find Katie:
Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

You may also be interested in reading these reviews:

Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh & Kiya: Mother of a King


  Now I'm going to let the talented Katie Hamstead take over and fill us in one what it's like when there are great story ideas floating around in her head and how she gets them from her head and onto paper. Katie has already released two books this year and I for one want to know how she does it. Take it away Katie =)


  One thing about being a writer is that you always have ideas that pop out at you. Wherever I go, and whatever I do, I find some kind of inspiration for my writing. This provides me with plenty of ideas to keep my flow of manuscripts rolling. 

  People have asked me how I managed to get an entire trilogy released within a year, my answer: They were all already written before book one was queried. I wrote all three books at once, a steady flow so I didn’t lose track of events. They were several months of fun, joy, sorrow, and wondrous revelations.

  I try to keep focused on one story at a time, so I keep track of my characters, plotlines and twists, sub plots etc. If another idea comes to me when I’m working on something, I open a word doc, write down the thought, then get back to it later, once I have completed the manuscript I am working on. I imagine it like Dumbledore’s pensive, pulling a strand of a thought from my mind for later so I can think clearly now, and then pull it up when I need it.

 This is how I can write things so quickly and not get swamped by new concepts trying to take over. Writing multiple WiP’s at a time is just something I can’t do. I don’t feel like I do the story justice when I’m thinking in several different directions.





Now its time for the giveaway!!!! Yay!!!!

Up for grab are a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holy Hannah, that's a lot of awesome prizes!! Good luck to you all. As always, thanks so much for reading.

Monthly Wrap Up/ Mo_Books News - February 2014

 Monthly Wrap Up/ Mo_Books News for February 2014. Everything in green is a link, so click on it :)

The Last Stand of The New York Institute by Cassandra Clare | Healer of Carthage by Lynne Gentry | Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi | Queen of Hearts: The Crown by Colleen Oakes



Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi | The Little Android by Marissa Meyer |

   Cress by Marissa Meyer

Books That Will Make You Cry | Books That Will Make You Swoon | Reasons I Love Being A Blogger/Reader Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read.





Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout | Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl | The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa | Guardian by Alex London




Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

“ .....for my father there was only ever one woman he loved, and it was her for him, or nothing. You are that for me. I love you, and I will only ever love you until I die—” - Will Herondale

“For this I would have been damned forever. For this I would have given up everything.” - Will Herondale   

Find out why I liked them Here 

Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh by Katie Hamstead

"Yes, little princess, I can see your future. In fact, today it begins with a brave choice. Your choice will shape the course of this land. And although many may try to erase your legacy, you will be recalled or thousands of years to come" - Soothsayer  

Find out why I liked it Here





When you receive new books in the mail, do the older ones get moved to the bottom of your list or do go strictly "by the book" and keep your list with older books first and then the new ones? |  How do you handle unsolicited books that appear in your mailbox? | This annoys me, what about you?

  ANOMALY by Tonya Kuper  (Cover reveal)
Blackout by Alecia Stone (Cover reveal)
The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter (Cover reveal)
Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty by Katie Hamstead (Cover reveal)
Cornerstone by Kelly Walker  (Spotlight Blitz)
There is currently a giveaway in progress for this blitz. Last time I checked there were no entries, so your chances are pretty good. 



Wow this wrap up posts just keep getting longer! Guess that just shows how busy I've been on the blog lately. Old man Winter and Jack Frost must have teamed up this year and put a whoop'n on my neck of the woods. So what else is there to do but read and blog. Things will most likely slow down as the warm weather moves in. But for now I'm a blogging machine lol.

I've been doing quite well with my reading challenges so far this past month. There were many galleys waiting to be read on my NetGalley account and I have managed to tackle a few. Then I added on more :\, I couldn't help myself :-D . I did however finish a couple series for my 2014 series reading challenge. You can check on my progress here - http://moniquesmobooks.blogspot.ca/2014/02/2014-series-reading-challenge-progress.html Okay so I know it may seem like I've been procrastinating about redesigning my blog the last two months but I swear I just have some last finishing touches to decide on then it should be down. Since I'm planning on buying a new laptop in the next month or so (fingers crossed) it should make things easier. It's basically pointless to even attempt to move gadgets around my layout with a touch screen tablet...it's impossible! So I just can't seem to make things go where I want them to, Ugh!!

My 1st year blogoversary is coming up in a couple days. I can't believe that the year has flown by so quickly! I have learned so much and yet sometimes I feel like a complete noon lol. Of course I will be celebrating with some giveaways, that's right giveaways, as in more then one :-D I really hope you will stop by and check out my post on this special day and let me share with you some of the milestones I reached this past year.

Book Blogger Hop - Have you stopped accepting books from either authors or publishers to try to catch up?

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.


Here's what you do

1.) Post on your blog answering this weeks designated question. ( click here for next weeks question )

2.) Enter the link to your post in the Linky list on the Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer's blog

3.) Visit other blogs on the list and comment on their posts.

4.) Be sure to find out next week's question when you post your link

Question

Have you stopped accepting books from either authors or publishers to try to catch up? If not, do you think you would ever do that?

My Answer

 

  Yes I have declined a couple of books because I felt I wouldn't have enough time to read and post a review for it by the time  expected. I do not like to overwhelm myself in any way. Blogging, reading and reviewing is my hobby because I enjoy it. It's a stress reliever for me and the day that it becomes a stress causer something will need to change.

How would you answer this question? Please feel free to share with me. As always, thanks for reading.

Quotable Thursdays - KIYA: Hope of the Pharaoh by Katie Hamstead

 Quotable Thursdays  is a meme created here at Mo_Books where I like to pick a quote or two from a great book (I'm careful not to choose spoilers) and explain why I like them.

 My pick this week is:

KIYA: Hope of the Pharaoh by Katie Hamstead

"Yes, little princess, I can see your future. In fact, today it begins with a brave choice. Your choice will shape the course of this land. And although many may try to erase your legacy, you will be recalled or thousands of years to come" - Soothsayer




Why I like it

  I thought this quote was quite compelling, it make me perk up and pay closer attention knowing that something life changing was about to happen to Kiya. As a extremely intelligent and driven woman Kiya/ Naomi did just what the soothsayer predicted. After all we are reading a fictional story based on this brave woman that lived many many years ago.


If this quote has grabbed your interest read my reviews for Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh & Kiya: Mother of a King
and add it toGoodreads

 Thanks for stopping by my Quotable Thursday :-). If anyone know of any great quotes please share with me and join in the fun with your own QT.

Waiting on Wednesday - Guardian (Proxy #2) by Alex London

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine showcasing upcoming books that we are waiting, often impatiently, to be released.

My WoW pick this week is....





Guardian (Proxy #2)
by Alex London
Expected Release date - May 29th 2014
Published by Philomel
Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Add it to Goodreads

Description (from Goodreads)

The pulse-pounding sequel to Proxy! Inspired by The Whipping Boy and Feed, this adrenaline-fueled thriller will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent. In the new world led by the Rebooters, former Proxy Syd is the figurehead of the Revolution, beloved by some and hated by others. Liam, a seventeen-year-old Rebooter, is Syd’s bodyguard and must protect him with his life. But armed Machinists aren’t the only danger. People are falling ill—their veins show through their skin, they find it hard to speak, and sores erupt all over their bodies. Guardians, the violent enforcers of the old system, are hit first, and the government does nothing to help. The old elites fall next, and in the face of an indifferent government, Syd decides it’s up to him to find a cure . . . and what he discovers leaves him stunned. This heart-stopping thriller is packed with action, adventure, and heroics. Guardian will leave you breathless until the final page. A fast-paced, thrill-ride of novel full of non-stop action, heart-hammering suspense and true friendship—just as moving as it is exhilarating. Fans of Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series, James Dashner's Maze Runner, Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking series, and Marie Lu's Legend trilogy will be swept away by this story.

Why I want to read it

  I really really want to read this. Proxy, book #1, was fabulous and that ending! well let's just it was insane! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Liam is actually Knox, it would make things interesting to see a role reversal with his former proxy Syd. May really needs to hurry up and get here.



 What books are you waiting on? If you have a WoW pick of your own please share the link.

Top Ten Tuesday Rewind - Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read.

 Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at  The Broke and the Bookish, and for this weeks Top Ten Tuesday Rewind I've chosen Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read.

Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi / Legend by Marie Lu / Gravity by Melissa West

PODs by Michelle K. Pickett / Splintered by A. G. Howard / The Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

 I own all of these books and yet for some reason I haven't read them yet. Each one of these book sound fantastic and I had to have them, I have know clue how I keep forgetting about them.

The Moon Dwellers by David Estes / Fault in Our Stars by John Green / Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry / Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

 These books have been recommended to me over and over again. They all have great reviews and I definitely can't believe I haven't read them yet.  What are you thoughts on my choices? Do you have any unread books sitting on your bookshelf you haven't gotten around to yet or never got a chance to buy the ones you've been wanting to read? Let me know in the comments below. As always, thanks for reading.

Review - Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)
by Marissa Meyer
Expected Release date - February 4th 2014
Published by by Feiwel and Friends
Hardcover, 560 pages
Add it to Goodreads

Description (from Goodreads)

Rapunzel's tower is a satellite. She can't let down her hair - or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker – unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Quote

“Your ship has some messed-up priorities, you know that?” 

“Iko. My name is Iko. If you don’t stop calling me the ‘ship,’ I am going to make sure you never have hot water during your showers again, do you understand me?”

My Review

*Spoilers from previous books in the Lunar Chronicles*

  Superb! Fantastic! Phenomenal! I freaking loved this book! Marissa Meyer has written a compelling story with complex plot twists and turns, exceptional characters and an exciting setting. This novel was told from multiple points of view, which I love because you get a much more rounded story and develop a better relationship with the characters.

  This book was clever with a perfect balance of action, mystery, humor and romance with a sci fi, fairytale twist. The mystery of Cinders origin has been a highlight of the series for me. Cinder is pretty darn young but she can definitely hold her own and the revelation of being Princess Selene has only made her stronger and more determined to rid everyone, Earthen and Lunar, of Queen Lavina permanently.

  Everyone gets a little romance in this book which in return gave me some super smiley moments. There was one certain kiss that was the most perfect scene. It's sure to give you goosebumps. I loved the introduction of Cress' character. It was interesting to have a tech savvy but naive addition to their crew. Her enormous crush on Thorne is the sweetest thing and I adore that she calls him Captain. Throne was my favourite! ❤ He is so calm and collected when its needed, he's charismatic, a bit vain and he's hilarious. Other then the one quote I have at the top of the review by Iko, Thorne was the only other character to make me lol...a few times.

  Seriously I could just continue on and on at just how awesome this book was. Read it for yourself and I'm sure you'll agree with me. Cinder, book 1, was really good. Scarlet, book #2, was fantastic. Cress, was epic!. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.

I give this a 5 out of 5 stars!

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯

Sunday Treasures, #21

 Good day and welcome to my Sunday Treasures. This is the post where I love showing off (& bragging) about the books that I have received over the past few weeks. Hopefully you will find something that catches your eye. Click on the covers to be directed to the book's Goodreads page.

Purchased

 

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes / Alienated by Melissa Landers

Borrowed 

Pawn by Aimee Carter

Gifted

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner / Sticks, Stones and Dragon Bones by Evelyn Ink

 What do you think of my new books? Have you read any of them before? Let me know in the comments below.

Review - The Little Android by Marissa Meyer

The Little Android (Lunar Chronicles, #2.5) by Marissa Meyer
Release date - January 27th 2014
ebook, 35 pages
Read it for free Wattpad
Add it to Goodreads

Description (from Goodreads)

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the world of The Lunar Chronicles by New York Times-bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

When android Mech6.0, saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her body is destroyed and her mechanics discover a glitch in her programing. Androids aren’t not meant to develop unpractical reasoning or near-emotional responses…let alone fall in love.

My Review

  However Marissa Meyer managed to capture so many different feelings in such a short story I will never know, she's some kind of master storyteller. This novella is about Mech6.0 and her evolution into more then just a machine with menial tasks. She begins to think something could be wrong with her wiring when she becomes interested in one of the other workers. Soon she develops more that just plain interest when it comes to Dataran and as the story unfolds you get an incredible story about a sweet little android.

  I loved reading short story set in the Lunar Chronicles world, there is even a visit from Cinder so that was a bonus. What can I say about Mech6.0 except that she's pretty awesome. She struggled with the new range of emotions that she now felt for the first time. Understanding the difference between friendship, love and jealously wasn't easy on her. I also enjoyed the fairy tale spin on the Little Mermaid but the ending was oh so very sad.

  In closing I would like to add that if your a fan of the series The Little Android is something you need to read. I'm really Hoping that I will read more about Mech6.0 in the future, I think she would make a spectacular bestie for Iko.

I give this a 4 ½ out of 5 stars.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ½

Want a second opinion?

Check out Em from The Book Butterfly's review click here

Book Blogger Hop - This annoys me, what about you?

  The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.


Here's what you do

1.) Post on your blog answering this weeks designated question. ( click here for next weeks question )

2.) Enter the link to your post in the Linky list on the Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer's blog

3.) Visit other blogs on the list and comment on their posts.

4.) Be sure to find out next week's question when you post your link

Question

This annoys me, what about you? When I click on a blogger's name and it goes to their profile and I see more than one blog listed, how do you know which one to visit? I usually don't visit.

My Answer

 

This is actually a problem that I've never encountered before. But I would probably look for a blog title with something bookish in it. If I don't see something like that then I might not check the site out. Sorry I guess I don't have much to contribute to this weeks question.

  Whats your answer this week? Please feel free to share with me. As always, thanks for reading.

Review - Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)
by Veronica Rossi
Release date - January 28th 2014
Published by HarperCollins
Hardcover, 400 pages
Add it to Goodreads

Description (from Goodreads)

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

My Review

  Desperate for a way to escape the ever more intense growing Aether storms before they eventually destroy everything, Perry needs to make a deal with the proverbial devil as their only means of finding the Still Blue. But to actually get there means that a sacrifice needs to be made.

  I've been waiting what feels like forever to finally get the chance to finish off this series. When I finally was able to purchase a copy I immediately began reading the end of Aria and Perry's story. What felt like (for me) to be a slow beginning quickly changed and became intense and action packed. The animosity between Perry and Roar was heartbreaking but I held on to the hope that their history as well as their shared loss would help them find their way back to each other again.

  There weren't any surprises for me in this novel but I did enjoy the emotional ride that it led me on. It was exciting, smart and had exceptional characters, ones that you either loved or hated. I wished that there could have been a few more stolen moments between Aria and Perry though because watching their romance unfold has been the highlight of the series for me. I still feel slightly "cheated" due to the lack of time they spent together in Through the Ever Night.

  I have some mixed feelings about the Ending. I would have much preferred for there to be less death. I don't need to have a perfect ending but this one didn't seen quite right. It did however think it was still a good ending to a stellar series.

  With all that said I loved reading this dystopian story that focus' on the characters inside its world versus characters trying to change the world. But as a side note I would love to know how the Aether storms came to be in the first place. I guess I will never know :-(

I give this a 4 out of 5 stars.

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯




Want a second opinion?

Check out Aneta from Angelic Book Reviews' thoughts on Into the Still Blue click here