[Cover Reveal] Bloodcraft (Bloodspell #2) by Amalie Howard + giveaway!

I am a BIG FAN of Amalie Howard, and Bloodspell is the first book of hers that I've read which I loved. Not convinced? Check my review and see how excited I am for the sequel and after 4 years, we're finally getting one! *pumps fists*

Today, I reveal the cover for Bloodcraft, the second book in the Bloodspell series. Check out the post below!

Yes, the wait is finally over!

BLOODCRAFT by Amalie Howard, the sequel to BLOODSPELL (available NOW for only $2.99), will be releasing on December 15th, 2015!

Author Amalie Howard is also giving away TWO signed paperback copies of BLOODSPELL (book one- OPEN INTERNATIONALLY), and TWO eARC copies of BLOODCRAFT to TWO lucky readers. Contest details can be found at the end of this post.

And now... here is the cover to BLOODCRAFT.

BLOODCRAFT

by Amalie Howard

Release: December 15th, 2015

Cover design by Alan Pranke

All magic has its price, and no one knows that better than Victoria Warrick. Gifted with a centuries-old blood curse, Tori has finally learned to master her blood’s demands and has emerged triumphant with Christian Devereux, a vampire overlord, at her side.

But the worst is yet to come …

In the infamous City of Lights, home to both the Witch Clans and the Vampire Council, Tori enrolls at the exclusive Belles Fontaines school in Paris, where she is faced with a devastating choice: choose Christian and be an outcast, or choose the coven and secure her place with the witches.

When the fate of the supernatural world is targeted by a sinister new threat, Christian and Victoria must unite their two warring species to defeat it. Their bond will be tested, twisted, and sorely weakened, and Tori will find herself in uncharted territory—a dangerous place to be when her blood’s magic has its own dark agenda.

But to save them all, she may have no choice but to invoke its deadly power.

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If you'd like to be a part of the Blog Tour, you can sign-up HERE.

For those new to the series, copies of Bloodspell will be provided, as well as Bloodcraft. Limited paperback copies of Bloodspell will be provided.

ABOUT BLOODSPELL

The spell was simple...

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

AVAILABLE ON

Amazon † B&N † Book Depository † Kobo † BAM

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AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island (Trinidad & Tobago) where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 25 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts.

An aspiring writer from a young age, Amalie’s poem “The Candle,” written at age twelve, was published in a University of Warwick journal. At fifteen, she was a recipient of a Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Award (a global youth writing competition). A Colby College graduate, she completed simultaneous Honors Theses in both French and International Studies, and graduated Summa Cum Laude/Phi Beta Kappa. At Colby, she was cited for research and criticism in Raffael Scheck’s article, “German Conservatism and Female Political Activism in the Early Weimar Republic,” and his subsequent book, Mothers of the Nation. She also received a distinction in English Literature from the University of Cambridge (A-levels) as well as a certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. Traveling the globe, she has worked as a research assistant, marketing representative, teen speaker and global sales executive.

She is the author of several young adult novels critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Spring 2014 Kid’s INDIE NEXT title. Her debut novel, Bloodspell, was a #1 Amazon bestseller and a Seventeen Magazine Summer Read. As an author of color and a proud supporter of diversity in fiction, her articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in The Portland Book Review and on the popular Diversity in YA blog. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency and is a member of SCBWI.

Website † Facebook † Twitter † Instagram

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Win 2 Signed paperback copies of Bloodspell (INT) & 2 eARC copies of BLOODCRAFT!

• This giveaway is sponsored by author Amalie Howard.
• This giveaway is open to INTERNATIONALLY
• Author Amalie Howard nor Good Choice Reading are responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged mail.
• Winner will be chosen at random.
• Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or else a new winner will be chosen.
• Winner will be announced/contacted on rafflecopter, Amalie Facebook/Twitter, and via email.

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If you haven't read the book yet, GO BUY A COPY! So worth it!

ARC review: Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard + Giveaway!

A timeless tale of love.
A rich reimagining of the enduring story of Rama and Sita.
And more importantly, a story I enjoyed reading more than I thought I will.

Consider me pleasantly surprised by this novel.

Title: Alpha Goddess by Amalie Howard
Release Date: March 4th 2014 by
Published by: Skyhorse/ Sky Pony Press
Source: JKS Communications (Thanks Sam!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

In Serjana Caelum’s world, gods exist. So do goddesses. Sera knows this because she is one of them.

A secret long concealed by her parents, Sera is Lakshmi reborn, the human avatar of an immortal Indian goddess rumored to control all the planes of existence. Marked by the sigils of both heaven and hell, Sera’s avatar is meant to bring balance to the mortal world, but all she creates is chaos.

A chaos that Azrath, the Asura Lord of Death, hopes to use to unleash hell on earth.

Torn between reconciling her past and present, Sera must figure out how to stop Azrath before the Mortal Realm is destroyed. But trust doesn’t come easy in a world fissured by lies and betrayal. Her best friend Kyle is hiding his own dark secrets, and her mysterious new neighbor, Devendra, seems to know a lot more than he’s telling.

Struggling between her opposing halves and her attraction to the boys tied to each of them, Sera must become the goddess she was meant to be, or risk failing … sacrificing the world she was born to protect.

Sera knew she's different. At school people think of her as a freak, and she only had one friend who had questionable connections. But Sera knew something wasn't right with her, and then she started having dreams about monsters, Gods, and a girl who might or might not be her. Sera is actually a reincarnation of Lakshmi, a very powerful immortal Indian goddess. As she struggles to come into terms of her new reality, that she and her family aren't really what they seem, she's torn between what her place is in the world and the war against Good and Evil, and between a mysterious boy named Dev and her bestfriend Kyle.

I've never read anything that explores and incorporates Hindu mythology in the story as extensively as this novel did. It's quite a new, refreshing and fascinating experience that I found myself just sitting in a corner, watching as the story unfolds. Everything is interesting for me, and the way Amalie Howard spins a tale just kept me inside Sera's world in a frantic pace as one action scene to another happens until I'm breathless and it's all over.

I didn't care much for Sera at the start. She was your typical loner, a little weird and misunderstood because of her appearance and her generally quiet self. She was too stubborn for her own good, and was your typical rebellious teenager deep inside. Combine that with protective parents and you have quite a few fights, yelling and chaos within the family. But as secrets come out bit by bit, I start to appreciate Sera for being stubborn for a completely different reason. She gradually lived to her name as a reborn Goddess.

I'm still torn between Dev and Kyle. I naturally gravitate towards the bad boy, and in this case, it's Kyle, but Dev had this sort of calming, charming, mysterious personality that just draws me to him. Strong, wise and he provides the stability Sera needs in her life. It did shock me how Kyle, with all his tattoos and piercings and the I-don't-really-care attitude, left me a little bit confused and unconvinced. It feels so cliche for the girl to end up with her best friend, and it's not like Kyle doesn't have his own good points. He wants to become good when even his own mother thinks he's evil. He likes Sera for all he's worth and would do anything for her. Still in the end, I like Dev. It might say something about my preference in my YA male leads, but I find him a whole lot more interesting and agreeable in the end.

Alpha Goddess' is not your usual story. It portrays the different kinds of love, the kind that defy the odds which was evident in Sera's parents story, the one that is patient and waits like that of Micah for Sophia, one that sacrifices anything and everything like Kyle's to Sera and one that understands and let's go when they know they have to, like Lakshmi and Vishnu's. It's still something I had a hard time understanding, because those kinds of love is not something I was used to seeing in a lot of YA novels I've read, but it's beautiful in an unexpected sort of way. A different take, a different perspectives to the many facets of love and loving.  

Mythology played a very large part in this story, and I loved every second I spent reading and meeting all these Gods and Goddesses and how they are so well incorporated in the book. Amalie Howard crafted a convincing, bewitching world, carving a space for Hindu mythology to flourish in her story while doing such a good job retelling an epic love story of the Ramayana, of Rama and Sita, the battle between good and evil. It's such a familiar yet different take on myths, legends, epics, Gods and Goddesses that I can't help but let myself be swept away with the story. The gradual increase of pace until it was a full on action packed, thrilling novel makes Alpha Goddess such a good read!

Overall, Alpha Goddess made me remember why I loved Amalie Howard's writing. I fell in love with her story in an instant!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Win the following books:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Holding off that 1 star because it still takes me a while to digest Sera's decision at the end. As it contradicts a lot of my beliefs in love and somehow it left me feeling more confused than happy for her. I still don't like Kyle, though I adore Nate! A lot of her decisions didn't quite make sense for me, and oftentimes I felt like it drove the story in a completely different direction than what would made sense, but still it was a good story.

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
I adore this cover!

ARC Review: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Dearest blog readers, I would like to present to you Amalie Howard.

She will be a force to reckon with in the Young Adult world, a writer to look forward to, someone who will make it big! If you don't believe me, please read her debut novel, Bloodspell.

Title: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard
Pages: 369
Release Date: June 1st 2011
Published by: Langdon Street Press
Source: Publicist, the awesome Marissa!
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (from Goodreads):

The spell was simple...

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

Tori Warrick was a loner. Her withdrawn attitude started when her parents died in an accident. But when her classmates misunderstood her constant wanting for solitude she became a social outcast. Bullied and humiliated on the day of her seventeenth birthday, Tori was at the receiving end of a vicious attack, until she fought back, but it wasn't really her. Something inside her awakened when she turned seventeen. Something dark, mysterious and quite possibly be evil. Tori thought a change of scenery will help, but then her paths crossed with Christian Devereux, and things became more confusing. As she discovers who she really is and the power she's keeping, she was drawn to dark and brooding Christian who has his own secrets to keep, and he isn't really what Tori thinks he is.

See I've read books about Vampires and Werewolves hating each other, and maybe in the supernatural, paranormal world, its not far fetched that Witches and Vampires also tend to hate each other, but Bloodspell takes it to a whole new level.

I loved how truthful this book is. The characters were not sugarcoated or described with pretty words that will make readers swoon over them. There was no pretense that the vampires or the witches are do-gooders and it's a refreshing change. They are evil, they have the tendency to do horrible things, and it was obvious in the entire story.

Both Tori and Christian were characters that are hard to describe. But what I love about them is how they want to fight for what they feel to each other. Their relationship wasn't all sunshine and butterflies. There was this constant fear that they could kill each other. Christian was a powerful guy who drives Tori crazy with his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality, while Tori is someone who was trying to make sense of the power she has and what it means to posses the Blood. They were both terrified of their own selves for what they can do to each other. Vampires and Witches were forbidden to make any kind of association, which was the biggest hurdle they had to face.

Truthfully, it took a bit of patience for me to get used to seeing their relationship going okay when suddenly the complication of "Stay away, I'm not strong enough to fight this." comes back and they had to do something just to be together again. But I think moments like it made the foundation of Christian & Tori's relationship stronger.

Amalie Howard took time to explain the background story behind all the characters and she did it very well. I especially loved the one about Brigid, Tori's ancestor. The "Blood" is probably the most frightening aspect of the story. It's evil, it's death. If you think Vampires and Witches are scary, then the Blood is something more to fear.

Bloodspell has a well rounded plot which was a delight to read. Amalie Howard takes the readers into a journey filled with danger, evil lurking around, and she has written a story of forbidden love between two people who, despite all the odds against them, couldn't stay away. I'm a romantic at heart, and the romance in this book just appealed to me so much. And the scenes between Tori and Christian are just scorching hot!

Such a luscious read this book is. Bloodspell is a dark, haunting, fast-paced action filled story that will enthrall fans of the paranormal genre. This book is highly recommended! If you want to read about a headstrong heroine, a persistent and gorgeous male lead and villains who are evil personified, then this book is for you! Bloodspell will hold your full attention and won't let go until you've read the last page!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:
Gorgeous cover! Doesn't it give you a haunting, dark vibe?

I received this book free of charge from a publicist in exchange for an honest review.

Book Feature: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

And I am bringing back this feature! I'll be doing this twice a week, and I'll be featuring upcoming and already released books that I think I should put the spotlight on and place into my readers' radar.

For this week, first I am featuring the upcoming debut novel of Amalie Howard, Bloodspell.

I know I am one of the countless readers/bloggers on their toes anticipating the release of this book. Bloodspell sounds like a really promising witch-themed book. I had a chance to chat briefly with Amalie and I was able to get a sneak peek on why Victoria's blood turns black. :)

BLOODSPELL

ABOUT THE BOOK

Paperback and eBook, 369 pages
Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Langdon Street Press
Release date: June 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-936782-11-6
Price: $15.99

The spell was simple …

CRUENTUS PROTECTUM. Defend the Blood.

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds—much less one that reveals she’s a witch with unimaginable power.

What’s more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own …

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood’s deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure.

At only 13 years old, her poem “The Candle” was published in a University of Warwick journal. She was also a recipient of a Royal Commonwealth Society essay award (a global youth writing competition). She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Amalie moved to the U.S. for higher education and graduated from Colby College in Maine. After receiving her certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France, Amalie lived in Los Angeles, Boston and finally New York City. She has worked as a research assistant, marketing rep, global sales executive, freelance writer and blogger. Amalie also speaks to teens and their parents about image issues, having overcome a 4-year battle with anorexia and bulimia after losing her best friend during college.

A lover of other cultures and new experiences, Amalie has traveled extensively across North America and Europe, and as far east as China, Indonesia and Australia. She and her husband—who moved from London to marry her—live in New York with her their three children and one very willful cat Amalie is convinced may have been a http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwitch’s cat in a past life.

Amalie’s debut novel, Bloodspell (June 1, 2011, Langdon Street Press), evolved from a short story that took on an eerie life of its own, and is undoubtedly the result of a lifelong infatuation with witchcraft, vampires and excessive amounts of chocolate.

Website: www.BloodspellBook.com

Follow the author on Twitter: @AmalieHoward