ROCKSTAR BOOK TOUR: Character interview + Giveaway!

About the Book:

Title: POISON'S KISS

Author: Breeana Shields

Pub. Date: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Pages: 304

Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

A teenage assassin kills with a single kiss until she is ordered to kill the one boy she loves. This commercial YA fantasy is romantic and addictive like-- a poison kiss-- and will thrill fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard.

Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It s a miserable life, but being a visha kanya a poison maiden is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.

Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she s really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.

This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. 

Interview with Marinda & Deven:

Thank you so much for the chance to chat with y'all! I know you have a lot going on, so let's get to it!

Deven- what was your first impression of Marinda?

The first thing I noticed about her was her devotion to her younger brother. She’d do anything for him.

What do you admire most about one another?

Marinda: I love how well Deven listens. He’s always fully present in any conversation.

Deven: I’d have to say her loyalty. Marinda doesn’t love very many people, but she’d crawl over broken glass for the ones she does.

Marinda, if you weren't a Visha Kanya what do you think you'd being doing in your spare time?

I’d love to own a bookshop like Japa’s—that kind of quiet life would suit me perfectly. Unfortunately, my life has been anything but quiet and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon.

Deven and Marinda, Working for Japa seems like such an amazing job! What are some of your favorite stories?

Deven: Any adventure story—pirates, explorers, high-stake heists—I love it all.

Marinda: I didn’t learn much history as a child, so I can’t get enough of it now.

Favorite thing about living in Sundari?

*Glancing sidelong at each other, and then answering in unison*  “The waterfalls.”

Fast round!

Deven-

Early bird or night owl?

 Night owl

Sweet or salty ?

Salty

Relaxing evening or afternoon adventure?

Afternoon adventure!

Marinda-

Early bird or night owl?

I’m definitely a night owl.

Sweet or salty?

Sweet. I can’t get enough pastries.

Relaxing evening or afternoon adventure?

Relaxing evening.

Okay, can I just say how freaking ADORABLE and sweet are they!? I can not wait to read more of their story in the future!

Giveaway

3 winners will receive a signed finished copy of POISON’S KISS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Breeana:

Breeana Shields graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in English.

Her debut young adult fantasy, POISON’S KISS, will be released from Random House in 2017 with a sequel to follow in 2018.

When she’s not writing about herself in the third person, Breeana loves reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband, her three children and an extremely spoiled miniature poodle.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Follow the rest of the tour! 

Week One:

1/2/2017- Literary Meanderings - Interview

1/3/2017- Fiction Fare- Review

1/4/2017- It Starts at Midnight- Excerpt

1/5/2017- One Night Book Stand- Review

1/6/2017- Brooke- Reports- Interview

Week Two:

1/9/2017- Curling Up With A Good Book- Review

1/10/2017- Brittany's Book Rambles- Guest Post

1/11/2017- Parajunkee- Review

1/12/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

1/13/2017- IceyBooks- Quote Candy

Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2017

(Click the cover to add on Goodreads!)

1. Yes. I need this book. I loved The Crown's Game, so I'm SUPER excited for this one!

2. MORE TEACH! YESS! Is 2017 going to be the year of awesome sequels?! I think so! 

3. I've heard nothing but incredible things about this one! It sounds amazing, looks bomb as eff and i can't wait to read it!

4. That cover, that synopsis. Yes, please! I totally already ship Rhee & Aly :P

5. I love a any type of water based, dash of pirate fantasy! 

6.  HOW FREAKIN' AMAZE DOES THIS SOUND WWII!? TIME TRAVEL!? YES!

7. This sounds absolutely heartbreaking and adorable and wonderful. Sign me up!

8. Um!?  The first 3 words on goodreads had me hooked. 

9. I adore this cover. It makes me already love Dimple. Not to mention the storyline of arranged marriage?! Talk about captivating! 

10. This contemp just sounds so cute. Reminds me of a Kasie West story (who i LOVE!) Can't wait for this! 

Are you participating in the Top 10!? Leave a link to your post below or tell me what 2017 release you can't wait for! 

Best Book Covers of 2016

Hey lovlies! These are the covers I spent hours staring at this year!

Best Books I've Read in 2016

1. This book was a fantastic read.  It was funny and heart wrenching—full of uniquely diverse characters, a relevant subject matter and just brilliant narrative—How it Feels to Fly is a MUST READ.

2. Enthralled. Captivated. Hooked. I could not put this book down. Oh my goodness, my mind is still reeling. What? Just what? I really need to start reading more mysteries because oh my gosh, this book was fantastic. 

3. Reign of Shadows is a unique retelling filled with suspense and sexy-times and scary creatures. This book is a MUST READ!

4. You guys! This book was just a rollercoaster of crazy. I was frantically flipping pages, biting my nails to nubs, and my heart was practically beating out of my chest at times. I LOVED EVERY SECOND. 

5. The details of the story are so intricately woven and fast paced yet so easy to follow and just GAH! I loved it.

6.  Magic. Whimsey. Burnt sugar cider. Julian. Mmmm, yest Julian. THIS BOOK. EPIC. EPICNESS. I need all the related merch. I need the sequel. I need a movie. I need more Scar and Julian! 

7. Insanly good. Powerful. Emotional. Hold the book to your chest and sob, good. A BOOK WHERE YOU PRAY AND WISH AND HOPE FOR CERTAIN THINGS and they don't happy. Omg. Just painfully great. I need a follow up on Eden's life. 

8. Yes. Yes. YES. A million times yes. This is the pirate novel i've been waiting for! SWASHBUCKLING EXCELLENCE. Alosa is so badass and Riden is a sex pot. Sequel NOW.

I couldn't quite come up with 10! What books did you love this year!?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine! And this week i am waiting on:

Edward “Teach” Drummond is setting sail to the Caribbean as first mate on the most celebrated merchant ship in the British fleet—until he rebels against his captain. Mutiny is a capital offense and Teach knows it could cost him his life, but he believes it worth the risk in order to save his crew from the attacking Spanish ships.

Sailing on the same blue waters, Anne barely avoids the Spanish attack, making it safely to Nassau. But lawless criminals, corrupt politics, and dangerous intentions fill the crowded streets of this Caribbean port. Soon, Anne discovers that the man entrusted to keep the peace is quite possibly the most treacherous of them all—and he just happens to hold Teach’s fate in his terrifying hands.

Life and death hang in the balance when Teach and Anne are given a dangerous mission. It’s a mission that will test their love, loyalty and devotion, forcing them down a path neither one could have ever imagined. ~Goodreads

 I absolutely adored the first book, Blackhearts, so i am DYING for the next installment! 

What are you waiting on this week?!

Teaser Tuesday: Brave New Girl by Rachel Vincent

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at A Daily Rhythm.

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What?” Trigger has noticed me staring. “Is there something on my face?” He runs one hand over his jawline, and it makes a soft scratching sound against the short stubble on his chin.

“No. Well, I mean it looks like you need to shave, and I…” I can’t look away.

One corner of his mouth turns up and I suddenly feel like he can see right through my skull into my most private thoughts. “You want to feel it?”~ARC Pg. 64

*THUD* That is all. Go ahead and tease me this week! Leave a link below!

{ARC Review} Poison's Kiss by Breeana Shields

Poison's Kiss

Author: Breeana Shields

Publisher: Random House for Young Readers

Marinda has kissed dozens of boys. They all die afterward. It s a miserable life, but being a visha kanya a poison maiden is what she was created to do. Marinda serves the Raja by dispatching his enemies with only her lips as a weapon.

Until now, the men she was ordered to kiss have been strangers, enemies of the kingdom. Then she receives orders to kiss Deven, a boy she knows too well to be convinced he needs to die. She begins to question who she s really working for. And that is a thread that, once pulled, will unravel more than she can afford to lose.

This rich, surprising, and accessible debut is based in Indian folklore and delivers a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. 

Marinda, our protagonist,  is an incredibly layered character—which I loved! She is super protective of those she cares about, she’s extremely guarded towards anyone outside of her immediate circle and, also, she’s totally bad ass at times.  I couldn’t help but adore this girl. She watches out for her little brother, Mani, the sweet monkey that he is—and their relationship is the cutest.

I loved that Marinda worked at the local book shop. I really wish the shop keep, Japa, would’ve been included more, he was great! While she’s there, Marinda meets Deven. Caring, kind, mysterious, attractive Deven. I enjoyed the small, sweet moments between the two of them. Talk about some serious tension! Like oh my goodness, KISS ALREADY! BUT LIKE, THEY CAN’T! BEACAUSE SHE IS A VISHA KANYA AND HER KISSES ARE POISON! DO YOU SEE THE ISSUE HERE!?!?  

The storyline of this novel was fast-paced, thrilling and definitely left me wanting more! Not to mention the the world building which was incredible! The pages are lush with culture, beauty and danger. Breeana’s writing is so vivid, I was transported to Sundari while reading—it was simply magic. I adored her note at the end. It’s always super cool to learn how an author came up with the idea for their book!

Overall, Poison’s Kiss is a must read! It’s a story about legends, love and sacrifice. I am so hoping for a book 2!

{ARC Review} Rise of Fire by Sophie Jordan

Rise of Fire (Reign of Shadows #2)

Author: Sophie Jordan

Publisher: Harper Teen

Luna and Fowler have escaped the kingdom of Relhok, but they haven’t escaped the darkness. When a battle against the dark dwellers mortally injures Fowler, Luna is faced with a choice: put their fate in the hands of mysterious strangers or risk losing Fowler forever.

Desperate to keep the one bright part of her life alive, Luna accepts the help of soldiers from a nearby kingdom. Lagonia’s castle offers reprieve from the dangerous outside world—until the king discovers both Fowler's and Luna’s true ties to Relhok and their influence over the throne.

Now pawns in each kingdom’s political game, Luna and Fowler are more determined than ever to escape and build the life they’ve been dreaming of. But their own pasts have a tight hold on their hearts and their destinies. Luna must embrace the darkness and fire within her before she loses not only Fowler, but the power she was destined to inherit.~Goodreads

[MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD] 

 Reign of Shadows left me BEGGING and PLEADING for more of this story! So, thankfully Rise of Fire picks up right where Reign of Shadows left off. Luna and Fowler have been separated and THANK ALL THAT IS HOLY, my heart could rest easy because they were quickly reunited.

Rise of Fire suffers a tad bit from second book syndrome. While there were aspects that I totally adored (i.e. Fowler. I.e. His sexiness. I.e. Forbidden smexy time scenes) there were some that left me feeling a tad bit underwhelmed.

I think this series should’ve been a trilogy. Too much was jammed into this installment to wrap up the duology. And I’m not quite sure if liked the “grand finale” twist if you will, it felt a little too convenient.

But with a slew of new characters, dangerous dark dwellers, and a romance that is FIRE—Sophie Jordan does not disappoint on the entertainment factor.  

Overall, if you enjoyed the first book in the series I’m sure you’ll not want to miss the conclusion! 

Gratitude Giveaway Hop

A few things I'm incredibly thankful for this year:
~My fiance (love you boo!)~

~My family ~
~Books (of course!)~

~Twitter ~

~Warm fuzzy socks~

~Chocolate~

and

~ALL OF YOU! ~

Thank you to all the wonderful little turkies who visit Brooke-Reports on the regular. Love you guys! 

Now onto the PRIZE!

If you're not sure what Nerdy Post is, it's a subscription box that will be filled with 5-7 items that feature "original, hand-lettered  quotes, symbols, images, etc." It's really neat!

To enter, leave a comment below telling me what you're most thankful for this year! (And a way to contact you!) (US ONLY!)