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Showing posts with label Amber Lynn Natusch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amber Lynn Natusch. Show all posts
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Blog Tour: "Tempted by Evil" by Shannon Morton & Amber Lynn Natusch (Guest Post/Review)
Welcome to our virtual book tour stop of "Tempted by Evil" by Amber Lynn Natusch and Shannon Morton brought to you by Pure Textuality.
I
have a confession to make. I have a
thing for bad boys. Always have. Blame it on my kindergarten crush or my high
school boyfriend, just don't tell my husband.
But something about those dark, broody, mysterious guys who do whatever
they please and have a difficult time expressing emotion properly seals the
deal every single time. Officially labeled, "damaged goods," these
guys are the ones we love in books, TV, and movies, but would run screaming
from in reality if we ever actually came face to face in a relationship. Thus,
I write about their dark deeds rather than seeking one out in real life (my
husband is grateful for this). And that's what this scene in the novel is for;
to give you a peek at one of my favorite characters in the story. This is
our first real glimpse into Merrick's personality and Aspen's response to him.
Merrick is the quintessential bad boy plus. On top of being the dark, brooding,
mysterious guy, he is also wicked intelligent with a penchant for books and
music―and nothing is sexier than a bad boy with a kickass IQ.
So, without further ado, I give you
Aspen and Merrick in the library scene.
Walking absentmindedly through the aisles of
materials once more, I
found myself gazing up the darkened staircase as I
passed. The feeling of
someone watching me was so strong that I
involuntarily shivered and
scanned the rest of the library, including the
check-out desk, to ensure that I
was still the only patron inside. Indeed, it was
only the librarian and me, and
he was still busy organizing the pile on his desk.
I brushed off my senseless
worry and marched myself back over to the table
where my collection of
take-home books sat proudly waiting for me. The
cover of the top volume
drew my attention as it had on the shelf, a girl
with dark hair , ivory skin, and
painted ruby lips.
“Memoirs of a Geisha?” a low voice asked
incredulously from just
behind me. “I had you pegged for an Austen girl. ”
I spun around to find a wall of obsidian staring me
in the face. T aking
a small step back, I looked up into the light-green
eyes of a face I was
certain I recognized.
“You’re the guy from the café the other night, ” I
blurted out, equal
parts question and statement of fact.
“Am I?” he countered sarcastically, leaning his
face in toward mine just
“Am I?” he countered sarcastically, leaning his
face in toward mine just
enough to make me exceptionally nervous.
“Um, aren’t you?” I asked stupidly, finding it
difficult to actually recall
the other night with any clarity at the moment.
He just stared at me as though I were some
curiosity that perplexed
him, but he clearly had no intention of answering
my question.
“I’m Aspen. ” The words were out of my mouth before
my brain fully
registered our conversation from the other night.
“Aspen Thomas. ”
“I know, ” the stranger replied with a slight nod
of his head.
“And you are . . . ?”
“Amused, ” he countered, though he seemed less
entertained than he
claimed to be.
“Really?” The frustration at being the source of
his personal
amusement was evident in my tone. “Did you come
here solely to harass
me?”
“Hardly, ” he replied, looking at my stack on the
table. A flicker of
genuine interest sparked in his eyes. “I came for
the books. ”
“Well, then, ” the words tasted bitter in my mouth
even before I said
them aloud, “don’t let me keep you. ”
A small smile erupted on his lips as he looked to
my pile of books and
then back to me. “No problem. It’s just a lot to
carry. . . I was going to offer
you a hand. ”
Of course he was. My redheaded temper had gotten me
into trouble
yet again.
“Oh, ” I said, feeling like a repentant child. “I
brought a book bag with
me and most of these are pretty small. ”
“Indeed, ” he replied, running his fingers through
his jet black waves.
“You have some great texts there. Kerouac and
Salinger are two of my
favorites. ”
“I’ve always wanted to read Catcher in the Rye!” I
exclaimed a bit too
enthusiastically.
“Now you can. ” He smiled down at me as he turned
around to walk
through the stacks, calling over his shoulder ,
“And the name’s Merrick. ”
“Merrick, ” I repeated aloud, tasting the name on
my tongue.
He stopped and turned around to face me once more,
his mysterious
sage gaze penetrating mine.
“Yes?”
“Oh, ” I stammered, unprepared for him to have
overheard my verbal
sampling. “I was just curious about your t-shirt.
Who’s The Machine and why
do you feel the need to Rage Against them?”
If I hadn't known better , I would have sworn that
the slightest chuckle
escaped his lips.
“The machine would be the status quo, I guess, ” he
replied, shaking
his head and turning to go. “And most everyone
feels compelled to deviate a
little from time to time. ”
Mesmerized by both him and his words, I watched him
walk away,
each step feeling like a call to some part of me to
follow after him. He
seemed to be the impossible combination of every
powerful male lead and
bad boy antagonist that I'd ever encountered on
paper , and for whatever
reason, however irrational it might have been, I
wanted to know more about
him.
Tempted by Evil
(Light & Shadow Trilogy #1)
Publishing Date: 11/19/12
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Provided Copy for Blog Tour (from Blog Tour Host)
Description:
A sheltered girl.
The perfect boy.
A mysterious stranger.
Random messages delivering a sobering prophecy plague Aspen's existence. With every curious encounter, her sanity wavers further. Before long, Aspen finds herself balancing the fate of humanity on her shoulders, until a single act turns her world upside down. She finds herself alone, isolated from those she thought she could trust.
Alone to damn the world,
My Review:
I have read the first book in the Caged series by Amber Lynn Natusch and jumped at the chance to read another book from her, as well as try a book by Shannon Morton.
I am always looking to find more Authors that will keep me reading and leave me hanging at the end of the book.
"Tempted by Evil" is not a usual YA book that I would find myself reading, but the description of it was interesting and I could not wait to find out who was the sheltered girl, the perfect boy, and the mysterious stranger.
Aspen who has only life in a convent, never knew her parents. All she knows is that they died when she was really young. She is not living in the convent and trying to make her life carry on. She meets a boy who is willing to help her in anyway he can. He gives her a home and even gets her a job thanks to his parents.
When Aspen, comes across another stranger while working, he intrigues her. He is always there watching her for some reason.
Aspen starts to hear voices and see people other people cannot see. In fact, she is starting to question herself.
When she finds out the truth on what is happening to her, she learns that the people she thought she could trust and the people who took care of her, are the ones who want her live out the prophecy, but in a evil way.
Aspen does not know who to trust now...the boy who gave her a new life may be tempting her in the wrong way and the other stranger told her to not trust anyone, but herself.
Is the prophecy being told really true. Is she the one to determine the fate of mankind and the world?
My thoughts after reading "Tempted by Evil" is that I need to know what happens now after reading that cliffhanger, but I do have to say the book did not peek my interest until towards the end. When the truth came out, I was neglecting my duties at home to find out happened next to Aspen and find out the truth about Merrick ( the stranger ) and the real truth about Julian (the boy who helped Aspen) because there was a another motive with him. I just could not figure it out until the end.
I love the fact the book was different from what I have read before. Prophecies and towards the end, the truth of Aspen's parents and why she is considered apart of the prophecy and what she actually supposed to do.
I give the beginning and the middle of the book 3 stars...but the end 4 stars, which is the reason why the my review is 3.5 stars for total. I am planning on reading the next book because Shannon and Amber definitely had me in shock after Aspen chose her path.
I would have chosen the other side...Ahh!
Aspen has her reasons, I guess.
I recommend this book to readers who love the YA paranormal genre. If you are a fan of Amber's Caged Series, you'll definitely want to check out this new trilogy from her and Shannon.
I have read the first book in the Caged series by Amber Lynn Natusch and jumped at the chance to read another book from her, as well as try a book by Shannon Morton.
I am always looking to find more Authors that will keep me reading and leave me hanging at the end of the book.
"Tempted by Evil" is not a usual YA book that I would find myself reading, but the description of it was interesting and I could not wait to find out who was the sheltered girl, the perfect boy, and the mysterious stranger.
Aspen who has only life in a convent, never knew her parents. All she knows is that they died when she was really young. She is not living in the convent and trying to make her life carry on. She meets a boy who is willing to help her in anyway he can. He gives her a home and even gets her a job thanks to his parents.
When Aspen, comes across another stranger while working, he intrigues her. He is always there watching her for some reason.
Aspen starts to hear voices and see people other people cannot see. In fact, she is starting to question herself.
When she finds out the truth on what is happening to her, she learns that the people she thought she could trust and the people who took care of her, are the ones who want her live out the prophecy, but in a evil way.
Aspen does not know who to trust now...the boy who gave her a new life may be tempting her in the wrong way and the other stranger told her to not trust anyone, but herself.
Is the prophecy being told really true. Is she the one to determine the fate of mankind and the world?
My thoughts after reading "Tempted by Evil" is that I need to know what happens now after reading that cliffhanger, but I do have to say the book did not peek my interest until towards the end. When the truth came out, I was neglecting my duties at home to find out happened next to Aspen and find out the truth about Merrick ( the stranger ) and the real truth about Julian (the boy who helped Aspen) because there was a another motive with him. I just could not figure it out until the end.
I love the fact the book was different from what I have read before. Prophecies and towards the end, the truth of Aspen's parents and why she is considered apart of the prophecy and what she actually supposed to do.
I give the beginning and the middle of the book 3 stars...but the end 4 stars, which is the reason why the my review is 3.5 stars for total. I am planning on reading the next book because Shannon and Amber definitely had me in shock after Aspen chose her path.
I would have chosen the other side...Ahh!
Aspen has her reasons, I guess.
I recommend this book to readers who love the YA paranormal genre. If you are a fan of Amber's Caged Series, you'll definitely want to check out this new trilogy from her and Shannon.
I was provided a complimentary copy of "Tempted by Evil" for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Got Caged? Blog Tour (Guest Post/Giveaway)
Welcome to our Blog Tour Stop Got Caged? for Amber Lynn Natusch and her Caged Series books brought to you by Pure Textuality.
When I was asked to compose a guest blog post, I had no idea what to write. As an author, it was an especially low moment. Then a great friend suggested that I take an excerpt from the first novel in my series, Caged, and explain what I loved about it. Genus! Times like this illustrate my need for a team of levelheaded people around me--and entourage of rational thinkers.
The unfortunate reality for me was that my favorite scenes from Caged all contain spoilers, but I still managed to find some good ones :)
For this blog, I chose a scene that involves three of my favorite characters: Ruby, Sean, and Ronnie. The combination of them together in one scenario led to some cheeky dialogue and a whole lot of tension. Ronnie's keen observational skills combined with Sean's uncanny ability to disarm Ruby create a recipe for her complete embarrassment. Unfortunately for Ruby, it's not the first time.
Without further ado, I give you Ruby, Sean, and Ronnie, in the infamous "Crash" scene.
Excerpt:
As changed into the handpicked outfit, Dave Matthews Band's "Crash" came over the speakers in the shop. It was clearly a sign. I'd always had this theory that it couldn't be a bad day when that song came on the radio. I smiled to myself in the mirror as a I pulled the blouse on and arranged it so it sat perfectly on my frame. A pair of cognac-colored boots were thrust into the dressing room just in time.
"Thanks," I told the disembodied arm.
"You're welcome. I forgot that Peyta wears the same size as you. I think she was hiding them for herself. You'll never believe where I found them," Ronnie replied, chuckling to herself.
As I unzipped the boots to put them on, the jingling bells signaled another customer entering.
"Can I help you?" Ronnie asked, sounding a little sweeter than usual.
Hot guy for sure.
"Got an vintage rock shirts? Preferably something from the seventies?"
Oh. My. God.
"Sure. Over there in the corner. I have some in the back too. I'll go pull them for you," she said, sounding all too happy to oblige.
As soon as the coast was clear, I stuck my head out to see Sean standing where Ronnie had directed him, rifling through the tees.
"Do you work on your stalker qualities, or are you just stalker-tastic by nature?" I asked him while his back was facing me.
"Ruby," he said without turning around right away. When he finally did, the remnants of a smile were barely visible on his face. "Nice outfit," he said, giving me elevator-eyes.
"Evasion and flattery will get you nowhere. Do I need a restraining order or what?" I asked, trying desperately to stifle the grin that was tugging on my lips, threatening to expose my true sentiment.
"Maybe," was his only response.
"I found these four in the back. They look like they should fit you," Ronnie said as she shot through the strings of beads.
"It's not for me, but thanks. The size should be fine."
"Is it your boyfriend's birthday?" I asked mockingly.
"Don't worry, Ruby, he's just a friend. You know it's you I really want," he kidded. I turned eighty shades of read.
Ronnie cocked her head to the side as she watched us, clearly amused with something as the right corder of her mouth twitched and turned up. I rolled my eyes at her and bit the proverbial bullet.
"Ronnie, this is Sean. Sean, Ronnie."
They exchanged pleasantries before Ronnie focused her attention back on me.
"Just beefing up the wardrobe my ass" she said with piercing eyes that only a mother possesses. I said nothing in response.
"I'll take this one," Sean said, breaking the brief silence which I had no intention of filling.
Ronnie turned to him and took the shift before heading over to the counter to ring up the purchase.
I scoffed to myself and muttered something under my breath.
"What was that?" Sean asked.
I signed heavily in an attempt to convey my displeasure with repeating myself.
"I said 'so much for that theory'."
"And what theory would that be?" he asked casually.
I sighed again.
"My theory that it can't ever be a bad day when Dave Matthews sings 'Crash' on the radio."
He smiled boyishly.
"You like that song?" he asked.
"It's one of my faces. Why?"
"You do know what it's about, don't you?" he asked, choking on a laugh.
"Apparently you do, so why don't you enlighten me?" I asked, getting frazzled by his persistence.
"It's about masturbation. He's a Peeping Tom, Ruby," he said, just before he roared with laughter.
"You're disgusting. It is not...it's about love."
The more I tried to defend my tune, the harder he laughed. Ronnie finally cleared her voice from behind the counter.
"It's forty-five dollars, please," she said to Sean.
He wiped the tears that were welling in his eyes from the strain of laughing.
"Sorry," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the necessary cash. "Here you go."
He took the bag that Ronnie extended to him before turning back to me.
"I guess your theory was wrong. You really do look like you're having a bad day."
"You're an ass" was all I could muster in response.
"Never claimed to be anything else," he said as he strode past me flashing his impossibly green eyes down to mine. "You should buy it. Especially the boots. I have the perfect place for you to wear them," he said plainly. "I'll see you soon, Ruby."
I stared blankly at the door from which he's just exited, completely speechless. I heard from Ronnie come up beside me.
"I'd do more than beef up my wardrobe for that one," she said, her comment laced with innuendo.
"It's not like that Ronnie," I defended.
"It should be. It really, really should be," she said, staring me down.
Book 4 - Scarred releases September 24th, 2012 =)
Amber Lynn Natusch
If you're dying to know more about me, allow me to put you at ease. I'm a sharp-tongued, sarcastic cancer, who loves vegetable smoothies, winter storms, and the word "portfolio". I should NEVER be caffeinated, and require at least eight hours of sleep to even resemble a human being. At thirty-four, I just now feel like I can keep a straight face while saying the word "rectum" (which is actually a huge lie because I just laughed out loud while reading this to my husband). I live with my iPod firmly affixed to my body, drive too fast, and laugh/cry at inappropriate times.
Now here's your chance to win an ebook copy of the first book to the Caged Series. Just fill out the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.
Two ebook copies are up for grabs.
Winner will be announced September 18
Review: "Caged" by Amber Lynn Natusch
Caged
(Caged #1)
Publishing Date: 12/15/11
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Source: Provided for Blog Tour (from Pure Textuality)
Description:
I stood in the middle of the room, unmoving – I barely breathed. My life had just become surreal, impossible, and one enormous lie. I needed to go, to run somewhere, anywhere to beat back the reality that was rapidly closing in around me. The image of him was burned into my retina, flashing over and over again like a warning. He was trapped somewhere between human and decidedly not, and I realized that was my new reality.
I was too.
After the death of her parents, Ruby awakens from a lifetime of shadows and finds herself alone, thrust into a world of lies, deceit, betrayal and the supernatural.
As her quest for truth continues to come up short, she realizes that maybe some questions really are best left unanswered.
When her true identity is finally unveiled, she is forced to choose between two of the mysterious men who continually seem to crop up in her life.
She chooses poorly.
Now abandoned, Ruby must learn to call on the darkness within to survive, or spend a hellish eternity imprisoned because of it.
I was too.
After the death of her parents, Ruby awakens from a lifetime of shadows and finds herself alone, thrust into a world of lies, deceit, betrayal and the supernatural.
As her quest for truth continues to come up short, she realizes that maybe some questions really are best left unanswered.
When her true identity is finally unveiled, she is forced to choose between two of the mysterious men who continually seem to crop up in her life.
She chooses poorly.
Now abandoned, Ruby must learn to call on the darkness within to survive, or spend a hellish eternity imprisoned because of it.
My Review:
I received an complimentary copy of Caged for the Blog Tour with Pure Textuality in exchanged for an honest review.
"Caged" is the first book in the Caged series by Amber Lynn Natusch, and it definitely helped introduce the main character and her dilemma very well.
Ruby has been through a lot. After losing her parents one horrible night, she's trying to adapt well on her own. That horrible night also helped her gain her eye sight. She was blind for so many years, that she never even knew what her parents looked like. She's been having moments where she blacks out when she panics or is stressed out after since that night her parents were killed...but she has no idea what happens during the time she blacks out.
She ends up meeting up with Sean, who she thinks is stalking her because he is always there.
She also meets, Erik, who she is fascinated with the minute she sees him.
But...both guys have their own agendas on why they want Ruby.
Ruby ends up choosing between the two and ends up choosing the wrong one....now she is stuck in a jam...but in the mean time, she finds out exactly what is happening during the black outs. At first though, she does not believe it. She has to see the aftermath of the black outs to really understand what she truly is and why certain kind of people want her. She also has to witness something that someone does in front her to believe that it is really true.
My thoughts on the first book to the Caged series was that it was a very enjoyable read. I loved how the author introduced the characters in the beginning and what happened to Ruby in the beginning. I was lost a little at first, but then I was able to follow the story more once I understood what happened to Ruby thoroughly later on in the book.
This is definitely a good book for the first to the series and it explains what Ruby actually is very well.
The only thing that bothered me was the main character sometimes. I really did not click with her well. Maybe the way she always was getting frustrated and yelling at the other characters and maybe the way she talked period. ( I did like the fact that the way for her to relieve stress was to dance and that is definitely a great stress reliever )
One of my favorite parts were when Ruby, Sean, and Ruby's friend Ronnie were at a store (which is actually the excerpt in the guest post/giveaway post above). Ronnie played a short role, but she definitely put Ruby in her place.
Sean was my favorite character in the story because of the way he was always there for Ruby. Even when I found out what he really was, I still loved him because I knew in the end, he really loved being around Ruby.
Be prepared if you do read it, to have a lot of bad guys in the story. The ending was a doozy for me. I did not like that one chick that was introduced. I felt terrible for Ruby. (sorry won't give away..no spoilers here)
I recommend this urban fantasy and paranormal romance readers out there who enjoys a book that keeps you guessing on what is going to happen next to the main character. (The poor girl went through so much...I do not know how she handled it so well. Although, she did have something that no other person had that helped her.)
I plan on reading the 2nd book whenever I get the chance because I do want to find out if certain characters will hook up in the end. =)
"Caged" is the first book in the Caged series by Amber Lynn Natusch, and it definitely helped introduce the main character and her dilemma very well.
Ruby has been through a lot. After losing her parents one horrible night, she's trying to adapt well on her own. That horrible night also helped her gain her eye sight. She was blind for so many years, that she never even knew what her parents looked like. She's been having moments where she blacks out when she panics or is stressed out after since that night her parents were killed...but she has no idea what happens during the time she blacks out.
She ends up meeting up with Sean, who she thinks is stalking her because he is always there.
She also meets, Erik, who she is fascinated with the minute she sees him.
But...both guys have their own agendas on why they want Ruby.
Ruby ends up choosing between the two and ends up choosing the wrong one....now she is stuck in a jam...but in the mean time, she finds out exactly what is happening during the black outs. At first though, she does not believe it. She has to see the aftermath of the black outs to really understand what she truly is and why certain kind of people want her. She also has to witness something that someone does in front her to believe that it is really true.
My thoughts on the first book to the Caged series was that it was a very enjoyable read. I loved how the author introduced the characters in the beginning and what happened to Ruby in the beginning. I was lost a little at first, but then I was able to follow the story more once I understood what happened to Ruby thoroughly later on in the book.
This is definitely a good book for the first to the series and it explains what Ruby actually is very well.
The only thing that bothered me was the main character sometimes. I really did not click with her well. Maybe the way she always was getting frustrated and yelling at the other characters and maybe the way she talked period. ( I did like the fact that the way for her to relieve stress was to dance and that is definitely a great stress reliever )
One of my favorite parts were when Ruby, Sean, and Ruby's friend Ronnie were at a store (which is actually the excerpt in the guest post/giveaway post above). Ronnie played a short role, but she definitely put Ruby in her place.
Sean was my favorite character in the story because of the way he was always there for Ruby. Even when I found out what he really was, I still loved him because I knew in the end, he really loved being around Ruby.
Be prepared if you do read it, to have a lot of bad guys in the story. The ending was a doozy for me. I did not like that one chick that was introduced. I felt terrible for Ruby. (sorry won't give away..no spoilers here)
I recommend this urban fantasy and paranormal romance readers out there who enjoys a book that keeps you guessing on what is going to happen next to the main character. (The poor girl went through so much...I do not know how she handled it so well. Although, she did have something that no other person had that helped her.)
I plan on reading the 2nd book whenever I get the chance because I do want to find out if certain characters will hook up in the end. =)
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