Stealing Breath Blog Tour Stop

"The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces..."

 

Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, twenty-one year old Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent... creature. Sarah survives, destroying the monster by using mysterious abilities she didn't even know she had. Bloody and bruised, Sarah flees the scene and runs directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But what is Evan doing out in the forest at five in the morning? Turning to a healer, Sarah is shocked to learn her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child-an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others. But her indigo aura also makes her an easy target for those who wish to consume her powerful essence. 

Soon, Sarah is falling deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart and trust that he is the man he says he is. But she can't ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, leading her on a course that will force her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.

To purchase your own copy of Stealing Breath
CLICK HERE!

 Joanne Brothwell lives in the country on the Canadian prairie where her stories are inspired by the dead things that appear at her doorstep on a daily basis.

To learn more about Joanne visit her

Website / Goodreads

 

~ MY REVIEW ~

I really wish I could have liked this book more. The synopsis had me excited for a good dark fantasy romance. I mean, with an Indigo Child as the main character and a love interest with terrible secrets, I figured I would have loved this book. But alas, I was mildly disappointed. That's not to say that I disliked it or anything, I just wasn't as 'in love' with it as I thought I would be.

The beginning felt a bit rushed to me. One minute Sarah hears this 'disembodied voice' and the next she is injured, scared and being helped back by Evan. More back story on Sarah's empathy, as well as, on the missing girl would have helped to set the scene a bit more thoroughly. However, I was interested to see the extent of Sarah's empathy power and if Evan was really a good guy. So, at least I was hooked, even if it was only a little bit.

Stealing Breath did pick up as the story progressed. You learn more about Sarah's people and their ways. I am a big fan of Native American lore, which was a definite plus for this novel. The fact that old ways were simultaneously existing with the new was a bit hard to follow at first. But, once I fully understood the setting I liked it a lot. The concept of Skinwalkers was extremely interesting and--to me--one of the highlights of Stealing Breath. 

The moments between Sarah and Evan definitely gained this story points. I'm a sucker for romance. Evan may have a mysterious and secretive side to his personality but he is also open minded and, well, let me just say, this book gets a bit steamy at parts.

The setting changes a bit when Sarah moves to Grand Forks (Which instantly reminded me of Twilight. sigh.) The pace picks back up and Evan and Sarah face off with the Skinwalkers. This time though, their power is much stronger.The conclusion of the story was pretty good. Lots of action and magic.

I think the main problem I had with getting into the story line was that it lacked the 'showing' that I really love about a book. The structure and plot points were there, but more often than not, they were being told to me, not shown.  

Overall, I found Stealing Breath to be entertaining and even intense at times. If you are looking for a quick fantasy read, go ahead and give this book a try. 

  

 

Scarlet Woods Blog Tour Stop!

"Past, future, and love all exist in the door through time..."

Modern and independent seventeen year old Morgan Westbrook thought she had seen all there was to her home town of Scarlet, Georgia, but one day while walking in the woods behind her house she discovers a mysterious door masked behind the trees. After admiring the door’s timeless beauty she walks through its entrance to venture into more woods, but what she doesn’t know is that the door is a gateway through time that takes her back to the year 1863 during the days of the Civil War in Scarlet.

Without knowing that she had traveled back in time, she stumbles upon Danny Carson, an attractive young man who is appalled to see that Morgan is wearing skimpy modern clothes instead of a nineteenth century dress. Although they find each other completely different than anyone they’ve ever known, they cannot help but feel drawn to one another. After spending time in another century, she discovers that she's time traveled back to the year 1863 and that the door took her there. For months she and Danny journey back and forth through the door to experience the joys of traveling to both of their centuries. When dilemmas of unwanted marriage, slavery, and war are thrown at them, they must face the perils that time travel has delivered them in both the future and the past.

Scarlet Woods is now available from:

 Amazon /  Barnes and Noble 

Buy your own copy and devour it, because she is hard at work on book two!

Keep reading for a peek into the life of Brooke! 

I live in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and am a 22 year old young woman who probably will never fully grow up. As a kid I played with Polly Pockets, swam in my swimming pool practically every day during the summer, and went on vacations to Disney World with my family (favorite days of my life). I loved telling stories as a kid by playing with my Polly’s and dressing up like princesses with my friends. Eventually everything that went on in my busy imagination I wrote down on paper in the late hours of the night. When I was in sixth grade I moved into a new house with woods directly behind my backyard. I’d walk about the woods and loved trampling through the creek or getting lost in the trees. These trips through the woods gave me my inspiration for my book trilogy Scarlet Woods. My main character in my book is Morgan who lives in a house where the woods are right behind her backyard. My love for trees and anything woodsy definitely shows in my book and I hope I painted a pretty picture in readers’ heads about what Scarlet Woods looks like. My favorite candies are Skittles and M&M’s. I put ketchup on practically anything with meat (even with chicken quesadillas). I’m a great fan of Florence and the Machine, The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Birdie, and recently The Civil Wars. My favorite books are The Hunger Games, Shiver, and Wither. My favorite movies are Titanic and Gone with the Wind. The Vampire Diaries is the wonderful TV show I’m obsessed with (I’m a Elena lover!!). I hate ads on youtube that I repeatedly have to skip every single time I want to listen to the newest song from Glee. I love to smile, laugh, and purposefully sing loud and off key whenever my brother is around just to pester him. I have a cat named Phoebe who we named after Phoebe from Friends, a yorkie named Coco who we named because he likes to eat Cocoa Puffs, and a shih tzu maltese we named Indy, after Indiana Jones. My favorite princess is Cinderella, but I think my personality is a tie between Ariel and Belle--so they’re all my ultimate faves. If I could choose a century to time travel to I’d probably choose the Victorian age, the roaring 20’s, the 1950’s, or the 1940’s. I think the Victorian age and the 1940’s were probably the most romantic eras in history and the 20’s and 50’s would probably be the most fun! 

Scarlet Woods is Brooke's debut YA novel! 

To learn more about her and her trilogy visit her

GOODREADS /  WEBSITE!

OKAY! Now here's what I thought!

Scarlet Woods opens with your first glimpse at time travel. The beginning got me excited to keep reading--this was a definite plus right out the gate for Brooke! It isn't all the time that a book grabs me from page one. Maybe chapter one, but the first page...that's an achievement. I hadn't heard anything about this book until I was contacted to join the cover reveal. And boy, did I LOVE the cover. The synopsis definitely caught my attention as well, and I gladly signed up for the tour. I don't read much in the ways of time travel, but this plot sounded fresh and like a hidden indie gem. I was right!

I'm not much of a history buff either, but when I encounter stories set in a time of war, I tend to get really into them. I must have read Rifles for Watie like ten times when I was younger. Brooke did a great job of paralleling both time periods. I enjoyed seeing the contrast between them and didn't feel as though one over powered the other. The historical fiction side to this book was far from dry--she presented the Civil War era in a way that hooks the reader while properly representing the time period. To me, this was a pleasant surprise. 

Brooke does an excellent job conveying the things she is passionate about in her writing. Scarlet Woods reads much like what I imagine a Disney movie for teens would. The romance is light and sweet, yet oh so star-crossed and with the right amount conflict. 

Brooke's imagery is amazing and her characters are entertaining and real!

I really adore the fact that Morgan likes to spend nights reading. Sounds like a great night to me and this is something that bookish people will instantly connect with! In fact, Morgan's character as a whole is relateable. Although at times her actions rubbed me the wrong way, I did like her and by the end of the book, loved her. 

Danny was great as well. There's something about boys that are old school--with all their chivalry and loyalty--that makes for a splendid love interest.

Scarlet Woods is AWESOME. I am so happy it is the first in a trilogy! This book will have you on a roller coaster of emotions. Admittedly, it got a few tears out of me...

So, I make the recommendation--VERY LOUDLY--that you pick up a copy sometime in the near future. If you like light fantasy, romance and beautiful writing...yup, this book is for you.