Fractured Light Book Tour w. Giveaway

Hello everyone!! Today I am so excited to be part of this tour! It’s a fantastic book! I have a guest post, a character interview, and a review for you, so I will get right to it, since I have so many goodies for you, including TWO GIVEAWAYS!!! 🙂 yes, I know I am just so cool!! 🙂

From Goodreads: Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. But she never felt ready to face them—until now. Defying the Auran Council and everything she’s been taught, Llona must learn to use her power over light as a weapon if she wants to survive.

And now that you know a little something about the book, I’ll give you my review.

First, lemme just say I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew I wanted to read this book. So when I was offered to take part in the blog tour, I jumped right on it! It’s considered YA paranormal, but I also consider it urban fantasy as well. Let me explain a little bit. An Aura is not really a witch, but kinda, as they can harness energy from themselves and the things around them to produce powers, which they call “the light”. Sure, some things like literal light can be manipulated, but things like strength, and appearance changes, and other powers are included. You do have to read this to understand, but you at least get a gist of something.

Llona is a scared, and in hiding, appearing timid, girl. She isn’t actually timid, she just wants to appear to be, to keep herself in hiding. She knows that one day, the bad guys will find her, and she’ll be dead, as she could never fight them to survive. But in all this, she finds out her best friend, her crush, and her teacher, are all “special” like her, just a different kind of special. 🙂 And she is learning to come of her shell, and learning a whole lot of other things as well. Secrets from her past, and her future are literally pounding on her.

Even through all of these things, Llona learns and grows. Now sometimes this can make a book boring, but I didn’t have any trouble reading this book in one sitting, and I will say it’s a fun, face paced read. I really cannot wait for book 2 to come out! and the characters!!! Everyone knows I love secondary characters. This book is just filled with great side kicks 🙂 LOL Well, Christian is just yummy! I lurvs him!! And her friend May, I can’t tell you how much I wanna meet her! She even has this cool uncle that I think would be my perfect boyfriend!

Now I will give you this, the first book does not include any actual scenes at Lucent academy, but the whole process of going there for different reasons, and I am dying to see how May and Llona are gunna do once they get there! 🙂 Please hurry and gimme gimme book 2!! 🙂 5 PAWS!!

And with that review, I’d like to introduce Llona, as she is a guest today on my blog… I had several questions I had to ask her 🙂 WELCOME LLONA!!

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Llona. I know you’re busy at Lucent Academy. How’s it going there anyway?

It’s not too bad, I guess. Usual new girl crap, but I’ve got May with me so I can deal.

How do you feel May will do at Lucent Academy?

May will do awesome. Already the girls think she’s amazing and it’s not just because she is a Fury. She’s a great listener and really cares about others. There’s nothing fake about her.

Back at Highland High, you were on the basketball team, but I was a little confused by this because you also had a strong desire for anonymity. Can you explain this?

It was hard for me to be on the basketball team because I did get attention, but it would’ve been harder for me not to play. I secretly love the competition even though sports like that are forbidden among Auras. But it was worth the lectures I received from my aunt Sophie who sits on the Auran Council.

Did you enjoy learning to fight?

I did! It’s so empowering. I think in another life I was a ninja master or something.

In the end, when you were fighting with the Vyken, something bad happened. I won’t spoil it for readers, but I think you know what I’m talking about. How has that changed you?

(glances away) I’m not sure yet. But I feel different. Like a part of me is changing, and whatever it is, is dark and contentious. I hope it goes away soon.

What do you see happening between you and Christian?

A week ago, I would’ve said the sky’s the limit, but after the way I’ve been feeling, I don’t know. I don’t want Christian to be disappointed. Or hurt. I have to figure out what’s going on with me before I consider a relationship with him.

What do you want to get out of Lucent Academy?

I want to learn about the Auran history. I just can’t believe Auras have always been so docile, especially after the stories my mother told me. I think if I research it enough, I’ll discover the truth. I also hope to develop my ability. I feel there’s so much untapped potential. And maybe I’ll find something that will help with what I’m going through.

Any advice you’d give to a younger Aura?

Trust your instincts. And open up to others. You’ll make some amazing friends that way.

Isn’t she fantastic!! Thanks so much Llona for stopping by today! I’m so glad I got to meet you, and I’m so excited to continue your story & adventure! 🙂

And now, I’d like to introduce you to the author!

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

Where you can find Rachel
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

And Now, I’d Like to welcome Ms. McClellan to my blog for a guest post of her own! Thanks so much for being here and WELCOME!!

Why I Write

There are a select few who claim to see dead people. I’m not one of them, but I do see characters, and, honestly, some of them are just as scary. The other day I reached for a hanger that had slid partially beneath an attic door in the back of my son’s closet. Just as my fingers touched the hard, white plastic, something, or someone, sucked the hanger into the attic. It was only a moment later that I realized the thing in my attic is the ghost of a seriously pissed-off, murdered woman.

None of this happened, of course. It was only in my imagination, but now the woman is there. Stuck inside my head as much as she’s stuck in my attic. She joins the countless others who are just waiting for their story to be told. I listen best I can, and when I have time I write down their stories. The sooner the better.

It wasn’t always this way. There was a time when I could look at an oddly-shaped tree and keep walking; the deep hole in its side was merely a squirrel’s home and not an entrance to a world where humans hide at night and travel at day to avoid the growing number of Junks (those who have had their humanity turned off by the Authorities).

At first I tried ignoring the characters, pretended they didn’t exist. But this only made them louder. When their cries started to contend with that of my children’s, I knew I had to listen. It took some time, but eventually I found a way to balance my own life with that of theirs.

Llona wasn’t the first character I wrote about, but she was the loudest, and, gratefully, wasn’t as scary as the others. I like writing about her. She makes me laugh so I’m glad she has more to say in the sequel of Fractured Light.

Those of you interested in writing, listen to characters. They’re all around us desperately waiting to be heard. Help them find their voice. Work hard. Stay focused. And most importantly don’t give up on them. They only want to exist.

I would just like to say thank you so much for sharing that, and I love your writing, so I think you should just keep doing what you’re doing!! And now I know you are all dying to know what’s the giveaways!! so here we go…

The first giveaway, is from me, an ecopy of Fractured Light. This is international, so just leave a nice comment on this post, and I’ll pick a winner on August 8th, which is the day after the tour ends. The other giveaway is from the author and Dark Mind Book Tours, and here’s what you can win… 3 necklaces and 5 SIGNED print copies of fractured light! Yep, this is also international!! 🙂 YAY!!! so, you can go HERE to enter for those! HOW AWESOME right! There’s a ton of chances to win something! so don’t forget to leave comment, and then head on over and fill out the raffelcopter to win something else! 🙂

I want to thank the author, Dark Mind Book Tours, and everyone who participated! I wish you all good luck, and as always, happy reading my gators!!