Nov 28, 2013

Mutilate My Heart ~ Blog Tour


Welcome to The Sarcastic Palmtree 
Tour stop for Mutilate My Heart! 

Title: Mutilate My Heart (Mutilate #1)
Author: Emily Godwin
Date of Publication: July 9, 2013
Genre: Contemporary YA romance with paranormal elements

 
Punk rock band Mutilated Arteries has been seventeen-year-old Becca's world (aka obsession) for the last year. When the band schedules a concert in her hometown, she and her best friend Carli are the first ones in line to buy tickets. The night is everything she expects it to be and more, especially after making friends with the new super-cute bassist, Sketch.

Becca's mom warns her not to fall for a rock star because rock stars are always on the road - or they die in a plane crash, like her mom's favorite band did twenty-something years ago. But after the band's tour bus breaks down and they're stuck hanging out in Roizen Hills for a week, it's hard for Becca not to fall for Sketch and his caricature drawings and toxic green eyes.

Becca knows Sketch is leaving as soon as the bus is fixed, and she can't be his fan-turned-girlfriend anyway because of the lead singer's "No Girlfriends" rule. Plus, there's something strange about the guys that Becca can't quite decipher... like how they won't reveal their real names, their always-changing odd appearances, and the guitarist's obsession with blood and zombies. Still, Becca wants nothing more than for Sketch to mutilate her heart...but it just might not be in a way she expects.




Add Mutilate My Heart to Goodreads Here
 
Don't wait!  Have some fun with 
Mutilate My Heart Today!
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My Review:
  
I cannot say enough good about this book.  If you're looking for a good time with an awesome rock band, you will love Mutilate My Heart!  The pace of the book was quick and easy, but I never felt like anything was skipped or glossed over.  It had the perfect mix of intrigue and fun with a dash of romance.  It was just what a Young Adult book should be, good, clean, fun!  

I was in love with the band Mutilated Arteries from the start.  I bet most of us have had a favorite band at sometime in our lives where you know all the members, their names, the little rumor mill intricacies that make them YOUR band and you don't know what you would do without them and their music.  This was how Becca felt about her band.  Some bands stand the test of time, (I have been extremely lucky Bon Jovi has had a lengthy career) and some have not, but Mutilated Arteries has that special "It factor" they need to get them through a very lengthy career!  There were so many times I wish I could have put on a Mutilated Arteries playlist to hear the band sing their epic songs like Incisions, Urban Evil, Shadows, Crash Around Me, and what I'm sure would be my personal favorite, Undead Masquerade.

 Both girls in the book, Becca and Carli are very likable.  I found myself constantly pulling for Becca and Sketch to have more time together.  I didn't want that tour bus to ever get fixed!  Although this is Becca's story, I found the most fun to be had with the members of Mutilated Arteries, especally Ink and Corpse.  All the guys have their unique characteristics that make them extraordinary.  Emily's sister Nikki recently did some fun posts on her blog giving us some bio info on the members of Mutilated Arteries.  They were extremely entertaining when I read them, so I have linked each member below to their specific post so you can check them out as well!



 Now I get to share with you one of my favorite parts of the book in this excerpt. This part is when I really decided Ink was my favorite.  I love that guy!


Sketch wraps his arm around my waist and smiles in the glow of the flashlight.
 
“Who’s up for a séance?” he asks.
 
Corpse automatically agrees, and Carli does because Corpse does. Plus, this whole ghost thing doesn’t freak her out nearly as badly as it does me, but I’m not going to let them know that.
 
“Man, no,” Ink protests. “You don’t know what the hell you’re going to be letting into one of our bodies, and with my luck, whatever it is will be coming up into my body!”
 
“Ink, dude, it’ll be fun,” Corpse says from somewhere in the darkness. “If you’re that scared, just go back and wait by the car.”
 
“Scared? I’m not scared. I’m just not stupid,” Ink mumbles, but he follows us to the stage nonetheless.
 
The boards of the stage groan beneath my feet, begging me to go no further. 

An old, dusty piano sits alone on the edge of the stage. Its yellow keys smile maniacally at me from the darkness surrounding us. Even with the beam of the flashlight, I feel lost in the darkness around us.
 
Sketch props the flashlight on the stage to stand with the light facing toward the ceiling.
 
“Alright,” he says, sitting down on the dusty boards. “Let’s all join hands.”
 
We all sit down in a circle around the flashlight. Sketch sits to my right, Ink to my left. At least one of them would try to save me from any demons.
 
“Corpse, you want to try to contact this Elijah kid?” Sketch asks. “I’m still new at communicating with the dead.”
 
Corpse’s face is dark and sinister in the dim light, and it does nothing to calm the feeling of dread flowing through my veins.
 
“Elijah, we come before you as guests in your great music hall,” Corpse says. With every word that leaves his lips, Ink’s grip on my hand tightens. “If you are here, please give us a sign. We do not want to harm you in any way. We just wish to speak with you. If you have the strength, please, use our friend Ink as your temporary body.”
 
“Don’t you tell him that!” Ink screams. “Are you crazy, you stupid–”
 
But whatever Ink was about to call Corpse is cut off by the sound of iron wheels being tugged.
 
It’s the curtain.

I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I would recommend this book to most anyone.....
 (I only say most, because the members of Mutilated Arteries occasionally had colorful language so I would recommend ages 12+ for this book)
Mutilate My Heart was such an enjoyable read and I hope you all adore it just as much as I did!

Flamingo

at The Sarcastic Palmtree gives 

Mutilate My Heart
by Emily Godwin

10 Palm Trees


AND 


A trip to the mall 

A creepy haunted Music Hall
 A cute Zombie Doll to give Corpse after the show
We love you Corpse!





A little bit about the fabulous 
Emily Godwin
Emily Godwin is a Young Adult author. She enjoys writing, painting, and sewing her own line of non-evil voodoo dolls. She's a Slytherin, trying to disguise herself as a Hufflepuff, and wishes she could read herself into books.

Twitter     Facebook     Blog     Goodreads








  Thank you to Emily Godwin for this wonderful book and for including The Sarcastic Palmtree on the tour for Mutilate My Heart!

Make sure you enter Emily's fantastic giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nov 25, 2013

Misunderstandings by Tiffany King ~ Cover Reveal

The Sarcastic Palmtree is excited to be hosting the
beautiful cover reveal for 

MISUNDERSTANDINGS
By Tiffany King


Just when she thought things were going up…

Two years after a devastating breakup, Brittni Mitchell has moved on from Justin Avery—or so she tells herself. But when she returns to Seattle for her best friend’s engagement party, Brittni finds herself the victim of a disastrously timed elevator breakdown. She’s trapped with the last person she wants to face, and forced to recount the past she desperately wants to forget.

She’s going to have to look back…

When Brittni left her podunk hometown for a big city college experience at the University of Washington, hooking up with a guy like Justin Avery was not part of her plan. Between Justin’s attention-grabbing tattoos, cigarette smoking, and bad boy attitude Brittni quickly chalked him up as “Mr. Wrong.” But his charm was unrelenting, and Brittni’s decision to give Justin a chance quickly turned into the worst choice she ever made.

So that she might be able to move forward.

Now she’s stuck with Justin—literally—and the complicated web of misunderstandings that tied up the truth for two years is about to unravel.
 

What People Are Saying About It:

“A beautifully woven story of a love that can withstand anything.”—New York Times bestselling author Molly McAdams
 

“Funny, real, moving and passionate, Misunderstandings is a MUST-READ for New Adult contemporary romance fans.”—New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young
 

“Sweet and sexy! Great characters and an intriguing romance…So good!”—New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack



Purchase Links
  
Connect with USA Today Bestselling
Author Tiffany King

http://www.authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @AuthorTiffany
Facebook: Author Tiffany King

 Many thanks to Tiffany King for including 
The Sarcastic Palmtree in her cover reveal!  




Nov 19, 2013

The Curse Keepers ~ Release Day Launch

Denise Grover Swank's amazing new novel, THE CURSE KEEPERS, is out today and The Sarcastic Palmtree is excited to join in the release day launch. THE CURSE KEEPERS is full of adventure and mystery. Check out what we have for you today and then enter to win in the release day launch giveaway! There's also a fantastic excerpt for you to check out below!

  
ABOUT THE CURSE KEEPERS:

The wall between our world and that of vengeful spirits has protected humanity for more than 400 years. It’s about to come crashing down.
Ellie Lancaster has lived her whole life by the site of the mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke, the Virginia settlement that vanished without a trace around 1590. Only the descendants of the two men who banished the spirits of an enemy tribe from the material realm know what really happened to the colony. Ellie is one of those descendants—a Curse Keeper. Her father took pains to teach her what he knew of the curse and the responsibilities of its guardians. He taught her that if the two Curse Keepers ever meet, the curse will be lifted, the gate will open, and the raging Native American spirits will be unleashed to seek their revenge.

Despite her father’s seriousness, Ellie has always taken the legend for a harmless fairy tale. Until she meets the darkly handsome, but downright infuriating, Collin Dailey and realizes everything she was told is true. For when they meet, it’s like the air is sucked from the room. Collin’s presence is electrifying… and it’s not just attraction Ellie feels, but the inexorable pull toward her destiny. The prophecy is real, and now Ellie and Collin must battle supernatural forces and their loathing—and passion—for each other to set things right.

The Curse Keepers are all that stand between the world and its destruction.
 
EXCERPT:
I held out my right palm and gasped. While the pink of the burn mark was fading, the harsh lines of a square surrounding a circle seemed to be darkening. I didn’t remember anything about what the mark was or what it meant from the stories. Why hadn’t I asked Daddy yesterday? Why had I been so stubborn in my disbelief? When I thought about how real this all was, my stomach flip-flopped from nerves. How was Ellie Lancaster, waitress and maid from Manteo, North Carolina, going to save the world?
Unfortunately, the answer was sitting at a table in the New Moon, staring right at me.
A slow smile spread across his face, and my stomach performed more acrobatics that had nothing to do with the curse, and everything to do with the hormones rushing through my body. I needed to get a grip and stop acting like a teenage girl with a crush. I needed to save the world. Not find a boyfriend.
Although a boyfriend would be a nice side benefit.
As I walked toward him, I reminded myself that Collin was not boyfriend material. It didn’t take a genius to see that Collin Dailey was a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy. He was a guy used to getting his way with the charm he exuded now. It was easier to catch a fly with honey, and I was currently Collin’s fly.
I stopped next to his table, trying to keep my face expressionless. If he was going to use his sexier-than-hell charm on me, I might as well make him sweat a bit. I put my hand on my hip and jutted it out while piercing him with my most withering gaze. Lesser men had tucked their tails and run, but Collin simply stared back, the corners of his mouth lifted in the barest hint of a smile. Damn him. “Can I get you something?”
His eyes narrowed seductively, and his voice lowered. “You know what I want.”


About Denise Grover Swank:


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period.  Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.)  Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks.  She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.


You can find out more about Denise and her other books at: www.denisegroverswank.com.
 
Author Links:
 
Blog    Website      Author Facebook      Twitter     

Nov 7, 2013

Nightmare City ~ Blog Tour


Today The Sarcastic Palmtree is hosting the blog tour for

Nightmare City
By Andrew Klavan
Release Date: 11/5/13
Thomas Nelson Publishers

Summary from Goodreads:
Tom Harding only wants the truth. But the truth is becoming more dangerous with every passing minute.

As a reporter for his high school newspaper, Tom Harding was tracking the best story of his life when, suddenly, his life turned very, very weird. He woke up one morning to find his house empty . . . his street empty . . . his whole town empty . . . empty except for an eerie, creeping fog and whatever creatures were slowly moving toward him through the fog.

Now Tom s once-ordinary world has become something out of a horror movie. How did it happen? Is it real? Is he dreaming? Has there been a zombie apocalypse? Has he died and gone to hell?

Tom is a good reporter he knows how to look for answers but no one has ever covered a story like this before. With the fog closing in and the hungry creatures of the fog surrounding him, he has only a few hours to find out how he lost the world he knew. In this bizarre universe nothing is what it seems and everything including Tom s life hangs in the balance.



Add Nightmare City to Goodreads HERE


You can purchase Nightmare City 
with these quick links:




My Review
I signed up for this tour after reading the book description and thinking that this would be a nice change from what I generally read most of the time.  I was also interested in the fact that it was a YA Thriller and that intrigued me. 

It is sometimes hard for me to do a spoiler free review and this book is no exception to that.  The main Character Tom had reporter instincts from his work on the school paper but at the same time was one who didn't seem to trust easily what people were telling him.  I suppose this is somewhat understandable considering there were creepy zombie things trying to get him, but at the same time without taking a leap of faith he wasn't going anywhere. The story was interesting and I liked the "who did it and why" aspect as well.  The "thinking" aspect was what kept me reading on and wondering throughout the book.

The writing in Nightmare City was really good but I had a hard time with the pace. It didn't move fast enough for me and sometimes even seemed to go in circles.  This was my biggest frustration while reading.  That being said, I still felt like this was a good book, and someone that likes this type of book more than I generally do would probably really enjoy it.  I just didn't feel like after reading it that it was a good fit for me necessarily. 

Flamingo at The Sarcastic Palmtree gives
Nightmare City

 6 of Tom's School Newspapers

 And 
This kind of gross Zombie Kid 
(although he's probably much cuter than the ones I imagined from the book!)
About the Author
 
Andrew Klavan is a best-selling, award-winning thriller novelist whose books have been made into major motion pictures. He broke into the YA scene with the bestselling Homelanders series, starting with The Last Thing I Remember.He is also a screenwriter and scripted the innovative movie-in-an-app Haunting Melissa.


 
***Author Links***
Author Website    Author Goodreads     Twitter     Facebook 
Many thanks to Andrew Klavan for having The Sarcastic Palmtree on the Nightmare City blog tour! 

Be sure and enter Andrew's GIVEAWAY below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Nov 5, 2013

Happy Birthday Banana!!!!

Happy Birthday Banana!

Today is Banana's 16th birthday!

I thought it would be fun to celebrate a little bit since he is the fun and youthful half of 
            The Sarcastic Plamtree!

Here are some cool facts that you may or may not know about the ever awesome......
BANANA! 


  


Did you know that Banana was named after
Harrison Ford?
It's true!  I should know, I named him!

This one may come as no surprise but Banana's FAVORITE book series is

Did you know that Banana is an EXCELLENT Pianist?
He only took 4 years of lessons but is VERY accomplished and can play most anything! 

Banana also plays a little bit of  
Guitar
His favorite song to play on Guitar is


Which brings me to Banana's all time 
favorite TV Show 


Banana has always been a great reader!
By 1st Grade he had read
 Banana's favorite Snack Food?

Banana's Favorite Animal is



Some of Banana's favorite recent movies include

Soon to be on this list is
 
Banana also speaks FLUENT Movie and TV lines!
It can be quite impressive!


   

And Finally the best and most interesting thing about Banana is that he is a really great kid and a good brother to his sisters Toucan and Coconut!  
WE ALL LOVE YOU BANANA! 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nov 1, 2013

The 12 New Adult books of Christmas ~ Release Day Launch


The 12 NA's of Christmas are sure to 
warm you up this year!

Each novella in this series is sold separately and you don't want to miss out on a single one! 
Below is a little bit about each book 
AND 
The Sarcastic Palmtree has the pleasure of highlighting 


WIDE SPACES 
by Shelly Crane

on this Release Day Launch 



OFF THE MARKET
by Magan Vernon  
Etta Davis must decide if a second chance with an old flame is worth taking her house, 
and her heart, off the market.
www.maganvernon.com 
Add OFF THE MARKET to Goodreads

 

BRAVE
by Zoe Dawson  
His heart was closed, his emotions buried, he was a man on the edge of self-destructing. This Christmas, snowbound in Colorado little did he know that courage would be found in another searching for the strength to be brave.

 

CROSS COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
by Tiffany King
A hilarious, heartwarming Christmas tale about finding love in the least likely situation.

http://authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com/
Add CROSS COUNTRY CHRISTMAS to Goodreads



CHRISTMAS CATCH
by Chelsea Cameron
She swore she was never going back to the tiny fishing village she came from. So did he. 
But when they’re both dragged back to Saltwater, Maine, they might realize 
it’s where they belong. Together… 
http://www.chelseamcameron.com/ 
Add CHRISTMAS CATCH to Goodreads


 A LITTLE CHRISTMAS ROMANCE
 by H.M. Ward
A sexy and sweet holiday treat.
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHMWard 
Add A LITTLE CHRISTMAS ROMANCE to Goodreads

  

FROSTED MIDNIGHT
 by Breena Wilde
Willow St. James needs a miracle and an encounter with Austin Merrick at midnight on
 Christmas Eve may be just the answer she's looking for.

  

WARMTH IN ICE
 by A. Meredith Walters
Clay and Maggie struggle to build a future while overcoming the demons of their past. 
And during the heat of a Florida Christmas they are reminded that theirs is a love 
worth fighting for.


IF I RETURN
by Sawyer Bennett 
What was supposed to be a quiet Christmas holiday turns into a life changing event 
for Hope and Jack. The only problem? 
Jack is headed off to war, and there is no guarantee he will come back.


WINTER KISSES
by Addison Moore
Having a one-night stand with your ex is never easy. 
She thinks its revenge sex.  He thinks its make-up sex. 
Things can only go wrong from here.



ALL FOR YOU
by Marquita Valentine
The only thing West Diaz wants for Christmas is McKenzie Walsh's forgiveness, but she's not ready to make nice, until, that is, he willingly humiliates himself in public to prove he's not the same guy who bullied her in high school.  But can one simple act overcome 
years of torment?

  
 A SEASON FOR HOPE
by Sarra Cannon
After a devastating breakup, Bailey Houston just wants to give up on life.
But can sexy med-student Judd Kohler teach her that Christmas really is a season for hope? 
www.sarracannon.com 
Add A SEASON FOR HOPE to Goodreads


And now our highlight of 


WIDE SPACES
 by Shelly Crane
 
Add WIDE SPACES to Goodreads


ABOUT WIDE SPACES

Emma knows better than most that life can change from one second to the next. Mason knows that guilt can make you change so much, that you don't even recognize yourself in the mirror. When they found each other, they knew that life had given them a second chance.
But can one night, one second, one misunderstanding change everything?

A life together that saved them will become a life they think is lost.

EXCERPT


"I love how you're so trusting with me," he murmured and leaned in. His lips brushed my cheekbone as he said, "I used to hate it." He sighed, long and meaningful and sexy. "I used to think it was a bad thing to give me so much, but now, when you close your eyes and just hang on for the ride, for whatever I have planned for you?" He took my earlobe between his lips and I gripped him tighter. "That makes me absolutely burn up when you do that."
I smiled and shivered. "My eyes are closed right now, Mason," I lied.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked. The back of the couch hit my butt. I hadn't even realized we'd been moving. "What do you want to trust me with tonight?"


About Author Shelly Crane

Shelly is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in scorching North Florida. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, sightsee in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read.

Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, when her best ideas are born.


Website     Twitter     Facebook     Goodreads


Thanks for stopping by The Sarcastic Palmtree!  Enjoy your start to this fun holiday season and ENJOY some great Christmas reading!