Blog Tour: Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Branded

Series: Sinners #1

Authors: Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Pages: 252

Review by Rene

This story has such an amazing storyline! Imagine a future where there is no president, there is a commander. He is a very powerful and sadistic man. He created this prison strictly for sinners who have been branded with their mark. This is a story of a young girl named Lexi Hamilton and how false accusations landed her here and her struggle to survive in this godforsaken hole. Lexi was taken by the guards one night because she was accused of a sin. She was forced to live in this twisted society where there are no rules for sinners. The guards can do anything they please except for one thing......if a guard falls in love with a sinner they have committed the ultimate sin and the price the pay is DEATH.

Lexi has her own personal guard Cole, who is assigned to protect her no matter the cost. Even in a place as dark and evil as the hole Lexi finds love, friendship and strength.

I loved this book! Action, excitement, anger, lust, passion, sorrow and strength. There are many twists at the end of this story along with a killer cliffhanger for an ending. I cannot wait for the second book to be released!

"No one can know about us...I can't lose you. There's no way I can overcome that."

"So outside these walls, we can't stand each other." 

“I never planned on falling for you. You were just an assignment. But it just sort of happened and now... There's not a single thing I would change about you. When you smile, my entire world stops. All I see is you. I need you.”

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best. 

Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.

Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.

The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.

I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.

My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Abi Ketner

Abi Ketner Is a registered nurse with a passion for novels, the beaches of St. John, and her Philadelphia Phillies. A talented singer, Abi loves to go running and spend lots of time with her family. She currently resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her husband, triplet daughters and two very spoiled dogs.

Missy Kalicicki

Melissa Kalicicki received her bachelor's degree from Millersville University in 2003. She married, had two boys and currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Aside from reading and writing, her interests include running and mixed martial arts. She also remains an avid Cleveland sports fan. 

Website  //  Twitter  //  Goodreads

Book Review: Stroke Of Fear by Alla Kar

Stroke Of Fear by Alla Kar

212 Pages
Published December 12th 2013

I was provided a copy of Stroke of Fear to review in favor of an honest review. Honestly....this story was  amazing. It pulled at my heart strings but also made my mad at times. This is a story of overcoming of overcoming your fears, healing and having the strength to move past them. 

Aubrey was a young girl who was turtured by her boyfriend. Left to die. He would stalk her, basically driver her insane. After he was behind bars, she tried to move on with her life. No one knew what she went through, she dealt with the voices in her dead all by her self. 

Aubrey got a great job over the summer at Camp Awesome with her best friend Cassie and her new boyfriend Jake. Jake was well....a jerk to say the least. A joke turned into something so beyond unacceptable to Aubrey and eventually they broke up. I severely disliked him. 

Tanner is a southern gentleman who moved to the west coast to live with his brother after being fired from his fathers business. Tanner was also broken, he lost his girlfriend after her car went off the road from texting and driving. A text that her had sent her.  

This is a great story about two people who find eachother and learn to heal by dealing with their secrets. They entrust each other with their secrets and find that they can heal eachother. 

Read the story. Enjoy the roller coaster. Feel the passion. You will not be sorry.

Book Description:

From the Amazon Best-Selling Author of the Forever series comes Stroke Of Fear. A novel about letting go of your fears and letting yourself love again.

Sometimes the things you love are the things you fear the most …

Aubrey Depp has already faced death and escaped it once. Now it's back to get her. Once a swimming champion at her high school, Aubrey’s life was taken away when a former swimmer and boyfriend tosses her over a bridge, leaving her for dead.

Now a senior in college, she takes a summer job as a camp counselor with her best friend Cassie and her it’s complicated boyfriend Jake. Then she meets southern heartthrob Tanner Young and her entire summer is flipped upside down. He’s damaged, has a sexy southern drawl and has his eyes set on Aubrey. 

She doesn’t mind.

Tanner is damaged, broken and for the first time in a year, feels like he can love again. Aubrey Depp is the one he wants, and he won’t stop until he gets her.

When Aubrey's past comes back to haunt her, Tanner vows to protect Aubrey. Showing her it’s okay to take that Stroke of Fear.

My favorite quotes:

"I wasn't always this way. Scared. Frightened. Timid. I used to live. In every way imaginable. Now, I am a shell of that person. I'm empty. The chill that's overtaking me is the chill that used to thrive in me."

"My wrists and ankles bound together in surrender and the cement blocks dragging me down to nothingness. I was dragged down to the depths of the river and no one would ever find me."

"To know you earned the calluses on your hands from a hard days work, there isn't another feeling like it in the world."

"Is this a southern thing? You try to be all macho and stuff? It's annoying."

"It's called being a gentleman. Obviously you aren't accustomed to that."

"Not a sound comes from his mouth. Or maybe it does, my entire vision is blackening out, slowly. I'm sure my face is redi hope no one can tell I'm completely turned on and the boy hasn't even put his hands on me...yet."

"Then he walks away, leaving me breathless with just one fucking look."

"He is soo...aggravating, but so sexy at the same time. It's driving me insane."

"You have to wake up. I don't think it a good idea to carry you into your cabin. They'll think you passed out just by looking at my sexy as he'll face."

"Country boys don't use gun to fight, they use their fists. They're not afraid to get dirty."

"I want to devour you."

"I feel so useless-ashamed that I've turned into this person. Someone full of demons, and let's someone else determine their fate."

"You don't have to be ashamed. We're here to help heal eachother. Heal one another."

"I'll never let go."

"The scary things in life are the ones worth keeping."

"You scare me, Tanner. In the most amazing way.you knew me without even being introduced to me. That's terrifying."

"He's going to rectify me, just like I'm going to heal him."

"Give grown men hatchets, knifes and bats and they think they're zombie hunters."

Book review by Rene

Alla's Website: http://allakarbooks.blogspot.com 

Twitter: allakar1 

Purchase Stroke of Fear