Release Day Excerpt & Giveaway: Blastaway by Melissa Landers

Today is the release date for Melissa Landers new book, Blastaway! If you haven't heard about it yet (which you might have, since there was a post about the cover reveal in September of 2018), you can check out all the details about Blastaway below. You can also read an excerpt and enter for a chance to win a finished copy of the book (the giveaway is courtesy of Disney-Hyperion and Rockstar Book Tours and is US Only). So, keep scrolling!

About the Book...

Title: BLASTAWAY

Author: Melissa Landers

Pub. Date: July 9,2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 304

Goodreads; Amazon;,  Kindle;  Audible;  B&N; iBooks; Kobo; TBD

Kyler Centaurus isn't your typical runaway. All he wanted was a quick trip to the legendary Fasti Sun Festival. Who wouldn't want to see new stars being born? Um, try Kyler's entire family. They couldn't care less about mind-blowing wonders of science. When an accidental launch sequence ends with Kyler hurtling through space on the family cruiser, the thrill of freedom is cut short by two space pirates determined to steal his ship. Not happening! Luckily, Kyler bumps into Fig, a savvy young Wanderer who makes a living by blowing up asteroids. She could really use a ride to Earth and Kyler could really use a hand with the pirates. But when Kyler learns the truth about Fig's mission, the two must put aside their differences long enough to stop the threat of astronomical proportions racing towards Earth....

Excerpt!

At some point, I must have fallen asleep. 

I say that for two reasons. First, my chin was wet with drool, and I hardly ever slobber on myself when I’m awake. And second, I was no longer on Earth. 

I sat bolt upright and stared out the window as distant stars whizzed past in a blur. There were no planets in sight, and judging by the swirling purple nebula ahead of me, this wasn’t the way to Nana’s house. I checked the navigation screen and felt my mouth drop open. The flashing beacon that represented my ship was halfway between Earth and Fasti.

(So you see, it is totally possible to steal a spaceship on accident.)

I guess my hand hit the EXECUTE button when I fell asleep. And because it would take just as long for me to turn around and go home as it would to finish my journey, it made sense to keep going, right? Either way, my parents would ground me into the afterlife, so I might as well earn the sentence, right? 

Right. 

An electric thrill rushed through my veins when I thought about the possibilities that lay ahead of me. Anything could happen on this trip. Literally anything. I could discover a brand-new element. Or meet a secret race of aliens. Or invent a new energy source. Or eat so much chocolate that I puked. Either way, I had complete freedom to make this journey into whatever I wanted, and once I realized that, there was no freaking way I could turn back. It was like the universe had dropped a gift in my lap, a gift I had no intention of returning.

I wiped the drool off my chin and smiled.

“Hold onto your stars, Fasti. Here I come.”

About the author...

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her kids. She lives just outside Cincinnati in the town of Loveland, “Sweetheart of Ohio.”

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Enter below for a chance to win a finished copy of Blastaway. The giveaway is courtesy of Disney-Hyperion and Rockstar Book Tours. US Only. Ends on July 22 at 12:00 a.m. EST.

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Music Monday (82): Cirque du Soleil (Volta), Phyllis Hyman,The Deele

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I'm finally back from my break from blogging, and to start out I'm participating in Music Monday. Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of Cirque du Soleil soundtracks, and a particular favorite of mine is the music for Volta. I like all the songs, but one I’ve especially enjoyed is Like Kids. If the video doesn’t play for you, you can always search for the album on Spotify.

Adri: This week for music monday, I want to talk about the late Phyllis Hyman. I stumbled upon her singing It Don't Mean A Thing on the Broadway revue called Sophisticated Ladies. Recently, I decided check out some of her music. I can definently say I'm loving it. So here are I Can't Live With Out You and Goddess of Love.

Andrea: This week I'm back with another old school song, Two Occasions by The Deele. Enjoy your week peeps!

What are you listening to this week?

I need a break....

I'm taking a break from the blog. I will be back in July. See you all next month!

Music Monday (81): Ravyn Lenae

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Today, I wanted to talk about Ravyn Lenae. A while ago, her music was recommended to me by Adri. Since then, I’ve listened to most of her current music with the exception of Moon Shoes. Lenae’s EP, Crush, is so good. All of the songs have a great sound, and one of my favorite tracks is Closer (Ode 2 U). I really love the song!

What are you listening to this week?

ARC Review: Magic For Liars by Sarah Gailey

Title: Magic For Liars
Series: n/a
Author: Sarah Gailey
Source/Format: Bookish First; bound ARC
More Details: Fantasy; Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor Books; June 4, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Sharp, mainstream fantasy meets compelling thrills of investigative noir in this fantasy debut by rising star Sarah Gailey... 

Ivy Gamble has never wanted to be magic. She is perfectly happy with her life—she has an almost-sustainable career as a private investigator, and an empty apartment, and a slight drinking problem. It's a great life and she doesn't wish she was like her estranged sister, the magically gifted professor Tabitha. But when Ivy is hired to investigate the gruesome murder of a faculty member at Tabitha’s private academy, the stalwart detective starts to lose herself in the case, the life she could have had, and the answer to the mystery that seems just out of her reach...

Prior to reading Magic For Liars, I’d heard a lot of good things about Sarah Gailey’s other published work. I hadn't read them, but I was very excited to dive into this book anyway. Magic For Liars is a whodunit style murder mystery set primarily at Osthorne Academy, a boarding school for mages. From the start, it had a promising premise. And while parts of the story tended to be a little more predictable than others, that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I liked the writing and pace of the story, as well as the setting. Right away, the prologue introduced the mystery. At first, it seemed like there weren’t any suspects, because the victim was well-liked by students and faculty. However, nothing was as it seemed. And despite Ivy’s idolization of places like Osthorne, they still had as many problems as any other school. She seemed to learn that lesson the hard way, and at times I was waiting for her to let go of her lies—the ones she was beginning to buy into—and focus on the case. As I mentioned above, I was able to kind of guess who the culprit would likely be, just not the motivation behind their actions. So, it wasn’t an issue, because there was so much I generally enjoyed about the book. Also, I was still invested enough in the story to wait around for the big reveal to happen.

Magic was such a big theme in the story. Some of it was kind of whatever goes. However the more academic side with rules and limitations was actually interesting to read about.

Ivy Gamble is a private investigator, and for the most part I liked her characterization. Even though she was solving other people’s issues, she had her own share of problems that—toward the beginning of the book—went largely unaddressed. She drank, resented her sister, was bitter about the magic she didn’t have, and thought about herself in a manner that I could often describe as self-deprecating. Many of her cases involved cheating spouses among other things. So, I could understand her enthusiasm and trepidation about being handed what she considered to be a big and important case that was unlike other’s she’d handled before. The other characters were interesting as well. None of them were perfect. A lot of them had secrets and quirks—like Tabitha Gamble, Mrs. Webb, and others. However, it’s what made them distinctive and memorable. I didn’t even mind the romance subplot.

Magic For Liars was an interesting blend of magic and mystery, and if you’re a fan of that, then I would say give this one a try. I wish there was a sequel, because I would have liked to see more from these characters. Overall, I look forward to reading another book by Sarah Gailey....

About the author...

Hugo award winner Sarah Gailey lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Their nonfiction has been published by Mashable and the Boston Globe, and their fiction has been published internationally. They are a regular contributor for Tor.com and Barnes & Noble. You can find links to their work at www.sarahgailey.com. They tweet@gaileyfrey.
(Photo credit: ©Allan Amato 2019) 

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by Bookish First and Tor Books for this review, thank you!