Monday, October 27, 2014

Review, Guest Post, & Giveaway: Chasing the Sun by Sasha Abernathy



Chasing the Sun
An Earth Relic Novel
Book 1
Sasha Abernathy

Genre: Paranormal Romance


Publisher: Crimson Frost Books
Date of Publication: October 21, 2014

ISBN: TBD
ASIN: TBD

Cover Artist: Suzannah Safi




Hunted by Chaos. Protected by Death. Guided by Fire.



Terran is now the key to a world she never knew existed.

Normal was what Terran did best – house, job, dog, friends – rinse and repeat. She never knew demigods existed, or that you could journey to other realms, manipulate nature with your mind, or that the dead weren’t really gone at all, but instead existed in the Underworld. No, she lived the mundane life of any twenty-seven-year-old Alaskan girl…until she met Aiden, the complicated and gorgeous new local art gallery owner.


As their fiery relationship evolves into something more, Terran finds herself surrounded by a world of nightmares and gods, when the mysterious Aiden proves to be more than a simple man. Soon, Terran finds that she is not so simple herself. As an ancient evil threatens to escape and unleash all Hell, Terran must dive into a magical world she never knew existed to save them all…even if that means giving up her life to do it.






Excerpts



"Aren't these Aiden’s pieces?" Micah had caught up to me and seemed as perplexed as I did.



"Yeah, I guess so.”


“Who would have thought he'd donate his work?" Micah commented and then lost interest, walking away as she saw someone she recognized.


I stayed, staring in shock.


"Don't look so surprised. Your friend Jon's charity is truly for a good cause."


I shouldn't have lingered. By now I should have known to avoid anything having to do with Aiden. Many of the contributing artists were here to help promote their pieces so I should have known. But somehow he always caught me off guard.


"Actually, I'm surprised you have a heart at all." My disdain oozed off my words as I gave him the biggest scowl I could muster.


However ugly I thought his attitude, I couldn't say the same about his appearance. Aiden cleaned up nicely in his all-black tuxedo. His hair had been gelled down, but you could still see the natural wave of it. His tux looked as if it had been custom-made, which made me curious. How many black-tie events did he go to in order to have purchased a custom tux?

But, who cared? With my shoulders back, chest raised, and chin up I turned my head, grabbed my dress on the sides and walked away. Screw him.


I got about three steps away before I heard him.


"You look beautiful," he said to my back. It stopped me, my heart thumping loud in my chest. An immeasurable amount of time had passed since someone besides my friends had told me I was beautiful. I could feel him staring at me, but I didn't move. I only stood there, frozen.


"Terran," His voice was soft with yearning. It was then that I gained enough courage to walk away. I had already made up my mind about him. He was too complicated and I was tired of the ups and downs of his mood. This man would break my spirit, at least what little of it I fought to keep.




Review - 3.5 Stars!

 

While the idea of having gods and demigods interacting in the mundane world isn't unique, I did want to pick this one up.  I wasn't sure exactly what called me to it, but I highly suspect it was the name Aiden.  It is one of my favorite names of all time.  For a man, anyway.  Plus Terran is a pretty high ranking favorite girls name for me as well.  Maybe that was it?  Either way, the synopsis was interesting, but I felt didn't quite do it justice.

The plot was interesting in that it kept me reading throughout the day of my internet hiccups.  I'm not exactly sure how some of Terran's tragedy will end up playing out in the next installment of the series, or quite a few other unanswered questions you are left with by the end of the novel.  That was perfectly done to keep the reader coming back for book two!  What happens to Aiden?  Micah and Jon?  Seth?  Terran herself?  Even strange Marlo?  I did feel the first half of the book moved a tad slowly, and then instead of doling out information as most writers do, Aiden just WHAM explained all in one swoop everything she needed to know for the rest of the book.  I wished it had came out differently.

Now, character wise, I felt it was a bit lacking.  I didn't really connect much with Terran's emotions throughout most of the novel.  Not her grief, her anger, or interest in men.  About the only time I really did feel her emotions got across very well was a scene with Terran and her friend Jon after the fancy party.  That I could feel just reading.  The rest seemed a bit disconnected.  I liked her just fine, I just couldn't connect with her.

Micah was kind of annoying, but in a good way.  Aiden I honestly DID like because of his hot and cold behavior that never quite got explained, although there were excellently well-done hints throughout the novel.  I didn't however feel much tension between Aiden and Terran, and maybe it's because I couldn't really feel her emotions much as I read.  Heck, towards the end when the book's climax was happening, even I was like "Woah, why is she so upset like that?"  I mean, throughout the whole book you never got the feeling of anything resembling emotion for Aiden except slight attraction and irritation.

As I was reading an ARC and there were some corrections in it, I won't comment on any grammar errors or anything.  There weren't many anyway, and not sure what the finished product will look like.  However, the writing was very well done.  The dialog was decently done - even if I couldn't connect with most character's emotions.  There was a few times where I felt Terran's reactions were off by her dialog, but it wasn't like "No one talks like that" bad.  It was just that disconnect I felt.

Overall, definitely want to check out book two.  3.5 stars!




Top 5 Reasons to Visit Alaska by Sasha Abernathy


I'm excited to introduce you to a part of Terran's world. I spent a few years in Alaska in my late teens/early twenties and I miss it every day. Alaska is one of the most incredible places I have ever lived. If you love being surrounded by nature, a visit to Alaska is a definite 'Bucket List' item. Here are my top 5 reasons to visit Alaska!
1. The Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
Celebrate the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world! In Haines, Alaska, where over 3,000 bald eagles gather in the early fall and winter, the American Bald Eagle Foundation hosts its annual Alaska Bald Eagle Festival. When exploring Alaska, this festival is a must. 





 Photo taken by Jeannine Bryan

2. The Aurora Borealis (The Northern Lights)


According to www.Alaska.org, the best times to see these magical dancing sky's is from September to April, anytime between 12am and 4am. These solar particles that are blown into the earth's magnetic field and give off colors ranging from greenish-yellow all the way to blood red. Those indigenous to Alaska believed that the lights had mystical powers. This is perfect for Chasing the Sun.





Photo taken by Jeannine Bryan


 
 Photo taken by Jeannine Bryan


3. The Moose
My favorite animal, the moose are not only found along trails and in the mountains, but also on your own front porch. These handsome animals may seem sweet and friendly, but they are not to be taunted as they have been known to charge both people and vehicles when spooked. But still, isn't this guy so cute!??
 

Photo taken by Jeannine Bryan



4. Anchorage, AK

Holding about 44% of the state’s population according to the 2010 census, Anchorage is located in south-central Alaska and has excellent access to several glaciers nearby. Travel down the Seward highway with the mountains to one side and the ocean to the other. From spectacular farmers markets, to an indoor water park, Anchorage is wonderful little city to live in and visit.




 Photo taken by Jeannine Bryan


 5. Mt. McKinley Flightseeing

Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America, has its highest point around 20,237 feet (6,168 meters) above sea level. This stunning mountain is also the third most prominent mountain in the world. Fly above the unexplored backcountry of Denali National Park, while getting a first class view of the majestic Mt. McKinley.



 Photo taken by Jeannine Bryan 







Thanks for taking a peek into Terran's home state! Can you blame her for believe that Alaska is one of the best places in the world?





About the Author:


Born in Germany to a Puerto Rican mother and All-American Military father, who saw fit to give her a Russian name, Sasha Abernathy has always loved storytelling, traveling, and doing all things silly. Raised in Oklahoma, but eventually moving everywhere from Alaska to Spain, Sasha has finally settled in the beautiful state of Colorado. With her loving husband, two wild sons, and neurotic labradoodle, Sasha is surrounded by way too much testosterone and escapes through her mysteriously whimsical and romantic novels.


http://sashaabernathy.blogspot.com/


http://www.sashaabernathy.com/


https://www.facebook.com/SashaAbernathyBooks


Twitter: @EarthRelic





Tour Giveaway

2 ecopies of Chasing the Sun by Sasha Abernathy





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