Blog Tour for Keystone by Misty Provencher

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie 

Release Date: July 31st, 2012

Finished Date: September 3rd, 2012

Publishers: Self Published 

Source: ARC For Review

Format: Kindle 

Pages: 259

There’s a man-made storm coming, like a rip in the world, and it’s called the Cusp. 

Struggling to fit into the destiny she’s accepted, Nalena Maxwell has been left with one objective: she must find her murdered grandfather’s Memory. Stolen and hidden away by her own father over seventeen years ago, the Memory could be the key to ending the Cusp and destroying the Ianua’s rival community, The Fury.

Driven by each individual’s selfish desires, The Fury has always lacked the loyalty and organization it needs to be an actual force of power. 

Until now. 

Someone masterminded the Fury’s massive attack on the Ianua, slaughtering twelve of their thirteen community leaders, the Addos. Now there are rumors that the 13th Cura, to which Nali belongs, has gone to the Fury, manipulating the last Addo in order to control the other 12 Curas.

As the Cusp brings the Fury and their own communities against them, Nalena’s Cura must preserve the Ianua, but finding the key to the Cusp isn’t as simple as it seems.

The Review: Following the events of Cornerstone, Keystone took on a more sombre feel as Nalena, Garret and his family try to come to terms with their losses and that everything they had is now gone except for each other.  Nalena is made endure through another impressioning  which is harder the second time around and more dangerous but necessary. The remaining Ianua in their Cura try to come together and protect the last remaining Addo but the Fury are not about to give up and they intensify their search for the ‘Key’- long believed to be Nalena’s grandfather’s memory and the key to the Fury’s destruction - and they always seem to be one step ahead of our heroine. As the Fury search for the key so too does Nalena who thinks it may be the only chance to win this battle but as the clues start to unravel, so does their trust in people until it seems like everyone is against them, even their own. Can she master her powers and find the key in time to prevent more loss of life? And just who is behind the new and improved Fury?

I really enjoyed this book, just as much as the first and it is a great progression. In my opinion this book is the big set up of the series plot more so than the first book where we were introduced to the main players and the world of the Ianua. I still love Nalena, I am a huge character fan and I’m still feeling her and enjoying reading how she is blossoming into the Contego she is meant to be. I’m also getting the feeling that she may not only end up being classed as that and maybe she will end up being an all-rounder for some reason and even at the end of book two, I’m still feeling she has more to give. Garrett as always is perfect, I wasn’t feeling their love in this as much as book one but there is a good reason for that and what comes from that has me quite excited for their future *I’m saying nothing* we also get a few newbies in this as well, meeting more people from the Ianua and I was getting a bit anxious thinking that certain person(s) were going to try and get between my favourite couple.

As I said the story is a great progression. I liked that we found more about the Ianua, especially the Cura that they belong to and enjoyed meeting the wider community, finding out who they are and what they do plus seeing them come together in a time of need. I like that Nalena is beginning to train and that it’s filled with humour too so that it isn’t all serious, and it’s nice to see the teens given responsibility and treat with respect from their elders – it’s not often I read about that. The Fury are an interesting enemy, I liked the way they stepped everything up a notch and the offensive they are taking because it kept me on my toes the whole time and some of the scenes were great to read especially the freeball incident which had just the right amount of everything a run/chase scenario should have. I love the introduction of the Veritas and what they do and who they are, totally love Nok – he’s awesome and I hope he has a larger role to come. The memory scenes where just lovely as well, beautifully dealt with and portrayed – if only our funerals/memorials/wakes were like that – more happiness at having known and loved a person than grief for what was lost – loved it! And I also loved where Nalena and Garrett seem to be headed. I also like the way the mystery of the Grandfather’s memory is weaved throughout and that neither side really know too much about it or what to expect from it but that Nalena is bang in the middle of everything which leaves you knowing that there is a lot more to come from her. This book  answered a few questions but opened up a lot more and I’m loving where it seems to be going, I enjoyed everything about it especially the little complications and reveals near the end and their world has opened up a bit more, which in turn has left me wanting more – again - which means it’s certainly done its job.

Blog Tour: Guest Post by Misty Provencher

Cornerstone 

by Misty Provencher 

Release Date: November 7th, 2011

Follow Misty: Goodreads / Twitter/ Blog

Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Nalena Maxwell has been branded ‘The Waste’ at her new school, due to her mom's obsessive paper hoarding. Nalena desperately wants something to change in her life, but when she receives a sign (and it's the wrong dang one) inviting her into a mysterious, ancient community, too much changes. What she knew of her family, what she thought of her life and what she believed about her future, is no longer applicable. Seventeen years worth of family skeletons come crashing into Nalena's life and it is the boy...the one that smiles at her like he wants to hear everything she'll ever say...that already knows her powerful secrets. 
But it is only Nalena that can choose between protecting the life that is already crumbling beneath her feet and the one that might sacrifice everything she could ever have.

Thank you for having me over to the blog, Donna & Jessica!  I was coming to talk about the Cornerstone playlist, but I was thinking it might be more fun to talk about how to play with your playlist.  And make that bugger write your novel.    

It’s an easy concept: Writer has writer’s block.  Needs inspiration to come up with a new story.  Can’t.

Usually, we snatch a shiny idea out of the air, stuff it in our shoe where no one can see it, and then hunker down behind our Itunes screen to sample the spread of the land until we sync our playlist perfectly with our plot.  But there’s another way.  

If you find yourself plotless, why not try grabbing the dog by the tail and working your way up to the ears instead?  Build your story by piecing together songs you love.   

For example, I randomly chose 5 older songs from my Itunes library:

Harder to Breathe ~ Maroon 5

Real Word ~ Matchbox 20

Hair of the Dog ~ Nazareth

Carnival ~ Natalie Merchant

An Innocent Man ~ Billy Joel

Just playing with titles, I came up with an innocent man who is a raging alcoholic.  The alcohol begins to alter him physically every time he drinks it, like a Jeckyll & Hyde potion, and the dude ends up forming a traveling circus, with himself as the main act.  Some people think he is a god.  Some think he’s the devil.  The problem is, every deformity is gone in the morning and in order to keep his circus moving, he has to drink more and more each time to get the illusion to remain, until he drinks himself to death.

Look, I didn’t say every idea would be brilliant.  

But every idea is an idea and those can be cooked up into a bigger, better ideas.  

 If you'd like to follow the blog tour, click this link HERE for more details. 

Author Interview: Misty Provencher + eBook Giveaway

Misty Provencher
Author of Cornerstone 
Check out her website: HERE
Check out her Twitter Page: HERE
Purchase her book on Amazon UK: HERE
Purchase her book on Amazon US: HERE
Check out Melanie's review: HERE

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Author Facts: Misty Provencher is a self-published author who wrote Cornerstone and the upcoming Keystone. You can read the first five chapters of Cornerstone on her blog. 

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1.       How did you come up with the idea for the book?

The idea for CORNERSTONE was actually a process of thinking backward.   I had a dream (which is the last book in the series) and I started to wonder how the characters in the dream came to that point, so I had to retrace their path to how it all began.  Sorry I can't tell you more here- it's all TOP SECRET and stuff. 

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2.   Are the Ianua and their 4 bloodlines real or pure fiction?

The Ianua are pure fiction.  However, if you're a latin whiz, their names are significant.  But I don't pronounce them correctly.  In fact, I'm pretty sure the Latin crowd would duck tape me to a tree and pummel me with pronunciation lessons if they heard me gurble their language the way I do.

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3. How long did it take to write?

CORNERSTONE took four months.  But the end result, with a zillion rewrites and agent suggestions in between, took much longer.  If I glued all the rewrites and stuff together, end to end, we'd have about 7 months total.

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4. What was the most challenging thing during the process of writing/publishing your work? 

Writing it was a blast.  I had always read all my books to my BFF, Laura, over the phone but for CORNERSTONE, I refused to tell her my plot outline.  All I would do was read her what I finished every couple of days and I wouldn't answer any of her questions of what came next.  That made her call me each night and scream "READ!!" into the phone when I picked up.  It was a powerful motivator to have someone else as excited as I was about the story, so it also became my goal to surprise her every day with a twist or a cliff hanger that would make her furious at me and, at the same time, get her to call me the next day shouting at me to read to her.  With Laura working so much, I'm looking for another listener these days- any takers?  lol

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The most challenging part of the publishing process was waiting without knowing what would happen next.  I'm a get-it-done girl and I am even more reliable than death or taxes.   But publishing has got more of a Jamaican attitude about time...yah mon, you'll hear from us tomorrow...and then you don't hear back for months on end.  That was the difficult part for me.

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5. How many books do you plan to release in this series?

Minimum of three, possibly four.  I know where I'm going but I've had to revamp how I'm getting there.  And I can't tell you anything else because it's TOP SECRET.

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6.Is the sequel ready?

Not yet.  I was planning on having it out by the spring, but now I'm thinking it will probably be out a year from now- around the same time CORNERSTONE was released.

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7. Will we get more of the history of the Ianua and meet more of the bloodlines in the sequel? 

Definitely.  The series is meant to bloom as you read, giving you the same experience as Nalena, as you both learn about and explore this strange new community.  KEYSTONE, the next book in the series, will put you deeper in the community and you'll get to see more of The Fury and how they work too.  

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8.Who is your favourite character & why?

Dang, that's like asking which of my kids I like best!  The thing about CORNERSTONE was that I loved writing every one of them.  Nalena is this wicked-strong girl at her core, but she's been worn down from having to always fight back all her life.  I love Garrett's maturity and drive and how he loves Nalena.  And he ain't severe on the eyes neither, ya know?  I adore the Addo for how he refuses to take religion or life or crisis with the grim severity that is so often assigned to it.   I get a bang out of the Reese boys and their antics, Sean and his book smartishness, Iris and her cuteness.  I loved Evangeline for wanting to shield her daughter and Cora for her gicky Kleenex.  And dang, I was cheering when Jen lost her heel too.

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9. Who would you like to see play your main characters in a movie?

Huh, I suppose I'd like to see fresh faces that we haven't seen before.  I know in my head what everyone looks like, but really, it's their personalities that are most important, I think.  Like, for Garrett, I have a photo of what his 'spirit' and looks like, if that makes sense.  But it's a photo of a guy that's a lot older than Garrett is.  I have other pics that show different aspects of his facial features, his hair, his physique...but we'd have to glue them all together somehow to actually make the whole Garrett enchilada. 

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10. Do you have any other projects on the go or are you planning any? 

I have a million stories in me and right now, I'm working on KEYSTONE and another book, a dark YA, which is...you guessed it...TOP SECRET.  Dull, huh?  I've also got one tucked away that needs a heavy edit and once I've got a minute, I'll rewrite it and release it.

11. Any teasers for book 2? 

There is a tiny teaser taste of KEYSTONE at the back of CORNERSTONE and it's also posted on my blog, but what I can tell you is this:  buckle up for KEYSTONE.  One of the themes for the series is that no matter how mystical...we're all still HUMAN, and in this next book, we're going to see how true that is.  And yes, expect lots more Garrett, Nalena and more Sean!

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Want more details on Cornerstone?

Check out the blurb and video trailer below: 

Seventeen-year-old Nalena Maxwell, known as The Waste at her school, has received a sign to join an ancient community. She'd know that, if it wasn't the wrong dang sign. But Garrett Reese,  one of the school's most popular athletes and a boy with eyes as clean as Jesus, knowns exactly what Nalena is and he knows about all the family skeletons that are about to come crashing into her life......

Giveaway! 

The author has kindly offered two of our lucky followers a copy of her novel. Want to enter? Fill in the Rafflecopter form below.Ends Tuesday 18th January 2012 - International. Extra entries are OPTIONAL. They are not required to win but will increase your chances. Please remember to leave a comment below if you are entering the giveaway otherwise your entry will be deleted. 

Good Luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Review for Cornerstone by Misty Provencher

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie
Published Date: November 7th, 2011
Finished Date: January 6th, 2012
Source: For Review from Author
Format: Kindle
Pages: Unknown
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Nalena Maxwell, known as The Waste at her school, has received a sign to join an ancient community. She’d know that, if it wasn’t the wrong dang sign. But Garrett Reese, one of the school’s most popular athletes and a boy with eyes as clean as Jesus, knows exactly what Nalena is and he knows about all the family skeletons that are about to come crashing into her life…
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The Review: Nalena Maxwell is a regular 17yr old high school student, apart from the fact that she has been made into a social outcast and re named ‘The Waste’ by her peers because of her Mothers’ obsession with hoarding paper – apparently she’s doing it for mankind! Constantly bullied because of it Nalena just wants to get through her time there and spends her free time running or in the library (when she’s not picking up reams of paper for her mother that is). All she has is her mother, no one else. Until one day, at the library, a boy approaches her and tries to befriend her. Unfortunately he is the boyfriend of her arch nemesis and the girl responsible for the whole school re naming her ‘The Waste’. By meeting this boy, Garrett Reese - she sets off a chain of events that will change Nalenas’ life forever, uncovering secrets and lies that should have stayed hidden & forcing Nalena to make a life changing decision.
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What can I say about this book?

Well, it was totally unexpected for one!

The only hint I had of this book was the synopsis on Goodreads, that was all. I didn’t have an opinion about it but thought ‘I’ll give it a go’. . . let me tell you – this book is seriously good, not quite a 5* for me but very close. I really don’t want to spoil any of it so bear with me while I try to get my view across.

At first I thought the book was going to focus on how much of an impact Nalenas’ mothers’ hoarding had on her life & while we get that, it isn’t the focus of the book at all. Its subject is quite unique & I’ve never read anything of its kind before. I mean yes, you get the messed up family life, high school drama, bitches from hell, boy troubles etc. but team that with the uniqueness of the people, who they are and what they do makes a really good book.

Nalena is a great character, she starts of as some meek social pariah trying to get through her daily life dealing with her mothers’ obsession, the way they live and being bullied because of it. She is someone who would rather avoid than confront, then she starts to blossom into someone a little stronger, a little more determined and would do anything to protect her mother. She grows quite a bit throughout the book but you’re still left wanting more from her and happy in the fact that you’re going to get exactly that in the sequel. She has so much potential, even more so after what she has gone through that promises much more to come for her and while the other characters are just as good, Nalena steals the show.

I usually tend to be a bit hard on first book in a series, they’re a bit slow because of the whole ‘getting to know you’ process but this has really impressed me, the author kept the pace and held my interest very well. For the first half of the book it was all ‘OOO what’s going on’, not in a confused way but in a curious way and when I found out – I wanted to know more, I was compelled to keep reading and loving every minute of it. This is just the beginning of what has the potential to be a great series and I really do look forward to more.

So. . . .  I want you to go and buy it, don’t spoil it for yourselves – go in blind – take a good couple of hours to really get into it and then when you’re finished, come back and comment, let me know what you think of it. . . .  because I’m dying to know.

4.5 out of 5!