THE PACK: RETRIBUTION Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Revenge doesn't have a name, but has chosen a victim--Shamira. But she's never been the type to lie down and let someone hurt her family or her friends. In order to find the mastermind behind the threat to all she cares about, she must give up the one person who's found his way into her guarded heart, Valens. Valens refuses to back off easily, and neither will Shamira's friends. They join forces with her in order to deal with a new enemy who seeks to kill everyone in Shamira's life that dared save the missing kids on Mars.

That's the Official Blurb/Description of LM Preston's Book II in her series The Pack and which we're celebrating today! And she's offering an amazing giveaway, so make sure to enter below. 

LM is a full-time mom, wife, author, marketeer, blogger, and all-around creator. She's also one of my best writing buddies. I'm thrilled to be a part of her tour, especially to spread the news about her work through a review of the story. She can be found at her Website, Blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble

Title: The Pack: Retribution (Book II)
Author: LM Preston
Genre: Sci Fi
Publisher: Phenomenal One Press
Release Date: September 28, 2012
Pages: 250

I'd like to thank the author and publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book for review.

Favorite Line/Passage: Sector Seven hadn't changed much. It was littered with brown and black buildings huddled together on the city blocks. The streets were dimly lit with sandswept ground separating the bundles of buildings. 

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY!

My Splats: fast action and emotional depth mingle unexpected twists that engage and entice Sci Fi elements in this futuristic world. 

The opening easily acclimates the reader back into the story from where Book I left off. After the first few pages, I had a good feeling who Shamira was, as well as her doubts and fears. (BTW - I'm a name freak and I still love the name Shamira!) It was obvious that she'd grown from the first book, but that lots of emotional growth was yet to come. That's what struck me most about this second book. As quickly as the story moved forward through physical action, the emotional threads of the characters changing and developing pressed the story forward even to a greater degree.

There's an inner wavering that plagues Shamira, question and doubts. During Book I, her warrior lifestyle fit her more easily, primarily because she had nothing to lose, no one she cared about risking. But this time is different. She's made friends, real friends, and the thought about putting them in harms way hurts and gives her pause. Shamira's fears about letting people 'in' is a constant pendulum accentuating the struggle between her desire for a career as a leader and her love of values, and building a future with the one boy who she would trust with anything. This added realistic tension.

Preston did a wonderful job of exploring the emotions of family life, friendships, and examining the different dynamics. 

The world created is vivid with lines such as ...the large metal cylinder that rose up out of the ground... The tale climaxes with a blinding twist, so unexpected that I was unable to stop reading until the very last word. 

Lastly, despite this read being Sci Fi, there is a contemporary feel that threads the emotional parts to the techy elements. I found that an appealing surprise. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG TOUR LIST:
9/23/2012 – The Paperback Princesses- www.allaboutyabooks.blogspot.com

9/23/2012 – Black Words White Pages - http://blackwords-whitepages.blogspot.com/
9/24/2012 – Eva’s Sanctuary - http://vampirekiss1967.blogspot.com/
9/24/2012 – My Home Away From Home - http://www.officialmhafh.blogspot.com
9/25/2012 – Writer’s Ally - http://writersally.blogspot.com/
9/25/2012 – Mpax Author – http://mpaxauthor.blogspot.com
9/25/2012 – My Four Monkeys - www.MyFourMonkeys.com
9/25/2012 – Insatiable Readers - http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com
9/25/2012 – The Magic Reads – www.themagicatticreads.com
9/25/2012 – The Curiosity Key - http://www.curiositykey.blogspot.com/
9/26/2012 – PanDragon Dan - http://www.pandragondan.co.uk/apps/blog/submitting-books-to-pandragon-reviews
9/26/2012 – Reviewer Rachel - http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/  
9/26/2012 – Escape Through The Pages - http://thekams.wordpress.com/
9/27/2012 – I Want to Read That - http://www.iwanttoreadthat.com/   
9/28/2012 – YA Book Central – www.yabookscentral.com
9/29/2012 – Comfort Books - http://paigebradish1996.blogspot.com/
9/29/2012 – A Little Bit Of Reviews – www.alittlebitofrnrreviews.com  

TWITTER PARTY: Friday, 9/28 at 7pm-9pm EST, use the hashtag #ThePackRetributionParty and @LM_Preston prizes include $10 Amazon Gift cards for 3 winners & books, swag prizes

FACEBOOK PARTY: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/337549946331607/
Starring eight other authors and blog hosts, tons of prizes and fun.

 And if you haven't already, ENTER my giveaway! Spreading the word is still appreciated. There's still time to enter. Here's the fabulous Christine Fonseca's giveaway, too.