Hunting Prince Dracula Blog Tour (Review + Giveaway!)

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #2
Genre: Young Adult/Historical Fiction/Mystery
Page Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Books (Little, Brown & Company)
Publication Date: September 19, 2017

About Hunting Prince Dracula:

In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer…or has the depraved prince been brought back to life? 

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper’s true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe’s best schools of forensic medicine…and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life’s dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school’s forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

About the Author

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a semi-haunted house outside NYC where her fascination with gothic settings began. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.

Her first novel in this series, Stalking Jack the Ripper, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It incorporates her love of forensic science and unsolved history.

Follow Kerri on Social media links:

Twitter   |  Facebook   |   Instagram   |   Website   |   Tumblr   |   Pinterest

The Review

Hunting Prince Dracula is a deliciously dark read. The sequel to one of my favorite books, it had a lot to live up to, but it did not fall short of my expectations.

The return of my favorite crime-solving, forensic duo was a bit bittersweet due to the traumatic events of the first book, but their character arcs throughout the book were fascinating, and I loved watching them grow. I found myself once again cheering them on when they made progress with leads and freaking out with them when they ran into trouble (some of the terrifying beastly kind).

Unlike in Stalking Jack the Ripper, however, I didn't have any gut feelings or crazy guesses about the culprit of all the strange occurrences and deaths, which made me eagerly anticipate the reveal even more. This case was way more complicated and somewhat convoluted, so watching Audrey Rose and Thomas unravel it was a proud and exciting experience for me. I don't want to go into any further detail because I don't want to spoil, but the mystery in this one will not disappoint.

Although I found the pacing of Hunting Prince Dracula to be a bit slower than its predecessor, I immensely enjoyed the Romanian setting and learning about the folklore, history, and Dracula's bloodline. I found myself shivering on quite a few occasions from the descriptive language Maniscalco uses throughout the novel to capture the brooding atmosphere of the book. Other than Wadsworth and Cresswell (and Maniscalco's amazing character creation and development in general), her writing style is one of my favorite aspects of her books because she truly and consistently transports readers into the world of late 19th-century Europe, whether it's London in Stalking Jack the Ripper or Romania in Hunting Prince Dracula.

All in all, Hunting Prince Dracula was a fabulous sequel to Stalking Jack the Ripper, bringing back beloved characters and showcasing Maniscalco's brilliant way with words.

My rating: 4 stars

The Giveaway

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Check out the rest of the tour!

Week One

August 21st ~ Paper Cuts: Hunting Prince Dracula Playlist

August 22nd ~ Literary Legionnaire: Review of Hunting Prince Dracula

August 24th ~ Arctic Books: Hunting Prince Dracula Playlist

August 25th ~ 21st Century Once Upon A Times: A “Drink Your way through SJTR: Tea Edition”

Week Two

August 28th ~ Hiver Et Café: History of Prince Dracula

August 29th ~ Justice Reads: Review of Hunting Prince Dracula

August 30th ~ Nicole’s Novel Reads: Travelling Etiquette and tips for Victorian Women

August 31st ~ Sophie Reads YA: Favourite Stalking Jack the Ripper Fanart

September 1st ~ LILbooKlovers: Top Ten Quotes from Stalking Jack the Ripper

Week Three

September 4th ~ One Way or An Author: Hunting Prince Dracula Phone Backgrounds

September 5th ~ A Blinding Book: Hunting Prince Dracula Aesthetic

September 6th ~ Rants & Raves: Review & Snacks

September 7th ~ Rattle the Stars: Hunting Prince Dracula Playlist

September 8th ~ A Gingerly Reviews: Review of Hunting Prince Dracula

Week Four

September 11th ~ The Plot Bunny: Hunting Prince Dracula Trick or Treat Customer Ideas

September 12th ~ Blame it on The Books: Hunting Prince Dracula Review

September 13th ~ The Reader & the Chef: Hunting Prince Dracula’s Menu

September 14th ~ Books, Tv, and More…Oh MY!!: Top Ten Favourite Traits of Audrey & Thomas

September 15th ~ Unquenchable Reads: GIF, GIFS, and more GIFS

Week Five

September 18th ~ Rattle the Pages: A Glimpse Back in Time: Vlad The Impaler edition

September 19th ~ Beyond the Book Reviews: Character Wears of the 21st Century

September 20th ~ The Heart of a Book Blogger: Hunting Prince Dracula Mood Board

First We Were IV Blog Tour (Review + Giveaway!)

First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy

Publication Date: July 25, 2017

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Synopsis: A group of friends start a secret society in this out-of-control thriller from the author of The Telling and The Creeping that examines the all-consuming love of lifelong friendship—and what someone is capable of when they’re afraid of losing it.

Izzie loves nothing more than her three best friends, Viv, Graham, and Harry, and the bond the four of them share. And she’s terrified of their friendship falling apart next year when they go off to college. To bind them together, she decides to create that will belong only to them, a special thing that they’ll always share between the four of them. And so they dream up the Order of IV, a secret society devoted to mischief that rights wrongs and pays back debts. At first, it works like a charm—but when the Order of IV’s escapades get recognition beyond their wildest expectations, other people start wanting in. And soon, what started as a game of friendship is spiraling into something dangerous and beyond their control—and before it’s over, they’ll pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2lx6UyI

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandra Sirowy is the author of the young adult thrillers THE CREEPING, the Bram Stoker Award® Nominated THE TELLING, and the upcoming FIRST WE WERE IV. Alexandra attended a women's college as an undergrad and received her graduate degree in International Studies. When she isn't writing, she loves to travel, read, eat, and get into mischief. She lives with her husband in Northern California.

THE REVIEW

First We Were IV was a dark and engaging read from Alexandra Sirowy. As someone who doesn't normally read books in this genre, I was extremely surprised to find that not only did I like this book, I LOVED it.

Sirowy managed to grab my attention from the start and never let go. Although immediately thrown into the thick of things, Sirowy presents it in a way that intrigues rather than confuses. Once engrossing the reader, Izzie's narrative rewinds to the very start of everything and brilliantly leads back to that last moment, intwining the plot with various flashbacks, recordings, and other tidbits that added a little extra oomph to the story. Although I haven't read a lot of novels like this one, I feel like it's easy to mess up with this type of storytelling method, but Sirowy manages it with grace and ease, with great transitions and precision.

I was fascinated by Izzie and her friends' attempt at a last hurrah before college. While there were elements of the group and some actions that freaked me out, the bond shared between the members was unbreakable. The dynamic was so interesting and the characters felt so real and flawed and wonderful. And surprisely, they also felt kind of innocent? Even though some of their actions definitely were not, their hearts were often in the right place, in their own twisted way.

I don't want to talk about the plot since even the tiniest bit might give something away, but I will say that Alexandra Sirowy definitely threw me for a loop with this one. Although I don't read many mysteries or thrillers, when I do I usually see things coming or have at least a vague sense of what is going on. This book was different though because I never anticipated ANYTHING.

Also, a bit of a side-note but this book also had so many good quotes. SO MANY. I compiled a list of some favorites for the other tour back in March/April and I HAD SO MANY LINES HIGHLIGHTED AND HIGH-KEY STRUGGLED TO NARROW IT DOWN TO JUST 10. But I digress.

Ultimately, First We Were IV was an unexpected gem for me. I highly recommend people give it a try, even if it's not a genre they usually read because they may be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.

MY RATING: 4 stars

THE GIVEAWAY

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FTC disclaimer: US entires only. No purchase necessary to enter, giveaway items provided by Alexandra Sirowy.

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THE TOUR!

Week 1

July 10:  Bookish Lifestyles - Review + Tote Design
July 11:  Brittany's Book Rambles - Guest Post
July 12:  Emily Reads Everything - Review
July 13   Biscotto's Books - Moodboard
July 14:  Forever Lost in Literature - Review

Week 2

July 17:  My Friends Are Fiction - Guest Post
July 18:  Literary Legionnaire - Review
July 19:  The Reader and the Chef - Review
July 20:  Novel Novice - Guest Post
July 21:  Dark Faerie Tales - Interview

Week 3

July 24:  YA and Wine - Review + Guest Post
July 25:  YA Book Central - Spotlight
July 26:  Tales of the Ravenous Reader - Review
July 27:  A Perfection Called Books - Guest Post 

First We Were IV Favorite Quotes (+ Giveaway!)

First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy
Publication Date: July 25, 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Synopsis: A group of friends start a secret society in this out-of-control thriller from the author of The Telling and The Creeping that examines the all-consuming love of lifelong friendship—and what someone is capable of when they’re afraid of losing it.

Izzie loves nothing more than her three best friends, Viv, Graham, and Harry, and the bond the four of them share. And she’s terrified of their friendship falling apart next year when they go off to college. To bind them together, she decides to create that will belong only to them, a special thing that they’ll always share between the four of them. And so they dream up the Order of IV, a secret society devoted to mischief that rights wrongs and pays back debts. At first, it works like a charm—but when the Order of IV’s escapades get recognition beyond their wildest expectations, other people start wanting in. And soon, what started as a game of friendship is spiraling into something dangerous and beyond their control—and before it’s over, they’ll pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2lx6UyI

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository 

About the Author:

Alexandra Sirowy is the author of the young adult thrillers THE CREEPING, the Bram Stoker Award® Nominated THE TELLING, and the upcoming FIRST WE WERE IV. Alexandra attended a women's college as an undergrad and received her graduate degree in International Studies. When she isn't writing, she loves to travel, read, eat, and get into mischief. She lives with her husband in Northern California.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Disclaimer: All content directly from First We Were IV (such as quotes and excerpts) is taken directly from an advanced reader's copy of the book. Therefore, it is not to be separately quoted from due to the fact that it is not in its final publication form. 

THE QUOTES

"Four seasons, four directions, four chambers of a heart, four elements, and four of us."




"No matter how much you see, there are bottomless seas you don't."




"'Not anachronistic, exactly,' I told him. 'You look timeless, like you could always exist and you always have. Like a vampire.'"




"Ironic that she used to give me tons of grief over how I dressed and now she wears decapitated toys on her head to cover up how pure evil she is."




"There were no cracks between us then. We outshone the star-choked sky. We stared into space and didn't wonder what was there because we were the universe. All wormholes led to us."




"To be a truly great actor [...] is to forget the truth."




"Don't be a hero."

"You had to ground Graham like you would a live wire. Grab him before his stories got out of control. Except then you'd catch a little of his electricity and be that much more alive for it."




"It felt like we were stealing the last bit of the year's sunshine. Like we were existing as our own little planet, in a tropical solar system [he] invented. And weren't we, a little? We'd invented a secret order and rebellions and history. Were there any stars we couldn't touch?"

"The Order had one invisible hand. With [...] the others, we would have many. All invisible. Omnipresent. Vengeful gods capable of endless aftershocks."

THE GIVEAWAY

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Make sure to check out the rest of the tour!

Week 1

March 27: Brittany's Book Rambles - Intro Post + Excerpt
March 28: YA and Wine - Most Mischievous YA Characters
March 29: Rattle the Pages - Nail Art
March 30: Book Nerd Addict - Inventing A Secret Society
March 31: Fables Library - YA Books with Secret Societies

Week 2

April 3: Emily Reads Everything - Fancast
April 4: The Eater of Books - History of Secret Societies
April 5: It Starts At Midnight - Author Guest Post: FIRST WE WERE IV vs. Alexandra's Previous Books
April 6: BookCatPin - Mystery YA List
April 7: A Book and a Cup of Coffee - Moodboard

Week 3

April 10: The Book Buzz - YA Thrillers You Need to Know About
April 11: The Candid Cover - Bookworm Initiation Quiz
April 12: Girl in the Pages - Book Recs for First We Were IV Characters
April 13: Stories and Sweeties - Author Guest Post - Story Behind the Title
April 14: Little Lillie Reads - Playlist

Week 4

April 17: Literary Legionnaire - Favorite Quotes
April 18: Chapter by Chapter - Author Guest Post: Secret Society Initiation Rituals
April 19: Tales of the Ravenous Reader - Secret Societies You Never Knew Existed
April 20: YA Book Central - Author Guest Post:  3 Favorite Books About Secret Societies
April 21: The Bookish Feels - Author's March Favorites

Week 5

April 24: Waiting For Wentworth - Author Guest Post: Secret Society Rules
April 25: The Reader and the Chef - Book Inspired-Recipe
April 26: Forever Lost in Literature - Author Guest Post: What We Do For Friendship
April 27: Flying Through Fiction - Favorite YA Friendships
April 28: One Way or an Author - Phone Wallpapers

Blog Tour - Every Big & Little Wish (Guest Post + Giveaway!)

Every Big & Little Wish by E.C. Moore
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing
Publication date: October 20th 2015
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

About Every Big and Little Wish:

E.C. Moore’s young adult novel, Every Big and Little Wish, opens in late spring 1970. Sixteen-year-old Jacy Wilbert’s Mom got promoted, so her parents sold their Victorian home in California and moved to a townhouse in Oregon.

Torn away from the only home she’s ever known, forced to leave her beloved German shepherd behind, Jacy feels misplaced. Exacerbating an already terrible situation, her dad runs off with the bombshell real estate agent who sold them their townhouse. And, just when it seems things can’t get any worse, her mom loses the stupid job they left California for in the first place and begins to drown her sorrows with pink wine, night after night. Jacy’s caught in the middle, struggling to maintain a relationship with her AWOL dad while tolerating his annoying, much-younger girlfriend.

Missing old friends back in California, and feeling like an outsider, Jacy needs to build a new social life in a new school. Not the sort of girl to wait around for what she wants to come her way, she sets her sights on Neil Wilder, the best-looking boy around.

Everything changes when Jacy Wilbert knocks on the wrong door.

Goodreads | Amazon

~ GUEST POST ~

How I Came to Write Every Big & Little Wish

Every Big & Little Wish is dark and suspenseful but not without lighter moments and heart. I chose 1970 as the setting. I believe this iconic period helps to set the narrative apart. This coming of age novel is a fictional attempt to explore what if felt like to be stalked and kidnapped from my own unique perspective. Although Jacy Wilbert goes through much of what I did, my protagonist is not like me in any way shape or form, and I chose to depict her a few years younger than I was when I got abducted. But her German Shepherd Thor is a genuine portrayal of the guard dog my dad bought to protect me, right down to his name, unusual coloring, and astounding bravery.

I usually begin a book with a seed of an idea. For instance, on a walk one day, I noticed a rundown house with Christmas lights still up in late spring, a dried up wreath hanging on the entry door, and a yard full of potholes. An attractive high school girl walked by just then. If such a girl liked and wanted to meet a boy who lived in such a house, would she be brave enough to knock on his door? What sort of girl could ignore such a ramshackle exterior? How could she be so bold? My protagonist, Jacy Wilbert, was born. I always knew I would write a book loosely based on my stalking and eventual kidnapping, so I began to incorporate that scenario into the outline.

For some reason, parents are often portrayed as peripheral, two-dimensional characters in novels. I wanted Jacy’s parents to be genuinely human and flawed. I didn’t conceal or suppress their bad conduct or erratic behavior patterns. I attempted to illustrate Jacy’s response to her parent’s actions with the choices she makes in return.

The attraction Jacy feels for Neil Wilder, the best-looking boy around, is all consuming and leads her to knock on the wrong door. How could she know it was the wrong door? Contact with the Wilder family leads to obsession and danger.

~

About the Author:

When Elizabeth’s not writing feverishly, you will find her out walking or sightseeing. She’s crazy about coffee, books, cooking, good wine, cairn terriers, miniature ponies, historical houses, tapas, and witty people.

She resides in a fifties bungalow in Southern California, with her creative-director, hubba-hubba husband, a yappy blonde dog, and one feisty Chihuahua.

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