Blog Tour ~ LONELY SOULS (Witch Avenue Series #1) by Karice Bolton

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the LONELY SOULS Blog Tour. LONELY SOULS is book one in the WITCH AVENUE SERIES by Karice Bolton. This tour is hosted by AToMR Blog Tours. You can find a complete tour schedule here.

It’s two weeks before Triss turns 18, and her world is about to change into the most magical one imaginable as she readies herself to enter The Witch Avenue Order... that is until her mother’s disappearance. Instead of celebrating her transformation, she finds herself spreading rose petals into her mother’s empty grave. When Logan, her best friend from junior high, moves back to town for college, he vows to help her find the answers she so desperately seeks surrounding her mother’s disappearance. As they begin uncovering clues, it becomes apparent that the life of white magic they both grew up loving is not what the majority practices, and their lives are in danger. With a haunting feeling that her mother may still be alive, she begins to hear a call to the wilderness. Triss realizes that in order to find the answers she needs, she must learn the ways of her ancestors and become the hunter, not the hunted before it’s too late, and she becomes part of the lonely souls. ~From GoodReads

LONELY SOULS is the first installment in author Karice Bolton's Witch Avenue series, and the first book of Bolton's I've had the chance to read. All I can say is, what an excellent book! Anymore, young adult paranormal books are very hit-and-miss with me. So I'll admit that I started this one a bit worried that I wouldn't connect with the story. I'm so happy I did join the tour, though, because I found the story to be quite enchanting.

When LONELY SOULS begins, Triss is on the brink of much change. She has just finished high school and is preparing to join the Witch Avenue Coven under her mother's guidance. When her mother suddenly disappears without a trace, the coven hurries the investigation and declares her dead, sparking Triss' suspicion. Determined to uncover the truth, Triss undergoes a dangerous journey with the help of her returned friend, Logan. Logan has some issues of his own, and he is interested in more than helping Triss; he wants to win her heart. Will they be able to resist the lure of dark magic?Will Triss find her mom, while falling in love?

So...witches. I'll also admit that I don't also love books revolving around witches. But Bolton, in my opinion, did a great job with this. Her imagined version of witchcraft didn't just involve someone whipping out a spell. These witches employed herbs, poultices, and other "natural" techniques. I found this to be more along the lines of what I enjoy. The fact that Triss' mom owned a shop that sold the products they made reminded me of the movie Practical Magic, which made me so happy. But that's not to say everything was light and breezy. There is dark magic involved. And while it didn't scare me, it did give me a bit of a chill when the witches turned to the dark side.

Another aspect to the story that I was on board with was the relationship between Logan and Triss. Triss is in a bad place when Logan returns. She's in mourning for her mother, though not convinced she's dead. Naturally she notices how much Logan has changed, how handsome he's become. But her focus is on finding the truth. She's hesitant to start a true relationship while in such turmoil. I found her choices to be so smart, and I appreciate Bolton writing her in this way. And oh, Logan was sooo sweet. Yes, he's handsome, but his heart is what won me over. He's loyal, and brave, and determined to do whatever he must to help Triss. And he's willing to wait for her. Great characters.

If I had any minor complaint, it would be I felt the pace of the story lagged in some areas. It wasn't bad, nothing that turned me off or made the story hard to read, though.

With it's enchanting characters, nicely-written story, and crazy intense ending, I found LONELY SOULS to be a very enjoyable story. I'm going to be anxiously waiting for the next book in the series!


Favorite Quote:

"I don't know how else to get this through your head. But you're the only one I've ever dreamed of being with. You've saved me on many levels, and I'm forever in your debt, and I'm willing to wait for however long it takes." (ebook, 40%)
Expected publication: June 29th 2012 by Bulldog Press

You can purchase LONELY SOULS at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Smashwords

Karice Bolton is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy author living in the Pacific Northwest. All three books in The Watchers Trilogy are available now, Awakening, Legions, and Cataclysm. Lonely Souls, which is the first book in her new series Witch Avenue, released June 2012.

Karice married the love of her life who she met in high school, and she still can't get over how cute and funny he is. They have two English Bulldogs that are the cutest bullies in the world, and they use their cuteness to get what they want. Karice loves the snow and gravitates towards the stuff as often as possible! She enjoys skiing and tries really hard to snowboard, but often makes a nice little area to sit while everyone zips by on their board. She enjoys writing, and she also loves to read just about anything with print.

You can connect with Karice at:

website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads

GIVEAWAY

Karice Bolton has provided a lovely gift package for one lucky winner! The package includes a tote bag, handmade soaps, postcards, bookmarks, and a sticker.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour-Wide Giveaway

1st prize
*paperback copy of Lonely Souls
* $15Amazon Card

2nd prize
*paperback copy of Lonely Souls
* $10 Amazon Card

Grand Prize (Int)
* Arrowhead Necklace (pic attached)
* $50 Amazon card
* paperback of Lonely Souls

a Rafflecopter giveaway