Kaleidoscope Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

Welcome to my stop for Kaleidoscope Blog Tour!

Tour Schedule!

Author: Mindy Hayes

Release date: March 8th 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Series: N/A

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Tour organized by: Itching For Books

Purchase: Amazon

Add to your library: Goodreads

“Was I still a human? Gosh, I still wanted to be human. Even just to keep a sliver of whom I thought I was. But as I thought about being human, standing in the shade of the forest, I felt less human than ever. The trees fought for my allegiance."

It starts in her chest. The change Calliope doesn't see coming. It pulses like a second heartbeat, urging her to give in to the need to be in the depths of the forest. She's compelled to fight the pull, but the more she denies it the stronger it becomes until she finally surrenders and is pulled into a secret world of enchantment.

Kai and Declan need her to accept what she is, but with everything left unsaid, acceptance may be the least of their worries. Knowing their fate lies in her hands, they’ll stop at nothing to protect and prepare her for what lies ahead.

Will Calliope be able to accept what Kai and Declan reveal or will her desire to be normal keep her from acknowledging her true destiny?(via Goodreads)

I knew I was going to love this novel. I just knew okay! The blurb and the cover really convinced me that I will. And man was I right. I was supposed to sleep early but then I just cannot stop reading!

How can you not easily fall in love with this novel when Callie's experiencing such heartbreak? She's totally in love with her best friend, Cameron. I actually believe right in the beginning that Cameron love her just in the same way even if he had a girlfriend. But they both cannot risk it you know? Their friendship runs deeper than that and they cannot both lose it. I just really feel for Callie. I so wanna go inside the book and tell them to be together.

When Callie started to feel something really weird, I actually felt weird too. No kidding. It was like I was feeling what she was feeling. Am I just weird or what? Anyway, her urge to go deep into the forest grew everyday until she cannot take it anymore. I was actually glad she went there. If not, I would not have met Kai. Oh Lord, I forgot how to swoon over a guy for my past reads. Sure, the guys I've met for the past few reads were cool and nice but Kai was different. For me, anyway! Moving on, Callie discovered something and just like that, her whole life was changed.

Callie's discovery on who she really was made me love this even more. Her true nature eventually became visible and it was really magical in a way. More secrets then started to be revealed but then one big secret made her life more different. Well, I saw that one coming given how Kai kept on calling her. Actually, it was expected because Kai and Declan wouldn't be interested in her if she wasn't that important right? But I was a bit surprised that she just chose that role she was expected to take. I mean, I felt her urge to be there. Yet I felt like the decision was too soon. Even if Kai and Declan kept saying that there world was in danger, I felt that Callie was just trying to get away so she can move on from Cameron. Sorry for doubting you, Callie! Sure, I felt her longing for that world but not a hundred percent. I still feel like it was rushed or something.

Do you know how much I hate love triangles? Because as much as it is a guilty pleasure kind of read, it makes me so nervous as to who will have the MC's heart. Well, it was a bit tragic in here since three guys are involve. Three nice guys. Oh, it doesn't really matter. I've chosen Kai already! I don't want to hurt Cameron and Declan but I do wish Callie will end up with Kai!

Kaleidoscope is such a great magical read. I cannot tell you how much I love it despite the feelings I have at the latter part. This is so going to my favorites list, you know. I'm hoping for more magical stuff and of course Kai at the second book! I seriously cannot wait for it.

EXCERPT

"Hey, Callie, you headed home?"

I looked up to see Cameron without his second half. "Yeah."

He draped his arm casually over my shoulder and leaned his head down to mine, smelling like his familiar fresh, soapy self. "Can you do me a huge favor?"

"That depends."

Cameron had to know he had me wrapped around his finger. I had tried my best to conceal my feelings, but I wasn't sure how well that act worked. We were two sides of the same coin. We could practically finish one another's sentences. He had to know, didn't he?

He rushed on. "Isla has to stay after school for some mandatory cheer meeting or something and we drove to school together this morning because my jeep's at my dad's shop. So. . ."

"You're a little bit stranded." I looked up at him, arrested by his blue eyes. I looked away to break the connection before it was too late and I showed him a glimpse of me.

I could hear the partial smile in his voice. "A little bit."

"What about your dad?" It was a long shot and I knew it.

"He can't leave the shop, you know that. His mechanics are lost without him."

Cameron's dad's auto repair shop had become his life when Cameron's mom left. His dad ate, breathed, slept and drank cars. Where did that leave Cam? It left him with me.

Until Isla.

I let out a deep breath. "You want me to go home and then come back and pick you up just to drive all the way back home," I said dryly.

"C'mon, Cal, please? Pretty please?"

Cameron only lived a couple streets over from my house. I knew I wasn't going to say no. He knew I wasn't going to say no, but it was pleasurable to see him beg anyway.

"Fine."

"Thanks!" He planted a quick peck on my cheek. "You're the best."

"Tell me something I don't know."

He laughed. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

I waved him away as I headed for the front of school and to my car.

Throughout our high school years everyone had tried to tell us a boy and a girl couldn't be best friends without some friction between them. "There's always some sort of sexual tension from one or both side," they'd say. I'd casually brushed them off because I knew perfectly well they were right, but Cameron would laugh and wrap his arm playfully around me, hugging me so close to him I felt like I could melt into him and say, "Callie and I have done it so far. Haven't we, Cal?" crushing my heart more and more every time.

I'd nod and wryly say, "Who'd want to date this guy? while inside I would be screaming, "Me! Pick me!"

So desperately stupid, but such is my life.

My heart immediately fell with that scene! The feels!

About the Author

Mindy grew up in San Diego, California exploring her interest for singing and playing the piano. Mindy first discovered her passion for reading when she had to make her first flight alone to South Carolina to visit her, then, fiancé. Mindy's love for writing followed shortly after. She and her husband have now been married for five years and live in Summerville, South Carolina.
Kaleidoscope is her debut novel, its sequel, Ember, will be released in September 2013.