Today is the cover reveal for the Nogiku series by SJ Pajonas. As most of you know, I haven’t delved too deeply into the NA world, but this fabulous author is a personal friend of mine and I started reading because I love her, but I keep reading because her stories, characters and world building are SO GOOD! Plus, she recently nailed me with a spectacular cliff hanger in RELEASED. Today I get to help Lola launch the exciting new covers for this series. Revealed: Part One (Nogiku series #0.1), Removed (Nogiku series #1), Released (Nogiku series #2) and Reunited (Nogiku series #3). This cover reveal is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours.

I wasn’t able to read and review this one before the cover release, but it has jumped to the top of my TBR pile!!!!

Revealed: Part One: New Year’s Eve with Jiro and Mark (Nogiku series #0.1)
by SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult, Adult
Release Date: June 1, 2014

Get immersed in the Nogiku world with Jiro Itō as he gets ready for a boring and annoying New Year’s Eve out in Nishikyō. At least, that’s what he expects his night to be like. Jiro would rather drink with the geisha all evening, and avoid taking anyone home, but he has family business to attend to instead. When the family business leads to an unfamiliar restaurant, Jiro spies Sanaa Griffin smiling at him from across the room, and his night turns around.

But Mark Sakai, his uncle, is not pleased with Jiro’s flirtations. Mark has worked hard for over a decade to get Sanaa into position for her new life, and he can’t have Jiro interfering. Will a stern warning be enough to keep them apart?

PART ONE of REVEALED is a companion short story to REMOVED, Book ONE of the Nogiku Series. The first chapter of REMOVED is included at the end of PART ONE. Read REVEALED first or read it later, but don’t miss this look into the other side of Sanaa’s story.

Approximately 10,000 words.

You can find Revealed: Part One: New Year’s Eve with Jiro and Mark on Goodreads

You can buy Revealed here:
– Amazon
– Barnes & Noble
– Kobo
– iBooks

You can find my review of REMOVED here.

Removed (Nogiku series #1)by SJ Pajonas

Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult, Adult
Release Date: September 11, 2013

Duty knows no family. Love has no price. Secrets can cost you everything.

Twenty-year-old Sanaa Griffin is about to get more than she bargained for when she wishes for love, happiness, and excitement on New Year’s Eve. Ripped from the job she always loved, she is reassigned to work for mysterious Mark Sakai and spy on the corrupt leaders of her city. War looms on the horizon, and Sanaa must help Sakai determine the key players and their weak spots before it’s too late.

Mark Sakai has many plans for Sanaa that will take her into a web of lies and danger, and her only protection is to learn to defend herself. But defense training under the watchful eye of Jiro, a strong and enigmatic young man she has a crush on, was not what she expected. Between falling in love with Jiro and the information she is gathering, Sanaa realizes Sakai is holding back secrets about her family and her deceased parents, secrets as to why she was chosen for this job, and learning the truth puts all of humanity in jeopardy.

REMOVED is the first book in a captivating post-apocalyptic series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Removed on Goodreads
Want to view some inspirational images for Removed, visit the Removed inspirational Pinterest board

You can buy Removed here:
– Amazon
– Barnes & Noble
– iBooks
– Kobo

RELEASED was even better than REMOVED and I rave about it here.

Released (Nogiku series #2)

by SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult, Adult
Release Date: December 17, 2013

Left in the desert to recuperate from her injuries, Sanaa Itami paces the floors and contemplates her mistakes. She trusted too easily, and now people she loved are dead, killed at the hands of men coming to assassinate her. Sanaa feels beaten, but life awaits her at home. While her city recovers from the devastating earthquake, negotiations for Sanaa’s future continue. New allies must be made, new friendships brokered, new skills acquired — at all costs.

Life at the top of the chain is complicated and lonely, though. With all her friendships rocky and uncertain, Sanaa must learn to trust others again more than she’s willing. Who is left holding a grudge? And will the new family Sanaa has found with Jiro support or betray her?

RELEASED, Book TWO of the Nogiku Series, is the second book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Released on Goodreads

You can buy Released here:
– Amazon
– Barnes & Noble
– Kobo
– iBooks

I’m dying to find out what’s on the other side of that fabulous cliff hanger I mentioned. I can’t wait for August!!!!

Reunited (Nogiku series #3)

by SJ Pajonas
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult, Adult
Release Date: August 14, 2014

Yūsei has surprises for Sanaa Itami. The long trip across the stars ends with Mark Sakai delivering bad news from orbit over their new home, and there’s no turning back or moving on. Despite all their misgivings, this is where they will have to stay.

Sanaa, Jiro, and the rest of Earth’s settlers move into a coastal town and stick to their plans to live the colonization life they dreamed of. But Sanaa’s existence won’t be kept secret from her enemies for long. Kazuo promised he would see her in another life, on another world, and he aims to keep his word. Now she will face those who want their revenge and make new enemies while dispensing with old ones on her journey across the fascinating and unfamiliar landscape of Yūsei.

REUNITED, Book THREE of the Nogiku Series, is the third book in a captivating post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Reunited on Goodreads

And I have some fabulous news for you… You can read Revealed: Part One for free! And the price for Removed has been permanently dropped to 0.99$. Haven’t started this series yet? Pick up your copy today!

About the Author:
S. J. Pajonas loves all things Asian and has been in love with Japan and the East for as long as she can remember. Writing about Asia and Japan came naturally after studying the culture and language for over fifteen years. She studied film and screenwriting first and eventually segued into fiction once she was no longer working a full-time job.

Face Time is the first novel in the Love in the Digital Age series, and Pajonas’s first foray into Korean culture and families. Along with Removed and Released in the Nogiku Series, she continues to take the cultures of Asia and weave them into stories that appeal to people from around the world. Her writing is described as unique and unpredictable. Expect the unexpected.

Stephanie lives with her husband and two children just outside of New York City. She loves reading, writing, film, J- and K-dramas, knitting, and astrology. Her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and favorite book is The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.

You can find and contact her here:
– Website
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Goodreads
– Pinterest
– Flickr
– Instagram
– Tumblr

And there’s a cover reveal wide giveaway! You can win a 10$ gift card for Itunes of Starbucks or one of the 3 e-copies of Released!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

How do you like the fabulous new covers? Have you read any books in the Nogiku series yet? If you haven’t, get reading because I really want to talk about these books with you.

Tags: cover reveal, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Lola's Blog Tours, NA, New Adult, Nogiku Series, Released, Removed, Revealed, S.J. Pajones

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Tuesday came and went with no blog post from me. Maybe last Thursday too. LOL! I’me in a haze of bleach and card board boxes and I’m only crawling out of my moving hole to do this post/blog tour because I absolutely love this book. #2 in the Nogiku Series. Wait–you didn’t take my advice and read REMOVED? Go back and check it out, fall in love with this quirky, exciting, romantic series and then check out RELEASED. 

This is my stop during the blog tour for the Nogiku series by SJ Pajonas. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from January 20 till February 2, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours: http://lolasblogtours.com/2013/11/21/blog-tour-nogiku-series-by-sj-pajonas/

So far this series contains two book: Removed (Nogiku series #1) and Released (Nogiku series #2).

 Released (Nogiku series #2)

by SJ Pajonas

Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Post-apocalyptic

Age category: New Adult

Release Date: December 17, 2013

Blurb:

**Contains spoilers for those who have not read REMOVED (Book 1) Left in the desert to recuperate from her injuries, Sanaa Itami paces the floors and contemplates her mistakes. She trusted too easily, and now people she loved are dead, killed at the hands of men coming to assassinate her. Sanaa feels beaten, but life awaits her at home. While Nishikyo recovers from the earthquake, negotiations for Sanaa’s eventual rule on Yusei continue. New allies must be made, new friendships brokered, new skills acquired — at all costs. Life at the top of the chain is complicated and lonely, though. With relations in Sakai clan rocky and uncertain, Sanaa must learn to trust others again more than she’s willing. Who amongst the clans is left holding a grudge? And will the new family Sanaa has found with Jiro support or betray her? From Nishikyo to Yusei, RELEASED, Book TWO of the Nogiku Series, is the second book in a captivating New Adult post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them into the future between Earth and a faraway land.

You can find Released on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18674881-released

You can buy Released here:

– Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HAR43MC/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_wjXRsb18JJ3RK

– Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/released-s-j-pajonas/1117673223

– Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/released-4

Kimberly’s Review of RELEASED:

Now that NA (New Adult) has taken off, I find myself listening to lots of people wanting NA but “different.” Different is what the Nogiku series is all about. And I’m saying that in the very best of ways. There is something in it for everyone, but there are also things in this series that I didn’t know I wanted out of a book until I was immersed in it. Unique world building, romance without a frustrating love triangle, action and adventure, interesting science fiction, suspense, friendship, diversity and girl power. And while all of that is fabulous on its own–this book is ALL ABOUT THE ENDING!

I can’t wait for book #3. I have a sneaky suspicion this series has just gotten ready to hit it’s sweet spot. Trust me–get invested in the Nogiku series.

 About the Author:

S. J. Pajonas loves all things Asian and has been in love with Japan for as long as she can remember. Writing about Asia and Japan came naturally after studying the culture and language for over fifteen years. She studied film and screenwriting first and eventually segued into fiction once she was no longer working a full-time job.

Released is S. J. Pajonas’s second work, book two of four in the Nogiku Series. The first book in the series, Removed, is described as “a wonderful story” with “engaging characters, seamless world building, and an action packed plot.” It’s an “up-til-3am-because-I-read-it-in-one-sitting book.” She also writes contemporary romance and her upcoming first book in the Love in the Digital Age series will be published in 2014.

S. J. lives with her husband and two children just outside of New York City. She loves reading, writing, film, J- and K-dramas, knitting, and astrology. Her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and favorite book is The Wind-up Bird Chronicle.

You can find and contact her here:

– Website: http://www.spajonas.com/

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SJPajonas

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/spajonas

– Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7233209.S_J_Pajonas

– Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/spajonas/

– Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gleek/

– Instagram: http://instagram.com/spajonas#

– Tumblr: http://spajonas.tumblr.com/

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of the Nogiku series. These are the prizes you can win: Amazon Gift Cards, copies of REMOVED, and eBook copies of two fantastic Japanese books: JAPANESE SOUL COOKING and THE SAKE HANDBOOK. Both will be gifted through either Amazon (kindle) or Barnes&Noble (nook).

Here are the links to both books on Amazon:

Sake Handbook on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sake-Handbook-John-Gauntner-ebook/dp/B007H9GVMI/

Japanese Soul Cooking: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BVJG5GC/

Here is the link to the rafflecopter giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NzIzOGFjZTUzNDI0NzNhNTZhNTlhODI4ZDg5NDZhOjU=/

<a id=”rc-7238ac5″ href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7238ac5/” rel=”nofollow”>a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src=”//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js”></script>

Want to check out what the other Bookanistas are reading? Here you go…

• Shari Arnold is intrigued by GOING ROGUE by Robin Benway
• Katy Upperman is swooning for WHEN AUDRY MET ALICE by Bookanista Rebecca Behrens
• Jessica Love is dishing love for UNTOLD by Sarah Rees Brennan
• Christine Fonseca is shivering over SEVERED by Dax Varley

What novels have you read and loved that fall outside the typical books in a genre? What’s you’re favorite OMG! ending to a book you’ve read?

Want more info about REMOVED–Book #1…

You can find Removed on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18366156-removed

Want to view some inspirational images for Removed, visit the Removed inspirational Pinterest board: http://pinterest.com/spajonas/removed-nogiku-series-1-inspiration/

You can buy Removed here:

– Amazon (Paperback): http://amzn.com/1940599032

– Amazon (Kindle): http://amzn.com/B00F4IE978

– Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940148646532\

– iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id737065984

– Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/removed

– Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/story/9758834-removed

You can watch the trailer for Removed on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPzShpFemIg

Tags: Book Review, Bookanistas, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Lola's Blog Tours, New Adult, Nogiku Series, Released, Removed, S.J. Pajones

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Woo Hoo!!!! I know I’ve already said you must read REMOVED by my friend S. J. Pajonas. But really–you have to because Book Two, RELEASED will be available in December. If you read it than I’ll have people to whine and complain with while I wait for Book Two to come out. LOL!  Seriously, I need to know what happens next!!!!

But since I do have to wait, at least I can stare at something gorgeous while I’m pouting.

Today is the fabulous cover reveal for RELEASED!!!!

**Contains spoilers for those who have not read REMOVED!

Left in the desert to recuperate from her injuries, Sanaa Itami paces the floors and contemplates her mistakes. She trusted too easily, and now people she loved are dead, killed at the hands of men coming to assassinate her. Sanaa feels beaten, but life awaits her at home. While Nishikyō recovers from the earthquake, negotiations for Sanaa’s eventual rule on Yūsei continue. New allies must be made, new friendships brokered, new skills acquired — at all costs.
Life at the top of the chain is complicated and lonely, though. With relations in Sakai clan rocky and uncertain, Sanaa must learn to trust others again more than she’s willing. Who amongst the clans is left holding a grudge? And will the new family Sanaa has found with Jiro support or betray her?

From Nishikyō to Yūsei, RELEASED, Book TWO of the Nogiku Series, is the second book in a captivating New Adult post-apocalyptic romance series that harnesses the cultures and traditions of Japan and sweeps them in the future.

S. J. Pajonas loves all things Asian but has especially been in love with Japan for as long as she can remember. Writing about Asia and Japan came naturally after studying the culture and language for over 15 years. She studied film and screenwriting first at Michigan State University and eventually segued into fiction once she was no longer working a full-time job as a website programmer for HBO.com

REMOVED is S. J. Pajonas’s debut work, book one of four in the Nogiku Series. She also writes Women’s Fiction and her upcoming Love in the Digital Age series will be published in 2014.

Stephanie lives with her husband and two children just outside of New York City. She loves reading, writing, film, J- and K-dramas, knitting, and astrology. Her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and favorite book is The Wind-up Bird Chronicles.

Queue RELEASED on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18674866-released

Visit http://www.spajonas.com for more information.

Read the first book in The Nogiku Series, REMOVED:

Amazon (Paperback): http://amzn.com/1940599032

Amazon (Kindle): http://amzn.com/B00F4IE978

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940148646532

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/removed

Want to know more about Book #1? Check out my Bookanistas review of REMOVED. 

Rafflecopter Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

or get the code here:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NzIzOGFjZTUzNDI0NzNhNTZhNTlhODI4ZDg5NDZhOjI=/

Since we are talking covers today–let’s talk about covers. What’s capturing your interest lately? See any new trends? What turns you off? What’s your favorite book cover evah? Oh, that’s a hard question–I’m going to have to think on that one LOL!

Tags: cover reveal, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, New Adult, Nogiku Series, Released, Removed, S.J. Pajones

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I am so excited to share REMOVED (The Nogiku Series #1) by my wonderful friend S.J. Pajonas!!!!!

Duty knows no family. Love has no price. Secrets can cost you everything.

Twenty-year-old Sanaa Griffin, a sweet and smart half-Japanese girl, is about to get more than she bargained for when she wishes for love and excitement on New Year’s Eve 3103. Mark Sakai, who knows more about her than any stranger should, thinks Sanaa is the perfect person to spy on the heads of the three biggest Japanese clan leaders in Nishikyō. He wants her to gather enough evidence to keep them from going to war when they land on Earth’s colonization planet, Yūsei. Nishikyō, built by the Japanese 300 years ago to house the rest of mankind, is failing and everyone is preparing to leave.

Sakai has known Sanaa’s family all her life but she knows nothing of him! And despite all the time they spend together, he keeps his distance from her. Then one day, he brings her to Jiro, his nephew, to learn sword fighting, and it changes her life irrevocably. Between falling in love with Jiro and the information she is gathering on the clans, Sanaa realizes Sakai is holding back secrets about her family and her deceased parents, secrets as to why she was chosen for this job, and learning the truth puts her and all of Nishikyō in danger.

Kimberly’s Review of REMOVED:

Both in life and in my reading material, I haven’t done a lot of delving into the Japanese culture. I recently got my first literary taste of Japan in Daisy Whitney’s WHEN YOU WERE HERE, a YA novel that spends part of it’s time in Tokyo. If WHEN YOU WERE HERE was the appetizer for discovering another culture, the New Adult novel REMOVED is the meal and I loved what I was tasting. Both authors won me over with their cultural passion and Pajonas’ captivation with Japan is skillfully woven into her unique vision of the future. REMOVED takes place in 3103, after an environmental decline has forced the remaining 6 million people (most of them of a Japanese heritage) to live under domes in North America. In a unique twinning of the past and the future, Pajonas’ insertion of the Japanese culture is effortless.

This novel has been correctly set up for a series, with a satisfying plot arc and enjoyable cliff hanger for the first book, all the while maintaining plenty of room for the larger plot lines that umbrella over multiple books. When poorly executed, this is a bit of a pet-peeve of mine and has been responsible for me leaving a series unfinished. In my opinion, Pajonas’ plotting skills are reminiscent of Marissa Meyer’s creativity and organization with the LUNAR CHRONICLES.

While REMOVED is an action-packed novel with a kick-ass heroine, it also has many sections that contain quiet, thoughtful moments. Additionally, there is a steamy, but swoony romance that doesn’t have frustrating love triangle. The sci-fi part of  REMOVED is believable without being weighted down and has plenty of twists in it’s plot to keep me wanting to turn the pages. All of this combined makes REMOVED a book that will capture the interest of readers in a variety of different genres. Think of it like a hybrid of some of your favorite books.

Lastly, I simply love the character of Sanaa. She is complex and that is my favorite kind of person.

S. J. Pajonas loves all things Asian but has especially been in love with Japan for as long as she can remember. Writing about Asia and Japan came naturally after studying the culture and language for over 15 years. She studied film and screenwriting first at Michigan State University and eventually segued into fiction once she was no longer working a full-time job as a website programmer for HBO.com

REMOVED is S. J. Pajonas’s debut work, book one of four in the Nogiku Series. She also writes Women’s Fiction and her upcoming Love in the Digital Age series will be published in 2014.

Stephanie lives with her husband and two children just outside of New York City. She loves reading, writing, film, J- and K-dramas, knitting, and astrology. Her favorite author is Haruki Murakami and favorite book is The Wind-up Bird Chronicles.

Now go out and buy your own copy of REMOVED…

Amazon (Paperback): http://amzn.com/1940599032
Amazon (Kindle): http://amzn.com/B00F4IE978
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940148646532
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/removed

Not sure if science fiction is for you? Read the first three chapters of REMOVED on Goodreads…
Read the first three chapters now!

While you’re there enter to win a copy of REMOVED… Goodreads Giveaway or enter here for another opportunity to win…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to see what inspired REMOVED? Check out the Pinterest board for images and videos of Japan, food, geishas, tattoos, and kimono.

http://pinterest.com/spajonas/removed…

Also Be sure to visit S.J. Pajonas’ blog at http://www.spajonas.com for giveaways and posts on the Japanese cultures and traditions that inspired REMOVED and the entire Nogiku Series.

Looking for more Bookanistas Reviews this week? You know I’ve got them…

• Tracy Banghart finds intrigue and adventure in UNTRACEABLE by S.R.Johannes
• Nikki Katz finds her voice with THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca
• Jessica Love loses her dreams with THE DREAM THIEVES by Maggie Stievfater
• Katy Upperman finds love in THE TRUTH ABOUT YOU AND ME by Amanda Grace

What other cultures do you like reading about? Any recommendations? I’ve really been enjoying the Russian elements in Leigh Bardugo’s SHADOW AND BONE.

Tags: Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, NA, New Adult, Nogiku Series, Removed, S.J. Pajones, sci-fi

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