Blog Tour: Death Island Duology by Review + Excerpt + Giveaway

Death Island: The Journey (Book 1)

Genre: New Adult Adventure/Fantasy

Release Date: December 2020

With her family name tainted by her great-grandfather’s crimes, Meriden Cummings could only dream of fleeing her oppressive life. Then she unearthed a piece of tanned skin, and her blood revealed an ancient map adorned with Mayan glyphs, launching her on the journey of a lifetime. However, she finds herself bound to the map, and there is a cost to her newfound freedom. One that will torment her mind as well as her soul.

After being shanghaied by pirates, Gregory Wilson escapes to a small English village where he runs into an obnoxious auburn- haired beauty. When he learns she is about to set sail on dangerous waters, he signs up to join her crew, hoping to defend her from the pirates seeking her great-grandfather’s treasure. But, will he be able to protect her from the ghost that haunts her or the curse running through her veins.

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Death Island: The Discovery (Death Island #2)

Genre: New Adult Adventure/Fantasy

Release Date: December 2020

After arriving at Death Island, Meriden Cummings became haunted by dreams of a young Mayan woman’s death. A death, Meriden fears, foreshadows her own. And she soon discovers that in this tropical paradise, there are many ways to die. On top of that, the pirates after her great-grandfather’s treasure are not far behind. Can she and her crew stay one step ahead of them and the Mayan god that inhabits the island?

Meriden is not the only one haunted by the young Mayan woman’s death. Gregory Wilson has had similar dreams the moment he stepped foot on the island. In addition, he has seen the Mayan god of death, Ah Puch. Will he be able to protect Meriden from the earthly dangers as well as the supernatural forces seeking her demise?

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Review:

4.5 Stars

If you like:

• Slow Burn Romance
• Pirates and Sea Journey
• Strong Female MC
• Alternating POV

Then this book is for you!

All I can say is that if you start reading the first book, Death Island: The Journey, you might as well have the second book ready on stand by because you will just want to keep reading about Meriden’s journey to Death Island and all of the things the she faces along with the rest of the crew along the way.

Meriden’s story takes place in the early 1700s when women are still in the time where they are greatly confined to men’s opinion of where women belong and what they should be doing, but Meriden want to be stuck in her town becoming someone’s wife. She wants to answer the call of the adventure of sailing that runs in her blood, but it’s also the call that ultimately claimed her father’s life leaving her and her mother to run the carpenter shop.

The opportunity present itself for Meriden and a couple of her friends to join a ship on a dangerous journey to an island that hasn’t let any traveler come home.

The ship is a place where it’s considered bad luck for a woman to be upon in terms of a journey like this, and many of the men on it want to send her back with their first dock. Meridian doesn’t back down and continues to show that she is capable of hanging in with them on this trip.

Plus, to make things more interesting her best friend who is like a brother is on there along with the doctor who had feelings for her and another friend who has been nothing but a pain in the but with some hidden feeling. And, there’s the new guy, Greg who is an enigma at times but is set on keeping Meriden safe from some of the sketchy crew members and trying to break down these walls that she has around her.

Though the events of the book Meriden and Greg save each other several times and start to get closer despite uncertainty of what the island can hold if they make it. Greg sees the strength that Meriden has and let’s her stand on her own and make her own decisions for the most part when others would push her to the side out of harms way.

In the second, book… well I really can’t say much without giving away the contents of the first book, but if you thought book one was a whirlwind of events and emotions, just wait until you get to this one!

Excerpt:

A severe pounding in my head, I opened my eyes to find myself in my quarters. Wally was curled up by my stomach fast asleep, and a familiar bandaged hand resting on top of my lower arm. I was completely sandwiched with Greg’s body pressed up against my spine like I was a cuddly pillow. Blinking a few times, I realized the room was bright, though by the soft tap on the windows, it was still drizzling outside. I lifted my hand to look at the light shining on my skin when I noticed a bandage wrapped around the palm. Come to think of it, both my hands were burning with a dull ache. I flexed my fingers, causing the pain to intensify. I then tried to raise myself, only to become dizzy.

“I wouldn’t do that,” a tender voice whispered in the distance. I looked over at the chair that had been pulled to the other side of the desk to find Matthew watching my every move. “You took a serious blow to the head at some point and suffered a concussion. I’m surprised you’re alive right now.”

A concussion? I tried to think back to the storm after Greg tied me to the mast. I remembered being brutally thrashed by the rain, wind, and growing swells. At some point, I fell and hit the back of my head against something hard. Shortly after, I quickly became worn out, and despite Greg’s attempts to keep me awake, I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

I stroked Greg’s arm in front of me, feeling each of his light, soft hairs tickle my flesh. Though I couldn’t picture the events perfectly in my memory, I remembered the wide-eyed look on his face right before I dozed off. Even now, it seemed like he was clinging to me, not wanting me to escape.

“It was the only way he’d allow the doctor to bind his wounds,” Matthew explained, almost reading my mind. “When the storm eased and we were finally able to reach the two of you, he wouldn’t let go. He was half-conscious from blood loss, pain, dehydration, and fatigue. But all he could think about was you. He wouldn’t leave your side knowing there was a chance you might not wake up again.”

Giveaway:

US Giveaway – Winner’s choice of either a custom journal with one of my covers on it (cover of your choice), a Kelsey Ketch logo tote, or a Kelsey Ketch logo mask.

INT Giveaway – $10 Amazon Giftcard

About the Author:

Kelsey Ketch is a young-adult/new-adult author, who works as a Wildlife Biologist in the state of North Carolina. During her free time, she can often be found working on her latest work in progress. She also enjoys history, mythology, traveling, and reading.

For more information, please visit her site at kelseyketch.com.

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A huge thanks to YA Bound Books for allowing me to be on this tour!

Happy reading until next time,