{June 7, 2014}
Calling ALL Authors Attending #UTOPYA2014 June 20-22
{June 6, 2014}
{Review} Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2)
From Goodreads: Fighting for survival in a shattered world… the truth is her only hope.
The thrillingly dark sequel to No. 1 New York Times bestseller, DIVERGENT.
I have done bad things. I can’t take them back, and they are part of who I am.
Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.
Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever… because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.
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I really wanted to like this novel, I really did, but sometimes sequels just don’t do anything for me, and that is the case with Insurgent. This entire idea of factions is really intriguing, but I lost interest fairly quickly in this second novel, and I’m thinking I probably won’t read the third (I already know what happens thanks to my students). It’s just a too long for me, with too many characters, and the plot itself gives me a bit of whiplash. It’s extremely well written, and the story and characters definitely carry a presence, but whereas in Divergent,I was highly interested in the Divergent faction and their “dangerous antics,” I was not interested in Erudite, Candor, or any of the other factions that Roth focuses on in this novel. I also didn’t enjoy the lovers quarrel that seemed to be never ending in this second novel—I really like Four and Tris, but the whole “I don’t trust you” fight was just too… long. Truthfully, the novel was just too long in a number of ways, and I’m really just not that interested, even after the shocking conclusion and truth about the factions come out. Two and a half stars.
I borrowed this novel from the library.
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
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{June 6, 2014}
{Birthday Bash and Giveaway} Edge of Truth by Natasha Hanova
Edge of Truth (YA Dystopian) is officially 1-year old today!
In celebration, Natasha Hanova is hosting a big giveaway with book contributions from multiple authors. Since June 6, 2013, Edge of Truth has landed a spot on Amazon’s Teen & Young Adult Science Fiction and Dystopian Top 100 List, earned an average review rating of 4+ stars, got a facelift (a.k.a. new cover), and now has bonus content.
Please be sure to enter the Rafflecopter contest for a chance to win chocolate, an Amazon Gift card, or free books.
First, enjoy this short excerpt of Rena’s first in-person encounter with love interest Nevan. She’s out past curfew and on the run from the Overlord’s robotic lawmen. This scene takes place right after she knocks on Nevan’s door seeking refuge:
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Nevan’s dual-colored eyes—one blue, one hazel—captivated Rena. She drowned in them, in his dark eyebrows, his long, wide-based nose, his full lips. Even the faint V-shaped scar on his forehead that first appeared two years ago was too beautiful to look at. Her heart pounded, as if struggling to close the distance between them. She chewed her lip, dreading the usual shock of pain from emotional spikes like this, only it never hit.
When Blaze poked her in the back, she exhaled, but couldn’t force any words out. Warmth rushed through her from being near Nevan, with his slight smile and shoulder length dreads. In spite of the cool night air, her armpits prickled with sweat. Looking at him made her cheeks hurt. She focused on a random spot near his shoulder and struggled to think of something, anything to say. This wasn’t how she pictured their first conversation. But what if it didn’t amount to words? What if he slammed the door on her?
Blaze pushed hard enough to move her two steps forward. The way Nevan focused on her made her knees wobbly. He traced a finger across his forehead and down his temple. She’d never observed him make that gesture before. Was it meant to calm himself? Or did he feel the heat, too? The thought made another burst of warmth blanket her.
“Ummm…uhhhh.” It was all she could force out.
She backed away. Her friend, turned roadblock, caged her in. Down the street, the second set of Synbots reached scanning distance and headed for them. Panic raced through her, spiked her heart with adrenaline, and jump-started her survival instincts. She spun toward Nevan.
“We need a safe place to stay for a few hours. I know you don’t know us, but I’d…we’d be really grateful if you would let us inside.”
He leaned forward, glancing down the sidewalk. The movement stirred the air between them, and his warm citrus scent surrounded Rena. He stepped aside and spoke in a loud, booming voice, most likely for the Syns’ monitoring devices. “Yes, we’ve been waiting for you.”
She blinked twice in disbelief. The Syns marched up the sidewalk. Blaze grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her into the house.
The machines didn’t stop.
Nevan’s dad came to the door. Rena shifted back to make eye contact. Nevan definitely got his height from him. They also shared the same smooth, creamy brown complexion.
His dad studied Rena and Blaze for a second before he flashed his son a ‘what did you do’ look and whispered, “Mr. Elliott won’t like this.” Then he stepped outside, holding the door in place with one hand while shielding the girls from the Syns’ lasers.
“I’m glad you girls finally made it.” He sounded much nicer this time, like he really meant it. “We were starting to worry. Why don’t you kids go with Risa? I’ll take care of this.”
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About the Author
Natasha Hanova is an award-winning author of young adult and adult dark fantasy/paranormal fiction. Edge of Truth (June 2013) is her debut novel. Her short stories appear in multiple anthologies. She loves nibbling Peanut M&Ms while reading paranormal, dark fantasy, and/or dystopian books with heavy doses of romance. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and children. Find her blog at NatashaHanova.com.
Social Media Links
Website * Twitter * Goodreads * Facebook * Pinterest
Edge of Truth Buy Links
Amazon • Smashwords • Barnes & Noble • BooksAMillion
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Giveaways:
Click this Rafflecopter Link to enter!
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From Goodreads: Penelope Akk wants to be a superhero. She’s got superhero parents. She’s got the ultimate mad science power, filling her life with crazy gadgets even she doesn’t understand. She has two super powered best friends. In middle school, the line between good and evil looks clear.
In real life, nothing is that clear. All it takes is one hero’s sidekick picking a fight, and Penny and her friends are labeled supervillains. In the process, Penny learns a hard lesson about villainy: She’s good at it.
Criminal masterminds, heroes in power armor, bottles of dragon blood, alien war drones, shape shifters and ghosts, no matter what the super powered world throws at her, Penny and her friends come out on top. They have to. If she can keep winning, maybe she can clear her name before her mom and dad find out.
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Every child has dreamed of being a superhero, every adult has probably dreamed of it too, truth be told, and this novel allows readers to feed into that fantasy as Penny and her two best-friends take on the role of supervillain–but don’t tell their parents, retired superheros set on squashing the new threat to their society: the three young unidentified super-villains who are wreaking havoc everywhere they go…
Although unintentionally evil, the three young villains are lucky more often than not; quick thinking and chance put them in situations that the city eyes as well calculated, menacing, and truly evil. This hilarious mix-up will captivate readers as the story unfolds. With a fast action sequence, humorous situations, and villains who are really good at heart, this novel is sure to bring joy to all its readers. A tad long, but a ton of fun… If you enjoyed The Expendables, Despicable Me, or MegaMind, then this is for you.
I highly recommend it to readers of all ages–embrace your childhood fantasies. Four stars.
In exchange for an honest review, Curiosity Quills Press has been extremely gracious in providing me with a free copy of this novel.
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
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{June 4, 2014}
{Cover Reveal} Witch Hunter Olivia by T.A. Kunz
I’m excited to help reveal T.A. Kunz’s upcoming novel, Witch Hunter Olivia! Check out that cover–it’s so gorgeous!
And check out the full wraparound cover:
Synopsis:
In the town of Piedmont Pointe, where paranormal is the norm, a girl can easily get herself in over her head with a single wrong move. Unfortunately for Olivia Adams, she’s about to make several.
Starting over is never easy, but it seemed like the only option to Olivia. The decision to turn her back on the Guild of Witch Hunters, the very group she devoted her entire life to, was one of the hardest things she ever did. It meant leaving her family, her friends, and her old identity behind forever. Coming to terms with what caused her to abandon her duties in the first place was even harder.
While trying to lay low and stay off the Guild’s radar, Olivia finds herself thrust back into her old ways after unknowingly interrupting an assassination hit on a powerful witch. What follows is the last thing she ever thought she’d agree to do—protect the very thing she was groomed to hunt.
To complicate things even further, Olivia begins to develop feelings for a tattoo artist who also happens to be half warlock, and no matter how hard she tries to fight it, she can’t resist her inescapable draw to him. Olivia’s forbidden relationship isn’t her only issue though, because once the mystery behind the assassination attempt starts to unravel, she’s forced to choose sides when the loyalties still tied to her past life are tested again.
So much for the idea of a fresh start.
Preorder on iBooks
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Author Bio:
Author T.A. Kunz has always had a fondness for reading thrilling mysteries and action-packed urban fantasies. So, it was no surprise when T.A. decided to write stories that they’d fall into one of those two genres. T.A. lives in Central Florida with two fur babies and a mechanical engineer who also happens to be quite the culinary badass, which there are no complaints about. Being a self-diagnosed caffeine addict, many joke that T.A.’s addiction to Starbucks coffee will likely be their downfall later in life.
Links:
Website – www.takunz.com
Email – authort.a.kunz@gmail.com
Twitter – @AuthorTAKunz
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{June 3, 2014}
{ARC Review} Dark Days by Kate Ormand
From Goodreads: The future world has been divided into sectors–each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors’ thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what’s coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future. Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she’ll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.
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Imagine knowing the exact day you’re going to die—as if you could forget, the clock tower is counting down the days for you. Imagine knowing a cyborg army is coming to kill you and everyone you love; knowing there is no chance of survival. Welcome to the future, where the select are creating a new world, and you’re not invited. In 15 days, the cyborgs will come, and everyone knows it’ll be a painful death—the 24 hour TV footage of other sectors’ demolishen proves that. You can’t hide; there’s nowhere to go. No one in any sector has survived the cyborgs. No. One.
This is Sia’s reality; thankfully it’s not ours, but Ormand does a great job putting readers right in the thick of the action as Sia lives out her last 15 days, first in fear, then in resignation, and then in determination to fight back. Who has the right to say you’re not worthy to live? According to Sia, nobody.
While the novel starts out believable enough, with Sia’s revelations and resignations, I have to admit that as the action begins to quicken, the believability became a bit disjointed for me. Infiltrating a high security site with little to no incident just didn’t seem real, especially as Sia flys by the seat of her pants, has had no infiltration training, and doesn’t know anything about the people she needs to know about in order to survive in this new world. Her ill-thought-out plan does backfire, but the ease of escape was just too perfect in my mind—not that I’m looking for terrible things to happen to the characters, but it just seemed to me that every time an obstacle came up, it was easily overcome by the characters in one way or another. Of course, this is just a small segment of the overall novel; much more is to come for Sia and the characters after her antics, and the final events and showdowns were, in my opinion, much more up to snuff in terms of believability. So while the novel seems to take a small dive in the midst of it all, by the end I found it to be back on track and intense, and I certainly do not want to switch places with Sia. Three and a half stars.
Sky Pony Press was extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
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It’s here! Today is the day you can get the beautiful new bindups of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s LUX Series! Are you as excited as me?
Doesn’t it look amazing? You don’t want to miss these or the bonus content included in each bindup! We have all the information for you below, and a fabulous giveaway for you. Make sure you check it all out and enter for your chance to win!
LUX: Beginnings
Amazon ** Barnes and Noble
LUX: Consequences
Amazon ** Barnes and Noble
ABOUT LUX: Beginnings:
Now available together for the first time, don’t miss Obsidian and Onyx, the first two books in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s bestselling Lux series. Also includes bonus content exclusive to the print edition! “A thrilling ride from start to finish,” says RT Book Reviews.
Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.
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ABOUT LUX: Consequences:
Now available together for the first time, don’t miss Opal and Origin, the third and fourth books in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s bestselling Lux series. Also includes bonus content exclusive to the print edition! “A thrilling ride from start to finish,” says RT Book Reviews.
No one is like Daemon Black.
When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well… There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.
But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.
After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different… And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Together we’re stronger…and they know it.
OPPOSITION Comes out August 5th! Pre-Order It Now!
Amazon ** Barnes and Noble
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About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Find Jennifer L. Armentrout
Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Goodreads
Add the LUX Series on Goodreads!
LUX: Beginnings Goodreads ** LUX: Consequences Goodreads ** Opposition
Find Entangled Publishing
Entangled Website ** Entangled Twitter ** Entangled Facebook
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And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!!
Click here for the Rafflecopter giveaway
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{June 2, 2014}
{ARC Review} Vivian Divine is Dead by Lauren Sabel
From Goodreads: When a death threat arrives with teen celebrity Vivian Divine’s fan mail, Vivian has no choice but to go on the run to Mexico. She soon discovers, though, that her Oscar-nominated performance killing villains on-screen did nothing to prepare her for escaping a madman in real life. Some people say he’s a hero, others tremble in his presence, but one thing is clear: he won’t stop until Vivian is in his grasp. Why didn’t she pay more attention during those judo lessons for her role in Zombie Killer? Vivian finds an ally in the mysterious and charming Nick. He is everything Hollywood boys are not-genuine, kind, and determined to see Vivian for who she really is. But even he seems like he can’t be trusted-what could he be hiding? Beat up, hungry, and more confused than ever about who she’s running from, Vivian is living in a real-life blockbuster horror flick. But there’s no option to yell “cut” like there is on set…. Lauren Sabel’s Vivian Divine Is Dead is a creepy, witty, fast-paced adventure about family, fame, and having the courage to save yourself.
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I have to say that I enjoyed this story overall, but some of the events were a little far-fetched for me. Vivian Divine is an extremely well known celebrity, so when she’s forced to go on the run, she has to hide in plain sight, which is much easier said than done. Still reeling from her mother’s murder, her boyfriend’s betrayal, and a scary run in with a man in a black suit, her mind isn’t in the best of places, and her only option, so she believes, is to run. But, running off into the deep of Mexico alone to meet someone she has never met doesn’t seem like the best course of action…
Between a rock and a hard place, Vivian embarks on a journey filled with peril. I almost feel as though the events themselves would be more fluid on the big screen than on paper as the action seems to just jump for sequence to sequence, but it is engaging nevertheless. While some of the events and outcomes are indeed obvious, others were much more discreet, and the revelation of Vivian’s pursuers was rather shocking. Though I have a few questions about certain cover ups that take place within the novel, overall it was a fun read. I wish that Vivian had a better relationship with others and was able to confide in them more, especially since grown-ups really can help, but I also understand the feeling of being all alone and feeling like there is no one to turn to. Three stars.
I received this novel from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
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{June 1, 2014}
Recently Released Giveaway Goodness #37–June
It’s that time again! For no other reason than that I like giveaways… we’re onto the THIRTY-SEVENTH Recently Released Giveaway Goodness Giveaway run by yours truly!
Many of these novels have recently released. I’ve included my reviews below to help you pick the novel you’d like to win!
Interested? Of course you are! I’m offering ONE lucky winner one of these novels:
This is an INTERNATIONAL giveaway from the book depository, but you need to make sure they send to your country before entering–check here.
- Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski
- Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington
- Death Sworn by Leah Cypress
- Dangerous by Shannon Hale
- Panic by Lauren Oliver
- Cold Mourning by Brenda Chapman
- Donna of the Dead by Alison Kemper
- Returning to Shore by Corinne Demas
To enter you must:
-Be 13 years or older (or have parent/guardian permission)
-Fill in the mandatory question on rafflecopter (extra entries optional)
Click here to go to the Rafflecopter Entry Form!
This contest is open internationally and will end at 12:01am EST on July 1st. The winner will receive email notification! Please read my giveaway policy and leave me a comment!
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And, check out the other giveaways running on the blog:
Win a signed paperback and book charm of Soul Survivor by Michelle N. Files, a signed paperback of The Darkest Joy by Marata Eros, or a paperback of The Fifth Man by James Lepore–ENDS June 16
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{May 31, 2014}
The 99 Cent Club–Feature 99–Twelve Books for Twelve Bucks
Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the ebook picks for this week that caught my eye and are currently ONLY 99 Cents on Amazon, with a few on Barnes and Noble as well. I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)
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Awakened by Inger Iversen
What must he overcome to protect her?
With no clue of what to do next and the responsibility of looking after Alex and Mia as promised, Kale is up to his ears in problems and no solutions. How will Kale save Ella, keep Alex and Mia safe, control Jace as well as control the Bloodlust that creeps beneath the surface waiting to be released? Will Kale be Ella’s savior or will he convict her to a fate worse than the one Laurent has already promised her?
What truths will she learn?
Ella knows that the choices she makes affects not only her but everyone else around her, but what about the choices made to find her? Ella learns the truth about the death of her parents and she learns that the ones she thought she could trust aren’t so trustworthy after all.How will Ella handle these betrayals, and will she be able to sacrifice what is necessary to obtain eternal life?
Find it on Amazon
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8 Weeks by Bethany Lopez
Is eight weeks enough time to earn back the love of someone you’ve betrayed…the only one you’ve ever loved?
Shelly has been in love with Cal since they started dating in eleventh grade. Despite everyone saying that the odds were against them, they got married after graduation and built a life together. Now, six years later, she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. Devastated, her first instinct is to call it quits…
After a drunken binge at his best friends’ bachelor party, Cal betrays the one person who has always been there for him, his wife, Shelly. Terrified and realizing she might divorce him, Cal must come up with a way to prove to her that his love is true…
Cal asks Shelly for eight weeks. Eight weeks to convince her that their marriage is worth the fight. Will Shelly be able to trust him again, or will their marriage end the way many others do when faced with opposition… In divorce?
This story is meant for readers 18 and older.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Damaged by Becca Vincenza
There are some beings in this world, long thought to be extinct. Some seek to protect them, others want control, but some . . . some are hell bent on their destruction.
Audrey was taken from her father, hidden away from the world, and tortured for five years. She was rescued, but is she really safe, or is there someone else waiting to betray her? Can she trust those who saved her? Can she learn to accept who she really is?
Stone was on a routine mission to extract valuable information from a rival clan of paranormals. Instead, he and his team find something much more valuable: a scarred, damaged young woman who holds many secrets, and whose power is beyond anything they could ever have imagined.There is much more to Audrey than meets the eye and Stone is determined to protect her.
Audrey and Stone are about to find out it’s hard to know who to trust.
(New Adult, contains language and sexual content. 18+)
Find it on Amazon.
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A Tale of Two Pretties: Hopeless in Hotlanta by Dawn Pendleton and Magan Vernon
MacAllister “Mac” Barlow thought she was living the life she always dreamed of. When she catches her fiancé in the act with his secretary, she high tails it out of their apartment without looking back. Looking for a new life, she drowns her sorrows in a pitcher of beer at Tony’s Pizzeria.
Darcy Pepper isn’t one for long-term relationships. Bouncing from guy-to-guy to get what she wants isn’t satisfying her anymore. Walking out on her current boy-toy, she finds herself at a tiny hole-in-the-wall pub. More disappointed in herself than she’s ever been, she sees Mac, a girl she vaguely remembers from high school.
Left flat broke, the girls quickly enlist the help of a waiter at Tony’s and before they know it, they’ve got an apartment, jobs, and possibly even love interests beckoning.
Maybe things aren’t so hopeless after all.
*This is a new adult romantic comedy and is recommended for readers ages 17+*
This book is the first in a five book series.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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The Ninth Taghairm: Redemption by Pyxi Rose
There are far worse fates than death, but that is a truth Gadin Wilde knows all too well. He had to come to terms with his immortality from a sire that relished in the kill. Eventually, he grew to accept the fact he was one of the damned – a vampire, an irredeemable beast driven by blood and blood alone. But that was until he met the very complicated and alluring Talula Delphina, and was shown another way of existing. In a blink of an eye, his whole world changed.
Cursed with a fate worse than death, Talula is destined to watch the world die. Punished with the cruelest form of immortality, she knows all about the devastation of death and the agonizing pain of rebirth. For almost thirteen hundred years, she has relived its vicious cycle time and time again. For a crime of retribution, her soul bares the mark of the immortality but suffers in a mortal shell.
So when the dark and sensual Gadin begins hunting her, she welcomes the prospect of being his prey. After all, there are far worse ways to die. But nothing prepares her for the fire he lights within her. And as their passions grow more intense, powerful forces fight to keep them apart. Will their love be enough to overcome their fated paths? Or will the secret crime Talula committed centuries ago, be so damning that Gadin won’t be able to forgive her?
Find it on Amazon.
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Saving Babylon: Beginning by Pyxi Rose
Find it on Amazon.
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Legacy Code by Autumn Kalquist
A Bestseller and Hot New Release on Amazon!
The last humans fled a dying Earth 300 years ago, but there was something they couldn’t leave behind: the Legacy Code. Every colonist in the fleet carries mangled genes that damage the unborn, and half of all pregnancies must be terminated.
The day Era Corinth is supposed to find out if her baby has the Defect, her ship suffers a hull breach. And it may not have been an accident. As the investigation unfolds, Era begins to question everything she’s been taught about the fleet, their search for a new Earth, and the Defect. But the answers she seeks were never meant to be found…
Legacy Code has earned five star reviews from fans of books like Hunger Games, Divergent, and Red Rising, and has been compared favorably to the new Battlestar Galactica, 1984, Wool, Firefly, and Stargate.
Find it on Amazon.
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Take a Gamble by Rachael Brownell
One summer. One chance meeting. One devastating phone call.
MacKenna Trist is not happy about spending a month with her family in Myrtle Beach. She would rather be at home, hanging out with her friends, before starting her senior year of high school. That is, until she meets the guy staying in the beach house next door.
Roe Gamble is speechless when he first lays eyes on Mac. Normally, pretty girls are his specialty but not this girl. From this girl, he wants more. More of everything. More than she can give him. Most importantly, more time to show her how he feels about her.
But time is working against them in more ways than one.
How much time do you really need to fall in love?
What would you gamble to hold onto it?
Find it on Amazon.
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A Secret Life by Rachael Brownell
“I think you and I were meant to meet. I think all of this was supposed to happen. You are my destiny.”
She never thought that her life would be this complicated. Or this dangerous. Running from her past, Kat and her mom end up in a small Colorado town when Kat run’s directly into her future. She changes everything about herself to try and blend into the background, to go unnoticed. She pushes everyone away and erects walls around herself and her heart. As hard as she tries, though, Kat can’t seem to escape the pull that Cam has on her.
Cam has never been so intrigued by anyone. Not only is Kat the most gorgeous girl he’s ever seen but also the most mysterious. She’s hiding something and he’s hell-bent on finding out what it is. The only problem is that she’s trying to shut him out which only furthers his determination to get close to her.
When Kat learns that her past is catching up with her again she has to run, leaving Cam, and her broken heart, behind.
Find it on Amazon.
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Truth Seeker by C.L. Foster
Seventy years after her untimely death, Catherine has finally decided to do what she was never able to do before – live. The biggest problem for her, is that in order for her to live, others must die.
How does a gentle soul, who only wants a happy, complete life, balance her nature with her true self?
After 500 years, Henri is ready to welcome oblivion. The deal is simple: condemn Catherine and be granted the peaceful rest he yearns for.
How does a tired soul, weary of the world, reconcile another’s misery with his own goals?
To find their way, they must rely on their combined strength, or risk losing everything they’ve ever wanted.
Find it on Amazon.
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Wildflower by Amy Maurer Jones
Laney Stillwater has obsessed over gorgeous Jordan Stone for as long as she can remember, but when Joshua Bangs moves to Plymouth, her fascination is divided.
Laney’s instant connection with the new boy lessens the appeal of perfect Jordan’s game of cat and mouse. When he finally levels with her about his true feelings, it may be too little too late.
Unfortunately, the three souls have been intertwined for hundreds of years, living the same life over and over. When destiny demands a tragic ending, how can love prevail?
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Intercepting Love by L.P. Dover
A steamy, romantic suspense novel by USA TODAY Bestselling author, L.P. Dover. If you love strong and sexy football players that’ll make your panties drop and wildly hot motocross racers then this book is definitely for you!!Both have what she wants … but only one has what she needs.Working with professional athletes and helping them recover from their injuries has always been Kate Townsend’s dream, but after an accident left her scarred and heartbroken years ago she refuses to let what happened in her past happen again. Staying focused is the key, as well as not letting her feelings interfere with her job … no matter the circumstances. All of that is easier said than done when not only one, but two men crave her healing touch, igniting every single desire she’s denied herself for so long.Cooper Davis, NFL’s star quarterback and most eligible bachelor, packs up and leaves his home to move across the states to the East Coast after an injury results in the embarrassing trade to another team. Bitter from the pain, he deals with his problems through drugs and alcohol–almost ruining his football career–until he meets the one woman who makes him want to feel; the same woman who refuses to give up on him no matter how many times he screws up. He has to have her, and he’s not going to stop until he makes her his. Especially, now that someone else threatens to take her away.
Motocross champion and local bad boy Luke Collins never takes no for an answer. For the past four months he’s used his charms to get what he wants, and now he’s so close to getting the girl of his dreams … if she’ll give in just once. One time is all he needs, and he’s never been known to fail, but he’s also never had to fight for a woman’s affections. Only one man will win their way into Kate’s heart, but which one will intercept the other and take what they want? Which one will she choose?
Find it on Amazon.
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{May 30, 2014}
{Review} Dancing With Deception by Andrea Heltsley
From Goodreads: How far would you go to keep your nightmares a secret?
Wendy has been struggling with vivid, chilling nightmares that leave her exhausted and horrified. What will Wendy do to protect her secret when she discovers her nightmares are real? Death is coming and he’s coming for her.
Read the chilling prequel novella to the paranormal romance, Dancing with Death.
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I’m sorry to say that this prequel didn’t spark my interest like I had hoped. For me, it moved too quickly, jumping years in a short span of time, and I felt like too much was left unexplained or unsaid. I realize this is a prequel that is supposed to just give readers a taste, but in terms of fluidity, I just didn’t feel like there was enough to make me connect with the characters or really get into the story. There is a lot of repetition, and the fact that Wendy refuses to tell anyone what’s happening to her, not even her besties, irked me. I tend to be a lover of trust and less of secrets, so Wendy’s choices just weren’t to my liking. There seems to be a lot of love for the first full novel, however, so I’m certainly not writing off the series, I just didn’t care for the prequel all that much. Two stars.
I picked up this novella from Amazon during a FREE promotion.
Kindle | Nook
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{May 29, 2014}
{Cover Reveal} Love After Dark — Bundle
Love After Dark features nine bestselling authors who create worlds and love within them.
Not only will you find love between the pages, but also new content relating to their fabulous series!
This bundle will include:
Brina Courtney, Ella James, Melissa Andrea, A.O Peart, Alivia Anders, Heather Hildenbrand, Julia Crane, Melissa Pearl and Beth Shelby
COVER REVEAL
Release Date: June 25th, 2014
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Reveal by Brina Courtney (Ignite Novella included)
Shay could be the key to ending a war that humans don’t know exist. Of a race of beings that aren’t real, or are they?
Shay Tafford’s childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to the dead. She is forced to hide her unique ability from those living around her. That’s why it’s been comforting to have Jeremy, a child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he’s been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the guy she’s had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too she’s just starting to find a normalcy in her life.
But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save the entire race of cryptids. But can she?
Connect with Brina Courtney: Facebook & Twitter
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/q84wt5q
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Here by Ella James
Milo Mitchell’s life used to be charmed, but that was before her family dissolved, she went a little crazy, and her best friends started acting more like strangers. Spending Saturday morning in a treehouse with a stun gun for company and a herd of deer for friends is the only exciting thing in her life…until she shoots a fawn and finds her dart stuck in a guy.
Connect with Ella James: Facebook & Twitter
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/ov2onag
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Illumine by Alivia Anders
For the past five months Essallie Hanley has been trying to forget about the frightening murder of her boyfriend. Haunted by vivid nightmares and hallucinations of the event she does anything she can to pretend she’s like every other normal girl in High School.
Only Essallie is far from normal. Able to conjure blue fire and a shimmering silhouette of wings from her body, she seeks the only known solace left to her name; her first home in Belfast, Maine.
But she soon realizes that her return home is only the beginning of a long and twisted road taking her as far from her humanity as possible, with Kayden, the demon originally summoned to slaughter her, leading the way. Unable to touch her but oddly curious, he joins Essallie in her search to find out just what she is. But neither of them were prepared for the secrets they’ve begun to unravel, secrets that will change Essallie and everyone around her forever.
Connect with Alivia Anders: Facebook & Twitter
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/oty84fh
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Flutter by Melissa Andrea
Sara
Sara’s life is forever changed –
But the biggest discovery will come from the secret of what she is…
Adan
Adan’s mission to find Sara has finally approached –
It seemed simple: bring her back to the enchanted world that lives, breathes and survives because of her, but he quickly finds himself faced with an entirely new challenge. Immediately, Adan realizes that staying unknown to Sara is a task he will fail before even attempting. The pull to her is far too strong to refuse, and being with her will defy the very reason he existed. He was the key to her survival and loving her was not part of the plan that he had been born to follow. Can he find it in himself too resist the urge to be with her and follow through with their destiny or will he destroy everything that had been left to Sara to protect and defend –
And the kingdom she is unaware she rules…
Flutter
As Sara and Adan struggle to overcome their own separate battles –
There is a far more determined evil that is stalking the shadows and waiting to annihilate them both.
Sara will figure out that not everything is what it seems and knowing what she can and can not trust will be the key to finding out the truth to what happened to her, the reason why she had been buried alive and who she really is…
Sara and Adan will discover the hidden meaning to why she was the reason he existed and why he would be the reason she survived & together they will fight to change the rules and rewrite their fate.
Connect with Melissa Andrea: Facebook & Twitter
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/p3664tp
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Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand
I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. That’s about the time I went into shock… And that was the moment he showed up.
Now, all I can do is accept the truths that are staring me in the face. One, Werewolves do exist. And Two, I was born to kill them.
Connect with Heather Hildenbrand: Facebook & Twitter
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/pv89z43
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Anna by Julia Crane – Spin off of The Keegan Chronicles
Follow Anna from Keegan’s Chronicles on her own adventure!
Seventeen-year-old Anna is an unskilled, natural witch still seeking a way to access her magick. When she moves to Seattle for college, she encounters two powerful witches who need her as much as she needs them. For the first time, Anna believes she’s found someone who can help her explore her own magick.
Her dream quickly turns into a nightmare.
Creatures of the Light have gone missing, and the witches she admires so well are a part of the mystery.
Before she knows it, Anna is knee deep in the disappearances and trying to forge a relationship with a certain soldier named Tommy, all while trying to find her way. Will she have time to save the creatures of the light or will she become the next victim?
Connect with Julia Crane: Facebook & Twitter
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/paggjln
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Forged by Greed by A.O. Pert
Two Seattle 16-year-olds, Jatred and Jasmira, are not your typical star-crossed lovers. They are not even your typical Shape Shifters. Sure, they try to live an ordinary life. At least, as ordinary as the Prince and the Princess of the rivaling ancient Races–the Winter wolves and the Summer leopards–can live. But eventually they learn that not much about their existence can be normal. Especially when the Races’ two commanding Goddesses are involved.
One of the Goddesses is on a quest to tilt the scale of power to her side. The other will never let it happen, even if it means kicking Jatred and Jasmira’s love to the curb. Nothing is off limits, including removing Jatred’s memories of Jasmira.
To complicate things even more, there are the Universe’s powers to consider. They are trapped in an ancient Amulet in order to protect the stability of the world. But the Universe has a mind of its own, and when the powers are unleashed, the forces of nature are disturbed; earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions shake the Earth. All Shifters of both Races are summoned by their respective Goddesses to fight in the name of, or against, the normalcy of the world.
Connect with A.O. Pert: Facebook & Twitter
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/pzy5dnd
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Set In Stone by Anna Cruise
Fifteen year-old Valerie is used to losing things–she lost her dad to his job ages ago and her best friend moved with no warning…and hasn’t been heard from since. During a weekend camping trip with her emotionally distant parents, she stumbles upon a hidden, mysterious stone and she finds herself desperate to keep it, to possess it. Two strange and beautiful boys have other plans, however. They follow her home–Leo, warm and seductive, who covets the stone and will stop at nothing to get it; and Noel, dark-haired and wise, who pledges to protect her and keep her safe.
As she delves deeper into the magic of the stone and the Celtic lore that surrounds it, Valerie realizes that she’s losing. Again. But this loss might involve more than a magical stone – this time, she just might lose her heart.
Connect with Anna Cruise: Facebook & Twitter
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/oxz2kek
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Golden Blood by Melissa Pearl
Gemma Hart never knows when her father is going to whisk her back in time. Her toes start tingling and she has a few minutes to find a secret haven where she can disintegrate and appear in another time and place. While “across the line,” her training and skills are put to the test as she completes a mission that will change history for the lucky few her father has selected.
Gemma’s parents are adamant that secrecy is paramount to her family’s safety. If people knew what they were capable of, they could be “used and abused”, as her mother always says. Afraid she might accidentally utter the truth and break the ancient oath of her people, Gemma spends her school days as a loner. Only one thing can throw her sheltered life askew… Harrison Granger.
Harrison never expected to talk to the strange Hart girl, but after a brief encounter he can’t stop thinking about her. He begins a campaign to chisel away her icy veneer and is met with unexpected consequences. As he slowly wins this girl over, he enters a surreal world that has him fighting to keep his newfound love and his life.
Connect with Melissa Pearl: Facebook Twitter Website
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/nfmtxfq
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{May 28, 2014}
{ARC Review} The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
From Goodreads: Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.
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This novel follows suit of the game telephone, showing just how much gossip promotes rumors and distorts the truth. It’s a great novel depicting a form of bullying that’s not addressed as much as the physical or taunting kind, showing how lies for selfish gain, or to protect oneself, can ruin another, whether intentional or not.
The entire novel, save the last chapter, is told from the perspective of Alice’s former friends/frenemies. Loner Kurt, football player Josh, former best friend and outcast Kelsie, and popular diva Elaine alternate chapters, spinning their tales and giving readers their “expert” take on events that, for the most part, none of them witnessed. And as they slowly work towards the truth of the matter, admitting to lies and other deceits for the sake of their wellbeing, it becomes clear that the events Alice is blamed for are not quite the truth at all.
Everyone in this novel has secrets. They hold grudges, make rash decisions, lie to protect themselves, and ultimately destroy Alice one way or another, and while some of them do it intentionally, others mean no harm, but their secrecy does just as much damage as those spreading lies. It is said that sticks and stones can break our bones, but words… can never hurt us. And yet, I think most people would agree that words do hurt, and they leave an unseen mark that can strip away one’s soul, and that is exactly what Alice is experiencing throughout the course of the year as the school runs rampant with gossip.
As much as I hated Josh, Kelsie, and Elaine (Kurt was perhaps the nicest and most understanding of all the characters), I loved the multiple perspectives. And the theme, the bullying, makes this an intense read. While no one technically physically bullies Alice—they don’t even really talk to her—ostracizing someone and spreading rumors about them is just as bad, if not worse, than saying it directly to their face. It’s a powerful statement that today’s generation really needs to hear and internalize, and I highly recommend this novel to tween readers and beyond.
The final chapter is told from Alice’s perspective, and it’s just… a perfect conclusion. I love that the novel ends on a positive note, that there is hope, yet it doesn’t undermine the effects that bullying and ostracizing had on Alice, and it doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It’s realistic and, in my mind, the perfect conclusion to a great story. Four stars.
In exchange for an honest review, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Roaring Brook Press have been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its release on June 3, 2014.
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
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{May 27, 2014}
{ARC Review} Oblivion by Sasha Dawn
From Goodreads: Lisa McMann’s Dead to You meets Kate Ellison’s The Butterfly Clues in a psychological thriller full of romance, intrigue, and mystery.
One year ago, Callie was found in an abandoned apartment, scrawling words on the wall: “I KILLED HIM. His blood is on my hands. His heart is in my soul. I KILLED HIM.” But she remembers nothing of that night or of the previous thirty-six hours. All she knows is that her father, the reverend at the Church of the Holy Promise, is missing, as is Hannah, a young girl from the parish. Their disappearances have to be connected and Callie knows that her father was not a righteous man.
Since that fateful night, she’s been plagued by graphomania — an unending and debilitating compulsion to write. The words that flow from Callie’s mind and through her pen don’t seem to make sense — until now.
As the anniversary of Hannah’s vanishing approaches, more words and memories bubble to the surface and a new guy in school might be the key to Callie putting together the puzzle. But digging up the secrets she’s buried for so long might be her biggest mistake.
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Oblivion is a beautiful yet disjointed story that sucks readers in from the get go. Much like Callie’s mind, pieces of the story are told in fragments and Callie struggles to live in the here and now while dealing with her debilitating graphomania—a compulsion few truly understand. But through all its disjointed glory, the reader begins to experience what Callie truly feels when unable to get her words out, and she struggles throughout the entire story to make sense of it all, focusing on her words and events from the past in order to understand what truly happened that fateful night a year ago. Slowly, the pieces come together, and as they do, readers will find themselves glued to the pages. Both frustrating and intriguing, I could not tear my eyes away, and in the end, the novel left me breathless.
Dawn’s debut is absolutely superb, and I adored her characterization. I felt that all the characters were extremely real, and though I’m sure others will disagree, being a teacher I see students from all walks of life, and though I’ve never had any with graphomania, I have had those in similar situations as Callie and her beau, and I think Dawn captures their realities quite vividly in this novel.
Truth be told, I never knew graphomania was a reality for some people, and it was intense watching Callie attempt to deal with her compulsions. As a teacher, I feel like I would have responded much as Callie’s teachers in the novel do, and that’s disheartening. While it is true that we don’t truly understand something until we experience it, I hope to now be able to say that, should I ever have a student who suffers from graphomania, I will show compassion.
This is a truly haunting story that I loved immensely, and I hope you will too. Five stars.
I received this novel from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
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{May 27, 2014}
{ARC Review} Circa Now by Amber McRee Turner
From Goodreads: Twelve-year-old Circa Monroe has a knack for restoring old photographs. It’s a skill she learned from her dad, who loves old pictures and putting fun digital twists on them. His altered “Shopt” photos look so real that they could fool nearly anybody, and Circa treasures the fun stories he makes up to explain each creation.
One day, her father receives a strange phone call requesting an urgent delivery, and he heads out into a storm. The unimaginable happens: a tornado, then a terrible accident. Just as Circa and her mom begin to pick up the pieces, a mysterious boy shows up on their doorstep, a boy called Miles who remembers nothing about his past. The only thing he has with him is the photograph that Circa’s dad intended to deliver on the day he died.
As Circa tries to help Miles recover his identity, she begins to notice something strange about the photos she and her father retouched-the digital flourishes added to the old photos seem to exist in real life. The mysteries of the Shopt photos and Miles’s past are intertwined, and in order to solve both, Circa will have to figure out what’s real and what’s an illusion.
With stunning prose, captivating photographs, and a hint of magic, Circa Now is a gripping story full of hope and heart.
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This is an intriguing story that I think both middle grade and young adults will enjoy. It’s real enough in itself, but has an air of paranormalcy that young readers will especially enjoy. Very well written, it is a story of love, loss, and healing through memories and pictures, and I especially enjoyed the Shopt aspect of the novel, as the photos and stories the author created adding another tangible, humorous layer to this story of heartache.
Circa Monroe is struggling to put the pieces back together after her father, her hero, is killed in a tragic accident. Attempting a life of normalcy is hard enough without the constant reminder of her father staring back at her from his office, and not blaming others is an uphill battle for Circa. But as Miles comes on the scene, this novel takes on aspects of magical realism, and as Circa and Miles attempt to figure out what is real and what is a figment of their imagination, readers finds themselves intricately woven into the story, rooting for Circa and Miles as one Shopt photo after another begins to point to a different outcome. One where life and death aren’t set in stone.
While I tend to like novels with a little older heroines as the lease, Circa’s innocence makes her the perfect lead for this novel, and if you’re looking for something completely different, Circa Now is definitely the book for you.
I received this novel from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. This title releases today.
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
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{May 26, 2014}
{Review} Two Moons of Sera by Pavarti K. Tyler
From Goodreads: Finally, the complete Two Moons of Sera novel in one edition! Read all four volumes in one collection.
In a world where water and earth teem with life, Serafay is an anomaly. The result of genetic experiments on her mother’s waterborne line Serafay will have to face the very people responsible to discover who she really is. But is she the only one?
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Two Moons of Sera—Omnibus, is the complete four part series all in one book. For me, it was like the element world met fantasy, complete with land dwellers–Erlanders, water dwellers–Sualwet, and even a fire dwellers–A’aihea. Segregated and at war with one another, Serafay knows little of any world. Half human and half Sualwet, and despised by both races, she’s lived her life in seclusion for her sixteen years. But today, everything she’s ever known is going to change.
This four part volume takes place over the course of about a week, beginning with Sera as she hems and haws about her mother not allowing her to go anywhere aside from their beach, however, a sighting of a strange Erlander piques her interest and is the beginning of the end of life as she knows it. Meeting Tor is a godsend in a way, because soon after, the war between Erlanders and Sualwet takes a turn for the worst, and Sera is forced to flee. Hand in hand with Tor, the strange Erlander she met on the beach, her adventures begin as they find themselves in many a precarious situation.
I loved learning about the different people of this world Tyler has created. The Erlanders are just like humans as we know them, living within the confines of cities, believing themselves superior, starting wars. But the difference here is the dystopian aspect—Erlanders are at the mercy of their government; they are matched with others, are given three chances to reproduce within their match, are assigned jobs, and are unable to make their own choices about basically everything. The Sulawet live underwater and are the equivalent to merfolk in my mind, but they also have the ability to walk on land. Their eyes and webbed feet give them away, and because land is foreign, most do not tread the ground often. They have their own distinct language, live in underwater cities, and disown/dislike any foreign object, people included. And the A’aihea are fire dwellers. The closest equivalent I was able to make in my mind was those who live near the equator. While the A’aihea people of Tyler’s story dwell in the mountains and deep underground, their lack of clothing due to heat, and their vast hatred of any and all foreigners, Erlander or Sulawet alike, made me think of a more tribal type of group.
Overall, the vast similarity between these groups is their hatred for any and all foreigners. And it is this was Tyler speaks about in her writing, though it’s more of a theme than a direct admonition of the world today.
I found the beginning of this novel to be a bit slow, but when Sera met Tor, the storyline began to pick up. As events unfolded, I found myself engrossed in the story, rooting for Sera and Tor and becoming quite protective of them as they found themselves on some fairly wild adventures with both Erlanders and A’aiheas alike. However, I must say that the very last volume left me wanting; there is minimal closure, and so I am sure that Tyler must be planning a sequel of sorts. While an epilogue does exist, it creates more questions than it answers, with the biggest of them all still left unanswered: what is Sera’s purpose the A’aihea spoke of? Overall, this is a great fantasy serial that I highly recommend, but know going in that this isn’t the whole story. Four stars.
I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Paperback | Kindle
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{May 25, 2014}
{Review} Youth and other Fictions by Jonathan M. Cook
From Goodreads:
Jack: the lonely boy who hears a voice inside his head.
Jason: the stoic and cynical man who returns home in search of his lost childhood. J
amie: the pretty goth girl loved and hated by both.
Over the course of ten years, the children of Freedom will watch as their world burns itself to dust and ashes, first over a vicious school rampage and then over something far more insidious. In the world envisioned by Jonathan M. Cook, reason is a luxury, explanations are elusive, and desperation is absolute. Some stories never end. Some nightmares can never be escaped.
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This novel is split into two parts: the “before” and “after.” It’s a very interesting way of dealing with a novel that involves a school shooting—whereas the beginning of the novel shadows that of Jack as he spirals downward, the second portion of the novel jumps ahead 10 years, following Jason, a young man returning to teach English at the very school he attended when the shooting occurred. This allows readers to gain the unique perspectives of both those leading up to the event and those still recovering from it years afterward.
Perhaps what I found most frustrating, but also rewarding, is the fact that Cook doesn’t give readers a specific reason for the violence that occurs on any account within his novel. No one aspect or person can be pinpointed for blame, which is, in reality, a truth I feel many people do not want to accept. Why do people do the things they do? The news constantly tries to pinpoint one specific reason, and I feel like it is our human nature to try and understand, to cast blame, but in reality there are so many factors that make up these nightmares that the finger pointing and blame game is speculative at best. Thus, Cook leaves readers with more or less an ambiguous look at the mindset of both Jack and Jason, which I admit frustrated me, but is probably more accurate in its portrayal of events than anything else.
Having escaped his hometown for a while, and reluctant to be back, Jason is roped into becoming the school spokesperson as the 10 year anniversary of the shooting comes upon the town. I found this fascinating, but as Jason tries to deal with his memories, his students, the faculty, and the people of the town, he begins to break down. I don’t know if this was intentional or not, but I really zoned in on the antics of Jason as a teacher—perhaps because I am one myself—and I just couldn’t get over how terrible he really is at his job, morally speaking. Having witnessed illegal activities, I would expect him to report them right away—to intervene—to speak up—but instead, Jason begins to hide inside himself, pushing everyone away from him and, as faculty members begin to die and the blame game once again becomes the town’s favorite pastime, he begins to lose himself. While a very interesting look at the human psyche, my morals as a teacher made me quickly begin to lose any respect I had for Jason as the story unfolded. I think the point was that Jason was completely and utterly shaken to his core during the shooting; that it is an event he will never truly recover from, but as an adult in charge of children, I expected more out of him in this aspect.
I also found some aspects of the novel to be a little too predictable in terms of the current deaths plaguing the school, which is unfortunate, but could also be intentional as I feel Cook is more so interested in human nature and the psyche than a full on mystery novel. Overall, this is a well-written novel, but remains somewhat ambiguous on many fronts, especially with the ending, and there are a few grotesque events in the novel as well, aside from the mass shooting, so reader beware. Three stars.
I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes and Noble
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{May 24, 2014}
The 99 Cent Club–Feature 98–Ten Books for Ten Bucks
Every Saturday I run a feature for the 99 Cent Club, and below are the ebook picks for this week that caught my eye and are currently ONLY 99 Cents on Amazon, with many on Barnes and Noble as well. I don’t know if these are permanent prices, so please don’t shoot the messenger, and double check pricing before pressing the buy button. Enjoy! (If you could help give these authors some love by spreading the word, that would be epic.)
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Impulsion by Jamie Magee
With a glance Wyatt Doran stole Harley Tatum’s heart. With each summer that passed, touch by touch, they robbed each other’s innocence, birthing a love that was so deep that it scorched within. Without warning, they were ripped from the clutches of each other, placed in lives that were worlds apart. Only to cross paths after a freak accident where Harley’s horse rig was flipped. An accident that Wyatt Doran, from fire station 32, responded.
The tension was immediate, the emotions were raw. One breath told them they were not the same as before, one touch…changed their world.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Haunting Lia by Shannon Eckrich
Death is her destiny. But she has other things in mind.
Lia Starr’s life isn’t a fairytale. It’s a reality overflowing with scary monsters, death, and betrayal—a past she left behind when she entered her new foster home. Now, with a loving family, a sister she’s always craved, and relief from the gruesome corpses that tormented her as a child, she’s finally content. Until a freak accident changes everything.
The monsters are back, and their mission is simple: drag Lia straight to their murky hell. When Aiden, an apparition, appears to Lia, she has hope once again. Because Aiden can cross the veil between the spirit world and the earthly dimension, physically fighting off the monsters and sending them back. With Aiden’s determination to keep her safe and his absorbing blue eyes, Lia can’t help falling in love with him. But who is he, and what does he really want? As Lia and Aiden’s relationship deepens, so does the mystery surrounding him.
Once Lia finds out Aiden has traded his soul to save her, she enters the darker dimension, a dimension where nightmares are reality, ready to kick some serious butt. But surrounded by twenty-eight mutilated monsters and a deranged cult leader intent on bringing his dark world to the surface, isn’t what Lia expects. And even worse, she must face her traumatic past in order to destroy them. If she fails, not only will she lose the guy she loves and face certain death, but she will also risk the one thing she can’t afford to lose: her eternal soul.
Find it on Amazon.
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Soul Rebel by C.J. Pinard
When 21-year-old Nolan Bishop meets a seductive woman named Eva at a dark club in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, little does he know his soul will be gone as soon as she is. Realizing she’s taken something from him, he finds out he has a very limited time to destroy her before he turns into something sinister and inhuman – a feral vampire. In a race against all that is holy, Nolan has to find Eva and get his soul back while trying not to fall in love with Charity, the twin sister of the succubus who took his soul – all in seven days.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Ride Your Life by Shevi Arnold
Seventeen-year-old Tracy Miller met the love of her life . . . thirty years after her own death.
Tracy was working at the House of Horrors at the Amazing Lands Theme Park when the fire broke out. Instead of running, she lost her life trying to save eleven-year-old Mack. Now thirty years have passed, and suddenly everything changes with the arrival of two new ghosts: a little girl named Ashley and a cute seventeen-year-old boy named Josh. Josh would do anything for Tracy, but can he help her let go of the past and accept his love?
Ride of Your Life is a bittersweet, romantic, YA ghost story that was inspired by a true event: the Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire, which killed eight teenagers in 1984. It is a fantasy novel about undying love, and it won third-place in Smart Writer’s Write It Now (W.I.N.) contest in the YA category, which was judged by Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly and Cloaked.
Hang on. Love can be as terrifying as a roller coaster, but it can also be the Ride of Your Life.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Stone of Destiny by Laura Howard
Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn’t entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress’s plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison’s parents apart forever.
Despite Allison’s efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she’s ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.
Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan’ s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?
Find it on Amazon.
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Like the Dawn by Erica Cope
Mia Carrington has finally done the very thing she was destined to do all along—she’s broken the curse on the Dark Elves.
In order to make up for her mistake, Mia has chosen to make the ultimate sacrifice: her mortal life. The Dark Elves are now wreaking havoc on the mortal world while the Light Elves are trying to gain alliances.
It seems now that Dugan has come into full power, nobody is brave enough to help defeat him, and the kingdom of Álfheimr cannot do it alone. It’s up to Mia to try to persuade the other kingdoms, Raumelfr and Gautelfr, to join in their fight. Only they seem more concerned with frivolous matters—like who will rule beside Mia when she becomes Queen.
Now that she has taken her place as King Alberico’s rightful heir, there is no shortage of suitors seeking her hand. But her heart already belongs to somebody, despite the fact that she believes her choice has separated them forever.
Mia has made her decision to be immortal and there’s no turning back now, but every choice has its consequence and, like the dawn must fade into dusk, every beginning has to come to an end.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Forget Me Not by Belinda Boring
Only a fool would think they could steal from a werewolf…
Anticipating a quiet night alone with the man she loves, Darcy’s world is sent into a spin with the arrival of someone from the past – Mason’s. She is further shocked by the intruder’s claim she may not even be the true mate of the Mystic Wolves Alpha. Accusations start to fly, leading to her new enemy being granted asylum, and this is just the beginning of trouble.
Relying on the reassurances of Mason and the support of her friends and Pack, Darcy soon falls under attack. Suspicions are raised, and with no other choice, she must flee with Devlin to safety where hopefully they can untangle the lies hidden behind the use of magic. Time is quickly ticking away, leading to a showdown where everything is on the line.
They need to uncover the truth before it’s too late, or once again, Darcy will need to fight to hold onto her dreams.
Find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
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Demon Inhibitions by Gary Starta
Chasing a soul stealer in her reality, psychic investigator Caitlin Diggs inadvertently travels through a portal to another reality and witnesses her fugitive kill her alternate self in DEMON INHIBITIONS. Assuming her alternate’s life as an agent of the FBI’s Preternatural Crime Division, Diggs believes her position might help her capture the soul stealer until she finds he may be part of a sinister terrorist plot to keep humans and demons living in segregation. A girl, whose singing inhibits the evil urges of demons, is on the terrorist’s hit list and Diggs will ultimately learn her fugitive is neither supernatural nor demon, but a genetically engineered hit man incapable of being enthralled.
Find it on Amazon.
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Taken by Felicia Starr
You must betray your heart and walk amongst the darkness in order to find the truest light. Opening her eyes to an imposing prison of complete darkness, Kasha is accused of possessing powers and abilities she had no previous knowledge of until the moment she comes face to face with herself while meditating. Haunted by memories strung together by lies and deceit, she soon discovers that maybe her beloved grandmother kept a few secrets she hadn’t been aware of. Secrets that could be her salvation… or her undoing. As she struggles to control her newfound powers, only time will tell if they will be enough to help her decipher who has imprisoned her or what they want from her. She must search for the answers and the freedom she so desperately desires. Could a handsome guy who vows to help her get away prove to be the man of her dreams… or perhaps her worst nightmare? Not knowing who to trust, she must find a way to escape before she pays the ultimate price and finds herself taken by the darkness.
Find it on Amazon.
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A Witches Tale by Rue Volley
“For a hundred years no one talked about it…all the people, mainly women, who had mysteriously disappeared in this picture perfect town nestled in between lush rolling hills and a lake that stretched out like the sea itself. No one wanted to remember that at one time, the ignorance of not knowing was what fueled the mob, and a mob it was, when provoked by bible thumpers and boredom.”
Meet Alexi, not your typical teenage girl, as she invites you into her world in the small town of Ravenswood. Alexi has suffered a loss, but despite her hidden sadness, she manages to find a shining light in the darkness as she goes on an adventure of a lifetime. Alexi is soon to discover her witchy past, and along with her best friend Logan, and the mysterious new boy who moves to town, Kyle Huntington, things are set into motion. Soon all of Ravenswood’s secrets will be uncovered. “Stuff & Things and What Boredom Brings” is book one in “A Witches Tale” series by paranormal author Rue Volley. It is sure to delight with its humor and unexpected twists and turns. This story embraces witchcraft and other paranormal whatnots.
Find it on Amazon.
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{May 23, 2014}
{Review} Of Noble Birth by Brenda Novak
From Goodreads: He Was a Man Who Took What He Wanted. And He Wanted Her.
To escape her cruel stepfather, seamstress Alexandra Cogsworth envisioned sailing far from England…though not as a captive aboard a pirate’s ship. Pirate Captain Nathaniel Kent’s strategy for exacting revenge on his cold-hearted father involved taking a valuable hostage…not a seamstress he mistakenly thinks is his half sister. Yet fate has designs of its own, landing them both on board the Royal Vengeance.
At sea, Nathaniel intercepts and plunders his father’s ships, all the while tormented by his illicit hunger for the tempting prisoner he thinks is his blood relation. And although Alexandra wants no part in this terrifying voyage, to reveal her true identity to the handsome, blue-eyed Nathaniel would invite danger. Not only would she become worthless cargo, but the revelation would surely unleash what she and Nathaniel have been fiercely battling – a rising undercurrent of impossible desire that could sweep them away for good.
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Truth be told, I tend to flock to the YA section of the bookstore, so Novak’s novel, Of Noble Birth wasn’t even on my radar until a review request piqued my interest, and I am very glad for it. Sometimes I miss out on gems like this historical romance because of my gravitation towards YA, and it takes books like this one to remind me to expand my horizons.
Novak’s novel is awesome. It’s not too hot and heavy, which is great for a prudish reader like me, but it does have just enough romance and steamy kisses/smoldering glances to really make it a romantic adult novel, and as one of my first in this category, I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. The story itself is extremely interesting from the very beginning, as readers learn of Nathan’s birth, his missing arm, and his father’s murderous intent due to the “imperfection,” as he deems it. The novel then jumps ahead about twenty years, presenting readers with the now grown Nathan and a new character we quickly fall in love with, Alexandra.
A seamstress, Alexandra gets more than she bargained for when she dons a proper ladies dress in hopes of escaping the notice of her drunken step-father. Unfortunately, she finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Nathan, now a rogue pirate intent on harming his estranged nobleman father as much as possible, mistakes Alexandra for his half-sister. As events unfold, and the mistaken identity plays itself out, both of these main characters, intent on a better life, find themselves suddenly falling for one another, a revelation that neither of them can admit, and their snarky retorts and slow dance around one another is incredibly well-written.
I loved being whisked away on the high seas, and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters as well—though a little gruff and unforgiving, they really do work their way into the readers heart. While a little repetitive at times, and a tad long, the case of mistaken identity was humorous and an enjoyable aspect of the novel—one I liked very much. If you’re like me and usually stick to YA or NA novels, I highly suggest giving this one a go; it’s unique and much fun, especially as Nathan comes to realize his mistake and everything comes crashing down upon him. Spanning multiple years, with up and downs on all fronts, Novak really engages her readers; this is not one to miss. Four stars.
I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. This novel is being re-released on May 27, 2014.
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{May 22, 2014}
{Review} Next Time We Steal The Carillon by Louie Flann
From Goodreads: College life and crime detection are seen through the eyes of our student investigators. These contemporary temporary sleuths live through a cozy mystery set at a Midwestern college during the 1990s. Missing: a valuable antiquity. Suspicious occult occurrences, a séance, car troubles, another séance, injury in the forest, strange people not a part of the campus community are roaming the campus, pleasant fall weather, and, someone is following our Veronica. Is he some rejected suitor or someone harboring bad thoughts about our investigators? Holy smoke! What’s she going to do? What are they going to do? Will the ancient bowl return? Will our detectors find who done it? Are Veronica and Monica, who are cute as kittens, affecting the objectivity and efficiency of Ralphy and Jason? I can’t tell! Who won the game, and what happened at the dance? All these questions—and more—will be answered before you put this book down. This is a story about good kids with a devil of a job.
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This was an interesting whodunit type mystery dealing with college aged students, though it reads more as a YA or MG novel. It’s easy to understand prose and characters draw the reader in from the get go, and it’s definitely a fun ride. There are a bit more characters involved in this story than I’m used to, and so as a reader I had more people to try and keep track of, but overall Flann does a good job keeping the reader on track. I will say that I didn’t really connect with any of the characters due to the vast amount of them—they were spread a little thin in terms of characterization for me—but overall, they were likable and intriguing, spurred on by different motivations that cast them in different lighting as the novel progresses.
While I found some of the events within the novel to be a little far-fetched, the premise was on point and I thought the search for the missing artifact to be actually quite enjoyable. From crazy sleuthing in the dead of night to false antics, the characters and events kept me on my toes as it all came to a head. This is a clean novel with a somewhat humorous take on the “whodunit” mystery, and if you’re in the mood for something a bit light, then I suggest taking this novel for a spin. Three and a half stars.
I was given this novel by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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