Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian... and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.
As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.
My Thoughts...
First of all let me start with the cover, it is absolutely gorgeous, I'm hoping that a paperback version will be released so I can have the pretty on my bookshelf, whomever came up with this cover needs a gold star.
I loved the fact that this book is a stand-alone and that everything is resolved at the end, no questions left unanswered, no loose ends and a perfect ending to a fantastic book.
Jewel is a sixteen year old girl who with her family are in the witness protection program, never staying long in any one place, but what she doesn't know is that she is the reason for the constant moving, and the birthmark that she has on her shoulder is never allowed to be seen by anyone other than her immediate family, you see Jewel is a very important person whom is wanted by people the world over, but when she finds out just why that is, it will change her life forever.
Of course what's a YA novel without some gorgeous guys, Roman whom is Italian and also as he informs her her Guardian, which is pretty much another word for a bodyguard, a hot one at that, and finally Chase, the popular boy at school who is interested in Jewel as well
There is never a dull moment in this story, I loved every moment and it was a shame when it came to an end, this will definitely be a re-read for me and I will be looking out for further Shannon Duffy books.
"Mom always says the angels walk among us. She forgot to tell me that sometimes they're not all fluffy and nice."
Seventeen-year-old Caleb Wood has seen people he calls the walkers since he was a baby. It didn't take long for him to realize something…no one can see these strangers but him. They never stuck around or tried to touch him. And they never said a word. That was until one day on the first day of class in his senior year when an incredibly gorgeous girl strolls into his life…and things are never the same again.
Soon Caleb realizes he has stepped into the middle of a growing conflict between two ancient groups. And his ability to see the invisible ones, the half-breeds that want to modify the human race, just might be the only hope both he and the mysterious, but infuriating, Gia, have of making it out alive.
My Thoughts...
Ever since he was a baby Caleb has seen Walkers (spirits), but has kept it to himself, they usually appear for a minute or two and he never sees them again, that is until he keeps seeing a a girl his age a walker whom even talks to him which none have ever done before.
Her name is Gia and the more she appears and she does, anytime, anywhere the more that Caleb can't stop thinking about her, even if he is supposedly dating Erica the most popular girl at school.
Caleb starts noticing men dressed all in black hanging around, although he's the only one that does seem to see them,and they're not real friendly, and neither are some of Gia's so called friends and through all this Caleb seems to be gaining strength, what he doesn't know is that he's smack bang in the middle of an ancient feud!
I did love the whole back story and the mythology that found it's way into the book, it was different reading a book from a male's pov but I found I quite liked it, I look forward to the next book especially after the ending.
I give this 3.75/5.
Dark
Seraphine Excerpt
By
KaSonndra Leigh
There
was no one in the classroom besides the two of us. To admit this girl made me
feel a little shaky sounded weak. I put on a manly face, squared my shoulders,
and sat in the desk behind her. The little kid in me still wanted to run away
like a baby, though.
And
then she laughed.
It
was a high-pitched giggle, a normal girl’s sound. That wasn’t right. I don’t
remember any of the other spirits laughing before.
“So
you wanna run from me, huh? Go ahead. I’ll just find you like I always do,
Caleb,” she said, still facing the chalk board in the front of the classroom. Her
voice was smooth like a musical instrument, maybe a flute. Nah. It was more like a harp. I could listen to it all day.
But
even her sexy pipes didn’t change the fact that she just read my mind. How did
she do that?
“Are
you going to run, or stay? I need a quick answer, because I have a lot to do
today.” She turned her head to the side a bit.
“I
don’t run from anything,” I said, trying to ignore the prickle in my underarms.
Good thing I used my dad’s deodorant this morning. That old-timers stuff was strong enough to knock out anything.
She
didn’t scare me as much as some of the other walkers, my nickname for them. But
I wasn’t ready to get her digits either. As a baby, I remembered talking to a
few of them. That ability disappeared sometime around my thirteenth birthday.
This was the first time I spoke to one in four years.
“What
are you people: angels, ghosts, or zombies?” I asked, my voice squeaking on the
last syllable. What a dork.
“Can’t
you be a little more creative?” She turned around in her seat to face me, an
amused expression on her ridiculously gorgeous face. I sucked my breath. Her
strange amber-hazel eyes pierced through me. The word beautiful didn’t do enough
for this walker-girl.
“I
thought I was pretty creative,” I said.
“Nope.
Your ideas suck,” she said with a smug face.
“Nice.
Thanks,” I said, getting annoyed.
“And
I don’t sparkle in the sun, either. So scratch that one off your list too.”
I
frowned. “Then tell me the right answer. And you can go ahead and explain how I
won the honor of being stalked?”
“I’m
a creative mix of many things. Feel better now?” She tilted her head. Blue-black
hair flowed around her face as if it were made of silky thread. “So others have
come before me?” She seemed to be talking to herself rather than asking me.
“Maybe,”
I said. Why should I tell her everything? One thing I did know. At this rate, I
was probably going to be committed to the loony ward on the first day of
school.
“I’m
going to need your help soon, Caleb. You have to be ready,” she whispered, her
face suddenly serious. Right then, I knew my world was about to change…forever.
Giveaway...
Sterling silver necklace with an aquamarine stone, $20.00 Barnes&Noble or Amazon Gift Certificate, ecopies of Lost Immortals and Hacienda Moon, Surprise swaga Rafflecopter giveaway
Meet your word sculptress...
Author of the Lost Immortals Saga and the Path Seekers Series. I’m also a mother, blogger, reader, gardener, home renovator, and a slayer of undead Egyptian mummies in Tomb Raider. I believe in karma, coffee, and seriously wish that the producers of Xena would bring my favorite show ever back.
Strange things about me: Everything. I am weird, odd, unusual, and generally tend to make people think I swooped down from another planet. I don’t know. Maybe I did. Who knows? I’m also a member of the #zombiesurvivalcrew on twitter. So if you need protection from the upcoming apocalypse, don’t hesitate to call on us.
I was born in the race-car city of Charlotte, NC, and now live in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, NC, when I’m not hanging out in Bardonia (Lost Immortals). Most of my characters are based on people that I’ve met throughout my travels and adventures. People tend to stop and start conversations with me as if I’ve known them my entire life. Does this freak me out? Not really. My mom says that one day I’ll get kidnapped by one of them. I told her that if it weren’t for these lovely people then I wouldn’t be able to create the stories that I do.
I have many favorite authors but there are some who truly rock my socks: Octavia Butler, Anne Rice, Kami Garcia, J.K. Rowling, Dean Koontz (on his good-book days), Stephen King (same as DK) Ann Radcliffe, Mary Shelley, Elizabeth Kostova, and so many more…
Some other common tidbits…hmm. I’ve watched the movie Under the Tuscan Sun almost 200 times. Seriously, the way I see it is if I keep watching it enough, then suddenly the house that Diane Lane lives in will magically appear in my backyard. I know. I’ve got a huge imagination!
Publication: 20th November 2012 Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing Pages: 230 Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Age Appropriate: Young Adult Buy It: AmazonBarnes And Noble
IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME.
In Remembrance, Lizzie and Drew changed the course of fate so they could be together.
In Vengeance, Chelsea set fate back on its original, deadly path.
Now, strange things keep happening to Lizzie. Things that are omens of darkness to come. A curse has doomed her to die an early death, just as she did in her past life. To make things worse, even if she can figure out who cast the curse, it's irreversible. There's only one option left for her to save herself. It's crazier than anything she's heard yet, and to do it, she'll need Drew and Chelsea's help.
Because to make things right, they must go back to when it all began …
My Thoughts...
I thought that this book was the perfect finale to the series, all the loose ends were tied up and I was extremely happy with the ending. I was really intrigued to see where the story would go after the events in the last book, with Lizzie being followed and almost attacked quite a few times by crows, after going to visit Alistair (her memory guide), he explains that a curse has been put on her, and the only way to fix it is to go back into the past and change the events that led to Lizzie's death in her past life. So to travel back in time Lizzie, Drew and Chelsea set out for England to find a ring that once belonged to Lizzie's past self, that will eventually with a little help send them all back in time. The whole story arc that took place in the past was so well done, it added a little bit extra to the story as a whole. I really loved these characters and while I'm sad that this is the last book in the series, I can happily say that there is nothing I would change, it was just that good. I highly recommend that everyone read this series, it's really good. I give this 4/5.
About This Author
Michelle Madow was inspired to write Remembrance after seeing Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video while a junior at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. The song and video gave her the story idea about a high school girl reincarnated from Regency Era, England. She handed in the first chapter as a homework assignment for class, and when her teacher and fellow classmates wanted her to continue writing, she decided to go for it. By the end of the school year, her first novel was completed!
Along with the Transcend Time Saga, Michelle Madow has written two other young adult novels, both which will be developed into series’.
Michelle Madow graduated from the Park School of Baltimore in 2005, where she always took two English classes each semester. She graduated from Rollins College in 2010, cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English. At Rollins she was a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and a member of the International English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta.
She received the Charles Hyde Pratt Award for Excellence in Creative Writing in 2010.
Publication: 2nd October 2012 Publisher: CreateSpace Independant Publishing Pages: 276 Genre: Paranormal Age Appropriate: Young Adult Buy It: AmazonBarnes And Noble "They say the truth can set you free. I found out it can kill you."
Seventeen-year-old Kat Matheson has never revealed the dark secret that sets her apart from everyone else: She can see and hear the dead. Until now, she has been able to ignore the strange apparitions and whispering voices. But it may not be that simple anymore. Haunted by eerie visions and increasingly frightening nightmares, Kat begins to fear she may be the target of a dark and ominous force from beyond the grave. Complicating matters is the arrival of her new neighbor, a young man she instinctively distrusts but is inexplicably drawn to. Gorgeous and mysterious, he seems to hold a disturbing knowledge of her long-held secrets.
As she desperately tries to maintain control, events take an unexpected and violent turn. Discovering that nothing is what it seems and that her psychic abilities may involve far more than just communing with the dead, Kat may be forced to confront her worst fears and the powerful curse that controls her destiny. My Thoughts...
I really loved this book, it's that good that I finished it in a day, the writing flows and the story moves along quickly and has you eager to discover what the next page holds.
Kat has seen spirits all her life, but has learned to mostly keep the fact to herself after her parents sent her to a pychiatrist when she was younger after she used to talk about seeing them.
Kat spends a lot of her time with her best-friend Rachel while pining away for the school hottie Rick, when he finally asks her out to say she's over the moon is an understatement, when the house next door that's been empty for quite a while is suddenly occupied by Lovell a boy around her age, her Mum seems intent on setting them up, but there's something strange about Lovell and there seems to be something he's hiding.
But suddenly Kat seems to be seeing more spirits than usual, a girl dancing on the field at school, who may or may not be a good spirit and there seems to be a malovent presence following her around, and they're out to get her.
A great book and I'll be eagerly anticipating further books in this series,
I give this 4/5. Guest Post...
A Day In My Writing Life
My day starts quite early, usually between
4 and 5 am. I make a cup of tea (black or green), and spend the next 45 minutes
to 1 hour reading. I really can't do anything until I've read at least one
chapter. Then I respond to e-mails before a shower and breakfast, followed by
sitting down to the business of writing. I'll write until about 12, then break
for lunch. This is also when I do some posting on Facebook, Twitter or my
website. I'll try to put in another hour or two of writing in the afternoon. I
generally stop writing about 3 pm. By that time, my brain cells have usually
dried up! I try to get in a good workout around 3:30 - yoga, Physique 57, or
some form of cardio - then I unwind with a glass of red wine while I catch up on
the boring daily household tasks and prepare dinner. By 8 pm, I'm usually in
bed, working on my French homework and blocking out the scene for the next
day's writing. And somewhere between 4 am and 8 pm I try to squeeze in 30
minutes of piano practice. It's a full day and I can guarantee you that
something will always be left undone! Like that load of laundry to fold. Or
those weeds that need to be pulled in the garden. Or that paperwork that needs
to be filed. Or the dishwasher that needs to be emptied. Or those verbs to be
conjugated. Or that re-write on page 12…..I seriously needs Hermione Granger's
time turner.
Molly M Hall is the author of Reckoning, the first novel in the Dark Prophecy series. She has spent most of her life in Colorado and currently lives just outside of Denver.
She pursued a degree in English Literature at Columbia College, and worked in the corporate world for several years before turning to writing full time.
When not reading or writing, she can be found shopping for awesome boots, listening to music, practicing yoga, working on her very inadequate French, playing piano, or looking for inspiring landscapes to photograph. More at: mollymhall.com
Andromeda has spent all seventeen years of her life aboard a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet. Her safe cocoon is about to break open as Paradise 21 looms only one month away, and she must take the aptitude tests to determine her role on the new world and her computer assigned lifemate. As a great-granddaughter of the Commander of the ship, she wants to live up to her family name. But, her forbidden love for her childhood friend, Sirius, distracts her and she fails the tests. The results place her in a menial role in the new colony and pair her with Corvus, “the oaf”.
But when Andromeda steps foot on Paradise 21, her predestined future is the least of her worries. Alien ghosts from a failed colonization warn her of a deadly threat to her colony. And when Sirius’s ship crashes on the far ridge in an attempt to investigate, she journeys to rescue him with Corvus.
Andromeda now must convince the authorities of the imminent danger to keep her protect her new home. What she didn’t expect was a battle of her own feelings for Sirius and Corvus.
Can she save the colony and discover her true love?
My Thoughts...
I wouldn't say that I'm really a fan of science-fiction books, however Colonization was so entertaining and interesting that I mostly forgot the genre I was reading, and that's all thanks to the fantastic writing that kept me intrigued and anxious to see what was going to happen on the next page.
Andromeda 'Annie' has been onboard a ship in deep space for all of her life headed to a planet named 'New Earth' after the Earth we know is no longer habitable, before they land she and all the kids her age have to take an aptitude test to determine what their jobs will be in the new world, they will also be assigned their lifemates, Annie who has developed feelings for her best friend Sirius hopes that they will be paired up, but Annie doesn't score very well where Sirius does and she gets a lesser job than Sirius and subsequently gets paired with Corvus, whom Annie thinks of a muscled 'oaf'.
But looks as they say can be deceiving and after spending time with Corvus she develops feelings for him, he ends up being an extremely sweet and caring guy and Annie has to decide whether she can forget about her idea of being with Sirius and give Corvus the chance he deserves.
But through all this people have been found suffering from some strange fatal disease after they land on the planet they have named Paradise 21, and what they discover will make them come to the realisation that their new paradise may be uninhabitable, but what do you do when you no longer have a way off the planet?
I really loved this book, I'm intrigued to see where the rest of the books in the series will take us, I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the following books in the series.
A reckless wish taken from the darkest desires of the heart…
A bloody razor engraved with the names of the girls who turned to dust…
An endless cycle that feeds of loneliness and craves destruction…
Together, these pieces form a twisted puzzle that Annaliese Rose Gordon has to solve. Trapped in a body that isn’t hers—with no memory of how she got there—she must unlock the secrets of her past in order to escape the horrors of her future.
Expected publication: June 11th 2013 by HarperTeen
She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.
Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.
But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.
Expected publication: May 14th 2013 by Disney*Hyperion
When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else -- more responsible, more capable. But now her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world -- full of dark humor and hard truths.
Expected publication: March 5th 2013 by Amulet/Abrams
In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!
Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!
But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.
Expected publication: June 25th 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin
Ben: Having just graduated from high school, Ben is set to leave Gypsum, Nevada. It's good timing since the gypsum mine that is the lifeblood of the area is closing, shutting the whole town down with it. Ben is lucky: he's headed to San Diego, where he's got a track scholarship at the University of California. But his best friends, Pete and Hog Boy, don't have college to look forward to, so to make them happy, Ben goes with them to check out the hot chick parked on the side of Highway 447.
Lala: She and her Gypsy family earn money by telling fortunes. Some customers choose Tarot cards; others have their palms read. The thousands of people attending the nearby Burning Man festival spend lots of cash--especially as Lala gives uncanny readings. But lately Lala's been questioning whether there might be more to life than her upcoming arranged marriage. And the day she reads Ben's cards is the day that everything changes for her. . . and for him.
Expected publication: June 11th 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
A riveting new story from Cat Patrick, author of Forgotten and Revived.
17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...
Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.
Expected publication: May 7th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers