Blog Tour: Revelation (Pedalstem Lillies #2) - AmBear Shellea, Book Review (174).

Revelation (Pedalstem Lillies #2)

by AmBear Shellea 

Publication: 1st November 2012

Publisher: Devine Destinies

Pages: 150

Genre: Paranormal

Age Appropriate: Adult

Buy It: Amazon   Devine Destinies

This revelation will bring justifiable consequences.


Some fairytales begin with once upon a time and end with happily ever after. Revelations, book 2 in The Pedalstem Lillies series, is a not that fairytale. It contains love and sex but it’s twisted and dark side takes it to another level. Our heroine and her hero find the truth and begin to piece the puzzle together as they face the puppet master and his puppeteer.

Synopsis:
Join Blaze once again, as she struggles through the darkness. Her adventure for the truth is deadly as it’s pieced together with schemes, plots and wicked intentions. A violent disagreement finds her out and about, with a man whose presence is forbidden, and is forced to seek shelter. Heat and electricity engulf them as the oncoming storm reveals the secrets. Exhausted and breathless, their plan for revenge awakens with sunrise. The scene is set and the lines are drawn. Purity & Power Vs. Menace & Mayhem. Who will be left standing when the magic clears?

My Thoughts...

This book was a great continuation in this series, it picks up straight off from the finale in Chaos Unleashed.

Through the story of Red and Woody whom both Blaze and Demarko have been dreaming about, they figure out what happened to the previous King and Queen of Pedalstem and in the process both regain their memories, and the twist was excellently done.

I sort of guessed the twist but still it was a great storyline, Slaine and his brother Deklan are involved in the mystery of Blaze and Demarko's missing memories, and we discover that they are both powerful and have some amazing powers, the most powerful around as a matter of fact.

And with the help of the kingdom,Blaze and Demarko will do their best to take Slaine and Deklan down and take revenge for the time they've lost.

I look forward to another book to continue on Blaze and Demarko's story and adventures.

I give this 4/5.

Author Bio:

Although I have always enjoyed writing, the dream to become a writer came when I read A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, in the sixth grade. My early works, not published, were in the form of children’s stories I would read to my two daughters. I divide my days between the real world and the ones I’ve created. My life and my characters keep me very busy in my Mid-Western scene, where I live with my husband, and my children (both human and furry.

My Links

Website: http://pedalstemlillieseries.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15829652-chaos-unleashed

FB FanPage: http://www.facebook.com/AmBearShellea?ref=hl

Buy Links:

http://www.devinedestinies.com/index.php?route=product%2Fauthor&author_id=960

http://www.amazon.com/AmBear-Shellea/e/B0091F0KXW

Book Review (173): Chaos Unleashed (Pedalstem Lillies #1) - AmBear Shellea

Chaos Unleashed (Pedalstem Lillies #1)

by AmBear Shellea

Publication: 15th August 2012

Publisher: Extasy Books

Pages: 146

Genre: Paranormal

Age Appropriate: Adult

Buy It: Amazon   Barnes And Noble

This isn’t your mother’s sweet love story and it’s not your sister’s fairytale. Chaos Unleashed is dark, dangerous, and highly addictive. You will share in every experience the hero and heroine have, as their quest for the truth leads them to the hateful dark void that threatens to consume their souls. 

Pedalstem is shrouded in darkness, leaving Castle Deverox in a vortex of confusion. Blaze awakens to find men she doesn’t know looming over, intent on capture, a handsome prisoner sharing her fate, and the gut tightening knowledge that her memories have been stolen.

My Thoughts...

This book was such an exciting and action-packed thrill ride, it never let up from the get-go.

Blaze awakens with no memory of who she is, all she knows is her name, and finds herself being tied up by three men and thrown into the back of a wagon with a man named Demarko  who is also tied up with no memory either, there's something vaguely familiar about him, but with no memory she doesn't know what.

She comes to discover that she is Queen of a place called Pedalstem and her husband King Slaine whom she has no memories of and feels no attraction to, but Demarko is another matter, but Slaine who has a temper is a jealous man and he can see the genuine attraction between the two and he will do whatever it takes to keep them apart.

With both Blaze and Demarko having dreams about a couple named, Red and Woody who used to be King and Queen of Pedalstem and their life together, they discover that nobody knows what happened to them, so why are they dreaming about them?

And with the help of the servants Arabella and Shaunt who seem to know a lot more than they let on, will both Blaze and Demarko ever regain their memories?

This was such a surprisingly great book and I highly look forward to the next book after the way this book left us hanging. highly recommended, definitely check it out.

I give this 4/5.

Author Bio:

Although I have always enjoyed writing, the dream to become a writer came when I read A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, in the sixth grade. My early works, not published, were in the form of children’s stories I would read to my two daughters. I divide my days between the real world and the ones I’ve created. My life and my characters keep me very busy in my Mid-Western scene, where I live with my husband, and my children (both human and furry.

My Links

Website: http://pedalstemlillieseries.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15829652-chaos-unleashed

FB FanPage: http://www.facebook.com/AmBearShellea?ref=hl

Buy Links:

http://www.devinedestinies.com/index.php?route=product%2Fauthor&author_id=960

http://www.amazon.com/AmBear-Shellea/e/B0091F0KXW

Waiting On Wednesday.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on....

Epiphany (The Seven #1)

by J.D. Stroube

Epiphany will be the first installment in a paranormal romance bordering on Urban Fantasy.

Seven paranormal races have been at war since the dawn of time. The battle falls to seven families, who rule each race. Their lineage casts a great weight on their shoulders, even as they inherit allies and enemies. Those lost spell grief for the ruling clans, until a treaty is struck. Only the royal seven are aware of the terms and the secrets contained within.

Lily's childhood was spent in a vortex of constant change, as she was bounced from foster home to foster home. She spent those years dwelling on her past, wondering why she was abandoned, and where she came from. On her 23rd birthday, she discovers a rare book; it's pages stained with information about the origins of seven races and the details of their treaty.

At first, Lily believes the book to be a work of fiction. After retracing her steps, she finds a trail of blood has been left in her path, beginning with her discovery of the book. Desperately, Lily seeks answers, while using her book to find a haven, her past catches up with her. Lily is brought face to face with the very ones she needs saving from.

Lily must maneuver through conspiracies, overcome betrayal, and accept the truth of her past. If she doesn't, she may fall pray to those secrets that were better left hidden. How will Lily know which of the Seven are her allies? Can she discover who is stalking her, in time to prevent herself from becoming a casualty of war?

Expected publication: August 1st 2013 by Euphoric Publishing & Design

Unwanted

by Alivia Anders 

She would be his freedom. 
He would be her price. 

In a world overrun with people and narrowing resources, the basis of life has turned to do or die. No longer does the balance of wealth and power apply. A strict split between the rich and poor has made the lines clear- the more money you have, the more power you control. 

For seventeen year old Emily Beucant, life is an equal gift and curse. Having grown up pre- Unwanted society, she can still remember the days it was okay to play with children from the other side of the concrete wall, back when her father was still alive, and back when the Unwanted program was used to Mark and hunt criminals, not sign away the lives of ungrateful children or spouses with high insurance collections over their heads. 

But since her father's creation of the program, the government has taken control and made it into a lucrative monster. And as Emily is days away from her eighteenth birthday, and handsome inheritance, she will soon see just how badly it is to be Marked. 

When her soulless aunt places Emily up to be Marked an Unwanted, she is forced to go on the run from all she has ever known. No where is safe for her, and no one will protect her, least they wish to have the same fate as her. It isn't until she forms a tense, explosive alliance with a former doctor, Ben, that it looks like the tables may turn in her favor. Together they race against those searching for her, desperate to find a way to free her from an early death. But is it too late? 

No one is safe.
No one is free.

Expected publication: July 30th 2013 by Red Alice Press

A Matter of Days

by Amber Kizer

  On Day 56 of the pandemic called BluStar, sixteen-year-old Nadia's mother dies, leaving her responsible for her younger brother Rabbit. They secretly received antivirus vaccines from their uncle, but most people weren't as lucky. Their deceased father taught them to adapt and survive whatever comes their way. That's their plan as they trek from Seattle to their grandfather's survivalist compound in West Virginia. Using practical survival techniques, they make their way through a world of death and destruction until they encounter an injured dog; Zack, a street kid from Los Angeles; and other survivors who are seldom what they seem. Illness, infections, fatigue, and meager supplies have become a way of life. Still, it will be worth it once they arrive at the designated place on the map they have memorized. But what if no one is there to meet them?

Expected publication: June 11th 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Boy Nobody (Boy Nobody #1)

by Allen Zadoff 

They needed the perfect soldier: one who could function in every situation without fear, sympathy or anger; who could assassinate strangers and then walk away emotionally unscathed. So they made Boy Nobody-a teen with no name or history. The perfect soldier.Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school, in a new town, under a new name, makes few friends and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die -- of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, and moves on to the next target. But when he's assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter seems so much like him; the mayor smells like his father. And when memories and questions surface, the Program is watching. Because somewhere, deep inside Boy Nobody, is somebody: the kid he once was, the teen who wants normal things like a real home and parents, a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's mission.

Expected publication: June 11th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

The Last Academy

by Anne Applegate

Curtis Sittenfeld's PREP meets THE SIXTH SENSE in this spine-tingling, unforgettable debut.

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam--and readers--stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

Expected publication: May 1st 2013 by Point

Purgatory Reign

by L.M. Preston

Peter Saint’s life stinks. But things are about to get much worst. First, his parents are murdered in front of him. Then another victim dies in his arms. Visions plague Peter with warnings that something wants him for a sinister cause. It desires the one thing that Peter refuses to give—his blood. Peter carries within him the one gift or curse that could unlock a secret to destroy the human race. On the run with Angel, a scruffy kid, Peter starts to unravel the mystery. It’s the one treasure the heavens sought to hide from the world. Unfortunately, when Peter finds the answer that he hopes will save the girl he loves, he opens the door to a great evil that happens to be salivating to meet him.

Expected publication: May 18th 2013 by Phenomenal One Press

Blog Tour: Loving Summer (Loving Summer #1) - Kailin Gow, Book Review (172).

Loving Summer (Loving Summer #1)

by Kailin Gow

Publication: 28th May 2012
Publisher: theEDGEbooks.com
Pages: 250
Genre: Contemporary
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Buy It: Amazon   Barnes And Noble

Summer has always looked forward to spending her summers at her Aunt's beach house with the Donovans. To her, summers at Aunt Sookie's beach house was magical, especially getting to spend time with the Donovans - her best friend Rachel and Rachel's brothers Nathaniel, and Drew. Here at Aunt Sookie's beach house, they can be anyone and anything they dreamed. For Summer, she had always wished to become as pretty as Rachel and for her brothers to think of her as more than Rachel's friend. For Nat and Drew, summers at Aunt Sookie's beach house meant fun and escape, a place where they go to with their mom and sister for the summer, away from city life. They never thought this summerNat whom  would be different. They never thought things would change as much as they did...and it all began with them falling for and loving Summer.

My Thoughts...

This is the second series that I've read by Kalin and I've been blown away by her writing both times, her stories are fantastic and I'm definitely going to be checking out all of her other books and series.

Having never really been a fan of contemporary romance I've been very surprised with the few that I've read this year and Loving Summer is no exception.

Summer has invited the Donovan's: Rachel, her twin brother Drew and their older brother Nat whom Summer has had a crush on ever since she was a little to her Aunt Sookie's beach house,  what used to be a yearly thing  has tapered off and this will be the first time they've seen each other in years.

Nat has a girlfriend and Drew is now a walking one night stand and Summer starts to feel attracted to Drew while also harboring feelings for Nat, and then she starts dating tv star Astor and develops feelings for him too, what's a girl to do with three gorgeous guys whom may or may not all have feelings for her.

I personally would choose Drew, he's so sweet and while his twin Rachel has warned him off Summer so as not to ruin their friendship I think they'd make a great couple.

I loved all the characters in this book, I laughed, I cried and I'm extremely, impatiently hanging out for the next book.

A great summer read or if you want a light contemporary romance to put a smile on your face, definitely pick this one up.

I give this 5/5.

Kailin Gow uses her author platform to bring awareness to issues affecting young adult and women. She has appeared on national radio as a regular guest on topics such as body image, self-esteem, dating and sexual relationships, bullying, and more; often brought up in her fiction books for young adults and women. She has won multiple awards from the International Book Awards and the Green Book Festival. Selling over half a million books, Kailin Gow has been a bestselling author of over 100 distinct books which includes the Desire Series, PULSE, Wicked Woods, and the Frost Series. She has been professionally published since 2001. She was one of the first authors for young readers to write books for girls with supernatural elements. Her first book series about extraordinary girls guided by an angel in 2001, was a success, selling thousands of print copies in days, and inspiring girl book clubs around the U.S. In 2003, she came out with more series, including The Fairy Rose Chronicles, about fairies in Feyland. Her books have been recommended by PBS Kids, US Mental Health Association, the PTA, and homeschooling associations in the United States. 

Her Bitter Frost Series, PULSE Series, and other book series are being developed into MMO Games by SEE GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT, one of the foremost entertainment developers in the world, known for developing world-reknown blockbuster films into games. The Frost Series and PULSE MMO Games are set to release late 2013 or early 2014. 

She is a graduate of the Annenberg School for Communications Masters in Management program in journalism, marketing and publishing at the University of Southern California.

You can find her here:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KailinGowBooks

Twitter: @kailingow

Her website: http://kailingowbooks.com/

Her Publisher's Site: http://www.theedgebooks.com

Official website and blog: http://www.kailingow.wordpress.com

The charities she is active in as a sponsor or as a volunteer are: American Red Cross, Covenant House, Battered Women's Shelters, and Autism Speaks.

Cover Reveal: The Uprising (The Forsaken #2) - Lisa M. Stasse

The Uprising (The Forsaken #2)

by Lisa M. Stasse

Expected publication: August 2013 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Book Review (171): Spectral - Shannon Duffy

Spectral

by Shannon Duffy 

Publication: 10th April 2012

Publisher: Tribute Books

Pages: 242

Genre: Paranormal

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

Buy It: Amazon   Barnes And Noble

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.

I give this 5/5.

Blog Tour And Giveaway: Dark Seraphine (Seraphine Trilogy #1) - KaSonndra Leigh, Book Review (170).

Dark Seraphine (Seraphine Trilogy #1)

by KaSonndra Leigh

Publication: 21st October 2012

Publisher: Createspace

Pages: 230

Genre: Paranormal

Age Appropriate: Young Adult

Buy It: Amazon   Barnes And Noble

"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!

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