Sunday, 11 October 2015

Book Review (498): Once Upon A Zombie (The Color Of Fear #1) - Billy Phillips & Jenny Nissenson


Once Upon a Zombie (The Color Of Fear #1)

Publication: 1st October 2015
Publisher: The Toon Studio Press
Pages: 368
Genre: Fairytale Retellings, Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Buy It: Amazon + Barnes & Noble
Unexplainablenews.com is reporting strange phenomena in cemeteries in Scotland, Germany, Italy, and America. Only one individual knows what's happening - and why! This person also knows the one girl who can prevent an unspeakable and imminent catastrophe from taking place. But will she? When Caitlin Fletcher's mom disappeared (or left?) four years ago, Caitlin began suffering from breathless bouts of anxiety. Her new move to London, with her Dad and her brainiac sister, threatens to lead to more situations that will trigger panic. Now, she's having anxiety over the possibility of having anxiety! Caitlin's life takes a turn for the bizarre when she's tricked into climbing down a "rabbit hole", landing in a wondrous fairy tale universe - except it's crawling with savage, starving blood-eyed zombies. But what's scarier - a blood thirsty zombie, a panic attack....or the painful truth?!
My Thoughts.
I know I've said this numerous times over the years while blogging and reviewing but I absolutely adore fairytale retellings, so when I discovered this book and realised that not only does it feature every fairytale character you can think of like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel, The Little Mermaid, Belle from Beauty And The Beast and characters from Wizard Of Oz, Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan, I could go on and on, but there's a big twist they're all Zombies, that's right that's the angle this story took on and boy did it turn out well.

The integration of these characters of popular culture has brought to life a world and story that's certainly unique and hard to tear yourself away from, I loved the imagery of the characters and the world that they're living in, the storyline is intriguing and so full of adventure that there's never a dull moment, the way that we as readers come to discover and meet these colorful characters was so unexpected but totally cool and creepy at the same time.

I don't want to give too much away because I believe the fun in reading this is discovering everything yourself, but the quick version is a curse bestowed upon the fairytale lands by The Queen Of Hearts which has turned everyone Zombie, and only one person can reverse this curse otherwise they'll be left as Zombies forever, and so it's up to a human girl Caitlin Fletcher to save the Kingdoms and it's folk, I like the way they've set up the series for the next book, I cannot wait, this book was so enjoyable I just want to get my hands on the next one.

I can't recommend this book enough, for those who like a twist on their favorite fairytales then this is the series for you!

Plus kudos for the fantastic cover.

I give this 5/5 stars.




About the Authors
Billy Phillips is a writer, creative director and producer. He has ghost-written thirteen best selling non-fiction books, some of which surpassed a million copies sold. This is his debut novel. He owns a large vintage collection of fairy tale books and art and lives in sunny and all-too-dry Southern California.
Jenny Nissenson is a writer, producer and entertainer. She has written for Nickelodeon and lives in Hollywood, California with 1009 puppets and her twenty-five year old pet tortoise.
http://www.onceuponazombie.com/

Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Blog Tour: Spotlight & Giveaway: An Inheritance Of Ashes - Leah Bobet


Brought To You By Rockstar Book Tours.



Title: AN INHERITANCE OF ASHES
Author: Leah Bobet
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Pages: 400
Publisher: Clarion Books
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
The strange war down south—with its rumors of gods and monsters—is over. And while sixteen-year-old Hallie and her sister wait to see who will return from the distant battlefield, they struggle to maintain their family farm.

When Hallie hires a veteran to help them, the war comes home in ways no one could have imagined, and soon Hallie is taking dangerous risks—and keeping desperate secrets. But even as she slowly learns more about the war and the men who fought it, ugly truths about Hallie’s own family are emerging. And while monsters and armies are converging on the small farm, the greatest threat to her home may be Hallie herself.



About Leah:
Leah Bobet is a bookseller, publisher, and editor as well as a Pushcart-Prize nominated author. She lives in Toronto. www.leahbobet.com


Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of AN INHERITANCE OF ASHES. US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Schedule:


Week One:
9/28/2015- Literary MeanderingsInterview
9/29/2015- MEREADALOTReview
9/30/2015- Moonlight Gleam ReviewsGuest Post
10/1/2015- NerdophilesReview
10/2/2015- Stories & SweetiesExcerpt


Week Two:
10/5/2015- Falling For YAReview
10/6/2015- A Dream Within A DreamGuest Post
10/7/2015- Head Stuck In A BookReview
10/8/2015- Once Upon a TwilightInterview
10/9/2015- Book BriefsReview




Monday, 28 September 2015

Book Review (497): Sustained (The Legal Briefs #2) - Emma Chase


Sustained (The Legal Briefs #2)

by 
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series Overruled, so I had pretty high expectations for Sustained, and those expectations were blown out of the water I loved this book so much more than the first one and that was all because of the lead character Jake, I adored his romance with Chelsea and his interactions with the kids, need I mention anything more than the One Direction concert which I found extremely funny, in fact any scene where Jake was out of his comfort zone was highly enjoyable to me.

For someone known to never show any kind of emotion, and who was described as cold Jake was surprisingly delightful to have as the only point of view in Sustained, the change in his attitude and character throughout had me falling in love with him, the story drew me in from the first page and I couldn't get enough, I wish that the book was longer than it was, I didn't want to say goodbye to Jake, Chelsea or the six kids, I was just so absorbed, intrigued and utterly fascinated with all the goings-on.

Also enjoyable was the frequent appearances of Stanton, Sofia and Brent, I love the scenes with the four of them all together, I'm extremely anxious to read Brent's book, I think it will be very entertaining, although it will have to be pretty spectacular to overtake Sustained as my favorite book of The Legal Briefs series.

I seriously need to pick up Emma's other series, I really enjoy her writing and I want to fall in love with a whole new set of her characters, I highly recommend this series, especially this book.

I give this 5/5 stars.

ABOUT EMMA CHASE

By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother of two who resides in a small, rural town in New Jersey. By night she is a keyboard crusader, toiling away the hours to bring her colorful characters and their endless antics to life. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.
Emma is an avid reader. Before her children were born she was known to consume whole books in a single day. Writing has also always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true.

Sunday, 6 September 2015

Book Review (496): Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1) - Abbi Glines


Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1)






I have been a huge Abbi Glines fan for quite a while now, I know that when I pick up one of her books whether it be YA or New Adult I will find myself immersed and enraptured in whatever world of hers I'm reading at the time, her ability to transition between the two different age brackets is flawless never have I read a bad book by her, I love them all, and Until Friday Night is no different.

I knew just from reading the synopsis that I was going to enjoy this book, Abbi can write tragedy extremely well, with her writing you can find yourself overcome with emotion, which I did more than a few times throughout this story, but I find that's the way to tell if someone is a great writer, if I find myself crying while reading a book and it wasn't just the once then that's the making of a true author, to have you caring enough about a character(s) that you feel their every pain as if it were your own, and that's what I'm guaranteed to get with every book of Abbi's that I pick up, she is one of the best author's around, and I can't get enough of her books.

I'm glad that this is going to be a series and not just a standalone, there are quite a few characters that deserve their own books, Brady in particular who's book I'm hoping will be released next, and also glad that while the series is based around American football it's not heavy with information about the game, there is mention of a couple of things but for those of us not into sport it's a welcome relief that the story isn't saturated with all that is football.

I can certainly see myself re-reading Until Friday Night at some point, it was thoroughly enjoyable, with just the right amount of drama and romance that will keep you glued to the pages, another winner from Abbi, I suggest that everyone should pick this up.

I give this 5/5 stars.


When Abbi isn’t locked away in her office typing away she is hauling her kids to and from their many social activities. You could say her second job is the Glines Kids persoSince publishing her first novel Breathe in May of 2011, Abbi has also released The New York Times bestselling Seabreeze Series which includes Breathe, Because of Low, While It Lasts, Just For Now and Sometimes It Last, The Existence Trilogy that includes the USA Today Bestseller Ceaseless. New York Times and USA TODAY bestsellers The Vincent Boys and The Vincent Brothers. Last but not least her most popular series to date, Rosemary Beach which includes The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers Fallen Too Far, Never Too Far, Forever Too Far, Twisted Perfection and Simple Perfection. Her newest book scheduled to be released on December 17th, 2013 is Misbehaving (Seabreeze).nal chauffeur. It’s a rather illustrious job.
 She maintains a Twitter addiction at @AbbiGlines and can also be found at facebook.com/AbbiGlinesAuthor and AbbiGlines.com.

Wednesday, 2 September 2015

Book Review (495): Tracker's End (Wind Dragons MC #3) - Chantal Fernando


Tracker's End (Wind Dragons MC #3)

by 




Age Appropriate: Adult
Buy It: The Book Depository
The third in a sexy romance series from the bestselling author of Saxonand Toxic Girl about the bad boys of the Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club and the women who fall in love with them.

Tracker is everything I’ve ever wanted.

I see him. I’ve watched time change him.

I’ve been patient, but he still hasn’t noticed me. Not the way I want him to. The more time I spend with the MC, the more I understand.

When you want something, you have to take it. You have to fight for it.

And Tracker is more than worth fighting for…
 
My Thoughts.
I have been anxiously awaiting Tracker's story ever since I read the first book in the Wind Dragons MC series, his was a character that had me intrigued from the get go and I was eager for his book to be released, and I'm so happy to say that I wasn't disappointed.

Chantal knows how to write hot, steamy and sexy alpha males, the kind that will leave you weak in the knees and hot under the collar, and this series is full of them.

The intrigue of life and day to day living in a motorcycle club certainly makes for an interesting storyline, whilst living my life that way wouldn't be my cup of tea it's definitely exciting and interesting to read about.

With feisty, intelligent and strong kick ass heroines to boot, we are given such well rounded and developed characters that make this series an addictive one sitting read.

I can't wait to find out who's book will be next although I'm hoping it will be Rake, I think his story will be just as good as Tracker's would.

Another great installment of a series that I recommend everybody who loves this genre should pick up.

I give this 5/5 stars.



chantal fernandoNew York Times, Amazon & USA Today Bestselling Author Chantal Fernando is twenty seven years old and lives in Western Australia.
Lover of all things romance, Chantal is the author of the best selling books Dragon’s Lair, Maybe This Time and many more.
When not reading, writing or daydreaming she can be found enjoying life with her three sons and family.
Chantal loves to hear from readers and can be found here:

Sunday, 30 August 2015

Book Review (494); Safe At Last (Slow Burn #3) - Maya Banks


Safe at Last (Slow Burn #3)

by 
Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | BAM
My Thoughts.
The Slow Burn series is incredibly hard to put down once you've picked one of the books up, filled with suspense, pulse pounding action, romance and of course terrific story-telling, they are very addictive and you'll find time passing by very quickly so absorbed you'll find yourself in each and every one of the books.

Safe At Last deals with a very sensitive matter, one that can at times be hard to read about but Maya has done a very good job of tackling the subject sensitively and with the compassion and delicateness that this story needed, there is a lot of violence towards women in this book but it's dealt with in a way that hopefully shouldn't offend or upset anyone in any way, and that is because of the strength and professionalism of Maya's incredible writing.

While these books are primarily contemporary romantic suspense in nature, I also enjoy the heroines in each and every book having a psychic gift in some sense, adding a bit extra to the storyline and setting this series aside from it's counterparts.

I look forward to the next installment, Wade and Eliza are a couple that I can't wait to read about, a highly recommended series that I can't get enough of.

I give this 5/5 stars.



Maya Banks is a multiple #1 USA Today and New York Times bestselling author whose chart toppers have included erotic romance, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, Scottish historical romances. She is the author of the Breathless Trilogy, the Surrender Trilogy, the KGI novels, the Sweet series, and the Colters Legacy novels.

She lives in the South with her husband and three children and other assorted babies, such as her two Bengal kitties and a Calico who’s been with her as long as her youngest child. She’s an avid reader of romance and loves to dish books with her fans and anyone else who’ll listen! She very much enjoys interacting with her readers on Facebook and Twitter as well as in her Yahoo! Group.





(ARC) Book Review (493): The Dead Girls Of Hysteria Hall - Katie Alender


The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall


Publication: 25th August 2015
Publisher: Point
Pages: 336
Genre: Horror
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
In this asylum, your mind plays tricks on you all the time…

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females—an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls—truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

From master of suspense Katie Alender comes a riveting tale of twisted memories and betrayals, and the meaning of madness.
My Thoughts.
As soon as I first saw the title and cover of The Dead Girls Of Hysteria Hall I knew this was a book that I wanted to read, the blurb only made me even more eager for it, so receiving an ARC for review had me very excited.

I don't generally read a lot of books that feature ghosts, only because I like to read before bed and reading something like this creeps me out, in the dark at night, every little sound having you second guess what is making that noise, it got to the point where it was freaking me out so much I could only read it during the day, that was how well written this story was.

The twist at the start of the book was unexpected and shocking, not what I was expecting at all and that added to the eeriness and sense of anticipation this story held, nerve-wracking and at times heart-racing there is never a dull moment.

There seems to be nothing more creepier than a supposedly abandoned asylum, as I can attest to after making my way through this book.

Those who are looking for a thrilling story that will be sure to give you a bit of a scare, definitely give The Dead Girls Of Hysteria Hall a try, you won't be disappointed.

I give this 4/5 stars.


Katie Alender author photo 300x375About the Author:

Katie Alender is the author of The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall, Famous Last Words, Marie Antoinette: Serial Killer, and the Bad Girls Don’t Die series. She is a graduate of the Florida State University Film School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. When she’s not writing novels, she can usually be found quilting, reading, eating delicious high-calorie foods, and hanging out with her friends (on very special occasions, she manages to do all of those things at once).

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