Wednesday 28 November 2012

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)

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

Tuesday 27 November 2012

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



Loving Summer (Loving Summer #1)

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.



Monday 26 November 2012

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


The Uprising (The Forsaken #2)

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



Book Review (171): Spectral - Shannon Duffy


Spectral

Publication: 10th April 2012
Publisher: Tribute Books
Pages: 242
Genre: Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Buy It: Amazon   Barnes And Noble
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.

Sunday 25 November 2012

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


Dark Seraphine (Seraphine Trilogy #1)

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!


Book Review (169): Timeless (Transcend Time Saga #3) - Michelle Madow


Timeless (Transcend Time Saga #3)

Publication: 20th November 2012
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Pages: 230
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Buy It: Amazon  Barnes 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.

For more information on Michelle and her books, please visit www.michellemadow.com.

Michelle lives in Florida, where she is hard at work writing more novels for young adults.



Friday 23 November 2012

Blog Tour And Giveaway: Reckoning (Dark Prophecy #1) - Molly M. Hall, Book Review (168).


Reckoning (Dark Prophecy #1)



Publication: 2nd October 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace Independant Publishing
Pages: 276
Genre: Paranormal
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Buy It: Amazon  Barnes 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.

Giveaway...

5 signed copies US ONLYa Rafflecopter giveaway



About this author

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


Contact Links...


Thursday 22 November 2012

Blog Tour And Giveaway: Colonization (Paradise Reclaimed #1) - Aubrie Dionne, Book Review (167).



Colonization (Paradise Reclaimed #1)

Publication: 7th November 2012
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Pages: 228
Genre: Dystopian/Science Fiction
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
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.
I give this 4/5.
Giveaway...


It is open to US, UK and Canada participants.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


About The Author...


Aubrie Dionne writes science fiction fantasy with romantic
elements. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade,
Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora
Wolf. Her books are published by Inkspell Publishing, Entangled Publishing,
Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She’s also a professional flutist in
New England.

Please visit her website:http://www.authoraubrie.com
Twitter: @authoraubrie