Sunday, June 30, 2013

Above by Leah Bobet

Above:
Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee’s wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above—like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers.

But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe’s history and the shadows’ attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home—not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.







This is quite possibly the most mixed review I have ever written, but most importantly, I did enjoy this book.

While Leah Bobet penned a beautifully written, almost poetic story, there were honestly times that I just wanted to put this book down and never pick it up again. But then something would change and my attention would be pulled back into the story. The complex storyline could be so confusing at times, and at others so simplistic I considered it to be monotonous. There was little to no romance throughout the story, despite what the synopsis led me to believe. Matthew is the protagonist of the story, and told through his words we learn about Safe: a Sanctuary for people who are not quite normal. People considered Freaks by those who live on the surface and who would confine them to asylums for testing. The characters unfortunately at times fell flat on the page for me; they were shrouded in mystery that left me constantly asking questions and rarely did I feel that I received any answers.

What I did really love about the book was how Leah focused on the underlying story within the pages: belonging. Above comes across as a paranormal/science fiction novel, but it also deals with a subject more closer to home, discrimination. We never really find out why people have become mutated into a strangeness that the world cannot seem to deal with, but the society and world that the book encompasses is vivid and enigmatic. From start to finish, this book was an emotional roller coaster and the ending is definitely not the HEA we as book lovers are always looking for, but at the same time Leah could not have written it any more perfectly. Ending on a positive note, Leah’s incredible Above is a book I would recommend to paranormal lovers and is one for those who root for the quiet heroes.




Saturday, June 29, 2013

My Bookish Wants & Gots (52)


My Bookish Wants & Gots is a feature over at The Book Vixen. I list the books I want - which can be old, new, or upcoming releases - and the books I recently got.




The Shadow Tracer by Meg Gardiner
An explosive stand-alone thriller from the Edgar Award–winning writer Stephen King called “the next suspense superstar”.

Can a person ever really disappear for good by going off the grid? And what happens when vanishing is no longer an option?

Sarah Keller is a single mother to five-year-old Zoe, living quietly in Oklahoma. She’s also a skip tracer, an expert in tracking people who’ve gone on the lam to avoid arrest, prosecution, or debt—pinpointing their locations to bring them to justice.

When a school bus accident sends Zoe to the ER, their quiet life explodes. Zoe’s medical tests reveal what Sarah has been hiding: Zoe is not her daughter. Zoe’s biological mother—Sarah’s sister, Beth—was murdered shortly after the child’s birth. And Zoe’s father is missing and presumed dead.

With no way to prove her innocence, Sarah must abandon her carefully constructed life and go on the run. Chased by cops, federal agents, and the group responsible for Beth’s murder, Sarah embarks on a desperate journey. Can her knowledge as a skip tracer help her stay off the grid, remain one step ahead of her pursuers, and find a way to save her daughter?


The Girl Who was Supposed to Die by April Henry
“Take her out back and finish her off.”

She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that there are two men arguing over whether or not to kill her.

And that she must run.

In her riveting style, April Henry crafts a nail-biting thriller involving murder, identity theft, and biological warfare. Follow Cady and Ty (her accidental savior turned companion), as they race against the clock to stay alive.





Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
goodreads 
Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.

Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.

But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.


Crewel by Gennifer Albin
goodreads 
Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls. Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.


Friday, June 28, 2013

Cover Reveal: My Unexpected Forever by Heidi McLaughlin






ebook
Expected publication: 
September 2, 2013



I expected a life of music.

I expected to raise my son.


It took one look to make everything change.

I never expected happiness.

I never expected to find her.

I never expected to feel desire.

I never expected I’d be a family man.

I never expected to be loved.

I never expected to fall in love.

They say you should expect the unexpected. I didn’t realize my unexpected would be the forever kind.






Get the countdown widget below


Heidi McLaughling is offering My Unexpected Forever up for pre-buy for those attending the Naughty Mafia Rocks Vegas 2013. Pre-buy: http://bit.ly/11JRWEP




Pre-buy My Unexpected Forever for August delivery: http://heidimclaughlin.com/buy-books/













Heidi is the author of USA Today, Digital Book World, Amazon and Barnes & Noble Bestselling novel, Forever My Girl.



Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper Beagle/Jack Russell and two Parakeets.



During the day Heidi is behind a desk talking about Land Use. At night, she's writing one of the many stories planned for release or sitting court-side during either daughter's basketball games.


Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | Facebook | Blog 




Book Blitz: The Best is Yet to Come by Renee Peterson





The Best Is Yet To Come by Renee Peterson
Release Date: June 28, 2013


The Best Is Yet To Come is the final book in the Brothers of the Bayou series, but could be read as a stand alone novel.

Rafe Chauvin left his home in the blink of an eye twelve years ago, running from a secret he kept buried deep inside. The day after his high school graduation, he joined the Army to escape the pain the secret brought.
When Serena Adams told Rafe Chauvin the lie of a lifetime twelve years ago, she thought he would be relieved. She never imagined what consequences that one reckless night would lead to. After years of trying to escape her lies, she returns to her hometown in South Louisiana.

Hannah Matthews is a war widow. Her husband, Tom, left her behind with two very young daughters. Tom made his best friend Rafe promise that if anything was to happen to him that he would look after his girls. Bound by honor, Rafe keeps his promise, stepping and and forming a close friendship with Hannah.

When Serena is hired to plan the weddings of both Rafe’s brothers, they are brought together for the first time in over a decade. Lies are finally uncovered, leaving a trail of anger and bitterness in their wake. As the paths of these three individuals converge and they reach a crossroads in their lives, will they move forward and discover that the best is yet to come?

About the Author:
Renee Peterson is the self-published author of several works with many more in progress. Cliché has it seems, she has been writing most of her life, early in life falling in love with books. She spends most of her time raising two young kids and the remaining part of her time creating stories of the places she’s been and the places she wants to go. She grew up in the country side of Maryland, but has traveled around the country living in California’s Mojave Desert, along the Crystal Coast of North Carolina and now resides in the Cajun country of South Louisiana where she has fallen in love with the culture and food. Renee loves hearing from her fans and welcomes their feedback. You can send her a message at: authorreneepeterson@gmail.com.


Find Renee:
Website | Twitter | Facebook


Release Date Specials:

Book 1 (The Best Laid Plans) will be FREE on Amazon

Book 2 (The Best of Intentions) will be on sale for $0.99 on Amazon



Thursday, June 27, 2013

Thursday Thirteen (5)


Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. What kind of things? Any kind! Just come up with a list theme and run with it.
*All of my lists are in no particular order.*

Automatic Series “New Release” Purchases


1. Dirk & Steele series by Marjorie M. Liu

2. Dark-Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon

3. Carpathians (Dark) series by Christine Feehan

4. Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen

5. FBI Thriller series by Catherine Coulter

6. Midnight Breed series by Lara Adrian

7. Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter series by James R. Tuck

8. Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series by Kay Hooper

9. Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole

10. Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh

11. World of the Lupi series by Eileen Wilks

12. Black Ops Inc. series by Cindy Gerard

13. Nightcreature series by Lori Handeland


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Why Haven't I Read You? (21)

Every Wednesday I’ll choose a book off one of my (many) shelves that I haven’t read for some reason or another, and include the first few lines from the first page.
Feel free to join in, and leave your comments about the books I feature if you have read them!

Serena stood on the rock ledge twenty feet above the lake, singing in a voice known to bring tears to the eyes of everyone who heard it. Everyone except me.

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong






Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Future Favorites (128)


Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!



Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Release Date: February 25, 2014 by HarperTeen

When Davy tests positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome, aka “the kill gene,” she loses everything. Once the perfect high school senior, she is uninvited from her prep school and abandoned by her friends and boyfriend. Even her parents are now afraid of her—although she’s never hurt a fly. Davy doesn’t feel any differently, but genes don’t lie. One day she will kill someone.

Without any say in the matter, Davy is thrown into a special class for HTS carriers. She has no doubt the predictions are right about them, especially Sean, who already bears the “H” tattoo as proof of his violence. Yet when the world turns on the carriers, Sean is the only one she can trust. Maybe he’s not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.



Monday, June 24, 2013

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Darkness:
Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.


Beautiful Darkness is the second book in the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, and as much as I’m enjoying the storyline, I feel like I’m constantly wading through molasses. This book was much darker and gloomier than the first one, and I’m honestly more interested in the story of what is going to happen to Link in the third book, rather than of Ethan and Lena. For me, the books are very slow paced and it feels like you can draw a line down the center of the story; on one side you have Southern culture and on the other you have the magical world of the Casters, but the two are not blended seamlessly enough to really pull me into the story. The setting of the book, a small town in South Carolina almost seems to take over the pages and become a main character of the story itself. That being said, I did love the characters, especially Ethan and his best friend Link, who stood by Ethan no matter what crazy, or sometimes dangerous, paths they begin travel. Lena I could kind of take or leave in this story; she understandably changed because of the death of her uncle Macon, but she pulled away from Ethan at a time when she needed him most and let herself be influenced by the darker forces surrounding her. Things in the Caster world are thrown out of order when Lena chooses to be neither Dark nor Light Caster, saving most of her family members from the curse surrounding her decision. What really did spark my interest was the interesting mystery shrouding Ethan’s family history and as more secrets are revealed, the deeper entwined into the Caster world he becomes.





Cover Reveal: Nomad by J.L. Bryan


*Cover by PhatPuppy Art*

NOMAD by JL Bryan
Expected publication: July 26th 2013
goodreads

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.


About the Author:
J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, dogs Violet and Tiger Lily, and cats Shadow and Sue.

Find J.L. Bryan:
Website | Twitter | Facebook




Sunday, June 23, 2013

Kasadya: Hellhound Awakened Blog Tour & Giveaway



In a constant battle between good and evil, evil is dominating the battlefield and leading mankind to its destruction. With our Creator's intervention a creature destined to concur and destroy is created. He gives mankind hellhounds to fight back and reclaim freedom. Join seventeen year old Kasadya Levourne as she fights against evil to protect us. With each step she faces destruction, and yet she has the talent to give it back tenfold. Stubborn and hardheaded she makes her mark in the fallen world and starts a battle none can escape. Not even her trainer, the very attractive Chax de Luca, was prepared for her presence. Will evil prevail? Or will Kas and her fallen friends succeed in protecting us against it? Hold on to your seats, this is going to be one hell of a ride.


Excerpts:

“I can do more than that,” she said smiling. Getting up she walked over to an open spot near the window. When she turned around she wasn’t a girl anymore. She was two feet taller, and was covered in what look like fur. Her brown eyes were now yellow with black pupils. On her forehead were two small horns sticking out. But it was the two black bat-like wings lifting up behind her that did it for me. Oh my freaking soul! I am going to turn into a huge freaking bat! My legs turned into jelly and I planted my butt on the bed.

“For many years I have tried to make the others see the potential Astin and his fallen had, but it was always a failure. I watched these fallen take on demons ours haven’t even seen yet and walk out victorious. Do you know how many lives could have been saved if they just listened?” Chax said next to me, and I turned to look at him.  His eyes were on the crowd in front of us, but he turned to look at me. For the first time since meeting him I saw sadness, and deep pain.

I have become what one can only call a killing machine, where the fights started out as a curse; they now have become my quest. Every time I took one of their heads, pleasure would fill me; yeah a killing machine, a true Hellhound.

About the Author:

Karen lives in a small town in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. She shares her live with her husband, two sons and daughter. If she isn't reading she is writing.

Her preferred genres are Paranormal and Urban fantasy. Karen specializes in payroll and HRIS systems analysis and development. At the age of 21 Karen's professional success reached it highest platform, an outstanding achievement at such a young age.



Find Karen:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Friday, June 21, 2013

Forgotten Fridays (59)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope this helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens
First Published: February 2011
goodreads
My Review

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy hired him to be my bodyguard. Daddy thought I'd be safe. He thought I'd never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: Obsessed with keeping her safe and keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong.


Thursday, June 20, 2013

Thursday Thirteen (4)


Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. What kind of things? Any kind! Just come up with a list theme and run with it.
*All of my lists are in no particular order.*

Favorite One-Liners

1. “To die would be an awfully big adventure.” ~J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

2. And do you really think someone’s going to look at you and say, “Hmm, I think that girl’s a plant? ~Aprilynne Pike, Wings

3. “You forget, darling. I am the local psychopath.” ~Kelley Armstrong, Bitten

4. “You can’t turn the Sheriff onto a toad, Hannah. It’s against the rules.” ~Christine Feehan, Magic in the Wind

5. “Remember, we’re madly in love, so it’s all right to kiss me anytime you feel like it.” ~Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

6. “If she were going to die, I’d already be screaming. I’m a Banshee. That’s what we do.” ~Rachel Vincent, My Soul to Save

7. My eyes widened as I looked at him. “Then you bit me, you weirdo.” ~Michelle Rowen, Bitten & Smitten

8. “She’s my kitten, and no one else’s.” ~Jeaniene Frost, One Foot in the Grave

9. “I’m not bloodthirsty, but…seriously, she killed you. She needs to be dead.” ~Melissa Marr, Darkest Mercy

10. Give me a fight with a simple demon or devil any day, over the whims of a pissed off Fae Queen. ~Yasmine Galenorn, Bone Magic

11. Henry believed that Marbury was a world out of balance. He needs to take a closer look at this one. ~Andrew Smith, The Marbury Lens

12. I searched for something witty to say, settled for bare honesty. “I want to pee.” ~Lili St. Crow, Strange Angels

13. “Oh, we’re playing nice now? Shall we have tea first? Brew up a nice pot of Kiss-my-ass?” ~Julie Kagawa, The Iron King



Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Why Haven't I Read You? (20)

Every Wednesday I’ll choose a book off one of my (many) shelves that I haven’t read for some reason or another, and include the first few lines from the first page.
Feel free to join in, and leave your comments about the books I feature if you have read them!

Under the glare of streetlights, I could see that the grass of Stefan's front lawn had dried to yellow by the high summer heat. It had been mowed, but only with an eye to trimming the length of the grass, not making it aesthetically pleasing. Judging by the debris of dead grass in the yard, the lawn had been left to grow long enough that the city might have demanded that it be mowed. The grass that remained was so dry that whoever had cut it wouldn't have to do it again unless someone started watering.


River Marked by Patricia Briggs




Tuesday, June 18, 2013

RE-Covered: **New** Reveal for Cheryl Rainfield's STAINED

Sometimes You Have to Be Your Own Hero.


Release Date: October 1, 2013

Excerpt:

I touch my fingers against the smooth skin of my cheek. I can’t feel where the purple begins and ends, aside from it being slightly warmer, but I know exactly where it is—it spreads out from the right side of my nose, almost to my ear, and comes down to my bottom lip in a lopsided triangle.

I know I’m lucky; it could be worse. The port-wine stain just misses my forehead and eye, which means I don’t have glaucoma, seizures, and brain abnormalities. But I still feel like I’m from another planet. Maybe that’s why I love comics so much. Superheroes are always outsiders, and most had difficult childhoods. They feel like my people. I finger comb my hair over the right side of my face. I know from long practice by the weight of my hair and the angle it falls, that it’s covering my cheek enough to help me pass. I don’t need a mirror to know. Not that I own one.


Why Cheryl Wrote STAINED:


BLURBS for STAINED: 

“Powerful. I raced through it, wanting to know if Sarah would find a way to escape both her captor and her self-doubts. A real nail-biter! “
 - April Henry, New York Times Bestselling author of The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die
“A compelling, gutting, and ultimately triumphant read. You won't want to stop turning pages -- Or blink. Or breathe. -- until you reach the very last one.”
-Jennifer Brown, award-winning author of Hate List

“STAINED is dark, tense and gripping; a triumph of one girl's heart, soul and will to survive. Sarah's strength during her descent into terror kept me reading way past bedtime! “
-Laura Wiess, critically acclaimed author of Such a Pretty Girl


Buy the Book:
Amazon(hardcover) (well, it says you can get an email when available)

Future Favorites (127)


Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!



Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Release Date: January 28, 2014 by Avon

There’s always one more grave to dig.

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives—and those of everyone they hold dear— will be hovering on the edge of the grave.


Monday, June 17, 2013

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (147)


Books I read last week:
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Opal by Jrnnifer L. Armentrout


The book I’m reading now:
Beautiful Darnkess:
Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Kiss of the Rose by Kate Pearce