Monday 30 December 2019

The Merciful Crow (The Merciful Crow #1) by Margaret Owen (Review)

       Plague doctor, meets magical people, meets class struggles, meets racial-like group divides; The Merciful Crow successfully merges many different topics and ideas into an actually fun read. Fie is a Merciful Crow, and a future chieftain of her group of crows. She is loyal, dedicated and always puts her Crows first. They are the lowest caste in their society, and they go from place to place in poverty, collecting those with the plague, as they are immune, mercy killing them and burning their corpses to prevent the spread of the plague. It is a thankless and reviled but much needed job. When collecting the dead of the highest class, those of royalty, Fie and her clan get sucked into a battle to save the throne and ultimately save a hunted prince and his brother like Hawk guard. Why? Because if they succeed, the prince is sworn to save and protect the hunted and hated Crow caste.
        I enjoyed reading The Merciful Crow. The world building was really well done and I found myself believing in the magic in the universe. The teeth magic that Fie uses was believable and didn't reach a point of being overpowered, which I find authors often struggle to avoid with magical powers. I also enjoyed the loyalty Fie displayed, and the author avoided a lot of pouting and having the character making dumb-out-of-character choices to forward the plot, and Fie was allowed to stay consistently loyal and rational at the same time. All in all, I really enjoyed The Merciful Crow and I give it the rating of FOUR AND A HALF OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Monday 2 December 2019

Book Blitz: Meet Me in the Strange by Leander Watts!

Meet Me in the Strange
by Leander Watts
Published by: Meerkat Press
Publication date: March 27th 2018
Genres: Coming of Age, Fantasy, Young Adult
2019 IPPY SILVER MEDALIST – YOUNG ADULT
Meet Me in the Strange is an intoxicating adventure set in a glittery, retro-futuristic world of glam rock, spectral aliens, and gender-bendy teens. Davi is mesmerized by a girl at a concert, who appears to lose herself in the power of the otherworldy music of Django Conn. Later, through a chance meeting, Davi becomes friends with the girl, Anna Z. She is like no one Davi has ever met: she loves to talk, talk, talk and has grandiose theories of the next evolution of humans and a strange phenomenon she calls the “Alien Drift.”But danger lurks around every corner, because Anna Z is on the run, and her cruel and controlling older brother is determined to find her, at any cost. Davi faces a daunting decision, go on living a safe existence at the magical Angelus Hotel, which has been in the family for generations, or help Anna Z escape her troubled past. When the two take off to follow the concert tour of their glam-rock idol, Django Conn, Davi and Anna Z will face the biggest threat of their young lives.
Now available in paperback!
EXCERPT:
It was like she’d lost everything. Her name, her voice, any idea who she was or what she looked like, who the people were around her. The only thing that mattered was right there in front of her on the stage.
We were up close—masses of glam-girls and glister-boys all reaching out at the air like we could feel the music in our hands and pull it into ourselves. Wild kids pushing and pulsing with the music. Not really dancing. But it was music and bodies, so what else could you call it?
And it was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen because the girl was gone—not just freaked or blissed-out. She’d let go, totally, of everything.
I got that first glimpse of her about halfway through the show, and it was like I was split right down the middle of my skull. One half was still there with the rest of the crowd, the band like the Horses of Apollo carrying me upward with the fiery sound. And one half of me was zapped by seeing this girl, like a knife juiced with electricity cutting into my brain. She was gone, vanished, disappeared inside herself.
I was cranked up like all the other five thousand fan-kids who’d come to hear Django Conn, and see him and feel him. Some of them had dyed orange, cockatoo haircuts just like Django. Some—boys and girls—had eye makeup, silvery mascara, and big, shiny slashes of lipstick, dangly earrings and platform shoes, feathers and fishnets, and the whole glam look. But this girl was different.
She had glasses, ordinary eyeglasses. They were steamed over and caught the spotlights from the stage, oozy reds and liquid purples. Her hair was black, long and damp in snaky-sexy locks that clung to her face and her neck. And just for a second, I thought she looked like somebody who was shipwrecked, drowning in a sea, dying almost but okay with that, or more than okay, letting the waves sweep her up and away.
I don’t remember what she had on. Doesn’t matter. Was she pretty? Maybe. Beautiful? Doubtful. Amazing? Absolutely.
She wasn’t one of them, not exactly, trying to look like, trying to be Django. And neither was I, even though I’d been waiting months for this show, and I loved Man in the Moon in the Man more than just about anything in the world. I’d been listening to the new album nonstop for weeks, my new diamond needle wearing out the grooves.
For the song “She’s the Hype,” the lights went into a wild black and white strobe. Off and on and off and on, pulsing, slamming, stuttering. And the girl kept appearing and disappearing. Not like a ghost all wispy and see-through. In flashes, for a second or two, she was solid, real, realer than anything. It was like the light itself was a drum, pounding light hitting the crowd in sudden bursts. I got a glimpse, and then she was gone. Then back again, broken up into frames like an old film, flickering in and out of reality.
Nobody was paying attention to other people. Nobody but me. All eyes were on Django, and all ears were blasted by the band. So when the girl lost it, when she totally lost it, I was the only one who saw and got it. Private, secret, just me and her alone, even though we were surrounded by five thousand others at the Maxima. Just me and her in that secret place.
The band got hotter, and the crowd got wilder. Django got fiercer, jumping into “I Asked for Water but She Gave me Gasoline.” And I lost sight of the girl, like the tidal waves pushed us apart, a couple of pieces of broken driftwood in a blackwater storm.
Django did all my faves: “I Fear No Venom,” “Girls Will Be Boys,” “Empire of Light,” “Pavlov’s Daughters.” They finished up with “Flash Bang Baby.” And then Django vanished in a sudden cloud, like a puff ball when it bursts and shoots that cloud of dust-spores into the air. It was like he blew up right there in front of five thousand fans. One second he was singing the last line from the last song on Man in the Moon in the Man, over and over again: “You’re all I’ve ever had!” Then the band crashed to the end of the song, and it looked as if he’d exploded. It was just a stage trick of course, lights and smoke like a magician uses to cover up his best illusion. But Django blew up and the dust spores whooshed out over us, a cloud of powder pink and velvety violet, and that was the end of the show.

Author Bio:
An avid musician, Leander Watts has played and sung for decades in a wide variety of bands. His interests range from garage rock to skronky jazz, from baroque organ to Appalachian gospel. The first rock concert he attended was David Bowie on the Diamond Dogs tour in 1974. He teaches writing and literature at the State University of New York at Geneseo (his alma mater). Leander Watts is the author of STONECUTTER, WILD RIDE TO HEAVEN, TEN THOUSAND CHARMS, and BEAUTIFUL CITY OF THE DEAD.

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Saturday 30 November 2019

Crown of Coral and Pearl (Crown of Coral and Pearl #1) by Mara Rutherford (Review)

   Nor was born and raised in a water locked village on the sea. No land, just planks houses and water. She and her twin sister Zadie were raised to be beautiful, to be perfect. Perfection means being chosen, and being chosen means going to the mainland, and going to the mainland as the chosen girl means marrying the prince, it means becoming the queen. It also means never getting to come home again, never seeing their twin sister again, and losing everything they know. After a childhood injury, Zadie becomes the default choice, and their fates seemed set in stone, but as the day of choosing grows closer, the sisters become unhappy about their lot, and when a great tragedy strikes, Nor is thrust into a whole new world where things are not as they seem and things are far more dangerous then she had ever considered.
     I fairly enjoyed Crown of Coral and Pearl. It wasn't what I thought it would be. For some reason I was expecting a more aquatic focused novel, but this story was very tension and action entered instead. The locations change, and are almost inconsequential compared to the deep focus on political danger and drama. This wouldn't sound like something I would like, but I really did. It was fairly fantastic. I found I really liked the characters or Nor and Zadie, and the tensions in the novel towards the end were just fantastic. There was a great slow tension build in this novel. As to not spoil anything, I'll leave that there. All in all, I loved Crown of Coral and Pearl and give it the rating of FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Thursday 31 October 2019

Gravemaidens (Gravemaidens #1) by Kelly Coon (Review)

      When the king of Alu grows ill, an ancient ceremony is initiated to send three women (gravemaidens) as his brides into the afterlife. Kammani is a young woman in Alu, and wants nothing more than to be a as great a healer as her father, and to restore her family through her great skill. She's on the path to accomplishing that goal, but then her world is then thrown into utter chaos as the king grows ill and her sister is selected as one of the gravemaidens destined to die. As everyone else celebrates the honour, Kammani sees what it is: a death sentence. It is up to Kammani to save her sister the only way she knows how, to heal the king. Penalty for failing? Both she and her sister will die. With the stakes being this high, she has no room for mistakes or failure, esspecially when there are people who want nothing more than to make sure the king does not get healed.
       Gravemaidens was a mediocre to good read. I didn't love it, and probably won't re-read it, but I will be continuing in the series. I had a good time trying to figure out the mystery of it, and I was genuinely rooting for Kammani. My only issue was that I found this book dragged a little bit, and took a while to really capture my attention. I don't think this book is for everyone, and I don't believe that is the most interesting read ever, but I also cannot determine anything very wrong with it; so all in all, I would have to give Gravemaidens the rating of THREE AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Tuesday 15 October 2019

Book Blitz: Scorpion Blood by Stephany Wallace & J.L. Weil!

Scorpion Blood 
by Stephany Wallace & J.L. Weil
(Supernatural Taskforce Academy, Mission 1)
Publication date: October 15th 2019
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
What does an ex-military, a vampire, a phoenix, a wolf shifter,
a fae, and a witch all have in common?
Nothing… other than being handpicked to save the world.
May the Gods save us all.
If someone had told young, ex-Delta Force Ethan James, that supernatural creatures were real, he would have laughed. See to believe was his motto, until one day he was kidnapped by a being that could only exist in dreams… or nightmares. Taken to a place where having extraordinary abilities is the norm, he’ll be offered the opportunity of a lifetime.
The Supernatural Taskforce Academy—or STA as it’s known—is an elite academy for witches, fae, shifters, vampires, and every other class of supernaturals with exceptional skills. But what the heck does STA want with a human? An ex-soldier at that?
Renna Blackwood doesn’t play nice with others. She might have a mean girlreputation, who snubs her nose at the rules, but with skills like hers, she has rightfully earned every ounce of that reputation. She is a bleeding vampire for God’s sake. So, when the council assigns her the task of awakening new members for the academy, Renna isn’t the least bit surprised.
Until she sees who her partner is…
A mortal. With a heartbeat.
Swell. This should be fun.
EXCERPT:
Startling sapphire blue eyes pierced through me, seeming to glow in the darkness, and made only brighter by her pale skin and long obsidian hair. She had plumped lips stained dark, and I couldn’t stop my eyes from continuing their admiration. What I considered perfect breasts, were tightly wrapped in a leather crop top that allowed me to gaze at her tiny waist, and flat stomach. Her skin soon took on curves made from my dreams, widening into perfectly round hips clad in tight leather pants.
Yep. I was done for.
Blood rushed through my body in response—to all the right places, but at the worst possible moment. When my gaze returned to hers, I found her eyes taking every inch of me too, but she wasn’t just memorizing my eight pack, biceps and pecs, she stared at me dumbfounded. Like she knew me.
“What the hell are you doing here?!” she suddenly barked, but forced herself to swallow, like the sight of me in nothing but jeans and boots flustered her.
“What?” I asked, confused and hypnotized by her all at once.
“Renna, excuse me. A little help over here!” a girl shouted from the other end of the room. What looked like energy spheres burst from her hands toward the Spider Queen, that was chasing a young man with glasses as he ran for his life, screaming like a girl.
What the fuck?
“Are there any bullets left in that thing?” the beauty called Renna asked me.
“Yes, I have six shots left.”
“Okay, I’m going to wrangle Miss Itsy Bitsy over there, and you shoot her.”
“It won’t do anything. Her body swallowed the bullets. I was only able to slow her down by—”
“Shut up,” she ordered. “You are wasting time. Just shoot her in the eyes.” Turning, she ran full force toward the creature, her body blurring in front of my eyes from the insane speed she possessed.
What the fuck is happ—I was barely able to think the question, before she sent the whip flying through the air again. The iron cord wrapped around the creature’s neck, pulling her back from attacking her guy friend, and slamming her against the ground with force. But Renna didn’t stop there…

Author Bio:
J.L. Weil is a USA TODAY Bestselling author of teen & new adult paranormal romance, fantasy, and urban fantasy books about spunky, smart mouth girls who always wind up in dire situations. For every sassy girl, there is an equally mouthwatering, overprotective guy. She lives in Illinois with her family who put up with her Supernatural and Harry Potter fanatics. It's a problem.
Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Bestselling Author Stephany Wallace has been writing since she was about 12 years old. Thanks to the influence of her Literature teacher who was also a poet, began to write Poetry, which allowed her passion for writing to grow. Writing songs followed as her love extended to music. An artist at heart and soul, she enjoys all forms of Art, and occasionally indulges in drawing, playing her guitar, and singing.
Shortly after my NPR debut, she won two awards as Best Debut Author 2016, Hidden Magic won the award for Best Debut Novel and her Oh, so #CynfullyDelicious character, Cynwrig "Cyn" Bressall, won Best Book Boyfriend From Another Country.
She currently writes Fantasy Romance, Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance and any other AWESOME Fantasy genre.
As any die-hard Star Wars and Disney fan would naturally do, she moved to Orlando to be closer to Disney a few years back, where she lives happily ever after with her family. Now, she spends her days listening to book boyfriends and headstrong heroines tell her what to do.
Steph, has many more adventures to embark on, so make sure you join her in her magical journey.
Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Tuesday 1 October 2019

Cover Reveal: The Mercenary's Daughter by Jessica Therrien & Joe Gazzam!

The Mercenary’s Daughter
by Jessica Therrien & Joe Gazzam
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: March 31st 2020
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
When Special Ops recruit, Tara Kafee is dishonorably discharged, there’s only one place to go—Home.
But there’s more waiting for her there than she’s ready for.
It’s been four years since she’s been back and ten since her mother walked out on the family never to be heard of again.
She’s determined to rekindle things with her father and keep him close. That is, until he goes missing.
Soon after stumbling upon a safe room full of weapons, fake passports, and a mission’s dossier marking a target in Cuba, she reluctantly accepts the help of her angsty teenage brother. He’s the only one she can trust, so together, the two set out for Havana.
Tara is determined to get her father back, whatever it takes, but things are never easy when you’re the mercenary’s daughter.

Author Bio:
Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. Her trilogy has been translated and sold through major publishers around the world, such as Editions AdA (Canada), EditionsMilan (France), and SharpPoint Press (China).
Aside from her Children of the Gods series, Jessica is the author of a kid's picture book called, The Loneliest Whale. Her award-winning stories can also be found in a published anthology of flash fiction.
Jessica spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no streetlights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language.
In 2003, Jessica attended California State University Long Beach where her passion for language found her studying Chinese, and in 2005 she moved to Taiwan to study abroad. From 2005 to 2006 Jessica was fully immersed in the Chinese language as she attended National Taiwan University, and in 2008 she graduated from San Diego State University magna cum laude.
Jessica currently lives in Irvine with her husband and two young sons. She is working on a new YA thriller/suspense series and a middle grade fantasy series.
Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Screenwriter/Novelist Joe Gazzam has been a working screenwriter for 8 years working on such films as:
Shadow Run
Cliffhanger
21 Jump Street
Barbarella
Step Up: Revolution
Disney's Hawaiian Adventure
It Takes a Thief
Anubis Tapestry
(and many more)
His debut novel, UNCAGED, out now!
Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram

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Monday 30 September 2019

Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves #2) by Mary E. Pearson (Review)

     The sequel to the much loved Dance of Thieves, in Vow of Thieves starts with Kazi and Jase travelling back home Tor's Watch, all while... canoodling to pass their evenings. While traveling back, Kazi gets signs that things might not be great up ahead, and when they finally get back, they are attacked and Jase escapes mortally wounded, and Kazi is captured. Tor's Watch had fallen and alone and in captivity, Kazi is devastated and listless. She wants revenge, but her captors have Jase's kid siblings and if she lashes out, they will pay the price. Unsure what to do, Kazi has to navigate protecting Tor's Watch, the children and protected herself.
       Just like Dance of Thieves, I really enjoyed Vow of Thieves. The characters were all fun to read, dramatic and exhilarating, and I was often on the edge of my seat while reading this book. I will attempt not to spoil anything important, but I do have to say that the plot twist and turns in this novel had me actively gasping as I read. Kazi is still a great character. She is tough and capable, but the author didn't feel the need to make her heartless and gave her a sensitive and vulnerable side, which I love. I often find authors ruin powerful female characters by taking away vulnerabilities and feminine traits from them. I respect that Mary E. Pearson doesn't do that. I love all of her strong female characters because they are allowed to still be women and identifiable to a female audience. All in all, read this series, and I give Vow of Thieves the rating of FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Tuesday 17 September 2019

Book Blitz: Merged by Jim Kroepfl & Stephanie Kroepfl

Merged
by Jim and Stephanie Kroepfl
Published by: Month9Books
Publication date: September 17th 2019
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Seven of our country’s most gifted teens will become Nobels, hosts for the implantation of brilliant Mentor minds, in an effort to accelerate human progress.
But as the line between what’s possible and what’s right, draws ever blurrier, the teens discover everything has a cost.
Scientists have created an evolved form of living known as Merged Consciousness, and sixteen-year-old Lake finds herself unable to merge with her Mentor.
Lake, the Nobel for Chemistry and Orfyn, the Nobel for Art, are two from among the inaugural class of Nobels, and with the best intent and motivation. But when Stryker, the Nobel for Peace, makes them question the motivation of the scientists behind the program, their world begins to unravel.
As the Nobels work to uncover the dark secrets of the program’s origins, everyone’s a suspect and no one can be trusted, not even the other Nobels.
As the Mentors begin to take over the bodies and minds of the Nobels, Lake and Orfyn must find a way to regain control before they lose all semblance or memory of their former selves.
EXCERPT:
Depending on your point of view, I’m either famous or infamous. I’m called by many names: Ward of the State, Orphaned, Foofool (only by Sister Mo), and Kevin. That last one makes me feel like I’m wearing someone else’s clothes. Tight and loose in all the wrong places. So, I came up with my own name, though no one has ever connected it to me. The identity of street artists should never be revealed.
I flick turpentine at a rat that’s getting a little too curious about my brushes. The alley smells like something died, making me wonder if there’s a body in the dumpster. Michelangelo cut up dead people to better understand how we’re built. If he was willing to do that for his art, I can endure this stink for one night. I breathe through my mouth and get back to work.
After four straight hours, the painting is coming along great, and I know I can finish it before people start heading out for their nine-to-five jobs. I paint madly, getting lost in the scene, moving from figure to figure, jersey to jersey. It’s my best work yet, and I want this one to last.
At least, for a few days.

Author Bio:
Jim and Stephanie Kroepfl are a husband-and-wife team who write YA novels and stories of mystery and adventure from their cabin in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Their debut novel, Merged, will be released by Month9Books on September 17, 2019.



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Monday 9 September 2019

Book Blitz: The Last Huntsman by Page Morgan!

The Last Huntsman
by Page Morgan
Publication date: September 9th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
No women. No children. No torture. The Huntsman has his rules.
For years, Tobin has done his emperor’s bidding, eliminating threats to the Empire of Morvansk. But when he is ordered to kill the lovely Princess Mara, Tobin’s absolute loyalty ends. The emperor’s punishment is swift and lethal, and Tobin is left with only one desire: vengeance.
Stay quiet. Stay hidden. Stay free. These are the rules Ever lives by.
Raised as a boy by her overprotective father, Ever has something the Morvansk emperor covets: mirror magic. With it, she can see anyone, anywhere, through the mirror’s glass. The emperor stole her mother years ago for this same magic, and now, he wants Ever, too.
When Ever’s mirror shows the wounded rebel huntsman approaching her village, she’s compelled to help him. But as Tobin and Ever grow closer, and their secrets intertwine, they’ll have to follow the rules they’ve always lived by—or break free from them, once and for all.
EXCERPT:
The shriek of a bird drew my eyes to the trees above. When I looked down, Mara stepped into the clearing. The call of the nuisance bird muted, as did everything else in the world surrounding the glade. She came through the tall grasses, her lavender colored skirts gathered in her hands to keep the hem from getting soiled against the ground.
I closed my eyes and forced forward the image of my mother. Of Kinn, of Lael. The worst five minutes of my life were about to unfold, and I had to keep those three faces present if I had any hope of following through.
I opened my eyes as Mara searched the glade for Orin, the man she believed had beckoned her there. She lifted her face to the sun, most likely chilled from the walk through the dim forest.
Mother.
Kinn.
Lael.
I looked into the hushed wood. Her ladies would have made plenty of noise had they followed, and her guards’ steel swords and metal fixtures would have been a clattering racket. She’d come alone, just as the note had bid.
She fiddled nervously with the front tucks of her skirt, not seeing me as I stood. I parted the flexible pines and stepped past the young green needles, coming to the edge of the brook’s banking. It was then that the princess spotted me. She let out a small yelp and dropped her skirts. Covering her mouth with her hands, Mara released her breath.
“Huntsman, you frightened me.” She lowered her hand and sent me a small smile, though it quickly fell. “What are you doing here? You didn’t…did you read the note you delivered this morning?”
Don’t look at her. Don’t listen to her.
“Forgive me, of course you didn’t. Are you hunting?” she asked as I stepped across the three rocks in the brook and into the glade.
The sun hit me, and my legs turned to dead weight. They didn’t want to move any closer. My hands, too, stayed heavy at my sides. The blade with the prince’s crest was inside my trouser waistline, and my own personal blades were where I always kept them.
“I’m meeting the prince,” she said, her voice notched louder. “It’s not very indecent, considering we are to be married,” she added with a half smile.
I strode through the grass toward her, pushing the slab of stone in my chest lower to crush the rapid beating of my heart. Mara’s shrewd eyes narrowed. My presence made her nervous, yet she didn’t back away as I came to within a foot of her.
Mother.
Kinn.
Lael.
“The prince is not coming.”
Mara looked sideways at me. “How do you know this?” Her facial muscles went slack. “You’ve done something to him.”
“I’ve already told you,” I said. Level. Clear. “The emperor did not send me to kill the prince.”
She wanted to believe me. Just like she believed me the other night when I said we were friends. I could see it in the way she shifted her bottom lip side to side, gripping the inside of it with her teeth.
“Then why have you followed me here?” she asked.
There was not supposed to be any conversation. I’d been taught to be brief, to make sure the target knew who had come for him and why, and then to finish before the target could beg or offer money in return for leniency.
“I didn’t follow you.” I reached inside my jacket and gripped Orin’s blade, the gold of the crossed hilt cool under my hot, sweaty palm.
She stared at me with a confused grimace, paying no attention to my hand.
“I led you here,” I said. “It is Emperor Frederic’s order, princess. I am only his servant.”
The last sentence spilled out of my mouth unintentionally, and with it, I caught the first whiff of my decaying will. The Huntsman didn’t explain himself. The Huntsman didn’t make excuses.
I pulled the dagger and stepped forward so swiftly Mara didn’t know to resist. She was taller than me, but I was stronger and faster; I wrapped my arm around her neck and her knees buckled, her chin wedging tight inside my crooked elbow. She screamed, but my bicep and forearm squelched it into a sputtering croak.
Mother.
Kinn.
Lael.

Author Bio:
Page is the author of THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED, THE LOVELY AND THE LOST, and THE WONDROUS AND THE WICKED, young adult gothic thrillers critically acclaimed by Booklist, Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, VOYA, and The Bulletin. Page's novels have been an IndieNext selection, a Seventeen Magazine Summer Book Club Read, and a #1 Amazon bestseller. Her next book, THE LAST HUNTSMAN, is a reimagining of the Huntsman and Magic Mirror from the tale of Snow White. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and their three daughters, an English Pointer, an arrogant cat, two boring bearded dragons, a one-eared bunny, a bunch of chickens, and during the summer and fall, their neighbor's two sweet horses.

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Monday 2 September 2019

Book Blitz: Sacrifices by Roxanna Rose!

Sacrifices
by Roxanna Rose
(Legacy Series, #3)
Publication date: September 1st 2019
Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Morrigan, Goddess of Uncontrollable Lust and Killing Rage, is trapped in the mind of the immortal she created. For more than 2000 years they search for the means to destroy the Goddess Brighid, freeing Morrigan’s trapped spirit and allowing her to release the full malevolence of her power on the mortal realm.
Jenna thought her grandmother’s eccentric behavior was a product of the tragedy that left them as their family’s only survivors. Learning the truth of her family’s connection to the Goddess Brigid, Jenna is plunged into a legacy she never asked for as she becomes hunted by the murderous Goddess Morrigan. Can she survive a world she never knew existed?
Greagoir spent more than two millennia reveling in the carnage and lust that came with being the chosen immortal of Morrigan. But when he looks at Jenna, he sees the face of his beloved Genovefa, the woman he lost long ago. Is he willing to cross Morrigan and sacrifice his freedom?
The Otherworld demands sacrifices. Someone will pay the ultimate one.
EXCERPT:
Once they got into the car Julie pulled out her phone.
“Thanks for keeping him distracted.”
Julie pulled up selfies of her sprawled out across a huge bed in various poses.
“What are you, twelve? I can’t believe you did that. I am so embarrassed.”
“Relax, he didn’t catch me and there was no way I would ever get a chance like that again. I’m spending the night at your place. We can take the dresses back to Rent the Runway in the morning before your gran’s plane comes in. I’ve got my keys, let’s stop by the market on the way up and grab some snacks. Your gran never has decent junk food and you need junk food to talk to hot guys… like our host that couldn’t take his eyes off you. I told you that dress was rockin’…you’re welcome.”

Author Bio:
Roxanna Rose's fascination for myths and legends are the inspiration for her young adult paranormal/fantasy romance books. A soon-to-be transplant to the Pacific Northwest, Rose takes her unique views of legends from around the world and breathes life into each character while creating a richly layered world around them.


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Sunday 1 September 2019

Book Blitz: Kingdom Cold by Brittni Chenelle!

Kingdom Cold
by Brittni Chenelle
Publication date: September 1st 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Beware: a binge awaits.
Deliciously dark, romantic and gripping, the Kingdom Cold trilogy now can be yours in a dazzling collection.
Kingdom Cold follows the impulsive, teenage princess, Charlotte, as she attempts to murder her betrothed. But an arranged marriage is only the beginning of her problems, for the world as she knows it is falling apart. Her kingdom faces total destruction at the hands of Merlin and Lancelot, leaders of power-crazed Camelot.
Will wicked King Arthur prove, once and for all, that ruthless deeds create the legend? Can Princess Charlotte sacrifice love to save her home?
Only one can reign.
EXCERPT:
I reached around my back to try and unlace my corset myself. Not even close. There was no way I was getting it off. I tried reaching one more time, but this time I wound up making myself light-headed and out of breath. A thud sounded on my door. My shoulders tensed. I hoped it was one of my maids—I needed to get out of this thing. I hurried to the door and pushed it open. Prince Young stood in my doorway.
“Charlotte,” he said. I looked into the hall behind him to see if someone else was passing, anyone who could help me–but it was only him.
“Please pardon me for coming to your chamber. I wondered if I might be able to have a word with you before the—”
Grabbing him by the shirt, I pulled him into my chamber. “Get in here,” I said, shutting the door behind him. I took two steps toward the center of my room and said, “Quick, untie it. Help me take this off.”
“Well… this is going better than expected,” he said, half under his breath.

Author Bio:
10 FUN FACTS ABOUT BRITTNI CHENELLE
1. She lives in South Korea.
It's true. She does most of her updates in the morning or at night to account for the time difference. She also infuses most of her novels with her observations about Korean culture.
2. She's a Type 1 Diabetic.
She uses an insulin pump for survival and refers to her diabetes as "Beetie" which is what inspired her children's book "Life with Beetie". When she wants something from her parents she tells them, "My Beetie hurts." It's a trick that has never failed her.
3. She doesn't really BELIEVE in fiction.
Despite all the; Dragons, Elves, and Magic present in her novel "Involuted the Tale of the Red Ribbon Tree", Brittni INSISTS that it's a true story. I wouldn't normally believe it but when browsing some of her old pictures, you can find pictures of her with a mysterious red ribbon tied to her wrist.
4. She's OBSESSED with dark chocolate.
She made me put that in and would also like me to inform you (on an unrelated note) that her birthday is in May.
5. She loves video games, anime, and cosplay.
Favorite games: League of Legends, Stardew Valley, Pokemon. Favorite Anime: Avatar the Last Airbender, Your lie in April, Full Metal Alchemist. Cosplay: She once dressed as Korra from Legend of Korra. She's hoping there will be more brown characters for her to cosplay in the future.
6. She has a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and a Master's in Creative Writing.
7. She's working on a Manga/Anime style novel with about 100 images included.
8. Sorry guys, she's married.
If you ask her, she'll tell you her husband saved her life but everytime someone asks "how" she gives a different reason. I've overheard her give about 4 different reasons, but I bet she has more. He must be an amazing guy.
9. She posts awesome travel pictures on her Instagram.
Her username is @brittnichenelle. You're here because you love her unique way of seeing the world, now you can see it in picture form! This is especially good if you have an interest in Asia since that's where most of her pictures are taken.
10: Brittni, why did you become a writer?
"I write because I would go crazy if I didn't. The body is limited but the mind is free to roam among dragons and fairies, it can soar through the air, and breathe underwater, and hold onto love in even the worst conditions. I guess that's why, because books are not bound by the rules of reality and I am addicted to the freedom-- seduced by the possibilities." -Brittni Chenelle

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Saturday 31 August 2019

Midnight Beauties (Grim Lovelies #2) by Megan Shepherd (Review)

      The sequel to Grim Lovelies, Midnight Beauties takes off from where it's predecessor ended. All of her friends are now trapped in their animal forms and she is being strong armed into marrying her enemy for political gain. To save her friends and herself , she will have to take on a coven of evil witches, the Royals and the whole world. It is quite and uphill battle. She is targeted for her power by everyone under the sun, and the clock is ticking for her to save the ones she loves.
     All things considered, I found that this book fits pretty well on the same level as Grim Lovelies. I found it forgettable, but there were a fair amount of pretty good elements that I did enjoy and can see other readers getting super into. The tension between Anouk and her enemies was pretty well written for the most part, and I enjoyed her interacting with them, but I found with her friends out of the picture for a good chunk of time, the side cast felt empty for that time. I'm struggling to say much else about this book, so I'll leave you with my rating. I give Midnight Beauties the rating of THREE AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!
*Advanced Readers Copy Review*

Tuesday 27 August 2019

Book Blitz: Wonderland Academy: Year One by Melanie Karsak!

Wonderland Academy: Book One
by Melanie Karsak
Publication date: August 27th 2019
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Retelling, Young Adult
Welcome to Wonderland Academy. Don’t lose your head.
Getting into Wonderland Academy is easy:
You must be a little mad.
You must follow the white rabbit.
You must find the key to enter Wonderland.
You must not be named Alice or risk being beheaded by order of the Queen of Hearts.
We might have an issue with that last one.
My name may be Alice, but Wonderland Academy is everything my real life isn’t. Who wouldn’t want to learn how to ride a jabberwocky, train with a vorpal sword, cast spells using a teacup, or shapeshift into a fairy? As long as no one figures out my real name, I should be fine.
The only problem? Aden, the Queen of Hearts’ son, is quickly becoming my best friend. And then there’s Corbin. Brooding, surly, tattooed, and definitely not my type, I can’t stop thinking about him. But Corbin has secrets of his own, and Wonderland and secrets don’t mix.
How I’m going to pass my classes and protect my secret like my life depends on it is beyond me. But I better find a way. Because in Wonderland, no Alice is safe.
Wonderland Academy re-imagines the fantastical world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland for a fresh, new adventure. Combining whimsy, magic, and a splash of steampunk, New York Times best-selling author Melanie Karsak invites you into this beautifully re-envisioned fairy tale adventure.
* * *
Wonderland Academy is a college-level academy novel. It contains a slow-burn (not rh) romance. The novel is clean aside from mild language. This is Book 1 in a planned trilogy. Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger (Frodo didn’t reach Mount Doom in a day, after all).
Trigger Warning: This novel also includes references to a school shooting.
EXCERPT:
Setting my bag in a chair by the window, I pulled on my coat. It was pouring. Drops rolled down the windowpane, distorting the view of the sidewalk below. As I pulled my jacket on, however, I noticed someone on the sidewalk below. He was looking up at the window. I couldn’t make him out clearly, but from what I could see, he was wearing some kind of period costume and a top hat. He had long, pale blond hair that almost looked white.
“You all think I’m a lunatic? There’s some guy standing outside in the rain in a Victorian get-up and top hat.”
“What?” Mom asked. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t know. Just some rando guy standing in the rain,” I said then turned, zipped up my coat, and grabbed the bag.
Nurse Gilman stepped to the window and looked outside. “It’s really coming down,” she said, eyeing the sky. She then strained her neck to the left and right. “Your mystery man must have gone back inside.”
“He was right there,” I said.
A sick feeling rocked my stomach. No, no, no. He was there. Dammit, he really was there. I edged toward the window and looked outside. I was right. The man was standing right there, looking up at the window.
He waved at me.
“Where?” Nurse Gilman asked, looking up and down the sidewalk.
“There,” I said, motioning hesitantly.
“I must have missed him,” Nurse Gilman said with a shrug.
I stared at the man.
He waved again.
Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.
“Yeah,” I said. “Maybe they’re doing a show in the children’s wing or something,” I muttered then turned from the window.
I didn’t want Nurse Gilman to see my face.
Mom, however, caught my eye. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she gave me a hard look.
I dropped her gaze.
I absolutely, positively, did not want to have that conversation on the way home.
“I’m ready,” I told Mom.
“Good. Let’s get you the hell out of here.”
“Be well,” Nurse Gilman said. She motioned to the nurses’ station. The door to the waiting room unlocked with a click. Nurse Gilman motioned to us that we were free to go.
Mom and I headed down the dim hallway of the fifth-floor psych ward. The narrow hall felt like it was a million miles long. It wasn’t until we were safely inside the elevator that I finally exhaled.
“Your phone,” Mom said, handing it to me.
I had a few missing calls, messages from old friends, but there wasn’t anyone I wanted to talk to anyway. I stared at the screensaver, which had a picture of Nicholas and me. The photo had been taken just before homecoming, before everything went to shit. We’d gone for a hike that day. The autumn leaves in the background were bright orange and burnt red. We were both bundled up, our cheeks red, faces pressed together. We’d spent the entire hike planning a future that would never come to pass.
I turned off my phone and stuck it in my pocket.
Mom punched the elevator button for the ground floor.
I kept my eyes on the lights above the door, praying Mom wouldn’t ask anything.
It wasn’t until we’d passed the second floor that Mom whispered, “Lacey, are you seeing—”
“I’m fine. Really. I’m fine.”
She didn’t answer, which told me she knew well-enough I was not fine.
They’d been popping up in my periphery more frequently for the last two weeks. People who were there then not there. Flickers of light. Shadows that whispered. Otherworldy shapes. Their presence wasn’t anything new to me. While I was more prone to see them during times of stress, they’d been there all my life. I knew that if I really looked, I’d see them. It was better to ignore them.
A mermaid had taught me that.
Mom and I headed to the front of the hospital. I couldn’t wait to get away from the terrible hospital smell. A weird mix of the scents of bleach, chrysanthemums, green beans, and Band-Aids perfumed the place. It was enough to make a person gag.
Raining or not, I was relieved when the hospital doors opened. I inhaled the sweet scent of the rain-soaked air. Mom’s rusted-out Mustang sat waiting just outside.
“Okay. Let‘s run for it,” Mom called, and we sprinted to the car.
Holding my plastic bag above my head, I ran, flinging open the door of the vehicle. But just before I climbed inside, I cast a glance down the sidewalk.
The man was still standing there. He pulled something from his pocket and tapped on it. He waved to me, a broad smile on his face.
“Lacey, you’re letting the rain in,” Mom yelled.
I slipped into the car, slamming the door behind me.
Mom revved the engine then drove off, her nineties rock springing to life. I leaned forward and clicked off the music. The last thing I needed was the dulcet tones of Nirvana shouting at me post suicide watch.
Sighing, I leaned back into the seat and closed my eyes.
Why was I seeing them again?
The white-haired man had been pointing at a pocket watch. A pocket watch.
What in the hell did that mean?
I hadn’t meant to kill myself.
Not this time.
It figured. On the morning I’d been discharged from the psych ward, I was beginning to lose my mind.

Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, The Celtic Blood Series, Steampunk Red Riding Hood, and Steampunk Fairy Tales. The author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Southern New Hampshire University.


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