Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: THROUGH FIRE & SEA BY NICOLE LUIKEN

Hello All!!!
So I have been sick. Like, sicker than sick. The kind of sick that makes you completely gross to be around and incapable of doing the wonderful things you need to do...like putting up your book reviews!

Today I have my review for Through Fire & Sea by Nicole Luiken!


Through Fire & Sea was very much a fun read. Alternating between the perspectives of Leah and Holly - the same girl, but living on alternate universes - the story takes you between how both girls find their soul-mates (Gideon and Ryan). In Leah's world she's the bastard daughter of a ruling duke, who forces her to take the place of his real daughter with a duchess who just happens to be able to get rid of the country's dragon...for a price. When she meets Gideon sparks fly. For Holly, it's a normal day hanging out with her dad on his boat when she falls in and almost drowns. But when she meets her mysterious rescuer at school the following week she feels inexplicably drawn to him.

Overall, I enjoyed the tale, but had trouble with the back and forth perspectives of the girls. Because they lived in such drastically different worlds, alternating between the two became jarring. I felt like at times I was more happy with Leah's story than Holly's, and vice versa, which made it difficult to truly care about either one of them.

I enjoyed the magic piece of the story, but the solutions to some of the problems faced felt a bit convenient for me. I'd have liked to know how Ryan's mom got busy with the sea god, because we didn't get any info on that, but were given tons of detail on how Gideon's mom got herself knocked up. 

All in all, it was a fun read, with decent characters and a plot that was a bit all over the place. I'd give it 3 stars!

Thursday, May 7, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: DRAGONS ARE PEOPLE, TOO BY SARAH NICOLAS

Hey All!!!
Today I'm reviewing a fantastic book by Sarah Nicolas, Dragons Are People, Too!

In DAPT we meet Katherine "Kitty" Lung, who is a super spy operative within a super secret government agency housed in DC. It's Kitty's job to take on various missions through the world for the U.S. She's also responsible for keeping the President's son safe while at school. If you're wondering why some teenage girl is racked with so much responsibility, and how she can be expected to handle it all...it just so happens that Kitty is not only trained to be a lethal fighting machine, she also is part dragon! At her own will, Kitty can change into a full on, non-fire-breathing (only English dragons breath fire) dragon!

But when the dragons cover is blown and the President's son is kidnapped, it's up to Kitty to save both her best friend and her people.

This book was action packed and full of mind-blowing fun. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Kitty and all of the people/dragons surrounding her. Kitty's progression from a well trained fighter battling with her emotions, to a girl who can be true to herself was nice to watch. I also enjoyed seeing her figure out how to navigate the difficult waters of freeing the President's son, while trying to barter for her parents (and friends) freedom. 

The characters throughout the book were spot on. Both her parents were fierce and seasoned warriors who had different battle scars. It was nice to see how each one had a different influence on who Kitty was and how she would grow throughout the story. And the plot twist that conveniently got them out of the way so that she could grow as the hero was well done. I also liked how the romance between herself and her partner in crime, Sani, developed. It felt natural and not at all rushed. You'll find no insta-love here!

Overall, this was a great story, with great characters that really drew me in.

4 Stars!!!

Monday, April 27, 2015

BOOK BLITZ: COMPULSION BY MARTINA BOONE

Hey All!!!
Coming to the stage today is a book blitz for Compulsion (The Heirs of Watson Island #1) by Martina Boone. All book deets are below:


Release Date: 10/28/14
Narrated by: Joell A. Jacob
Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins 
Simon Pulse/Tantor Audio
448 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
Three plantations. Two wishes. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt’s South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

Buy Links:

Listen to an audiobook sample:

Praise for Compulsion:
"Skillfully blends rich magic and folklore with adventure, sweeping romance, and hidden treasure . . . An impressive start to the Heirs of Watson Island series." —Publishers Weekly
     
"Eight Beaufort is so swoon-worthy that it's ridiculous. Move over Four, Eight is here to stay!"  —RT Book Reviews, RT Editors Best Books of 2014

"Darkly romantic and steeped in Southern Gothic charm, you'll be compelled to get lost in the Heirs of Watson Island series." —JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A fresh twist on the Southern Gothic -- haunting, atmospheric, and absorbing." —CLAUDIA GRAY, New York Timesbestselling author of A Thousand Pieces of You and the Evernight and Spellcaster series 
    
"A stunningly magical debut with a delicious slow burn to be savored. I want to live in this story world!" —WENDY HIGGINS, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy


"Beautifully written, with vivid characters, a generations-old feud, and romance that leaps off the page, this Southern ghost story left me lingering over every word, and yet wanting to race to the compelling finish. Compulsion is not to be missed." —MEGAN SHEPHERD, author of The Madman's Daughter

Book Two:
PERSUASION (HEIRS OF WATSON ISLAND, BOOK 2) 
Beautiful Creatures meets Gone With the Wind
As reporters chasing rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold descend on Watson Island, Barrie Watson discovers more is buried at Colesworth Place than treasure. A mysterious, magical man claims the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts and the Colesworth curse also lies beneath the mansion, and Barrie has no option but to help him find it. While she and Eight Beaufort struggle to make sense of the escalating danger and their growing feelings for each other, Barrie must decide not only whom to trust, but which gift is more reliable—Eight’s or her own. With the fate of the founding families at stake, she has to choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep her loved ones safe.

Pre-Order Links:
IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon |  Book Depository | Goodreads

About the Author
Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. She fell in love with words and never stopped delighting in them.

She’s the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site devoted to encouraging literacy and all this YA Series.
From her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, children, and Auggie the wonder dog, she enjoys writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Author Links:

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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

COVER REVEAL: PIXELATED BY L.S. MURPHY

Hello All!!!
Coming to the stage we have Pixelated by L.S. Murphy. All book deets are below:


Pixelated
Release Date: 06/30/15
Bloomsbury Spark

Summary from Goodreads:
Senior Year. 


Middle of nowhere. 

What's the new girl to do?



For Piper Marks, the answer is simple. She’s determined to have her photography rock the cover of National Geographic someday, and moving to Clarkton, Iowa for her last year of high school is not going to stop her. Even if her usual subjects have changed from bright lights and skyscrapers to fields, cows…and more fields. 

But when photographer at the local paper quits in a huff, she steps into his spot. Her new job keeps Piper busy capturing tackles, and zooming in on first downs and end zone dances, not to mention putting her directly in the path of varsity football star Les Williams IV. Her new friends warn her off, but she can’t resist the pull she feels toward this mysterious country boy. But this small town is keeping a secret, and it’s one that could destroy any chance they have to be together. 

It’s up to Piper to decide what to do with the distorted truth. Can she risk exposing her heart? It might be worth it, 'cause Les is about to change her world from black and white to fully saturated color. 

Praise for Pixelated:
"In Pixelated, L.S. Murphy weaves a complex web of secrets and lies with a ‘will they or won’t they’ romance that kept me turning pages and holding my breath!" ~ Julie Reece, author of The Artisans and Crux

"Beautifully written, with a full spectrum of emotion and complex characters, Pixelated will tug at all your heartstrings. I easily lost myself in the world L.S. Murphy created and couldn't stop reading because I needed to see how the story ended." ~ Kelly Oram, author of Cinder & Ella

"L.S. Murphy brings something for every reader with Pixelated: romance, secrets, mystery, and a main character torn between two choices. Murphy's writing is sharp and steeped in emotions, deftly hooking her readers from the first sentence to the last." ~ Sarah Bromley, author of A Murder Of Magpies 


About the Author
L.S. Murphy obsesses about St. Louis Cardinals baseball, fangirls over her favorite authors, and watches every episode of Doctor Who like it's the first time. When she's not doing those time-consuming things, the former farm-girl turned city slicker turned suburbanite writes sweet romances for teens and adults.

Author Links:

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Thursday, April 16, 2015

BOOK BLITZ: FINDING THOR BY KAI STRAND

Hey All!!!
Coming to the stage we have a new addition by Kai Strand, Finding Thor. Book deets are below:

Finding Thor
by Kai Strand 
Release Date: 03/12/15
272 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock.

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again.

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school. 



Buy Links:

About the Author
Kai Strand writes fiction for kids and teens. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was an EPIC eBook Finalist. King of Bad soared to the publisher's #1 spot its second month. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, "Do your dishes!" Kai and her family hike, geocache and canoe in Central Oregon, where they call home.

Kai organized the free, themed, multi-author, short story blog, Lightning Quick Reads. She is available for personal appearances, workshops, and classroom or school visits. Feel free to contact her directly to discuss availability and request references.

Author Links:
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GIVEAWAY:

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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: SHH! BY STACEY NASH

Hey All!!!
I just finished Shh! a NA novel by Stacey Nash. In Shh! we have a lot of ingredients that often make for a fantastic story. A smart and capable heroine, a juicy rumor gone seriously wrong, and an age when everything in life can seem all the more difficult.

Unfortunately, for me Shh! was only an okay read. While I enjoyed the issue the main character, Olivia, dealt with, I often found myself more enamored with her besties. I thoroughly enjoyed Molly and Savannah, but Olivia didn't always do it for me. While she had some fun traits, and did redeem herself in the end of the story, I felt she spent way too much time wallowing.

I'm not saying she didn't have reason to feel sorry for herself. Having an ex breakup with you for nightly masturbating while next to him is a hard rumor to fight. I'm sure most of us would want to wallow. And I do feel the author did a great job of showing the embarrassment that comes with that...but it went on a bit too long for my taste. And, for me, I read books to escape from that sort of thing, not to put myself into those type of feelings.

I also didn't feel Olivia did anything for much of the book - outside of wallow. Here she is, dealing with a huge rumor, having people talking behind her back, and guys treating her like crap, and not until the very end of the book did she think to investigate if it were true or to get some help? I can see how, at first, she most likely thought it was a mean joke, but after the second witness came forward and she recognized it might have some truth to it, it was time for some action...and I didn't feel I got that from her.

Most of this story felt like an internal dialogue from Olivia's point of view on how her life was falling apart, how disappointed her parents would be, and how she was falling for Logan, but was afraid that he would find out about her "disorder". I don't feel that Olive took her life into her own hands until her friends and Logan forced her to do it. And that didn't sit well with me.

Don't get me wrong, the book wasn't all bad. It was a quick and easy read, with a pretty cool topic, and with many interesting characters. I think it will be a great read for many, but just didn't do it for me *shrug*.

Overall, I give Shh! 3 stars!!!


Happy reading and writing!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

COVER REVEAL: CINDERELLA'S SHOES BY SHONNA SLAYTON

Hey All!!!
We have a great new cover reveal for you today. Cinderella's Shoes by Shonna Slayton!! See all book deets below:


Cinderella's Shoes
Release Date: 10/06/15
Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
The war may be over, but Kate Allen’s life is still in upheaval. Not only has she discovered that Cinderella was real, but now she's been made Keeper of the Wardrobe, her sole responsibility to protect Cinderella’s magical dresses from the greed of the evil stepsisters’ modern descendants. 

But Cinderella’s dresses are just the beginning. It turns out that the priceless glass slippers might actually exist, too, and they could hold the power to reunite lost loved ones like her father—missing in action since World War II ended. As Kate and her boyfriend, Johnny, embark on an adventure from New York to Italy and Poland in search of the mysterious slippers, they will be tested in ways they never imagined.

Because when you harness Cinderella's magic, danger and evil are sure to follow...


First book in the series:
(cover linked to Goodreads)

Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks

About the Author
SHONNA SLAYTON is the author of the YA novels Cinderella's Dress, (Summer 2014) and Cinderella's Shoes (Fall 2015) published by Entangled Teen. She finds inspiration in reading vintage diaries written by teens, who despite using different slang, sound a lot like teenagers today. When not writing, Shonna enjoys amaretto lattes and spending time with her husband and children in Arizona.


Author Links:
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Monday, March 16, 2015

BOOK BLITZ: DRAGON MARKED BY JAYMIN EVE

Hey All!!!
Coming to the stage today we have Dragon Marked, the first book in the Supernatural Prison series by Jaymin Eve. Book deets are below:


Dragon Marked (Supernatural Prison #1)
by Jaymin Eve 
Release Date: 01/27/15
Upper YA/NA Paranormal Romance Trilogy

Summary from Goodreads:
There are supernatural prisons hidden across the globe. Contained within these fortresses are some of the deadliest criminals from the five supernatural races: vampire, shifter, fey, magic users and demi-fey.

Jessa Lebron, twenty-two, has spent her entire life in Stratford, Connecticut, one of the gateway towns adjoining these prisons which protect the fortified borders. She’s a wolf shifter, and her father leads the town council. She learns that much of her life has been hidden from her, secrets which threaten to tear apart the very fabric of her world. Especially the biggest secret of them all.

She is dragon marked.

Jessa only knows what she’s been told about the dragon marked, that they are dangerous and must be eliminated to prevent the rise of the dragon king, the powerful warmonger who had his head removed a thousand years ago. So now Jessa's on the biggest hit list of all. Dragon mark hunters are lethal and her only hope to evade detection is to keep the energy contained.

As more secrets unfold she finds herself locked up in Vanguard, the notorious American supernatural prison. Thankfully she’s not alone. Braxton, the dragon-shifter has her back. Together they must survive long enough to free themselves and the other dragon marked.

Because it’s time for the dragon marked to rise.

Buy Links: (only $2.99)

Very nice!!! This is a different twist to the paranormal creature and seems like it's definitely action packed! We have an excerpt and author details below:

Excerpt:
I glared at the deadly but visually stunning dragon. He was massive; he’d had to tuck his wings in at his side to have room for movement. The black and blue of his scales shone even in the dying light. The bright yellow eyes surveyed the room, before locking me in his gaze. He roared again and I decided to take a stand. In general I didn’t think much before I acted, and my plans were often considered to be brave or stupid. Usually both.

“Braxton Compass,” I scolded him, moving right up into his strike zone, my hands on my hips. “Your scaled dragon ass is blocking the doorway.”

Jacob, Tyson, and Maximus crowded behind me. They were ready to snatch me up if their brother made the wrong move. But I knew it would have to be pretty exceptional circumstances before Braxton would lose enough of himself to hurt me.

The massive beast lowered his head until we were eye to eye. He would scent trickles of my fear, but despite my body’s involuntary response, I wasn’t really afraid of Braxton. His dragon was a little unpredictable, but he was strong enough to keep both of them controlled. I knew he’d pulled this stunt to remind the council where the real power lay and that he didn’t like secrets being kept, especially when they personally affected us.

The dragon and I continued our stare-off, my dark blue eyes locked on his yellow. “Let’s call it a tie,” I finally said, grinning and raising my eyebrows at the same time.


About the Author
Jaymin Eve is a 29 year old with a passion for reading, writing and arithmetic ... okay maybe not the last one but definitely the first two.

Living on the beautiful Gold Coast, in Australia, the family loves spending lots of time on the beach. And travelling as frequently as possible.

When Jaymin isn't trying to wrangle two daughters, a puppy and her husband, you will find her hiding in a corner trying desperately to write her stories (without little fingers pressing random keys). She asks forgiveness if you notice the occasional sskkkkssjs appearing in her book, her children are proud of their contribution.


Author Links:
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

COVER REVEAL: ALWAYS REMEMBERED BY KELLY RISSER

Hey All!!!
We have a great cover reveal today: Always Remembered by Kelly Risser! See all of the deets below:


Always Remembered
Release Date: 05/19/15
Clean Teen Publishing

Summary from Goodreads:
One clue… what does it mean?

Ken, the leader of the Blue Men of the Minch, has kidnapped Evan. Before they left, Evan was able to leave a package for Meara—her grandfather's necklace wrapped in a cloth napkin with one word written in blood. Azuria. Unfortunately, Meara doesn't understand it and neither does her dad or Kieran.

When Dad and Aunt Brigid attempt to rescue Evan, Meara and Kieran begin to train the clan on how to fight and defend their home. A war is brewing, and Meara is determined their people must prepare for the battle. The training sessions are long and arduous, but the Selkies work hard to learn.


Meanwhile, Evan wakes and finds himself in Belle Tresor, the home of sirens. He's bound to his blue form, unable to transform to human, and Ken has plans to use Evan's powers to destroy the Selkies. Thankfully, he's not alone. He befriends a siren named Deanna and several Blue Men. Can he trust them to help him escape or do they have ulterior motives?


As both sides prepare for an ultimate confrontation, the stakes are high and friendships are tested. Some will rise to be victorious. Some will be destroyed. But love and loyalty will be always remembered in this exciting conclusion to the Never Forgotten series.




Books in this series:
(covers linked to Goodreads)
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About the Author
Becoming a published author is a lifetime dream come true. As a child, I subjected friends and family to my "KellyMark" greeting cards ("When you care enough to make the very best."), poetry, homemade magazines, and short stories. In high school, my short story, "If Only to Escape" was published in the local paper, and I won a writing contest for my children's story, "Televisella." In college, my creative writing tapered off, but I still managed to write the occasional review for The Marquette University Tribune. Once I graduated, I mixed creative writing with business writing, and I've held positions in Advertising, Marketing, and Instructional Design/eLearning Development.

Today, I am busy writing the next book in Meara's story. When I'm not writing, I'm reading, hanging out with my husband and two kids, or playing with our Whoodle puppy

Author Links:
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