Thursday, July 31, 2014

Cover Reveal~Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram


Summary: It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder. 


… 

Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.


Teaser excerpt:
“You do have someone who cares,” he said softly. “No matter how bad things are at home or at school or whatever, you have me. You’re my best friend, too. You have my number now. Save it in your phone and call it anytime—day, night, the witching hour—it doesn’t matter. Okay?”
It took me a moment—and a series of deep breaths—before I could respond. “Okay.”
“Promise?”
“I promise. As long as I always have you, I’ll be fine.” I kicked myself internally and laughed.“Wow, that sounded really cheesy. You see? That’s why I didn’t want to call you. I can filter my stupid mouth so much better when I have to type out my thoughts.”
Cinder laughed again. “Ah, but then you would miss out on all the sweet nothings I plan to whisper in your ear now that I know how much you like my ultra-sexy voice.”
I blushed but refused to let him know that his flirting rattled me. “I never said ultra, you egomaniac. But you should definitely consider recording audiobooks for a living.”
“Hmm. That’s not a bad idea.” Cinder’s voice dropped to that slow, seductive purr again as he asked, “Would you like me to read to you, Ellamara?”
I thrilled at the thought and couldn’t quite mask my excitement. “Seriously?”
“Why not? Before you called, I was getting ready to have a Top Gear marathon all by my lonesome.”
“You are such a liar. Tonight is Friday night, and it’s Halloween. There is no way you don’t have plans.”
I don’t have important ones. It’s just a stupid party that my sort-of girlfriend wants me to go to.”
Your ‘sort-of’ girlfriend?
“Yeah.” Cinder stretched the word out in a long breath. “It’s a long story, but I’m not that into her. I’d much rather stay home and read with you. Besides, I can’t hang up on you when you’ve had the worst day ever. What kind of best friend would that make me?”
I almost cried again. The offer was so sweet. And thoughtful. Reading was a passion Cinder and I shared. We read and discussed books all the time. We’d even decided to read the same book at the same time before, but we’d never read one together. Cinder had to know how much that would mean to me.
“It has to be The Druid Prince,” I said.
Cinder laughed. “It’s already in my hands.”

Look for Cinder & Ella October 1, 2014!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author: 

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Book Review~Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot

Title: Boy Meets Girl
Author: Meg Cabot
Series: Boy #2
Publisher: Pan
Pub Date: June 2nd 2004
Format: Paperback
Pages: 383
Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Humor

Synopsis: Meet Kate MacKenzie...idealistic office worker, reluctant deliverer of termination notices and queen of instant messaging. As sweet as sugar. Meet Mitch Hertzog...ever-smiling corporate lawyer, defender of the downtrodden and king of aborted dinner dates. Good enough to eat. Meet Ida Lopez...cake, cookie and pastry-maker extraordinaire, purveyor of the dessert trolley and goddess of all things mouth-wateringly yummy. As nice as pie. Together they must battle tyrants and despots to find truth, justice and the perfect double fudge pudding.

Rating: 8.5/10
Source: Bought.

Cover Talk: I really like the cover! It's cute and has my favorite colors, pink and blue. I love the New York scene below and the starry sky above. I like the font too. Overall, it's a really nice cover and fits the book perfectly.

My Thoughts: I liked this book more than I would have had I read it some other time. It was perfect for me right now because I was in the mood of a quick, light read. Boy Meets Girl was exactly that and I enjoyed it a lot.

Story: The story is very very realistic. Not the case part, I don't know how that works in America. But the characters and how they acted. The work place and the people there. That part was very true. Yes, some things were exaggerated a bit. But it was fun to read. Of course the ending was a happy one, which is something that does not happen in real life. But I was satisfied because if not real life then at least we get a happy ending in fiction.

Writing: It was refreshing to read this book. It was written in the form of emails and diary entries, etc. Yes, it did not let you get involved with the protagonist much but I wasn't looking for that connection. So I found it perfect! I was able to relate to Kate without getting invested too much and this format was very fun to read. It made the story feel more... real.

Characters: As I mentioned before, Kate was very relatable for me. I think, out of all the books I've read so far, Kate was the character who felt most like myself. Which is weird because she is 7 years older than me. But I couldn't help but feel like that would be me when I will be 25. I don't want to be jobless and homeless but how Kate rambles on and her ideas and thoughts and feelings are very much like mine. I could see a lot of myself in her and felt like I would've made the same decisions she did if I were in her place. She wasn't very good with her conversation skills, she was too nice to everyone, she doubted herself, she wanted to make a difference in the world, all of these traits matched mine. So I really did feel a connection to Kate.

I have seen so many people like Amy, she was really spot-on! My mom, who is very poor in workplace politics, has been fired because of people like Amy numerous times! I felt so angry at Amy but it also made me feel so helpless because even though in the book she got what was coming to her, in real life that hardly ever happens. Clever (and mean) people like her usually succeed. Which makes me very frustrated. Same with Stuart. I hated him (and his mother) and I've seen people like him and I hate them too but they continue to be happy while making others' lives miserable and you can't even do anything.

Mitch. Well first of all I really don't like the name Mitch/Mitchell. But other than that, Mitch was pretty cool and I really liked him. I liked his relationship with his sister, Stacy, and he was a good brother to Sean. I didn't really feel any connection to him as a character but he seems like the kind of person I would have admired if I had met him in real life.

Other minor characters were good too. Kate's best friend, Jen, was very much like my best friend and the way they talked was very much like how we talk. She was a good friend and a likeable character. Dolly was nice too. And funny. Oh poor Skiboy! And Dale, oh poor Dale! I don't see how Kate ever dated him!

Overall: I really enjoyed this book. It was a light, funny, quick read and helped me relax. So if you are in the mood of that kind of a chick-lit book then I would highly recommend Boy Meets Girl.

About The Author:

Meg Cabot (born Meggin Patricia Cabot on February 1, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana, United States) is an American author of romantic and paranormal fiction for teens and adults and used to write under several pen names, but now writes exclusively under her real name, Meg Cabot. She has written and published over fifty books, and is best known for The Princess Diaries, later made by Walt Disney Pictures into two feature films of the same name. Meg's books have been the recipients of numerous awards, including the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, the American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, the Tennessee Volunteer State TASL Book Award, the Book Sense Pick, the Evergreen Young Adult Book Award, the IRA/CBC Young Adult Choice – as well as many others (see awards section for specific book wins). She has had numerous No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Cabot has more than fifteen million copies of her books—children's, young adult, and adult—in print worldwide.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Book Blast~Fractured Dream by KM Randall


Fractured Dream by KM Randall
Published by: Booktrope
Published On: June 21, 2014
Genre: Fantasy


Blurb:
Have you ever wondered where fairytales go once they're created?

It's been eight years since Story Sparks last had a dream. Now they're back, tormenting her as nightmares she can't remember upon waking. The black waters of Lake Sandeen, where her Uncle Peter disappeared decades before, may hold the secret to Story's hidden memories, or a truth she'd rather not know. On a bright summer afternoon, Story and her two best friends, Elliott and Adam, take a hike to the lake, where they dive into the cool water and never reemerge. What they find is beyond anything they've ever imagined could be possible, a world where dangers lurk in the form of Big Bad Wolves, living Nightmares and meddlesome witches and gods.

Now Story must remember who she really is and somehow stop two worlds from ultimate annihilation, all while trying not to be too
distracted by the inexplicable pull she feels toward a certain dark-eyed traveler who seems to have secrets of his own. The fates of the worlds are counting on her.


About the Author:

As a girl, K.M. always wished she’d suddenly come into magical powers or cross over into a Faerie circle. Although that has yet to happen, she instead lives vicariously through the characters she creates in writing fantasy and delving into the paranormal. When K.M. is not busy writing her next novel, she is the editor-in-chief of a blog covering the media industry, as well as an editor with Booktrope Publishing. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in English-Lit from Nazareth College of Rochester. K.M. lives in Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region with her husband and her extremely energetic little boy. Fractured Dream is her first novel.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Countdown Survey~Asian Dramas Edition

A couple of days ago I did a bookish Countdown Survey hosted by Christy on Christy's Book Addiction. Inspired by that I made a similar Countdown Survey but this one is themed "Asian Dramas". Feel free to participate and link up below!

(Note: I have linked pictures, songs and MDL pages to the dramas, if you want to check them out further.)


10 All-time Favorite Dramas:
  1. Shut Up: Flower Boy Band
  2. Queen In Hyun's Man
  3. Secret Garden
  4. Reply 1997
  5. In Time With You
  6. Goong (Princess Hours)
  7. White Christmas
  8. Emergency Couple
  9. The Master's Sun
  10. Playful Kiss

Dramas You Can't Wait To Watch:
  1. Reply 1994
  2. School 2013
  3. The King of Dramas
  4. Me Too, Flower!
  5. Flower Boy Next Door
  6. It's Okay, That's Love
  7. Scent of a Woman
  8. A Gentleman's Dignity
  9. The Mermaid

8 Favorite Drama Couples:
  1. Kim Boong Do & Choi Hee Jin from Queen In Hyun's Man
  2. Li Da Ren & Cheng You Qing from In Time With You
  3. Yoon Yoon Jae & Sung Shi Won from Reply 1997
  4. Lee Sun Jae & Oh Hye Won from Secret Love Affair
  5. Baek Seung Jo & Oh Ha Ni from Playful Kiss
  6. Kim Joo Won & Gil Ra Im from Secret Garden
  7. Do Min Joon & Chun Song Yi from You Who Came From The Stars
  8. Joo Joong Won & Tae Gong Shil from The Master's Sun

7 Favorite OSTs:
  1. Same Sky, Different Time from Queen In Hyun's Man
  2. Fight The Bad Feeling from Boys Over Flowers
  3. Wake Up from Shut Up Flower Boy Band
  4. Sun from Flower Boy Ramyun Shop
  5. Turnstile from In Time With You
  6. Here I Am from Secret Garden
  7. This Is Really Goodbye from Lie To Me 

6 Dramas You Recommend The Most:
  1. Shut Up: Flower Boy Band
  2. Queen In Hyun's Man
  3. Playful Kiss
  4. Personal Taste
  5. Reply 1997
  6. Secret Garden
5 Favorite Drama Kisses:
  1. Tip-toe kiss from Queen In Hyun's Man
  2. Coffee kiss from Secret Garden
  3. Counter kiss from Reply 1997
  4. Against-the-door kiss from Coffee Prince
  5. Kimchi kiss from Flower Boy Ramyun Shop
4 Favorite Female Leads:
  1. Oh Hye Won from Secret Love Affair
  2. Choi Hee Jin from Queen In Hyun's Man
  3. Cheng You Qing from In Time With You
  4. Sung Shi Won from Reply 1997
3 Favorite Male Leads:
  1. Kim Boong Do from Queen In Hyun's Man
  2. Yoon Yoon Jae from Reply 1997
  3. Li Da Ren from In Time With You
2 Favorite Second Leads:
  1. Choi Kang Hyuk from Flower Boy Ramyun Shop
  2. Gook Chun Soo from Emergency Couple
1 Favorite Genre At The Moment:
  1. Romantic Comedies with fake/contract relationships
I would love to read your lists! Do a post on your blog and link up or comment your answers below!


Monday, July 21, 2014

Book Blitz~Spirit Warriors: The Scarring by D.E.L. Connor


The Scarring (Spirit Warriors #2)
by D.E.L. Connor
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Booktrope
Published: July 21, 2014
Length: 244 pages


Blurb:
“One of us would finally end what had been started by the machayiwiw so many years ago. I would have to kill him. It was just that simple. I never thought I would want to kill anybody or anything, but maybe I never had anything worth killing for before.”
-Emmeline Rima Belrose, The Scarring (Spirit Warriors, Book 2)
In the majestic beauty of a Montana summer, Emme and her friends celebrate her near-drowning survival and their defeat of the powerful evil spirit, the machayiwiw. But even as they rejoice, things are amiss. Emme watches helplessly as her family divides, and her friends struggle to hold their relationship together. Worse yet, the love-of-her life, Charlie, announces that he will move back to the reservation, without Emme. Different nightmares take over and Emme realizes she must fight and kill—or watch those she loves be killed. Friends from the reservation reach out to Emme and show her what evil can steal from her. Emme believes that evil can never break her bond with the Spirit Warriors or the love she shares with Charlie. Or can it?

Although this is the second book in the Spirit Warriors series, it can be read as a stand alone novel.

Excerpt

Ron looked over at me. I stared back at him. "Do you understand what I have told you, child?" Ron asked me.
I nodded. "Charlie is a spirit mover."
Ron nodded. "Among other things."
Ron went on, “Charlie is having more and more speaking times with the warriors. There is a sense of urgency now that Charlie learns how to shift spirit warriors into human bodies. He has been practicing with Ryan and Hawke. He is making some progress, but it is taking a long time. Charlie is weakening with the increasing talking times. He does not know when they will come and he has been injured many times. Our people now make sure he is never alone. We cannot risk his injuring himself, or the machayiwiw finding him undefended. He has much to learn. You have much to learn. You must learn hand-to-hand combat. Hawke is our best warrior, both with a knife and a spear. He can cut the wings off a fly in flight with his knife. He will be training you.” Ron looked at me.
“NO, I don’t think so.” I told Ron. “First, Hawke doesn’t like me and I can’t see him training me.  Second, I’m not sure I could kill someone, even if it was the machayiwiw. In anger, I think I can, but I’m not sure.”
Ron looked at me. “What if that person was trying to kill Charlie, or your friends, or Eros your bird?”
I shook my head. “I just don’t think I can do this.”
Ron lowered his gaze. “If you don’t, you will die, along with Charlie, your friends, your animals, and your family. I will die, as will our people. He will finally destroy the one person who stands against him. The one person who has the power to destroy him. There will never be another you. Our people have waited many, many years for you. Golden Flower has waited many years for you.”
“I don’t want the responsibility!” I yelled at Ron as I stood up. “I might fail!” I jumped up and ran down the side of the creek. I ran as fast as I could and the sharp prairie grass cut my legs. I didn’t feel it. I felt angry and sad at the same time. “Why me? Why not someone else?” I thought to myself. I rounded a bend of the river and I ran right into Hawke. The force of our collision knocked us both to the ground. I lay on the ground with the wind knocked out of me. Hawke stood up and looked down at me.
I stood up and brushed off my shirt. Hawke stared at me. I looked at him and asked, “Why do you hate me?”
Hawke glared at me. “Charlie is my cousin and my best friend. You have brought him nothing but heartache and loss. I suspect you will do something stupid and Charlie will be killed because of you. I really don’t care anything about you and I’m sure as hell not sold on your ‘savior’ complex. I think you are full of shit and if something happens to Charlie, I will hunt you down and kill you myself.”
I was horrified. “I didn’t want this! I just want to be with Charlie. No matter what you think, I love him. I have always loved him and I will never stop loving him.” Hawke stands with his arms crossed. “We’ll see about that.” Hawke brushed past me and walked back up the creek towards Ron and Charlie.
I walked back to the jeep. I climbed in the back with Charlie and it was quiet as Ron drove us back to the cluster of buildings. When we pulled up, Irene came running up to the jeep. “Come on, Emme, we are getting ready to eat.” Irene grabbed my hand and pulled me in the building. Ollie and Jack were with Ryan. Jack motioned us over. Charlie brought me a plate of food. Irene squeezed her small body between Charlie and me.  Charlie looked down at her. “Hey, Squirt, why don’t you sit on the other side of Emme?”
Irene looked at me. “Are you in love with Charlie?”
I glanced at her small face as she slid her arm through my arm. “Yes,” I whispered to her. Irene wrinkled up her face.
“YUCK! Boys are messy and yucky and stinky! Even Charlie.” We all laughed as Charlie grabbed her and rolled her on the ground and tickled her until Irene begged for mercy.
After lunch, Charlie and I walked hand in hand down to the creek. We sat on the bank and stared at the water. I leaned over and put my head on Charlie’s shoulder. Charlie wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close to him. We sat there quietly. I looked across the creek and saw Hawke staring at us. He had his arms folded across his chest. I looked at Charlie. “Can’t we even be alone? Does he have to watch us?”
Charlie nodded. “He is just protecting me.”
“From me?” I say sarcastically. Charlie shook his head. “No, not from you.”
Hawke stared at me. I stood up and stared back at him. He reached in his waistband and pulled out his knife. I stared him down as he prepared to throw his knife in my direction. I was not scared of him. Something deep inside of me assured me that he would not kill me with his knife. I stood perfectly still as he pulled back his arm. In slow motion I saw the knife hurling through the air, handle over blade as Charlie screamed my name. I felt the knife come right by my head and I felt a sharp pain by my ear and the drip of blood on my neck. My face never changed as I stared back at Hawke. My friend, that red hot feeling that meant I could be something stronger than I was, overcame me and I felt myself soaring above the creek.
I heard Charlie calling my name. I looked around as I called out, determining where every living thing was around me. I felt the rattlesnake’s presence before I saw them. I singled them out and waved my hands. Within minutes they were hissing in a circle around Hawke. Hawke was trying to back away, but he was backing into another snake. Charlie was screaming at Hawke to stand still. Charlie was yelling at me. “Emme, NO, stop it! Hurting him would only hurt me. Do you really want to hurt me?” My attention wavered from the snakes and I focused on Charlie. Instantly I was back in my body and looking at Charlie.
Charlie had me by the arm. “Stay here, Em, I’ll be right back.” Charlie waded into the water and ran to Hawke. The snakes were gone. Hawke was sitting in the dirt by the bank with his head in his hands. Hawke was visibly shaking as Charlie helped him up. I stood up and glared at Hawke. They waded back across the bank.
Charlie walked up to me. “Hawke is here to protect me and by protecting me, he is protecting you. Hawke has the skills to help you, to teach you what you need.” Charlie looked over at Hawke. “Emme is not the enemy. Do you finally see what she is? Do you see the gifts she has? She is our people’s last hope. She belongs with us.”
Hawke nodded and walked over to me. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a piece of cloth. He reached up and wiped the blood off of my neck. “I’m sorry,” he told me.
I grabbed his hands and held them between mine. “Me too.” Hawke turned on his heel and walked back the path to the main building.
Charlie looked at me. “What the hell did you just do?”
I looked back at him. “I finally figured out that Golden Flower gifted me with the ability to talk to and control animals.” I smiled questioningly at Charlie.
Charlie didn’t smile back. “What else have you done?” I told Charlie about Ollie and the church and the birds. Charlie paced around me. “This is not good. The machayiwiw will notice a display like the one you did in town. You must not ever do it again in a public place where others can see you. Do you understand me?” I nodded with my head down. Charlie leaned forward and grabbed my face between his warm hands. “I have to admit that it was an awesome thing to do for Ollie, but we have to be more careful.”
I laid my hands over his by my face. I leaned into this chest as he slowly lowered us to the ground. We laid on the ground facing each other. I stared into his eyes lost in his world. Charlie stared back at me and as the beautiful empty world and the warm wind eavesdropped on us, we talked. I told him about Bets, and Mom and Ben, and how hurt Ollie was at the church. I told him about Jack and the preserve and Rose and the baby. We talked laying down and facing each other with our fingers intertwined until the sun started its slow climb to the edge of darkness. The sky was an incredible shade of deep purple with shades of violet blue. Even in the beauty of the sunset, I felt the desperation creep over me. I started to shake. I didn’t want to leave Charlie. I never wanted to leave Charlie. Charlie leaned closer. I could feel his breath on my cheek. He laid his gentle brown hands on my cheeks. I closed my eyes. “Let me take the pain away,” he whispered. We stood up.
Charlie closed his eyes and he chanted in a low voice. I listened to his voice. I closed my eyes and leaned into Charlie. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. I felt the desperation leave me and I was filled with a sense of peace and serenity. My breathing slowed, and my mind was filled with the beautiful times that Charlie and I had shared. We were like one in my mind, our thoughts joined and our spirits connected. It was the most incredible intense feeling. It was what I imagined making love would be like. I felt dizzy and my body felt it was on fire from the inside out. My legs gave way and I dropped to my knees. Charlie grabbed me and slowly lowered me down to the ground. “What did you do?” I asked Charlie. He stared back at me. “I showed you our love. I showed you what is worth fighting and dying for.”
As Charlie stood up, he staggered. I reached out and held his arm. “Are you okay?” Charlie put his hand over mine that rested on his arm. “Just tired. You wear me out.” He grinned broadly as I swatted his arm. “Poor me,” I told him. We held hands as we headed back to the main buildings. 
Ollie and Jack were standing outside of the meeting room talking to Ryan and Hawke. Ryan looked up as we approached. “Hey, Em, can you come back next week? I want to run in the hills with you, and Hawke needs to start working with you on knife and lance throwing.” “Sure thing,” I told him. Hawke looked at Charlie and then at me. Charlie was leaning on the car while he talked to Jack. Charlie’s face was pale. Hawke walked the short distance to me and whispered in my ear. “Every time Charlie carries your pain, he gets weaker. Every time you feel better in Charlie’s presence, he pays the price for it. Is that what you want for him?” I shook my head “No.” I looked at my feet as Hawke said, “Don’t come back here. Walk away. His burden is too big to carry.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry I can’t do that. I just can’t. I love him too much.” Hawke shook his head and walked away.
We all walked to the car. I held Charlie’s hand as long as I could. I climbed in the back seat and Jack and Ollie sat down in the Mustang. As we drove off, I turned around and stared back at Charlie. He stood there watching us drive off.

An Interview with Author D.E.L. Connor

What was your favorite book growing up?
When I was old enough to read it was the Little House on the Prairie series. I must have read and reread each of them a hundred times. I honestly thought I was Laura Ingalls Wilder. Most girls my age were into dolls and while I liked dolls and playing house, my version of playing house always had a log house and a covered wagon. They are still my favorite books to read to children. Can't you just picture yourself on a hot summer day bouncing along in the back of the covered wagon?

Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?
I have more than one. Obviously I love Laura Ingalls Wilder, but I am also a huge fan of Larry McMurray. I grew up admiring strong women writers like Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee and more recently J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyers.

What inspired you to write the Spirit Warriors series?
Actually is has been a long time coming. I wrote the short story that the Spirt Warriors evolved from in college may years ago. The professor asked me to stay after class and he told me how good it was, but unfortunately, it was too dark to be a children's story. I put it away and went on with my career as a nurse. Finally J.K Rowling and Stephenie Meyers came out with new dark tales and the young adult market was born. The time was finally right! I finished Book 1 in two weeks. The struggle to get it published took more time, but here I am with two books in the story completed.

What character do you most identify with in Spirit Warriors: The Scarring?
Probably Lilly, I tend to be kind to a fault, and love my friends and family unconditionally. I think as a child I wished I could have been more like Bets and Emme. They are headstrong, brave and willing to fight for anything or anyone they cared about. I was shy when I was young, although no one believes that today! LOL

Can you tell us about your next project?
Why of course. I am about half way through book 3 in the series The Burning. There will be 6 books total in the series. Book 4 will be The Lamenting, Book 5 The Ensouling and then a Prequel to be named later. In between those books or after them I'm not sure which, I plan to write a new adult romance novel about loss and finding the chance to love again.

The Concealing (Spirit Warriors #1)
by D.E.L. Connor
Release Date: November 24, 2013
Length: 191 pages
Publisher: Booktrope
 
Spirit Warriors - The Concealing webready

Blurb: Sixteen-year-old Emme Belrose has it all: four best friends, a horse of her own, a hidden tepee hangout, and a blossoming romance with tall and handsome Charlie. These friends also have a secret. They can move their spirits into animal bodies: an osprey, a mustang, a grizzly, a mountain lion and a coyote.   But when Charlie, who has a gift for seeing the future, has a vision of Emme drowning in the icy Yellowstone River, the Spirit Warriors must train their animal bodies to kill an enemy they know is coming… but know nothing about. Suspenseful, romantic, and awash in Native American magic, Spirit Warriors captures the tragic enchantment of the American West—and confirms the power of friendship.



About the Author
Della was born in South Dakota and raised in the vastness and beauty of Montana on a farm. When she longed for the big city life, she moved to Texas where she attended college and received a PhD in nursing. When not nursing people back to health you can find Della huddled over her Mac writing the stories that have occupied her mind for so many years, or traveling with her best friends, the NOLA’s, riding bikes across the Golden Gate bridge or exploring botanical gardens. She is the proud mother of a champion triathlete, two aging dogs and 1 grand-cat. Della has admittedly confessed to her coffee addiction and swears that her two hour coffee crawl while on vacation in Seattle –was the best two hours of her life!

Facebook Release Day Party - July 21st at 7pm - 9pm CST

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Book Review~Primordial Dust by Sarah Daltry

Title: Primordial Dust
Author: Sarah Daltry
Publisher: Self-published
Pub Date: June 29th 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 234
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Adventure

Synopsis: A princess, trained to behave. An assassin, betrothed to her. A thief, whose eyes she dreams of at night. A kingdom at war, torn apart by the suppression of magic and truth, as well as family secrets that threaten to destroy decades of peace.

Questions of loyalty, of morality, and of free will culminate in a fantasy novel about forging one’s own path and choosing one’s own destiny.


Rating: 8.5/10
Source: Given by the author in exchange of an honest review.

My Thoughts: I don't usually read fantasy. That is why I went into this book without any expectations. I was pleasantly surprised though, with this book. I really enjoyed going on this adventure with Alondra.

Story: The author has created such a great atmosphere that you are transported into the world of this book when you start reading it. I could easily imagine the surroundings, Anara and the other places. The story is really good and very interesting! There were a lot of twists I didn't see coming. It is very engaging and keeps the reader guessing about what will happen next. Often times I found myself thinking about the book when I wasn't reading it. It has a good mystery that keeps you reading.

Characters: There were some good characters and some bad ones. But all of them were very well-written! Though I did not agree with Alondra on a lot of things, I did feel connected to her and understood her thoughts and reasons. She was naive but her naivety was real and believable. I like how she understood her weaknesses and acknowledged her mistakes instead of denying them. Seamus was such a sweetheart! SEAMUS WAS SUCH A SWEETHEART! I don't know what else to say about him, I loved him! I wish I could have gotten to know him better, go into his head for a little while, but this book was about Alondra. Though we do see a lot of him too.

Tevlin was an awesome, devilish villain! His backstory and connections, I did not see any of that coming at all! I was very surprised with his character. I don't think I should say anything more lest I spoil the book for you. But yeah, his character, and the minor characters, were all written very excellently.

Writing: As I wrote before, the book is very well-written! The writing is so engaging that it transports you into the world of the book and into Alondra's head.

Overall: If you like to read fantasy, adventure books I would highly recommend Primordial Dust! It has an awesome plot, great writing and well-written characters. I'm sure it won't disappoint!

About The Author:

Sarah Daltry writes about the regular people who populate our lives. She's written works in various genres - romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn't as important as telling a story about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA characters but she's been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about relationships - romantic, familial, friendly - because love and empathy are the foundation of life. It doesn't matter if the story is set in contemporary NY, historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future - human beings are most interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind all of Sarah's stories.

Sarah has spent most of her life in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really anything because learning is fun.

When Sarah isn't writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.

Visit Sarah online at:

Website: http://sarahdaltry.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahDaltryA...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahDaltry
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahdaltry/boards/
Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/sarahdaltry


Extras:
~My Dream Cast~

Alondra

Seamus

Tevlin

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Countdown Survey

I found this really cool Countdown Survey on Christy's Book Addiction and thought I'd give it a try. So lets begin!


10. Books already released on your whishlist

  1. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
  2. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
  3. How To Save A Life by Sara Zarr
  4. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
  5. Inbetween by Tara A. Fuller
  6. Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
  7. Want To Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman
  8. Fang Girl by Helen Keeble
  9. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
  10. Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout
9. Favorite Covers


8. Not yet released books that you can't wait for

I'm not really waiting for any...

7. Auto-buy Authors
  1. Kyle Hamilton from V is for Virgin
  2. Jesse de Silva from The Mediator Series
  3. Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries
  4. Noah Hutchins from Pushing the Limits
  5. Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars
  6. Beau Vincent from The Vincent Boys
5. Books you recommend the most
4. Books you thought you'd like but didn't
1. Favorite genre at the moment

Horror/Thriller

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

18th Birthday Book Haul

I don't usually do haul posts but the awesome books I got for my 18th birthday (which was yesterday) by my parents deserved to be showcased!


The perfume on top is a gift from a friend. The books below are gifts from my parents.

The left pile, starting from top, has:
The right pile, starting from top, has:
The best part is that I got these at such a good price! That is why I was able to buy so many! I had an awesome 18th birthday! :D

Friday, July 11, 2014

Book Review~MARY: The Summoning (Bloody Mary #1) by Hillary Monahan

Title: MARY: The Summoning 
Author: Hillary Monahan
Series: Bloody Mary #1
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pub Date: September 2nd 2014
Format: ebook
Pages: 256
Genre: Horror, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Mystery


Synopsis: There is a right way and a wrong way to summon her. 

Jess had done the research. Success requires precision: a dark room, a mirror, a candle, salt, and four teenage girls. Each of them--Jess, Shauna, Kitty, and Anna--must link hands, follow the rules . . . and never let go. 

A thrilling fear spins around the room the first time Jess calls her name: "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. BLOODY MARY." A ripple of terror follows when a shadowy silhouette emerges through the fog, a specter trapped behind the mirror. 

Once is not enough, though--at least not for Jess. Mary is called again. And again. But when their summoning circle is broken, Bloody Mary slips through the glass with a taste for revenge on her lips. As the girls struggle to escape Mary's wrath, loyalties are questioned, friendships are torn apart, and lives are forever altered.

A haunting trail of clues leads Shauna on a desperate search to uncover the legacy of Mary Worth. What she finds will change everything, but will it be enough to stop Mary--and Jess--before it's too late?


Rating: 8/10
Source: Netgalley

My Thoughts: I have tried to write this review 3 times now but I can't seem to find the words to explain how I feel about this book. This is my fourth and last try, I hope I can get my meaning across.

Story: Honestly, I should have seen the friendship drama coming. It says right there in the synopsis "friendships are torn apart". In fact I was pretty sure it was going to be like this. But still I had hope that maybe I would be wrong. Sadly, I wasn't. And a lot of the book is spent on this friendship drama. Which annoyed and bored me very much! Don't get me wrong, maybe some of you might even like the friendship drama, but it just wasn't for me. I signed up for good horror not contemporary drama. 

Other than loads and loads of friendship dramas there are also many scary parts. And most of them made my heart beat like crazy! Bloody Mary's description was perfect! It was, as Tsunami said, "as horrible, blood-drenched, revolting and deformed as possible". Sometimes the description was so creepy, it made me shudder! The scenes with Bloody Mary in them were definitely my favorite ones to read because they were so scary and good!

I really liked the mystery behind Bloody Mary. I have to say I was kinda expecting that twist in the end but still it was interesting to read Bloody Mary's history and I very much liked reading her letters. It made me feel closer to her and I was able to feel sorry for her. 

Characters: Would it be weird if I said Bloody Mary was my favorite character? Yes? Well she was and I can't help that. The main characters of the book, though, are Shauna, Jess, Kitty, and Anna. *sigh* I'll be honest, I did not like these characters AT ALL! I could tolerate Kitty and Anna well, they seemed okay. But Jess and Shauna?! Ugh! Which sucks really because Shauna is the protagonist, the narrator. I was in her head and I couldn't stand her. She did not act natural. One time she is calm while everyone is panicking, the next she goes crazy. Sometimes she is so smart that she understands things in a second, which was very unbelievable. I mean when someone is falling through a window in front of you the first thing that happens is that either your mind goes blank or you realize you have to rush to save that person. I'm pretty sure you can't figure out Mary's motives while standing there watching your friend fall. And then the other times she is so dim that she doesn't get even the most obvious things. I mean that Jess thing, I saw it coming from a mile away! She right-out told Shauna what she was going to do and still Shauna was surprised! Sometimes she acted like a grown-up instead of a teenager, I would know since I am a teenager. Instead of worrying about the matters at hand she worried about useless stuff which made me so angry! She kept badmouthing and then defending Jess. And Jess is supposed to be her best friend...

Oh and talking about Jess, she is such a narcissistic, little, know-it-all! She got on my nerves! If she were my friend I wouldn't let her boss me and everyone else around. She is manipulative and a liar. Shauna says this herself. And yet she keeps forgiving her. She says "Jess messes things up but she makes up for them." I never once saw Jess making up for her messes. I just really didn't see Shauna and Jess as best friends. They could have been casual friends but I never saw that bond that exists between best friends. Their friendship just wasn't believable. And Jess was ccrrraaaazzzyyyy!!

Kitty and Anna were probably the best ones out of the four girls. They seemed like real people. Their reactions were natural, like mine would have been, and I liked them much better than Shauna and Jess.

Writing: As I said, Bloody Mary's description was great and the scary scenes were really good! But in terms of characters, I did not like the writing much. It was like instead of showing the characters' personalities, the writer was telling us. There was some showing too but it was very late into the novel. I wish she wouldn't have wrote their personality traits as if the reader is too dumb to understand. If she had shown the characters as they were, with their actions and dialogues, I would have figured out their personalities myself. 

Sequel: This book is the first one in a series. Am I going to read the next book? I don't exactly plan on it but if it comes by and I have the time then maybe I'll check it out.

Overall: This book was a mix of two extremes for me. While I loved the Bloody Mary scenes, the friendship drama bored me a lot! I do realize though that other people might not have this problem with the book. So though I'm not going to particularly recommend it, I won't advise against reading it either. So the choice is yours.

About The Author:

Hillary Monahan is Eva Darrows is also an international woman of mystery. Holed up in Massachusetts with three smelly basset hounds, she writes funny, creepy things for fun and profit.
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