Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Review: Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5) by Jennifer Estep

Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy, #5)
Title: Midnight Frost

Series: Mythos Academy #5

Previous books in this series: Touch of Frost (#1) | Kiss of Frost (#2) | Dark Frost (#3) | Crimson Frost (#4) | Spartan Frost (#4.5)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: YA, urban fantasy, Greek mythology, Norse mythology

Publication date: July 30th, 2013

Published by: K-Teen

Source: the publishers via Netgalley (thank you!!)

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Here we go again...

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there...

My rating: ★★★★★

I was so glad to get back to reading a new book in my favoritest series EVER! I absolutely LOVE it!

Monday, July 29, 2013

Review: Bad Apple (The Warner Grimoire #1) by Clay Held

Bad Apple (The Warner Grimoire, #1)
Title: Bad Apple

Series: The Warner Grimoire #1

Author: Clay Held

Genre: YA, paranormal, urban fantasy

Publication date: May 2013

Published by: Clay Held

Source: For review

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Simon Warner isn’t having a very good October. To start with, he drowned, and then the real trouble started. Next thing he knows, he's back among the living, there’s a ghostly voice rattling around in his head, and a nasty ghoul has burned down his home and kidnapped his adoptive father.

But even that is just the beginning. A mysterious stranger draws Simon deep into the hidden world of the supernatural: a dangerous place full of vicious monsters, cunning madmen, and unbelievable magic. There Simon finds not only loyal friends, but powerful enemies lurking around every corner, and a dangerous legacy that's been waiting for him. Cheating death has also revealed a terrible secret: Simon is a warlock by birth, and with powers like his, he is destined to embrace evil.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I LOVE anything magical and witchy...such as this book :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (#19)


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Review: Override (Glitch #2) by Heather Anastasiu

Override (Glitch, #2)
Title: Override

Series: Glitch #2

Previous book in this series: Glitch

Author: Heather Anastasiu

Genre: YA, dystopian, sci-fi

Publication date: Feb. 2013

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin

Source: the publishers via Netgalley (thanks!)

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

Zoe is free. She has escaped the enslavement of the Community, disconnected from the hardware that had controlled her every thought and emotion, and evaded capture by the Chancellor intent on killing her. She is finally free, but she is far from safe.

Zoe and Adrien hide themselves from detection at the Foundation, an academy that trains teen glitchers to fight in the Resistance movement. Together, Zoe and her new team of superhuman fighters must risk their lives to rescue other glitchers and humans from the Chancellor's control. Challenges abound at every turn, and Adrien, who has become silent, distant, and tormented by his visions of the future, only adds to the growing certainty of defeat. But worst of all, as Zoe's team fights against impossible odds, distrust and betrayal leads to the terrible discovery that their greatest threat could already be lurking behind the safe walls of the Foundation.

Full of high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Heather Anastasiu's Override is an exciting continuation of this popular young adult trilogy.
My rating: ★★★★★

Zoe is finally free from the Community and is now with Adrien and the rest of the Rez! Huzzah! Now comes the hard part: finding a way to free everyone else from the Community. Not to mention that Zoe needs training to control her telekinesis (which she is getting really good at...it's amazing!). Oh! And lets not forget the little detail that she's supposed to be a leader! We've also got that other little detail of Zoe's allergies to the Surface...There's SO much on Zoe's plate...how will she deal with it all? I really feel for Zoe and all the hard stuff she's been going through. She is such a likable character and you cant help but care what happens to her!

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Glitch (Glitch, #1)
Title: Glitch

Series: Glitch #1

Author: Heather Anastasiu

Genre: YA, dystopian, sci-fi

Publication date: August 2012

Published by: St. Martin's Press

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

My rating: ★★★★★

First of all, the cover of this book is gorgeous! And the book itself wasn't bad either ;)

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Uniquely Unwelcome by Brandy Nacole



Being unique isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

After searching all over the world for someone as unique as she is, Racquel finds herself back in her home town where she’s treated like a monster ready to kill. Racquel is one of the most unique beings ever created. Four of the most powerful beings in the Shadow World are intertwined within her, making up her unique DNA. But no matter how unique her bloodline is, she’s considered an outcast by the entire Shadow World.

Once arriving home, Racquel finds that greater evils exist and that the person she cares for most in this world, her half-sister Addie, has been kidnapped along with other Shadow World beings. Racquel finds herself facing horrible odds with those who would rather see her dead than alive.

As her journey continues, Racquel learns more about herself, what she is capable of, and that not every being looks at her as an abomination. Coy, a human captive that Racquel saves from the Vampires, starts showing kindness toward her. Racquel tries putting distance between her and the human boy but as they spend more time together it becomes harder and harder for Racquel to fight the affection she wants and needs.

But will Coy’s friendship and her new found discoveries be enough to help Racquel unravel the strangest mystery that has ever plagued the Shadow World?




We turn the corner onto a bridge and I finally see it. The clock tower or as everyone else calls it, Big Ben. It’s absolutely stunning, especially at night. The clock towers over London showing its massive height and beauty as it proclaims the time for everyone to see.

As we’re walking across the bridge I notice Coy getting a little winded and sweaty. “You okay?”

“Yeah, but we may have to hail that ride back.” He’s winded but it doesn’t keep him from looking up in awe at Big Ben. I’m worried though, he looks like he’s about to pass out. Honestly what was I thinking? Making him walk forever, knowing he hasn’t had any strenuous exercise his whole life. But from the expression on his face I can tell he thinks it was worth it.

I wish I could get excited over something the way he is right now. See the world in a new way. Erase the memory of the past. I envy Coy for his look of astonishment and wonder. All I ever feel is dread and loneliness. I’m glad that someone has a chance to see the wonder and magic of the world. It does hold some amazing things.

We arrive at the base of the tower and its enormous beauty. The structure is like a huge piece of art work. There are angels and gargoyles all over the towers surface. The clock bell starts to chime, ringing loud for everyone to hear as its bright light shines through the night.

Once the chiming stops, I contemplate on going up for a quick view. But I can’t leave Coy behind. He might get attacked or feel left out. I go to discard the thought when Coy says something that gives me permission to take him with me.

“Wow. This is amazing.” Coy says, “I wish we could see the view from up top.”

I shrug my shoulders, “Okay.” Before he even knows what I’m doing, I have a tight hold on him. My hands are encircled under his arms and around his chest. Locking my hands I give a slight warning, “Hang on tight,” before launching us off the ground.

He tries to protest but it dies as we land on the roof of the adjoining Westminster Palace. Without pause I keep jumping. I grab hold of outcroppings along the tower to keep my momentum. In a matter of seconds I’m up the tower and sitting Coy on the ledge just above the clock.

I couldn’t see his face while we were scaling the tower but looking at him now, I have a pretty good idea of what his face looked like. His face is pale as are his knuckles, from the death grip he has on the railings. His eyes are practically jumping out of their sockets.

“What the hell was that?” He asks as he takes a shaky breath.

“What?” I ask innocently.

“That,” he shouts, waving his hand through the air to emphasize.

“Oh, well you wanted to see the view. That was the only way I could think of getting us up here.” I take a seat on a gargoyle, straddling it like I’m riding a horse, and lean back against the tower.

“A little warning would have been nice. You scared the hell out of me you know.” He still looks a little rattled but seems to calming a bit.

I laugh to myself. I had expected his response but it’s still funny. “Would you have gone?”

“Well-”

“Exactly! I knew you wanted to come up here but if I had asked you probably wouldn’t have been too giddy about it. Now will you quit complaining? It’s over and done. So just enjoy the view,” I say, taking in the view myself.

He doesn’t say anything more and finally looks around him. His expression is the same as it was before when he saw Big Ben on the bridge, awed with all smiles.

It really is beautiful. The moon is reflecting off the water. I don’t know what it is about the moon reflecting on the water but it’s comforting. The street lights below stretch out illuminating the city. From up here there doesn’t seem to be a care in the world. No differences, no fighting, just total blissfulness.

An urge hits me so hard that I don’t think I will be able to hold it back. Without even questioning myself, I stand on top of the gargoyle and look over at Coy. “Will you be okay up here for a few minutes?”

“I guess.” He looks at me cautiously. “What are you going to do?” Without answering him, I jump.

DUN, DUN, DUN!


Brandy Nacole resides in Arkansas where her imagination runs wild. Her obsession is reading but her passion is writing. She put her dream of becoming a writer on the back burner and went to college to become a psychologist. Three years after endless classes in a field she only felt half satisfied with, Brandy picked up her pen once again and wrote the outline to Uniquely Unwelcome. She finished out her degree in psychology, but traded her dream of writing for the degree and put psychology on the back burner.

Whenever she’s not reading or writing, Brandy is spending time with her family and friends, throwing around crazy ideas, teaching, and singing like a rock star at a concert for no one else but herself. She loves plants, but unfortunately is a killer of anything that requires water but can’t voice (scream) their needs.

She is the author of The Shadow World Series and The Spiritual Discord.



There’ll be 5 winners:

  • 1st place: (1) signed paperback of Uniquely Unwelcome.
  • 2nd and 3rd place: (1) ebook of Uniquely Unwelcome and the sequel Blood Burdens.
  • 4th and 5th place: (1) ebook of Broken Faith.

*The giveaway is international*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Poor Coy, Racquel scared the crap out of him with her little stunt, lol....and then she jumps. Oy. What's the craziest thing YOU have ever done??

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Review: The Mackenzie Legacy (The Athena Effect #2) by Derrolyn Anderson

The Mackenzie Legacy (The Athena Effect #2)
Title: The Mackenzie Legacy

Series: The Athena Effect #2

Previous book in this series: The Athena Effect

Author: Derrolyn Anderson

Genre: YA, sci-fi, romance

Publication date: April 2013

Published by: Derrolyn Anderson

Source: E-book from the author for review

Add it to your Goodreads shelf

Buy it: Amazon | Smashwords

Synopsis:

As their story continues, Calvin and Caledonia find themselves madly in love, on the run, and nearly out of money. When Cal stumbles upon a way to cash in on Cali’s powers, their life on the road becomes a life of leisure. Despite the easy money and newfound luxury, Caledonia’s conscience begins to trouble her.

A disturbing warning only serves to confirm her misgivings, making her question her purpose in life. Finally, a shocking discovery about the true nature of her powers points the way forward, sending the two Cals on a dangerous rescue mission.

Caledonia tries her best to right the wrongs of the past, but will she only end up provoking new and even more dangerous enemies?

My rating: ★★★★☆

Calvin leaned back on his pillows, watching [Caledonia's] magical eyes dart back and forth as she mastered the keyboard, assimilating information faster than he ever imagined possible. He smiled wryly, thinking that the day he was beaten up in the cemetery was probably the luckiest day of his life. ~The Mackenzie Legacy

Oh man, what an adventure! This is what I love about Derrolyn's writing: there is always something exciting and action-y going on! Oh! And let's not forget about the yummy romance ;)

Monday, July 22, 2013

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Nomad by J.L. Bryan


~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Nomad by J.L. Bryan
Publication date: July 26th 2013
Genre: NA time travel dystopian novel

Synopsis:

A new dystopian novel from the author of Jenny Pox - coming July 26.

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

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



Her hands were red with blood, but the cold rain washed it away.  Whose blood?  She couldn’t remember.

She became aware of pain throughout her body.  Freezing water and tiny hailstones lashed her face as she stumbled through a storm.  Dying thunder echoed in her ears, and crackles of lightning faded in the night around her.

A pair of lights rushed toward her through the darkness, but her brain couldn’t interpret what her eyes saw.  A long screech ripped through her ears, followed by shrill bleats.

Car horns, she realized as the lights loomed closer.  Through her thick, fuzzy brain, it dawned on her that she was staggering along a multi-lane road, seconds away from getting splattered across the oncoming grill of an eighteen-wheeled truck.

She discerned a dark space off to her left and moved into it, stepping from hard pavement into squishy wet earth.  The truck that had nearly killed her squealed past as the driver braked, dousing her with a wave of cold mud.  Horns blew at the stopped truck blocking up the left lane.

She rubbed her eyes and tried to grasp her surroundings—a grass median dividing an interstate highway, up to her ankles in frigid mud.

She couldn’t remember where she was, or how she’d come to be there.  After a moment’s reflection, she realized she wasn’t entirely sure who she was, either.

Raven, she remembered.  She clung to that word like a lifeline. My name is Raven.  It is now, anyway.  She’d once had a different name, but that original, scribbled-on-the-birth-certificate name no longer mattered.

She wore black boots and a long black jacket.  A backpack weighed down her shoulders, but she didn’t know what it contained.  She trudged on weak, trembling legs toward an overpass bridge ahead.  Once she was out of the downpour, she could gather her brains and figure things out.  She didn’t seem to be bleeding, so the blood on her hands must not have been her own.

“Hey!  Hey there, girl!  You all right?” shouted the truck driver who had almost flattened her.  More cars honked and swerved to avoid crashing into the back of his trailer, which was decorated with puffy pink sheep.

Raven squinted up at him.  The man was in his forties, severely overweight, with a handlebar mustache and scratchy, graying beard stubble.  His blue and white cap read: MoonPie: The Original Marshmallow Sandwich!

“I’m fine!” she shouted through the downpour. “Keep going!”

“You got a car?” he asked.

“No,” she told him. “I don’t think so.”

“Where you headed?”

“I don’t know.”

“The troopers gonna lock you up if they see you!  You drunk or what?”

“I don’t think so.” She raised a hand to her mouth to check her breath.  Not drunk.

The trucker eyed her up and down, a soaking wet girl stumbling along the interstate alone at night, and then he swung open the passenger door.

“Best climb on up in here with me,” he said. “Gonna freeze your pants off out there.”
Raven looked at the gruff, obese man and the warm, sheltered transport he was offering, and then at the overpass bridge in the distance.  Her legs were rubbery.  She might not make it to the overpass before she collapsed.

“Lady, I got to get moving,” he said. “You want a ride to the exit or what?”

“Yeah,” Raven said.  She had no reason to trust him, but he seemed soft-bodied and slow.  If he tried to get rough, she would break his wrists.   Even in her current state, she knew she could take him if he pushed her to it.

Raven stumbled around to the passenger side and struggled to climb with her weakened limbs until he took her arms and pulled her up.

“Thanks,” she whispered, still shivering.  She was almost too weak to pull the door closed.

“Just glad you ain’t tore in half.” He settled back into the driver’s seat, and it groaned under his weight. “You musta been one, two, three, four inches from me.  Or less.  Just popped up outta nowhere when that lightning hit.” He drove cautiously through the storm. “Didn’t seem like no normal lightning, you ask me.  What was you doing out there?   That big flash hit the road, then you come stumbling out....Did the lightning get you?”

“I don’t know,” she said.  The interior of the cab smelled like cigarette smoke and old hamburgers.  A collage of small objects was glued to the dashboard—action figures, an old watch face, postcards, salt and pepper shakers.  Hail clattered on the cab’s roof.

“You don’t know?” he asked.

“Sorry.” Raven shrugged off her backpack and set it on the floor between her wet boots.  She wanted to see what was inside it, but not while he was watching.

“It’s Jebbie, by the way.” He offered his calloused hand, and she hesitated a moment before taking it. “Jebbie Walters.  From Yazoo City, Mississippi.  You got a name, darling?”

“Angela.  That’s my name,” Raven said.  She knew not to trust a stranger with data about herself.  He might be the enemy, and she felt informants and spies were everywhere, looking to report those who resisted.

“Huh.  Where you from, Angela?”

She tried to remember, but finally shrugged.

“You ain’t gotta tell me,” he said. “You going north?  Cause that’s where I’m going, way up north of here.  You might want to hop out quick if that ain’t your plan.”

“I’m not sure.”

“You ain’t sure about much of nothing, are you?”

“Not right now,” Raven said.

“I guess I ought to drop you up at the exit.”

“You can.” Raven shrugged. “I think I’m lost.”

He looked her over again. “Tell you what.  About three, four, five miles from here’s a good spot, the Big Porcupine Travel Plaza.  Got showers, motel rooms, an all-night-you-can-eat place.  We could stop there, get you a place to sleep.  Maybe in the morning you’ll start to remembering things.  I figure you just need to sleep it off.  You’re on drugs or something, ain’t you?”

“Maybe,” Raven said.

He laughed. “It’s okay by me.  I don’t do drugs, myself.  Just pills and booze.  Well, you think about what you want to do.”

He turned up the radio, where a woman sang a slow, gentle song that Raven gradually recognized.  Someone—her mother?—had once played it on the piano.  It was an old song called “The Rose.”

“Uh, sorry.” Jebbie blushed pink and spun the radio knob. “I, uh, usually find a good honky-tonk or country gold station.  Don’t know how my radio ended up on that soft-rock junk, or whatever that was.  Yeah, here we go.” He found a song with a steel guitar and a man singing about his wife leaving him for his boss.

Raven looked at herself in the rain-streaked side mirror.  She was about twenty years old, maybe nineteen.  That felt right.  Her black hair was pulled into a short ponytail with a rubber band.  She wore all black: boots, fatigues, blouse, backpack, jacket.  The knee-length jacket was made of a stretchy artificial material with a texture like a crocodile’s back.  She felt a web of metallic fibers between the layers of leathery fabric. That’s armor, she realized, and she wondered why she might need armor.  Her only jewelry was on her left wrist, a thin silver bracelet with a large moonstone.

She tried to reach back in time with her mind.  She’d been stumbling along the highway.  The moment before that: what?  It was a solid blank slate, as though a giant magnet had wiped her brain clean.  Perhaps the trucker was right, and she’d been struck by lightning.

Raven, she reminded herself. I know my name.


AUTHOR BIO
J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife Christina, where he spends most of his day servings the toddler and animal community inside his house. He is the author of the Paranormals series and the Songs of Magic series.

His novel Jenny Pox is currently free on KindleSmashwordsAppleSonyKobo, and Nook!    

Author Links:



The Rules and Other-Important-Stuff-You-Should-Probably-Read:
  • This giveaway is International (e-book provided in mobi OR epub).
  • The winner will be notified by e-mail on August 4th and will have 48 hours to claim the prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. (So please, when you sign in to the Rafflecopter form, use an e-mail you check often and double check that it is correct.)
  • Must be 16 or older to enter or have parent's permission.
  • 1 entry per person. Duplicate entries will be deleted and participant will be disqualified from this giveaway. The only exception is the "once a day" entries.
  • All entries will be verified. If any are falsified, all entries for that participant will be deleted, and the participant will be disqualified from this giveaway.
  • Giveaway details are subject to change without notice.
  • E-book provided by the author.
  • Void where prohibited by law.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck to everyone who enters!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (#18)


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Guest Post: A Time Of Once - Laura Briggs


I have a guest post today for you from author Laura Briggs! Enjoy! And make sure you check out these books...especially if you like fairy tale-type books!


Kickstarting a Series with Fan Feedback

This week, I’m excited to see the debut of something a little different in my writing career. My co-author S.E. Steinbrenner and I are launching two special edition prequels for a fantasy series set to debut in 2014. And we’re asking fans to help us write it.

The prequles–Once: The Series Beginnings and A Time of Once: The Series Prequel– are currently available for free via Smashwords and Amazon. These short volumes offer readers a glimpse of the series’ key characters and plotlines, while providing interactive ways for them to share feedback and get to know the series as it progresses.





What the Time of Once Series is Like

My co-author and I have previously done historical fairytale retellings, with First Bite: The Wicked Queen’s Tale and its companion books in THE DARK WOODS series.

A Time of Once, however, will be a contemporary setting, as reality begins to collide with the fairytale realm. It’s basically our own twist on the worlds created in TV shows like Grimm and Once Upon a Time, with a healthy dose of the original fairytales we all know and love.

There will be an ordinary town and citizens that start to undergo changes, to transform beneath the shadow of the fairytale world. Certain characters­­–a mild-mannered sheriff, a tough female reporter, and a clever little girl–will be among the first to notice the darkness that’s coming. But will they be able to stop it before everything they know and love is caught up or destroyed in its wake?

A quote from the series’ character known as the Storyteller pretty much sums it up: “What's evil becomes evil. What's good becomes good. And what's in between, it gets caught up either way.”

How Readers Can Get Involved

From July 9th-13th, readers can grab a free copy of A Time of Once: The Series Prequel on Amazon.

Once: The Series Beginnings–which features completely different scenes–is currently free on Smashwords. The Smashwords volume will be available at other major retailers (B&N, Kobo, etc) within approximately three weeks.

Visit the series webpage. Here, readers can view a photo gallery, character bios, and leave their suggestions, questions, and comments concerning the series so far. More interactive features, such as a discussion forum, will be available soon.

Also, check out the Goodreads page.