Tuesday, 31 January 2017

Teaser Tuesdays - The Infects


He would have screamed, but there was no time.
She sank her teeth into his shoulder.
Then cheek.
Then neck.

(page 5, The Infects by Sean Beaudoin)

Buy from bookdepository

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 30 January 2017

Erotic Fairy Tales - Book Review by Voodoo Bride


Erotic Fairy Tales Volumes 1-5
by Leila Bryce Sin


What is it about:
A collection of Leila Bryce Sin's Erotic Fairy Tales, including the first five fairy tale retellings! Follow Little Red, Snow White, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin and The Mermaid on their lust filled adventures!

Included:
Little Red and the Wolf
Snow White and the Huntsman
Rapunzel
The Mermaid
Rumpelstiltskin


What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This is a collection of 5 short erotic fairy tale retellings.

The women in these stories get to explore and enjoy their sexuality and if one of them ends up with someone else than Prince Charming it's by her own choice.

These are quick, satisfying reads. The only one that wasn't really for me was The Mermaid, which had a f/f scene, but otherwise these stories were fun, sexy and hot.

I will certainly give Bryce Sin's longer stories a try. I can recommend this to anyone who's looking for a steamy fairy tale read.

Why should you read it:
It's a sexy and hot collection of fairy tale retellings.


Buy from Amazon

Friday, 27 January 2017

The Queen of Blood - Book Review


The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia #1)
by Sarah Beth Durst


What is it about:
An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow...

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land... before it’s bathed in blood.


What did I think of it:
If I'm honest I think that for a lot of people the first part of this book will seem slow, but as it's mostly about Daleina going through her training in a boarding school I was hooked. (Yes, I have a great weakness for boarding school stories.) It's the second part of the story where things speed up to rush to a stunning finale.

I loved the world building and very much enjoyed learning about the spirits together with Daleina as she studies. I also loved that Daleina isn't some kind of prodigy, but that she has to struggle to get were she wants to go. It made her very easy to relate to.

I also really liked Ven and rooted for both him and Daleina to succeed in their goals. I will admit that the further I got into the story the more I started to care for both of them and it became more and more difficult to put the book down.

The ending was beautiful and although it's in no way a cliffhanger it left me hungry for more of this world and the characters. I will most certainly keep an eye out for the next book and I will investigate what other books Durst has written.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful Fantasy read.


Buy from bookdepository

Thursday, 26 January 2017

On McPig's Radar - Who: a novel of the near future

This sounds like a really intriguing read.


Who: a novel of the near future
by Karen A. Wyle


Have they changed their minds? Or have their minds been changed?

Death is no longer the end. Those who prepare, and can afford it, may have their memories and personalities digitally preserved. The digitally stored population can interact with the world of the living, remaining part of their loved ones’ lives. They can even vote.

But digital information has its vulnerabilities.

After the young and vital Thea dies and is stored, her devoted husband Max starts to wonder about changes in her preoccupations and politics. Are they simply the result of the new company she keeps? Or has she been altered without her knowledge and against her will?

And if Thea is no longer herself, what can they do?



Buy from Amazon

Wednesday, 25 January 2017

Wedding Night - Book Review by Voodoo Bride


Wedding Night
by Sophie Kinsella


What is it about:
It's all gone wrong with the man Lottie thought was Mr Right. Then out of the blue she gets a call from her first love. She decides it must be Fate, and rushes off to marry him and rekindle their sizzling Greek island romance.

Lottie's older sister can't believe she's doing something so crazy. No more Ms Nice Sister, she's stopping this marriage. Right away! And she'll go to any lengths to do so...


What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
Once in a while I want to read something silly and fun and Kinsella is one of the authors who I know delivers on those two things.

The lengths Fliss goes through to stop her sister's wedding, so Lottie won't have to go through a divorce just as painful as her own are totally overboard, but make for a fun read.

The viewpoint switches between both sisters so you get to read both of their adventures and thoughts. I liked Fliss more than Lottie even though Fliss is a bit of a weirdo in how far she goes to stop her sister. I even didn't mind that she drags her kid along, although I did feel that the storyline with her son didn't have a proper conclusion. Lottie is too much of a flake to really connect with her, but I enjoyed reading about her misadventures on her honeymoon.

All in all this book was just as silly and fun as I hoped when I picked it up and I will most certainly pick up another one of Kinsella's books when I'm in the mood for something light and funny.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and enjoyable Contemporary read


Buy from bookdepository

Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Teaser Tuesdays - Plague Town


"I think I just killed a zombie." Yeah, that definitely didn't sound like something I would say.

(page 34, Plague Town by Dana Fredsti)


Buy from bookdepository

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 23 January 2017

Starflight - Book Review


Starflight (Starflight #1)
by Melissa Landers


What is it about:
Solara Brooks needs a fresh start, someplace where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. The outer realm may be lawless, but it's not like the law has ever been on her side. Still, off-world travel doesn't come cheap; Solara is left with no choice but to indenture herself in exchange for passage to the outer realm. She just wishes it could have been to anyone besides Doran Spaulding, the rich, pretty-boy quarterback who made her life miserable in school.

The tables suddenly turn when Doran is framed for conspiracy on Earth, and Solara cons him into playing the role of her servant on board the Banshee, a ship manned by an eccentric crew with their own secrets. Given the price on both Doran and Solara's heads, it may just be the safest place in the universe.

It's been a long time since Solara has believed in anyone, and Doran is the last person she expected to trust. But when the Banshee's dangerous enemies catch up with them, Solara and Doran must come together to protect the ship that has become their home-and the eccentric crew that feels like family.


What did I think of it:
This is a really fun SF read.

Solara and Doran make a great mismatched duo and I loved their banter and interaction. I also loved the crew of the Banshee, some more than others of course.

The world building is minimal, but enough to picture everything, and the story is fast paced with some really cool action and fun events. I enjoyed it from start to finish.

I can advice this book to anyone who's looking for a fun YA SF read. I liked it so much I'm tempted to pre-order the second book which releases next month, even though it's a hardcover priced over 10 Euro.

Luckily I still have the second book of Landers' Alienated series in my TBR pile, so I'll be reading that soon while trying to decide if I want to wait for the paperback of Starfall or if I'm going to get the hardcover after all.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and action packed YA SF read


Buy from bookdepository

Friday, 20 January 2017

Lost Girls - Book Review


Lost Girls
by Merrie Destefano


What is it about:
Yesterday, Rachel went to sleep listening to Taylor Swift, curled up in her grammy’s quilt, worrying about geometry. Today, she woke up in a ditch, bloodied, bruised, and missing a year of her life.

She doesn’t recognize the person she’s become: she’s popular. She wears nothing but black.

Black to cover the blood.

And she can fight.

Tell no one.

She’s not the only girl to go missing within the last year... but she’s the only girl to come back. She desperately wants to unravel what happened to her, to try and recover the rest of the Lost Girls.

But the more she discovers, the more her memories return. And as much as her new life scares her, it calls to her. Seductively. The good girl gone bad, sex, drugs, and raves, and something darker... something she still craves—the rush of the fight, the thrill of the win—something she can’t resist, that might still get her killed...

The only rule is: There are no rules.


What did I think of it:
This is a really cool read.

Rachel's search for the truth and for what happened to her and to the other girls who went missing is suspenseful and I was hooked from the start. Slowly you discover what Rachel was involved in and it's exciting to read as well as disturbing. The things she uncovers are dangerous and she might not be able to trust those close to her.

If there's one thing I can say against this story it's that it briefly touches on a personal pet peeve: apparently only people who feel miserable/depressed are into the Goth scene... *grumbles*

That small pet peeve aside I loved this book. Rachel is an interesting heroine with surprisingly dark secrets. I liked discovering what was going on and was rooting for Rachel to find a way to deal with what happened to her. I also liked Rachel's interaction with her family, even though at times I was surprised by what she got away with after just having been missing for two weeks.

All in all this is a gripping and awesome read, and you bet I'll be keeping an eye out for Destefano's next book.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool, gritty and suspenseful YA read.


Buy from bookdepository


Thursday, 19 January 2017

On McPig's Wishlist - End Games


The End Games
by T. Michael Martin


It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.



Buy from bookdepository

Wednesday, 18 January 2017

Werewolf in the North Woods - Book Review by Voodoo Bride


Werewolf in the North Woods (Wild About You #2)
by Vicki Lewis Thompson


What is it about:
When she used to walk around her grandfather’s property out­side Portland, Abby Winchell loved the idea that Bigfoot was somewhere out there too. Now her grandfather swears he’s seen two creatures that fit the legendary description—and he has evidence. Sort of. Grandpa Earl may be a bit dotty, but when his neighbors invite a renowned anthropologist to disprove his theory, Abby decides to send the man packing... until she sees how hot he is.

Anthropology professor Roark Wallace can’t risk news be­ing made of a Bigfoot sighting in the north woods—not with a local pack of werewolves to protect. Disproving the evidence should be easy, but ignoring Abby is not. Her fiery red hair makes him want to sit up and beg, and this obvious attraction is making the pack suspicious...


What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This is a fun read.

The romance is cute and fluffy with some steamy scenes. It's a fast romance, but that is what I expected going in. The dynamics between Abby and Roark were fun to read. I also really liked some of the minor characters, especially Abby's grandfather.

The overall storyline has some suspenseful moments, but this being a fluffy paranormal romance it never got to nailbiting tension.

Overall this is a lighthearted, fun read that might not surprise you, but will give you the perfect fix when you're looking for something fluffy and enjoyable.

I will most probably get my hands on the next book some day.

Why should you read it:

It's a fluffy and fun Paranormal Romance.


Buy from bookdepository

Tuesday, 17 January 2017

Teaser Tuesdays - Starflight


"Doran," she warned, "on a regular day, I want to push you in front of a bullet tram. But today I was robbed of spiced berries and then handed a suicide pill. So don't test me."

(page 110, Starflight by Melissa Landers)


Buy from bookdepository

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 16 January 2017

Woodwalker - Book Review


Woodwalker (Woodwalker #1)
by Emily B. Martin


What is it about:
“What on earth would I gain from that?” I asked him. “Risk my own neck by violating my banishment just to leave you? The sentence placed on me if I return is execution. If I’m entering the mountains again, I’d damn well better get something out of it.”

Exiled from the Silverwood and the people she loves, Mae has few illusions about ever returning to her home. But when she comes across three out-of-place strangers in her wanderings, she finds herself contemplating the unthinkable: risking death to help a deposed queen regain her throne.

And if anyone can help Mona Alastaire of Lumen Lake, it is a former Woodwalker—a ranger whose very being is intimately tied to the woods they are sworn to protect. Mae was once one of the best, and despite the potential of every tree limb to become the gibbet she’s hanged from, she not only feels a duty to aide Mona and her brothers, but also to walk beneath her beloved trees once more.

A grand quest in the tradition of great epic fantasies, filled with adventure and the sharp wit—and tongue—of a unique hero, Woodwalker is the perfect novel to start your own journey into the realm of magical fiction.


What did I think of it:
This is a very enjoyable read.

Even though I soon suspected Mae of being an unreliable narrator - keeping information she knows hidden for a surprise effect for the reader later on - I liked her and was soon invested in the story.

Mona and one of her brothers were a lot harder to like and I wouldn't have blamed Mae for leaving one of them stranded on a mountain. But Mae takes her task seriously and tries her best to get the three where they want to go.

For most parts this book is a travel story with all the perils that brings, but there's politics, adventure, narrow escapes, and lots more as well. There were some things I could see coming by the few hints Mae lets slip in her narration, but others were a surprise. All in all a really nice Fantasy read, and I will most certainly get my trotters on the next book as well.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and enjoyable Fantasy read.


Buy from bookdepository


Friday, 13 January 2017

Zombie Apocalypse! - Book Review


Zombie Apocalypse! (Zombie Apocalypse! #1)
by Pat Cadigan, Paul McAuley, Robert Hood, Michael Marshall Smith, Tim Lebbon, Christopher Fowler, Paul Finch , Sarah Pinborough, John Llewellyn Probert, Kim Newman, Lisa Morton, Scott Edelman, Peter Crowther, Peter Atkins, Tanith Lee, and Stephen Jones (Editor)


What is it about:
In the near future, a desperate and ever-more controlling UK government attempts to restore a sense of national pride with a New Festival of Britain. But construction work on the site of an old church in south London releases a centuries-old plague that turns its victims into flesh-hungry ghouls whose bite or scratch passes the contagion - a supernatural virus which has the power to revive the dead - on to others.

'The Death' soon sweeps across London and the whole country descends into chaos. When a drastic attempt to eradicate the outbreak at source fails, the plague spreads quickly to mainland Europe and then across the rest of the world.

Told through a series of interconnected eyewitness narratives - text messages, e-mails, blogs, letters, diaries and transcripts - this is an epic story of a world plunged into chaos as the dead battle the living for total domination.


What did I think of it:
This is a really cool read.

It's written by several authors and is set up to look like a collection of letters, e-mails, transcripts, etc... detailing the events just before and during a zombie outbreak.

Of course there were parts I like better than others: Tanith Lee's Letters from a Tower - in which an elderly lady writes to a friend about her experience - was the absolute best part imo, followed by Things Past - in which a man writes a long overdue email to his mother - by Michael Marshall Smith, but I didn't much care for the Internal Communication letters by Mandy Slater (company letters to personnel) for example.

I'm also not a fan of the use of 'handwriting'. Yes, there were handwritten letters and diary pages, but using a font that looks like handwriting makes that I get dragged out of the story because I have to decipher the handwriting.

That annoyance aside this is a very cool zombie book and I might give the next book a try if I can find it for a reasonable price.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable Zombie read.


Buy from bookdepository

Thursday, 12 January 2017

On McPig's Wishlist - Darkness Brutal


Darkness Brutal (The Dark Cycle #1)
by Rachel A. Marks


Aidan O’Linn’s childhood ended the night he saw a demon kill his mother and mark his sister, Ava, with Darkness. Since then, every three years the demons have returned to try to claim her. Living in the gritty, forgotten corners of Los Angeles, Aidan has managed to protect his sister, but he knows that even his powers to fight demons and speak dead languages won’t keep her safe for much longer.

In desperation, Aidan seeks out the help of Sid, the enigmatic leader of a group of teens who run LA Paranormal, an Internet reality show that fights demons and ghosts. In their company, Aidan believes he’s finally found a haven for Ava. But when he meets Kara, a broken girl who can spin a hypnotic web of passionate energy, he awakens powers he didn’t know he had―and unleashes a new era of war between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness.

With the fate of humanity in his hands, can Aidan keep the Darkness at bay and accept his brilliant, terrifying destiny?



Buy from bookdepository

Wednesday, 11 January 2017

Nerve - Book Review


Nerve
by Jeanne Ryan


What is it about:
ARE YOU PLAYING THE GAME OR IS THE GAME PLAYING YOU?

Vee doesn't know if she has the guts to play NERVE, an anonymous online game of dares. But whoever's behind the game knows exactly what she wants, enticing her with lustworthy prizes and a sizzling-hot partner. With Ian on her team, it's easy to agree to another dare. And another. And another. At first it's thrilling as the Watchers cheer them on to more dangerous challenges. But suddenly the game turns deadly. Will Vee and Ian risk their lives for the Grand Prize dare, or will they lose NERVE?


What did I think of it:
This was a fun read.

There were quite a few stereotypical characters, but as this story is more about Vee and the game she gets involved in than character development I didn't mind too much.

Vee and Ian are asked to do dares that get more dubious the further they get into the game. Ryan does make it believable why they keep playing instead of dropping out. I will confess I could understand Ian better than Vee, but Vee is a little bit contradictory in her behavior at times.

As the story draws to its conclusion events got a little bit out there for me, but maybe I underestimate what people will do for money and/or fame. Even so I very much enjoyed this read from start to finish and I already ordered Ryan's other book Charisma.

Why should you read it:

It's a fun and action-packed YA read.


Buy from bookdepository

Tuesday, 10 January 2017

Teaser Tuesdays - The Queen of Blood


Hands grasped her ankle.
Mud hands that rose disembodied out of the wet earth.
She bit back a scream. Earth Spirit!

(page 34, The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst)


Buy from bookdepository

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 9 January 2017

Writing in Different Genres by Merrie Destefano - Guest Post


Today I have Merrie Destefano dropping by with a guest post.
Her newest book Lost Girls released on January 3rd, 2017


Writing in Different Genres
By Merrie Destefano


I love writing and I very rarely turn away from an idea once it's been fully sketched out. Both AFTERLIFE and FEAST were adult novels because at that time, that was what I was reading. Then a fellow writer in my writer's group, Rachel Mark (author of DARKNESS BRUTAL) kept talking about YA books. She'd give me books to read or suggest books. We'd spend hours wandering through bookstores looking at new books and it didn't take long before I saw the beauty in young adult fiction. It had this sparkle that adult fiction didn't have. If I had to define it, I'd say that YA allows a writer more opportunity to write a literary story, which is what I love. I also feel like YA books have a strong emotional core. What the characters are feeling is as important as what they are thinking. I may have over-simplified that, but it's why I connect with them.

I'm an extremely emotional person and, to be honest, I feel like I've never truly grown up. I feel like I can relate to sixteen and seventeen-year-old people because there's this part of me that will never forget what it was like to be that age. Junior high and high school were not easy for me. Not because of the subject matter, although I wish I could have taken more English and art classes. Rather because of the student socio-economic structure. My parents weren't as rich as the parents of most of my schoolmates. I came from a blue-collar background, but I was surrounded by white-collar kids. It took me a long time to find a place where I fit in and, not surprisingly, that was with a rather rebellious group. So there's a lot of 'me' in Lost Girls. I felt very lost as a teen.

As hard as that experience was, I think it gives me an understanding for what many teenagers go through. I know now that we all feel like we don't belong at one time or another. There are a thousand stories that can be written that deal with how someone might try to compensate for the feeling of being an outsider. Even though I've written a few YA novels (some of them not published at this point), I'm just beginning to explore the writing landscape of what it means to be a teenager. There are all the classic coming-of-age themes, but so many more besides that. The good girl who falls for the bad boy. The bad boy who no one thinks can be redeemed. The runaway, the drug addict, the girl who goes to Mars by accident. LOL. Okay, I'm not actually writing a book about a girl who went to Mars by accident. But it would be fun to try!


Lost Girls by Merrie Destefano
Publication Date: January 3, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Fight Club meets Black Swan—Rachel wakes up in a ditch to find she doesn’t remember the last year of her life, and that everything—including herself—is vastly different than she remembers.

Yesterday, Rachel went to sleep listening to Taylor Swift, curled up in her grammy’s quilt, worrying about geometry. Today, she woke up in a ditch, bloodied, bruised, and missing a year of her life.

She doesn’t recognize the person she’s become: she’s popular. She wears nothing but black.

Black to cover the blood.

And she can fight.

Tell no one.

She’s not the only girl to go missing within the last year…but she’s the only girl to come back. She desperately wants to unravel what happened to her, to try and recover the rest of the Lost Girls.

But the more she discovers, the more her memories return. And as much as her new life scares her, it calls to her. Seductively. The good girl gone bad, sex, drugs, and raves, and something darker…something she still craves—the rush of the fight, the thrill of the win—something she can’t resist, that might still get her killed…

The only rule is: There are no rules.


Buy from:

Amazon.com - B&N - iBooks - Kobo
Amazon.com.au - Amazon.com/uk - Amazon.ca


About the author:
CURRENTLY A FULL-TIME NOVELIST and magazine editor, Merrie Destefano’s next novel, LOST GIRLS, releases on January 3, 2017. Her other novels include AFTERLIFE and FEAST, both published by HarperCollins, and FATHOM, which was self-published. The editor of Victorian Homes magazine, she has also been the editor of American Farmhouse Style, Vintage Gardens, and Zombies magazine, and was the founding editor of Cottages & Bungalows magazine.

With 20 years experience in publishing, she worked for a variety of publishing/broadcasting companies that include Focus on the Family, The Word For Today, and PJS Publications (now Primedia). Besides editing and writing, her background includes print buying, writing/producing radio promos, directing photo shoots, developing new products, writing jacket copy for books, creating sales media packets and organizing direct mail campaigns.

Born in the Midwest, she currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two German shepherds, a Siamese cat and the occasional wandering possum. Her favorite hobbies are reading speculative fiction and watching old Star Trek episodes, and her incurable addiction is writing. She loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old movies, listen to alternative music—although rarely all at the same time.

Website - http://www.merriedestefano.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/MerrieDestefano
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/merrie.destefano
Tumblr - http://merriedestefano.tumblr.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/merriedestefano/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/merriedestefano/
Blog - http://merriedestefanoauthor.blogspot.com/


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Friday, 6 January 2017

In Truth & Ashes by Nicole Luiken - Spotlight

in truth and ashes nicole luiken

through fire and seaThrough Fire & Sea (Otherselves, #1) by Nicole Luiken:

Synopsis:

There is one True World, and then there are the four mirror worlds: fire, water, air, and stone. And each has a magic of its own…

In the Fire World, seventeen-year-old Leah is the illegitimate daughter of one of the realm’s most powerful lords. She’s hot-blooded—able to communicate with the tempestuous volcano gods. But she has another gift…the ability to Call her twin “Otherselves” on other worlds.

Holly resides in the Water World—our world. When she’s called by Leah from the Fire World, she nearly drowns. Suddenly the world Holly thought she knew is filled with secrets, magic…and deadly peril.

For a malevolent force seeks to destroy the mirror worlds. And as Leah and Holly are swept up in the tides of chaos and danger, they have only one choice to save the mirror worlds—to shatter every rule they’ve ever known…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25338152-through-fire-sea

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Through-Fire-Sea-Entangled-Teen-ebook/dp/B00W1H5BT0

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/through-fire-sea-nicole-luiken/1121725505

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/through-fire-sea-entangled/id985135785

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/through-fire-sea-entangled-teen

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Through-Fire-Sea-Entangled-Teen-ebook/dp/B00W1H5BT0/

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Through-Fire-Sea-Entangled-Teen-ebook/dp/B00W1H5BT0

Entangled Page: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/through-fire-sea/



AMID WIND AND STONE 1600x2400 (1)Amid Wind & Stone (Otherselves, #2)

Author: Nicole Luiken

Release Date: Mar. 7, 2016

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

There is one True World, and then there are the four Mirror Worlds: Fire, Water, Air, and Stone.

Audrey and Dorotea are “otherselves”—twin copies of each other who live on different Mirror Worlds.

On Air, Audrey has the ability to communicate with wind spirits. As war looms, she’s torn between loyalty to her country and her feelings for a roguish phantom who may be a dangerous spy.

Blackouts and earthquakes threaten the few remaining humans on Stone, who have been forced to live underground. To save her injured sister, Dorotea breaks taboo and releases an imprisoned gargoyle. Brooding, sensitive Jasper makes her wonder if gargoyles aretruly traitors, as she’s always been told.

Unbeknownst to them, they both face the same enemy—an evil sorceress bent on shattering all the Mirror Worlds.

 

Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28597398-amid-wind-stone

Amazon Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Amid-Stone-Otherselves-Nicole-Luiken-ebook/dp/B01BKMMFPE

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amid-wind-and-stone-nicole-luiken/1123387309

iBooks Buy Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/amid-wind-and-stone/id1082374406

Kobo Buy Link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/amid-wind-and-stone

Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amid-Stone-Otherselves-Nicole-Luiken-ebook/dp/B01BKMMFPE

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Amid-Stone-Otherselves-Nicole-Luiken-ebook/dp/B01BKMMFPE

Entangled Page: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/amid-wind-stone/



in truth and ashesIn Truth & Ashes (Otherselves, #3) by Nicole Luiken

Author: Nicole Luiken

Release Date: January 2nd, 2017

Genre: YA Fantasy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33014994-in-truth-and-ashes

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-truth-and-ashes-nicole-luiken/1125262532?ean=9781633755451

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCKVY0H?tag=entangpublis-20

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/in-truth-and-ashes

What she can’t remember could ruin her life.

The Mirror Worlds are but dull reflections of the True World, where magic and technology blend together…

On the True World, Belinda Loring has known from childhood that she must Bond with the son of another noble First Family. Uniting the families ensures hers will hold onto its powerful position, and so she’s always pushed down the tender feelings she has for her best friend—gorgeous, steadfast Demian, who isn’t noble.

But when the ceremonial magic goes disastrously wrong, Belinda becomes a national disgrace. Scorned as Broken, she turns to Demian for help getting revenge on the man who ruined her: the radical Malachi.

But the seeds of Malachi’s murderous plans lie buried in Belinda’s past, in the dark days of her kidnapping—a period of which she has no memory. And Demian may hold the key to recovering all that she’s lost—and saving the worlds.



Ab0ut the Author


nicole-luiken

Nicole Luiken wrote her first book at age 13 and never stopped.
She is the author of nine published books for young adults, including Violet Eyes and its sequels Silver Eyes and Angels Eyes, Frost, Unlocking the Doors, The Catalyst, Escape to the Overworld, Dreamfire and the sequel Dreamline. Through Fire & Sea, book one of Otherselves, and Amid Wind & Stone, book two of Otherselves, are her most recent releases. She also has an adult thriller, Running on Instinct, under the name N.M. Luiken and a fantasy romance series, Gate to Kandrith and Soul of Kandrith.
Nicole lives with her family in Edmonton, AB. It is physically impossible for her to go more than three days in a row without writing.

Author Website: http://www.nicoleluiken.com/

Author Twitter: @NicoleLuiken

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nicole-Luiken-50793836133/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/223320.Nicole_Luiken\

 

Read below for an excerpt from In Truth & Ashes:
Nightmare

Fire World

Leah wept in her sleep. And dreamed:

She was a dragon, floating on an orange sea of molten rock. Far above her was a hole like an eye, the Volcano Lord Thunderhead’s caldera. At first, the heat felt pleasant, soaking away the lingering chill of death, but then it increased in intensity as the magma invaded every nerve and lit them each on fire. She screamed through her ruined throat and convulsed—

Leah bolted upright and found herself in the Aerie, the top room of Qeturah’s Tower. She must have fallen asleep on Gideon’s bed.

She was shaking, her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest. Her skin felt clammy. What a terrible, awful nightmare.

One whole side of the Aerie opened out onto a large natural stone balcony. Outside, the sun silhouetted Thunderhead’s steep-sided black cone against the red sky. Thin trails of lava trickled down his sides as he erupted again.

The Volcano Lord grieved for the loss of his son, just as Leah grieved.

Leah had met Gideon here in this very room. He’d been feverish, and she’d been spying for her father, Duke Ruben, trying to prove that the evil sorceress Qeturah had something to do with the dragon attacks on their valley. Only, by the time she found out Gideon shape-shifted into the dragon at night and his mother Qeturah used a magic amulet to control him, Leah had already fallen in love with Gideon, and turning him in had been unthinkable.

But in the end, she’d been unable to protect him from her father. Duke Ruben’s army had shot the dragon down with a huge crossbow, and Gideon had died. And his death had signaled the beginning of the end of Fire World.

Gideon’s father, Thunderhead, had erupted and killed Duke Ruben and three other dukes. Their deaths, in turn, had sent the Volcano Lords linked to them into a mindless fury, and they’d all exploded. Those not killed in the eruptions would likely starve in the next year, since falling ash had blighted all the crops.

And Leah could barely bring herself to care.

Gideon was dead. Duke Ruben, her father, whom she’d alternately feared and wanted to please, was dead. Likely so were Jehannah, her half-sister, and her mother, Beulah. Her childhood home was destroyed.

Leah had spent all her time since the cataclysm struggling to stop Qeturah. But now Qeturah was dead, too. And Leah had no purpose.

Oh, the war hadn’t ended: Qeturah had had a mentor named Malachi who had supported her. He was still out there, no doubt still scheming to shatter the other Mirror Worlds, but Leah had run out of energy to fight. Let someone else take him down, someone from the True World.

Malachi wasn’t her problem.

Leah would just stay here with her memories. Alone.

Only the thought of the nightmare returning kept her from sleeping the rest of the day away.
Follow the rest of the tour below:

January 2nd

For Love of Books4 – Spotlight Post

YA Book Madness – Review Book #3

January 3rd

RoloPoloBookBlog – Spotlight Post

January 4th

Queekie Girl Reads – Guest Post

January 5th

YaReads – Author Interview

Sizzling Hot Books – Review Book #1

January 6th

The Book Beacon – Review Book #3

Pearls Cast Before A McPig – Spotlight Post

January 7th
Just One More Chapter – Spotlight Post

January 8th

Roxy’s Book Reviews – Spotlight Post

January 9th

Mythical Books – Author Interview

The Crafty Engineer’s Bookshelf- Review Book #3- Review Book #3

January 10th

Captivated Reading – Guest Post

January 11th

Crossroad Reviews – Spotlight Post

Splashes Into Books – Review Book #3

January 12th

YA Book Divas – Guest Post

January 13th

Sleeps on Tables – Spotlight Post

Home of Writing – Review Book #2

January 14th

Verbosity Reviews – Review Book #1

January 15th

Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Author Interview

Thursday, 5 January 2017

On McPig's Wishlist - The Forgetting


The Forgetting
by Sharon Cameron


What isn't written, isn't remembered. Even your crimes.

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories – of parents, children, love, life, and self – are lost. Unless they have been written.

In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.

But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence – before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her.



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Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Dark Mafia Prince - Book Review by Voodoo Bride


Dark Mafia Prince (A Dangerous Royals Romance #1)
by Annika Martin


What is it about:
THE DARK MAFIA PRINCE IS BACK TO RECLAIM ALL THAT HER FAMILY STOLE.

Aleksio

Don’t look at me like that. So trusting.

Like you think I’m not a monster.

Like I won’t wrap your hair in my fist and bend you to my will.

Like I won’t sacrifice you, piece by piece, to save my brother.
I’m the most dangerous enemy you’ll ever have because every time you look at me, you see somebody good. That friend who died.
And when you look at me like that, I die again.

Mira
I spent years making myself invisible.
A good girl, apart from the noise.
Then you came back, beautiful and deadly in your Armani suit.

Don’t look at me like you still know me, you say.

But I remember your smile and those sunny days.
Before they lowered your small casket into the ground.

Before they told us the prince was dead.


What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
After reading and loving Prisoner I decided to pick up the first book in Annika Martin's Dangerous Royals series.

And this is yet another deliciously dark read.

Martin sure knows how to write dark, broken characters. Even though Aleksio is behaving like a caveman at times, I could understand why he acts like he does, and I was rooting for him to find some peace of mind and find a way to reclaim his better nature.

Mira was more difficult for me to understand. That's mainly because she worships her father, who she knows is a criminal. Still she keeps defending his actions and going out of her way to make sure he's ok, even if it will cost her.

The story was really suspenseful. Aleksio and his brother Viktor are not only trying to reclaim the Mafia empire that was stolen from their family, they're trying to find their brother before others do and kill him. Mira is the leverage they're using to get the information they need.

I liked the chemistry between Aleksio and Mira. There were a couple of really dark-sexy scenes between the two of them, and if I have one complaint it's that I could have used some more of those.

The ending does give hope for Aleksio and Mira's future, but there's still a lot going on in the life of the Dragusha brothers, and I will get my hands on the next brother soon, I can tell you.

Why should you read it:
It's a suspenseful and delicious Romance read.


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Tuesday, 3 January 2017

Teaser Tuesdays - Woodwalker


I wanted to see my home again. I wanted to do my rightful job. I was a Woodwalker, and I was desperate.

(page 22, Woodwalker by Emily B. Martin)


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, 2 January 2017

Violent Ends - Book Review


Violent Ends

What is it about:
It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others.

But this isn't a story about the shooting itself. This isn't about recounting that one unforgettable day.

This is about Kirby and how one boy—who had friends, enjoyed reading, played saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before—became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing on his classmates.

Each chapter is told from a different victim's viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he'd become. Some are sweet, some are dark; some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties.

This is a book of perspectives—with one character and one event drawing them all together—from the minds of some of YA's most recognizable names.


What did I think of it:
I knew when I started this book it wouldn't be an easy read, but with Delilah S. Dawson being one of the participating authors (and me being curious in what kind of light the authors would paint Kirby) I had to give it a try.

And it had me crying by the second story.

There are seventeen authors who each wrote a part of this book. All telling a bit about Kirby and those around him using a different viewpoint character. The story they tell was one that was in many ways recognizable and that touched me. It wasn't an easy read, but it was a beautiful and emotional read.

Of the seventeen stories told there was just one that didn't fit in my opinion, and that's a story that's told from the viewpoint of the gun. Of the other stories there were characters I could relate to more than others, but all of them added to the overall story.

All in all this is a book I won't easily reread, but it will go on my keeper shelves, and I can recommend it to everyone who's looking for an emotional and powerful read.

Why should you read it:
It's a touching and thought provoking YA read.



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