We have a winner for the 2,000 Facebook likes giveaway. I would like to congratulate Jessica Porter for winning a copy of Tidal by Amanda Hocking, along with a surprise book. Jessica has 48 hours to reply to my email. Thank you to everyone who participated Also, thank you all for the continued support of the blog. You have no idea how much it means to me.
Synopsis: Every volume in the Lovecraft Middle School series is fully illustrated and features an original lenticular portrait on the cover. Display them on bookshelves—and then watch the cover characters morph into monsters as you pass by!
Strange things are happening at Lovecraft Middle School. Rats are leaping from lockers. Students are disappearing. The school library is a labyrinth of secret corridors. And the science teacher is acting very, very peculiar. Robert Arthur knew that seventh grade was going to be weird, but this is ridiculous!
With the help of some unlikely new friends, Robert discovers there's more to Lovecraft Middle School than meets the eye. Can he uncover the secrets of the school before it's too late? My Thoughts: Professor Gargoyle is the first book in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series. It was a great beginning to the series. First of all, I love the cover. I thought it was nifty how the cover changed depending on the angle you look at it. One angle shows Professor Gargoyle as a human, the other shows him as a demon. I enjoyed how the plot was complex and yet it was really fun as well. I finished the book in a little over an hour so it was an easy read. I also liked the illustrations in the book. It helps to bring the characters and the setting to life. My favorite characters were Squeak and Pip the two headed mouse. They gave some comedic relief and were fun to read about. I’ll be starting the next book in the series, The Slither Sisters as soon as I'm done writing this review. I hope that I enjoy it as much as I did Professor Gargoyle. I give Professor Gargoyle: 5/5. Want to know more about the author? Website: http://lovecraftmiddleschool.com/our-founders/charles-gilman.html I received this book from the publisher, Quirk Books, in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Today is the cover and blurb reveal for The Guardians Crown (The Guardians #5) by Wendy Owens!
The Guardians Crown is set to release on September 27, 2013. If you have not yet picked up The Guardians Series, start with the first book Sacred Bloodlines.
Book Blurb:
Gabe is finally forced to answer the ultimate question, will he give his life to save the world? What about just to save the one he loves the most? The Guardians struggle to find another way--ideas that don't involve Gabe's death--to defeat Baal.
Time is running out. What will Gabe choose? What price will he pay for that choice?
About Wendy Owens
Wendy Owens is a 34 year old author, born in the small college town, Oxford Ohio. After attending Miami University, Wendy went onto a career in the visual arts. For several years she created and sold her own artwork. In 2011 she gave her true love, writing, a try. Her first novel flowed from her in only two weeks time, as though it had been fighting to get out. That moment was when she knew she had found her calling. Wendy now happily spends her days writing the stories her characters guide her to tell, admitting even she doesn’t always know where that might lead. Her first series, The Guardians, will be concluded with the fifth and final book in 2013.
When she’s not writing, this dog lover can be found spending time with her tech geek husband, their three amazing kids, and two pups, lovingly nicknamed stinks and chubbs. She also loves to cook and is a film fanatic.
For more info on Wendy's young adult fiction visit http://wendy-owens.com/
If you want to follow her on social media you can visit:
Synopsis: After an asteroid strikes Earth, a series of violent earthquakes destroy secluded Phoenix and leave survivor Elliot struggling to stay focused in the bleak aftermath. And then he meets fellow survivor Adam. Together, the two search for reliable shelter and other survivors while distant murky clouds fast approach. Their hunt for shelter leads them down an alternate path when they find spray painted symbols directing them to a mysterious place: Refuge Inc.
As ominous clouds slowly shut off all light to their devastated world, they are forced to come to terms with their pasts and their growing attraction for each other.
Neither thought their pasts and personal crises would affect their ability to endure the horrors they're forced to live through. Neither thought they would be drawn so close to one another in the aftermath of an unimaginable catastrophe. By working together, can they continue to survive? Or will the mystery of Refuge Inc. cause diverse expectations and lead them to decisions that further threaten their lives? Stephany's Thoughts: After reading the synopsis on the back, I was lead to believe there was an actual storyline. The premise was good, it even had the potential to be great. However, incomplete and stereotypical characters, rushed storyline, and grammatical errors plagued every page. The main character, Elliot, is an overly stereotyped gay man wearing a "made with pride" t-shirt with rainbow colored letters and consistently lusting over his fellow survivor's penis. Adam, Elliot’s companion, is the overly cautious, never left the closet, gay man. The character personalities alone push the gay rights back decades. However uncomfortably initiated (or in one case completely out of the blue), the love scenes are lustfully and emotionally written. One scene specifically shows the depth of what they share. The storyline unfortunately was very rushed. I would even go as far as to say the author wished to focus mainly on sex. The characters could not stop to rest in a post-apocalyptic world without attacking each other. The dialogue is sadly childish and petty. It focuses mostly on how hesitant Adam is to show his feelings after living most of his life as straight. Also, Elliot cannot have a single thought outside of sex. If there was more of a focus on developing a storyline and the emotional as well as physical connection between Elliot and Adam, I might be more excited to finally learn what Refuge Inc. consists of in book two. However, as of now, I don’t think I will do more than consider reading the sequel. Stephany gives Before the Darkness by Leslie Lee Sanders: 2/5. Want to know more about the author? Website: http://leslieleesanders.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslieleesandersAuthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeslieLSanders Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/116372267521783824470/posts Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/517547.Leslie_Lee_Sanders I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Neither Stephany nor I were compensated in any way for this review.
Trinity Don’t leave me here... It starts with a whisper. At first Trinity thinks she’s going crazy. It wouldn’t be a big surprise—her grandpa firmly believes there’s a genuine dragon egg in their dusty little West Texas town. But this voice is real, and it’s begging for her protection. Even if no one else can hear it...
Connor He’s come from a future scorched by dragonfire. His mission: Find the girl. Destroy the egg. Save the world.
Caleb He’s everything his twin brother Connor hates: cocky, undisciplined, and obsessed with saving dragons.
Trinity has no idea which brother to believe. All she has to go by is the voice in her head—a dragon that won’t be tamed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s Game of Thrones meets The Terminator in award-winning author Mari Mancusi’s newest, powerful new series, SCORCHED which will be in stores on September 3rd! We’ve put together a fun campaign to thank readers for pre-ordering: send us your proof of pre-order and we’ll send you this fabulous dragon charm! 
A Gift for You, for Pre-Ordering SCORCHED by Mari Mancusi We have a special offer for U.S. and Canada YA fans for the release of SCORCHED by Mari Mancusi in stores in a little over three weeks! If you pre-order the book, we will send you an exclusive dragon charm—perfect to wear as jewelry or to decorate an accessory. You have until September 2 or until quantities run out. Here’s how to get your charm: 1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.) 2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com. Put “Scorched Pre-Order” in the subject line. Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the dragon charm! If you’ve already pre-ordered this book—not a problem! Send us your receipt! 3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out. 4. Enjoy Scorched when it comes out in September! Optional: take a pic of you and your dragon charm and share it with Mari Mancusi or Sourcebooks Fire on Twitter! You can find Mari @marimancusi and Sourcebooks Fire @sourcebooksfire.
Synopsis: A young magician joins a bearded lady’s carnival to become an apprentice. The mettle of each sideshow freak is tested along the way, leading to a conclusion that compels fright and horror. My Thoughts: I’m not entirely sure about what to say about Weirder. It definitely lives up to it's name. For being a quick read, it wasn't too bad. It kept my attention, although the ending left me completely confused. Also, I wish that sometime during the story, Alf would have learned to control his fire-starter powers and learned to use them properly. I enjoyed reading about most of the characters. I think Otto was my favorite. He was mysterious. Once the reader finds out more about him, his back-story is fascinating. I recommend this book to anyone with half an hour to spare who likes bizzaro fiction. I give Weirder: 3/5. Want to know more about the author? Blog: http://chadschimke.blogspot.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChadSchimke Google+: https://plus.google.com/112597635833089265765/posts Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5624972.Chad_Schimke I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Hey everyone! Today on the blog, we have a special post. As part of the blog tour for Sugar Coated by Shannen Crane Camp, I will have a book spotlight, along with an excerpt and giveaway.
An unhealthy addiction to sugar cubes, a deep-seated fear of water, and universal luxury—these are the simple things that make up 18-year-old Brynn's Utopian existence. Why, then, is her perfect life also plagued with unanswered questions?
Like every other resident of the planet Halcyon, Brynn's home provides everything she needs, money is unheard of, and life is perfect. But unlike the rest of Seaside's residents, Brynn has questions. Why can't people leave the city? Why does the ocean fill everyone with terror? Who are the Workers? Not only is Brynn curious where others are compliant, but she suffers from chronic nightmares of an angelic woman torturing her for information she doesn’t possess. But these are more than just figments of her imagination; they're memories of things that never happened.
When Brynn meets Jonah, a brilliant, library-dwelling boy who shares her questions and her curiosity, they formulate a plan to find answers. Somewhere, the perfect veneer of Halcyon's instant gratification hides a city that only Brynn knows about—a city she and Jonah are determined to find. But will finding the city give them answers, or simply uncover the horrific truth behind the perfection?
Blinding white lights flashed into life, revealing a room less cavernous and imposing than she had expected. Instead, the room with the white walls, ceilings, and floor was quite small; small enough for her to run from one end to the other without ever breaking a sweat. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and once they did, she still couldn’t be sure of what she was seeing. There seemed to be a complete lack of color in this small room, as if it had been drained right before her arrival and was shining more brightly because of its recent purge.
Brynn blinked her eyes a few more times, trying to clear the spots that sprang into existence when the less-than-subtle lights had ignited. Now that she had a proper hold on her surroundings, she could see the impossibility of the room. There were no windows. There were no doors. There was no way in or out. So how had she gotten there?
“We apologize for any inconvenience your death may cause you at this time,” said a smooth, soothing female voice over what Brynn could only describe as a loudspeaker. If the woman’s voice hadn’t been so calm and collected, it may have taken her less time to understand exactly what she was saying before the sickly sweet smell of sugar hit her nose; like cookies right out of the oven.
This wasn’t just a room. It was a death chamber.
“We appreciate your cooperation and would like to take this opportunity to remind you that the best thing to do in this situation is enjoy this smell, generated for your pleasure,” the voice told her, never losing that deep, rich timbre.
Brynn thought that if she hadn’t been in an obviously dire situation, she would have loved nothing more than to listen to the beautiful voice and smell the sweet sugar all day long. But as it turned out, there wasn’t much time left in her day right at that moment.
Listening to the woman’s instructions against her better judgment, Brynn took one deep breath, enjoying the smell of the unnaturally rich sugar before her cheek made contact with the hard white floor with a sickening thud.
Shannen Crane Camp was born and raised in Southern California, where she developed a love of reading, writing, and anything having to do with film. After high school, she moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University, where she received a degree in Media Arts and found herself a husband in fellow California native Josh Camp. The two now live in either California or Utah... they still can't decide.
Shannen loves to hear from readers, so feel free to contact her at Shannencbooks@hotmail.com or visit her website for more information: http://shannencbooks.blogspot.com
Today on the blog, we have a special surprise. The blog tour for Awakenings by J.E Shannon, along with an excerpt from Awakenings.
Title: Awakenings
Author: J. E. Shannon
Publisher: Entranced Publishing
Genre: YA paranormal romance
Release Date: July 29th 2013
Blurb:
Evie Shepard awakens to a nightmare. She's been buried alive and has no idea how or why. As she struggles to remember what happened, she begins to notice changes -- heightened senses, as well as increased speed, agility, and strength. And her heart no longer beats. She soon makes a disturbing discovery: she wasn't buried alive; she was murdered. Somehow, she has come back...and she wants revenge.
To celebrate her new release, JE Shannon is giving away a Kindle with an ecopy of Awakenings (US only). One runner-up will win an ecopy of Awakenings (open internationally). You can enter here: http://bit.ly/13v1u59
Lightning strikes the ground, leaving behind a thick, black scorch mark. Within seconds, it strikes a second time, pausing briefly before giving a third earth-shattering blow. I don’t see the actual bolts — all I see is a flash of light, followed by my sister and me running, out of breath and terrified. Another flash, and we are huddled together in a rusted, abandoned car. Another burst of light, and the car door screeches open and we are being ripped away from each other by unfamiliar hands. It’s with that final memory that I open my eyes. As soon as I do, something grainy flows into them, so I shut them again.
I can’t see, I can’t hear; but I can feel that I’m lying on cold earth. The longer I’m awake, the more I become aware of an unbelievable pressure on my chest. Slowly, I realize that it’s not just my chest — my face and body also feel as if I’m being crushed. Oily nausea roils through me, but I clench my teeth to stop myself from panicking. Where am I? I try to move my hands and find they’re pinned to my side. I try to open my eyes again and instantly get something in them. I flex my fingers, and the grittiness that slips through them makes me aware of the awful truth — I have been buried alive.
I let out a shriek, but have to close my mouth as dirt begins to slip past my lips. Struggling frantically, I feel the earth move under my hands. I realize I can’t be buried very deep, or the pressure of the dirt would surely have suffocated me by now. I’m astounded it hasn’t already, though I have no way of knowing how long I’ve been underground. I force myself to be still, to stop and think about what I have to do. I need to be very careful getting out, making sure not to cause a cave-in and possibly crush myself. I need to remember to breathe shallowly or I will run out of oxy— And that’s when I realize that I’m not breathing. Not at all.
J. E. Shannon currently lives in Florida, but is a Missouri native. She spends most of her time reading, writing, and taking care of her small child and two crazy dogs. Visit her at www.jeshannonbooks.com.
Synopsis: In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.
Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood. My Thoughts: Once again, Richelle Mead delivers another fantastic novel in the Bloodlines series. In fact, I think it might be my favorite book in the series so far. In the Indigo Spell, Sydney faces quite a few challenges. She has to try to find Marcus Finch in hopes that he will be able to answer all of her questions about the alchemists. She also goes through several other difficulties, which I’m not going into because I don’t want to spoil it for those of you who haven’t read the book. I think the Indigo Spell is where we begin to see Sydney mature. She starts to deal with heavier issues. She also begins to question everything she’s ever known. She begins to form her own opinions. Adrian also matures a bit. He starts to give up his bad boy ways, such as drinking and smoking. He becomes more responsible. The ending of the book left me so angry and frustrated. Without spoiling anything, the book was centered on two certain characters getting together. At the end, another character shows up and will most likely ruin everything and will make Sydney’s life even more complicated. I need The Fiery Heart now! Excuse me while I go and cry in a corner until November. I give The Indigo Spell: 5/5. Want to know more about the author? Website: http://www.richellemead.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichelleMead Blog: http://blue-succubus.livejournal.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richellemeadfanpage?ref=ts Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/137902.Richelle_Mead I bought this book at my local Wal-Mart. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis: For nearly a thousand years Persephone and her father have waited in the shadows, plotting the overthrow of the gods. Plotting to ascend to the highest throne. Plotting to rule over mortals. Now they are ready to put into motion the final steps of their diabolical plan. With her father’s election to the seat of galactic power all but assured, Persephone is dispatched on one last mission to hunt down and destroy the only person powerful enough to undo all that she and her father have worked so hard to achieve—a mysterious but beautiful katana-wielding assassin with a sinister past of her own. My Thoughts: Ascensions was a good novel. It caught my interest right away, which is unusual for a short story. Usually, I read short stories because they are a quick read when I am bored. That wasn’t the case with this book. I read it because it was entertaining. The plot was intricate, yet easy to follow. I loved the mythology aspect of the story. I’ve always been interested in mythology. Reading about it in a futuristic setting was definitely a treat. I didn’t predict the big plot twist before it happened. It had me flabbergasted. I loved the way the book ended. I’m hoping that Persephone will be able to be with her husband now. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. I give Ascensions: 5/5. Want to know more about the author? Website: http://www.2publishabook.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/BS-Mais/407936299283994 Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6429270.B_S_Mais I received this book from the author in exchange or an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
Synopsis: Viper Girl and her pet fox, Logan, are preparing to watch their favorite cartoon marathon. Viper Girl knows she's going to need to keep her energy level up to stay focused for all the fun, so she decides to bake a little snack to keep her going. But her attempt to make a sugary treat yields some surprising results, and Viper Girl is once again called upon to save the day! My Thoughts: Viper Girl’s Killer Cake and Cookie Catastrophe was a good sequel to Viper Girl Vs The Poltergeist Opossum of Plundering Peril. I love that the illustrations were in color this time. Viper Girl looks like Hatsune Miku from Vocaloid. This sequel had even more nerdy references that I enjoyed. I must find out if Super Mario Shark Attack is real (I googled it after I wrote this, and sadly found out that it is not real). I like the second recipe in the book. It was witty and it made me chuckle. I hope the author continues to write more books in this series and that the adventures get more exciting each time. I give Viper Girl’s Killer Cake and Cookie Catastrophe: 5/5. Want to know more about the author? Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vipergirlbooks Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821258.Tony_Saylor I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.
