Cover Reveal ~ Dead Girl Walking (Royal Reaper #1) by Ruth Silver

Check out this cover! When Ruth asked me to help reveal the cover, I jumped at the chance. I knew the designer, Erica Crouch, would have another gorgeous vision up her sleeve, 

and I couldn't have been more right. 

Title: Dead Girl Walking 

Series: Royal Reaper #1

Author: Ruth Silver

Expected Publication: Summer 2014

Publisher: Patchwork Press

Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy

Cover Design: Erica Crouch 

Blurb:

In 1346, Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she's brutally murdered.

Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.

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Excerpt:

     "The scroll chose you. For whatever reason, she's your reap."

     "Well, that sucks." Leila chewed her bottom lip. "If I don't do it?"

     Edon hesitated before he said, "Her soul will rot inside her body. Do you have any idea what that's like? She'll be a living corpse, a shell of a person. She won't feel anything including love. We as reapers, the undead, feel more than she ever will alive."

     Leila swallowed the lump in her throat. "How do you know that?"

     "Because I've seen what it does to a person," Edon said. "That little girl deserves better."             

 About the Author:

Ruth Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005. While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, DEUCES ARE WILD, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. 

Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all, writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories. 

Her debut novel published by Lazy Day Publishing and Patchwork Press, ABERRANT, was released April 2013. The second novel in the series, MOIRAI, continues the saga. ISAURA is the final installment in the ABERRANT trilogy. 

Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. Her current writing projects include a YA science fiction fantasy series, ORENDA, and a YA paranormal series, DEAD GIRL WALKING. Both novels are due for release in 2014. 

She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. 

You can visit her online at 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon Author Page

Cover Reveal ~ Orenda by Ruth Silver

Title: Orenda

Author: Ruth Silver

Expected Publication: Spring 2014

Publisher: Patchwork Press

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Cover Design: Erica Crouch 

Goodreads

~ Synopsis ~ 

A sword wielding girl, an eternal suit and an alternate universe. 

Lil has a gift, one she never thought possible as she finds herself awake after a strange dream with the tell-tale sign that what she dreamt was in fact real. The dreamscape was more than just a premonition, it happened. She'd been momentarily tossed into another dimension. Where most would consider her crazy, not her best friend Bray.

In another reality, one similar and yet slightly different, Willow has been kidnapped by the sorceress turned demon, Eilith. Rawlie, Willow's friend and companion, crosses to our universe for help and brings Lil into his world. Filled with frightening creatures and magical elements, Lil demands to go home, until she discovers Bray has been taken by Eilith as well. Unable to watch her best friend die, she joins forces with Rawlie, Jamie and the others to hunt down Eilith and rescue those they care about.

~ About the Author: Ruth Silver ~

Ruth Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005. While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. 

Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories.

Her debut novel published by Lazy Day Publishing and Patchwork Press, ABERRANT, was released April 2013. The second novel in the series, MOIRAI, continues the saga. ISAURA is the final installment in the ABERRANT trilogy. 

Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. Her current writing projects include a YA science fiction fantasy series, ORENDA, and a YA/NA paranormal series, DEAD GIRL WALKING. Both novels are due for release in 2014. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. You can visit her online at http://writeawaybliss.com. 

~ Author Links ~    

Twitter | Facebook 

What do you guys think? I think it's gorgeous! This is a book that looks beautiful on the outside and sounds amazing on the inside and will most likely land a physical spot on my bookshelf, lol! It's on my TBR! :D

Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway: Visited by Janine Caldwell

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Visited blog tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Click here for the full tour schedule! :D

Title: Visited

Author: Janine Caldwell

Publication date: May 25th 2013

Genre: YA coming-of-age fantasy

Source: Copy for review

Blog tour organized by: Xpresso Book Tours

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~ Synopsis ~

Seventeen-year-old Joanna Murphy has lost faith in her life. Vying for her mom's attention, she's resentful of her step dad's intrusion to their family. Her best friend, Tommy, has no clue she's in love with him as he dates girl after girl without noticing how it tortures her. The final kicker, though, is God's sick joke to make her freakishly tall when everyone knows boys prefer petite girls. 

Then in a bizarre accident Joanna meets James, a breathtaking teen who appears to her after an unusual falling star sighting. Suddenly, her dream for an alien encounter becomes all too real. But when she finds her life has been made unrecognizable, she's forced into an explosive study of the original design for her life that just may have her regretting every wish she ever made.

~ My Thoughts ~

My Rating: 3 / 5 

At first, Joanna really annoyed me, and I had a hard time connecting with her character.  I didn't think she talked like a seventeen-year-old, and while I felt bad for her feeling like her stepdad crashed into her life and turned it upside down, she seemed immature for her age and at times selfish. I did identify with her insecurity about her body - she describes herself as freakishly tall and feels no guy would want to date a girl so tall. In my case, I'm shorter than practically everyone I know, and I was teased relentlessly for being short. Even in high school.  

While Joanna was difficult for me to connect with, I really liked James. A LOT. He was mysterious with the mission he couldn't talk about, and I wasn't quite sure where he was from. Another dimension? I thought that was so cool and maybe he was from planet like Earth but more advanced. Or from another alternate reality of Earth. But he talks about being equipped with a human body so as not to arouse suspicion, so I enjoyed trying to figure his character out. Plus he's hot, lol. 

Tommy's character went through a major overhaul from before Joanna's accident to afterward. He seemed like a great friend to her before, and even though she was pining away for him, I found myself wishing their relationship hadn't changed in the alternate reality. He became a jealous, possessive boyfriend, and Joanna's mother didn't seem to like him at all, which I could kind of see why. Before, Joanna's mom had absolutely loved him, so these new feelings Joanna's mom had toward Tommy caused a lot of tension between mother and daughter. 

Stan, Joanna's stepdad, never came into her life in the alternate reality. I can give Joanna credit when she realizes how unhappy her mom is since she never met Stan. The job her mom works at is wearing her down. This is definitely one aspect I don't think Joanna really thought about when she wished her life was different.    

I loved the alternate reality aspect of this story the best - how Joanna wakes up and finds herself living in a life she doesn't recognize with some of the things she wanted coming true. With those parts of her life changed though, there were other parts that changed in ways she wasn't happy with. It was as though she traded one set of headaches for another. Her life wasn't exactly the way she wanted it to be. For example, since she woke up the height she had always wanted to be, she was too short to play volleyball, which she absolutely loved before the accident. 

Alternate reality theories have always intrigued me and have led to some interesting conversations with my husband and friends. I really loved reading the author's take on how one girl's life could change so drastically. I thought it was really well done. I look forward to reading more of Janine Caldwell's books.  

~ Purchase Links ~ 

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

~ Meet the Author: Janine Caldwell ~ 

Janine Caldwell was born in Concord, CA and raised in the small San Francisco Bay Area town of Clayton. Four days after her high school graduation, Janine attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and graduated with a degree in English. 

Janine now lives in Anthem, AZ with her husband and two sons. As a lifelong literature fanatic, she knew it was only a matter of time before she would become obsessed with writing her own work. With relatives like the Brothers Grimm and Anita Loos (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), she figured fantasy writing had to be in her DNA.

Books published by Janine include Visited, A YA coming-of-age fantasy, Rematch and Double Fault - the first two books of The Vortex Series. The final book in this YA fantasy romance, Deuce, will be released fall 2013.

~ Author Links ~

Website | Goodreads | Facebook  | Twitter  

~ Giveaway ~ 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

review ~ indomitable by j. meyers

  

 

Title: Indomitable (Intangible 0.75)
Author: J. Meyers
# of Pages: 50
Published: December 22, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
My Copy: Kindle edition from the author
Average Rating: 4.34 / 5.00
My Rating: 5.00 / 5.00

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Goodreads Synopsis

Perhaps the most dangerous person to gain unimaginable power is the one who feels oppressed.

And full of wrath. For very good reason.

My Thoughts

I received a copy of this story from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was a hard hitting, emotional punch in the gut kind of read. I've always been curious about Jonas's backstory and by taking a look into his past, I was given a lot of insight into his present actions and motivations. What he went through in his human life before becoming a vampire was shocking and knowing similar events happened in real life during that period of time in this country is difficult to read about let alone imagine. I couldn't help but shudder.

I can completely see how Jonas becomes the way he is now, and he's become even more likable to me. I've always had a soft spot for him. The action alternates between the past and present, and you can see how his past has affected him. There isn't much diversity in the YA genre, in my opinion, and so it's refreshing to have a major character such as Jonas of a race other than white--he's African American. He's intriguing, conflicted, and complex, and I just really love trying to figure him out. He's an enigma--there are so many layers to him just waiting to be peeled back...I love it!

This is an action-packed, fast paced story that gives us a look from Jonas's perspective and tides us readers over until the next novel comes out. I'm counting down the days in the meantime!! :)

Other books in the series:


"Intuition" (Intangible 0.5)
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Check out my review here

 Intangible (Intangible #1)
Add to Goodreads
Check out my review here






 Purchase Indomitable: Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Smashwords

About the Author

j. meyers grew up in Vermont, spent three years in Germany when she was a kid, and now lives in Central New York. When she's not reading or writing, she's chasing after her four kids, exploring the outdoors with her family, baking sweet treats, and forgetting to make dinner. Intangible is her first novel.

Find the Author:
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3224031.J_Meyers
Website http://www.jmeyersbooks.com/
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/jmeyersbooks

review ~ jilly-bean

Title: Jilly-Bean (Jilly-Bean #1)
Author: Celia Vogel
Published: April 15, 2012
Pages: 208 pages
Genre: YA
My copy: Kindle edition from Amazon
Average Rating: 3.40 / 5.00
My Rating: 2 / 5

Synopsis from Goodreads :

A mysterious psychic named Madame Zelda.

An eerie séance.

A dead body.

A hunky doctor who bears a striking resemblance to Michelangelo's Statue of David.

A naive girl named Jillian Crossland.

Temperatures are rising and superstition reigns supreme!

Eighteen year old Jillian Crossland, aka Jilly-Bean, has her life planned out. Or so she thinks. A seance one evening with Madame Zelda presiding, sets in motion events that are both comical and tragic.

Jilly-Bean is a story filled with humour, insight, and lovable, quirky characters.

My Review:

I signed up to receive a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through Goodreads.

I really wanted to like this book, and there were definitely parts I enjoyed reading. I was really freaked out by the seance, but I love to be scared and it was one of my favorite scenes of the entire book.

I never really connected with Jillian's character. She seemed to lose her common sense once she met Matt and became paranoid about whether he was in love with her or not though they hadn't been dating very long. There wasn't any rooting value for their relationship to work, but what he ended up doing to her was really awful of him at the same time, which I could then empathize with her.

Some parts of the plot didn't make sense to me. Descriptions of the scenery went on way too long as well as the ordinary tasks Jillian set out to complete. I had a difficult time reading through those sections with interest.

On the positive side, as I mentioned before, I loved the seance scenes, and overall the book was well written. I think if there had been more focus on the seance and paranormal occurrences, I would have definitely been infatuated with this story.

Find the Author:

Goodreads  Facebook  Twitter 

Buy the book:

Amazon  Barnes & Noble

review ~ the gods among us (the divine masquerade series #1)

The Gods Among Us (The Divine Masquerade Series #1)       

by D.C. Belton 

Published: 2012

My copy: PDF

Pages: 273 pages (Paperback edition)

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mythology

Average Rating: 4.12

My rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads blurb: Could you forgive a god for drowning your mother, if forgiving her made you immortal?

Pallas is a friendless teen from a backwater village on a forgotten shore. Born a slave like everyone around her, people hate her clothes, her parents…especially her strange name.

Pallas doesn’t believe in the gods except to blame them for drowning her mother. But she’s forced to shelve her moody cynicism when she accidentally rescues an obnoxious cat.

Suddenly caught in a celestial war, Pallas must do the unthinkable – champion the very goddess she hates. Masquerading as a mythic princess, she convinces everyone she’s a child of Atlantis. Jealousy hounds her at every turn as she battles dangerous fanatics, a boorish prince, and a stunningly beautiful princess.

Yet nothing can save her from certain doom, when the Volcano god reaches out to slay her. For how can a mortal fight a god?

D. C. Belton creates an emotional world as elegant as it is deadly: where mortals fall prey to passionate gods and a slave proves stronger than craven nobility.

Link to Goodreads

My Review:

I signed up for a free copy of this book to review honestly through the group We ♥ YA Books on goodreads.

I love the world the author has built as well as the characters he has created. The main character, Pallas, was easily likable though she can be stubborn at times. I really felt for her since she has lost her mom, was born a slave, and ends up in much danger; however, she is very strong and never feels sorry for herself. She accepts the challenges thrown her way and meets them head on, and I really admired that about her.

There were so many quotes from this book that I found to be so beautiful and poetic and have really stayed with me even after finishing reading. I absolutely flew through this book, hooked on the action and wanting to find out how Pallas gets herself out of the situations she finds herself in.

I was torn between liking and despising the cat she ends up rescuing. It's a mystery as to whether he's helping Pallas stay alive, or if he has devious plans and is secretly plotting against her. Also, it's very nerve wracking to watch Pallas pretend she is a princess and a child of Atlantis. I'm so afraid something is going to go wrong! Especially since I don't believe the cat can be trusted.

After reading this first book in the series, I absolutely have to read the next one. I've just got to find out what happens next!

review ~ faelorehn - book one of the otherworld trilogy

 

Faelorehn - Book One of the Otherworld Trilogy
by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
Published: April 21, 2012
My copy: Kindle edition from Smashwords
Pages: 228
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Average rating: 3.84
My rating: 4 / 5 stars

Goodreads blurb: I never heard him come after me and even as I climbed the slope and stumbled onto our shaded back lawn, I didn’t look back. It was like the day the gnomes chased me all over again, but this time I was not escaping some horrible little creatures, I was fleeing from an incredibly good-looking guy who could very well understand me completely. I was either saving myself from that serial killer I always imagined lived down in the swamp, or I had finally gone over the deep end . . .

Meghan Elam has been strange her entire life: her eyes have this odd habit of changing color and she sees and hears things no one else does. When the visions and voices in her head start to get worse, she is convinced that her parents will want to drag her off to another psychiatrist. That is, until the mysterious Cade MacRoich shows up out of nowhere with an explanation of his own.

Cade brings her news of another realm where goblins and gnomes are the norm, a place where whispering spirits exist in the very earth, and a world where Meghan just might find the answers she has always sought.

Link to Goodreads

My Review:
I received this book for free from an ARR (author requesting review) in the We ♥ YA Books group on Goodreads.

From the very first page when the main character Meghan Elam is introduced, I was immediately pulled into her story, and that doesn't always happen so fast when I begin reading a book! She's an interesting, complex character with a very intriguing backstory that is slowly revealed as the book progresses.

At the age of two, she was found wandering the streets of Los Angeles in an extremely dangerous section of the city. I empathized with her right away, wondering what kind of parents she had who would lose their toddler in such a large city! She is found and later adopted. Her parents have five boys after adopting her, and Meghan never feels like she truly fits in anywhere. She loves her parents and her brothers but feels a bit out of place because she doesn't look like them.

I liked that conventional methods (numerous psychiatrists and medications) were attempted to relieve her nightmares, visions, hallucinations, and voices she hears. This made her situation realistic to me, and for a while, those all went away. Meghan's backstory is unique and different from other books I've read, which made the entire book so interesting and hooked me right away.

I loved Meghan and her friends! They were cool together, loyal to each other, stood up for each other against the bullies of their school, and had a lot of fun together. Meghan is strong, brave, and a loyal friend. She's very likable. The way Meghan and her friends were harassed by the bullies of their school was just appalling! I can totally relate with Meghan and her friends and kept hoping that those vicious characters would get what should be coming to them!

I liked Cade, the character who saves Meghan from several life threatening situations, somewhat. I couldn't help but think there's something shady about him, and he should have told Meghan a lot more than he did. If he had, it would've saved a lot of hardship for Meghan as well as himself. I wished he could tell her more about her parents, but I'm sure more will be revealed in the next book.

Overall, I really loved this book and flew through it. I hated having to put it down, and I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy! I care about these characters and want to find out what happens next, especially that Meghan knows more about who she is and where she is from. Very exciting! 

review ~ reflection by jessica roberts

It's been a while since I've put up book reviews here. I'm not strictly a book blogger though I do have several books I've recently received for review that I'd like to put out there. They're really awesome, I highly recommend them, and I hope you'll check them out! :)

Reflection
by Jessica Roberts
Published: February 17, 2012
My copy: Kindle Edition
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Average Rating: 4.21
My Rating:  5 out of 5 stars!

Goodreads blurb: Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college. Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.

But when her dreamy college life turns out to be nothing more than a wonderful dream while resting in a coma, questions threaten.

Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind. What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance.

And when it’s all over and she comes face to face with the truth, will she lose everything she’s fallen in love with?

Goodreads ~ Reflection

My Review:
I received this book in exchange for a review after signing up for the ARR (authors requesting reviews) program through the We ♥ YA Books group on Goodreads.

From page one, this book was on fire!! Very quickly after I began reading, I felt a strong emotional tie to the main character, Heather. I cared about what was happening to her, empathized with her situation, and wanted a happy ending for her. In the beginning, Heather is leaving to go to college, and the action takes off from there.

Ms. Roberts told this story with natural and flowing dialogue, well fleshed out characters, excellent descriptions, and a captivating plot. I was completely immersed in trying to figure out the mystery and thought the story was written in an interesting and unique way--it alternated between Heather narrating and the author narrating for Heather. The more I read, the more I became drawn into the story.

This book really spoke to me about life, death, and the inbetween. I haven't been this moved by a story in thinking about life and death in quite a while. I will definitely be recommending this book to everyone I know and will be reading this again and again. I love books that explore the human psyche and musings of life and death and between the two.

I won't give away the ending at all but will say that with the way the book ends, Ms. Roberts has set up for the next book perfectly. I wanted more and don't know how I'm going to wait until the fall when the next book, Reaction, comes out!

Book Review ~ Intangible

(Image from goodreads.com)

Title: Intangible
Author: J. Meyers
Published: January 29, 2012
Pages: 349 (Kindle edition)
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Average Rating: 4.25
My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Read from March 12 to 31, 2012

Goodreads summary: Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

My Review:

I entered to win a copy of this book in the Goodreads giveaway. Sadly, I didn't win, but soon after the giveaway ended, the author graciously gave me a copy for my Kindle to honestly review. I was very ecstatic and grateful! :) Below is my review.

There were a lot of things I loved about this book. First of all, I enjoyed the fact that the two main characters are twins, each with a different gift. Luke can see the future, and his sister Sera can heal with a touch. I loved the connection they have and how they use their gifts for good. There were so many twists and turns I never saw coming! It's refreshing to read a book when I'm unable to predict what's going to happen next.

There's also romance, but it isn't your stereotypical girl-meets-guy and are instantly together. I won't give away the ending or any other details; however, if you are worried this book is the end...don't worry!! :)

If you didn't read my review of the story "Intuition" that goes along with this book, I highly recommend you check out the author's blog. Here's the link to J. Meyers's blog: http://www.jmeyersbooks.com/ . She's very interesting, approachable, and friendly, and I definitely look forward to reading her next book!           

 

Exciting news! There is currently another giveaway for this book on Goodreads! Click on the following link to enter the giveaway, which ends on May 7th: Intangible giveaway . Make sure you enter by May 7th for this awesome book! :)