JeanzBookReadNReview

GUEST POST - WHY I CHOSE DYSTOPIAN BY SAMANTHA DURANTE

2013-06-18T16:30:00.000+01:00

Why I Chose Dystopian

by Samantha Durante,

author of Stitch

There are literally HUNDREDS of book genres to choose from, but when I started coming up with ideas for Stitch, there were only two that I knew right away Stitch might fall into: paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi. (And in fact, I wasn’t able to choose just one, so it’s actually a little bit of both!)

Dystopian stories have been incredibly popular lately, particularly in the young adult market (see: Hunger Games, Divergent, Delirium, etc.). And though I didn’t realize it until I discovered all these new dystopian series recently, I’ve always been drawn to dystopian settings – The Giver, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451 were some of my favorite books as a kid. So this begs the question of what exactly it is about dystopian books that’s got me and all these other readers so excited.

After giving it some thought, I think it comes down to a few factors: uncertainty, morality, and hope.

1. Uncertainty. We’ve all seen the news reports the past couple years – between the economy, the environment, and the unending global violence, it’s pretty obvious: our world is on a downward spiral. At least, it certainly feels like that sometimes. And when you look into the future and it’s all of a sudden unclear where things are going, it gets you thinking: what if things actually got worse? Like, much worse? What would it be like? Am I prepared? Could I survive?

2. Morality. So the media has got us down on ourselves and wondering if our civilization can even make it, and as soon as you open that can of worms, all kind of difficult questions present themselves. What would I do to survive? With limited resources, how do you decide who gets to survive? Whomakes that decision? What happens if I don’t like the answers to these questions? How could I do things differently? But am I any more qualified to come up with answers than the next guy? We all know what’s right and wrong in the normal day-to-day but what happens when the world gets turned on its head? Do the rules change?

3. Hope. And I think this is really the crux of the whole dystopian genre – when the world ends, and everything is terrible, and you’re forced to do things you don’t even want to think about just to keep on living, what do you have left? Hope. Only hope.

I think this is a fundamental feature of human beings – that inner optimism, the ability to remind ourselves that there’s something out there worth living for even when our world crumbles beyond our wildest nightmares. So we start thinking about how we can solve the problem – how would I structure our society to make something better? What could I change that would create a better outcome? After all, every dystopia is just a failed utopia – someone’s unsuccessful attempt at making the world a better place. So dystopian books force us to ask ourselves what we would have done differently, and thereby tap into that inner well of hopefulness, that unbreakable conviction that somewhere there is a right answer, even if we haven’t figured it out yet.

For me, dystopian books are all about the “What If,” and that’s a game I love to play. So with the Stitch Trilogy, we’ll get to play “What If” through the protagonist, Alessa’s, eyes – to see how she answers these questions, how far she’s willing to go, and what factors will push her to bend her own rules. And as we watch Alessa struggle to find her place in a transitioning society, we get to ask ourselves: what would I do?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series. Learn more about Samantha at www.samanthadurante.com.

WHERE CAN YOU FOLLOW THIS AUTHOR?

Lots of places! There’s my website (www.samanthadurante.com) where I keep a blog and post other big updates about my book writing (you can sign up on the Contact page to get an email when I have a release date for Book 2). I’m also on Goodreads and Facebook (both as an author and on the Stitch fan page). And of course I’m on Amazon and Smashwords. I LOVE to hear from readers, so please keep in touch!

GUEST POST - WHY I ENDED THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT BY LISSA BRYAN

2013-06-18T13:30:00.000+01:00

Why I Ended the World As We Know It

By Lissa Bryan
author, The End Of All Things

I’m a romance writer, primarily, but I also like for my stories to have themes of hope, redemption, and discovering inner strength. I wanted to write a story in which my characters have survived the absolute worst that can happen, but are able to find strengths within themselves to cope. This is a story about the end of the world as we know it, but it’s also a story about the power of hope and love.

The trend lately has been for dystopian novels to have kick-butt heroines with advanced combat skills, who are prepared for anything. But I wanted to explore what it might be like for an ordinary young woman to experience a situation in which the life she’s known has been ripped away from her. Very few twenty-two year olds would be prepared for that, or have the skills needed to survive in a world without modern technology.

When we meet Carly Daniels, she’s in deep shock and denial, having lost her parents and watched the world crumble to dust around her. She ekes out a meager existence, scavenging, hoping for everything to go back to normal soon. To adapt to this brutal new world, she’s going to have to find strengths within her she never knew she had.

Justin Thatcher is more prepared for this situation. As ex-Special Forces, he’s seen what happens when society breaks down during war or famine. He has survival skills and combat training, but under that tough, cynical exterior, he’s hiding a heart of gold. Justin finds Carly and gently coaxes her out of her hiding place, prodding at the wall of denial she’s built around herself until it crumbles. He convinces her to travel with him to a warmer climate where their chances for survival are better.

They travel across a nation laid to waste by disaster, but along with the struggle for survival, they encounter ethical questions that make Carly question every value she has. But she has a persistent hope that the world they’re rebuilding can be even better than the one that’s gone. It’s that stubborn optimism which gives her courage, and the cynical Justin begins to see how precious hope can be.

This was a fun novel to write, but it was also challenging. I had to determine the best mode of transportation, because the gasoline would be going bad and the roads are perilous. I had to research everything from wind-powered cell towers in France, to home canning methods, and vaccines. I can be a little pedantic about it, I admit. If I’m writing a scene where the characters are traveling, I want to know if they’re going uphill or downhill, and what they’d see along the road. Fortunately, the internet was a big help with this. I utilized a lot of vacation photos and Google Earth shots.

But, more importantly for me as a writer, I got to explore those fascinating themes of the strength of the human spirit, and write a love story of two very different people who come together during the worst of circumstances. The sequel is being written, and I hope you’ll enjoy seeing the new world Carly and Justin are trying to build with their fellow survivors.

About the Author:

Lissa Bryan is an astronaut, renowned Kabuki actress, Olympic pole vault gold medalist, Iron Chef champion, and scientist who recently discovered the cure for athlete's foot ... though only in her head. Real life isn't so interesting, which is why she spends most of her time writing.

Her first novel, Ghostwriter, is available through The Writer's Coffee Shop, Amazon, iTunes, and Kobo. Her second novel, The End of All Things, was released on January 24, 2013, and is available through TWCS, Amazon, and iTunes. She also has a short story in the Romantic Interludes anthology, available from TWCS, Amazonand iTunes. Her third novel, Under These Restless Skies, is scheduled for release in spring of 2014.

Contact Links:

http://lissabryan.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LissaBryan.Author
http://www.facebook.com/lissa.bryan
https://twitter.com/LissaBryan
http://www.youtube.com/user/LissaBryan
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5442345.Lissa_Bryan
http://lissabryan.tumblr.com/
http://pinterest.com/lissabryan/

GUEST POST - THE FUTURE AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE BY PETER BOLAND

2013-06-18T11:00:00.000+01:00

I also asked the Author of the Spiral Arm, Peter Boland

why he writes the genre he does.

Here's what he had to say.

The future ain’t what it used to be.

Peter Boland

Phew, it’s hard work writing about the future. Much harder than writing about the past or the present. Writing’s difficult enough at the best of times but when you have to invent a believable futuristic world, that’s quite a big ask. I’m jealous of historical and contemporary novelists. Okay, I’m sure they have to do a ton of research, but I bet they don’t spend days thinking up futuristic gizmos. And it’s getting harder. You can’t just stick in flying cars and jetpacks. People want to see something new.

Today, some cybernetics are already starting to creep into society. So for the Spiral Arm it wasn’t a massive leap to think that in the future, the internet would be implanted in our hands in the form of a ‘com chip’. The chip would also project a holographic screen above our wrists so we could browse the net and message people - the ultimate in computer portability. I wish we had them now, it’d be a lot easier than fiddling around with a smart phone.

Language, like technology, evolves. So you need to come up with new futuristic phrases. You can’t really use ones we use today, otherwise it destroys the illusion of being in the future. On the other hand, inventing new language can be difficult to pull off, as it can sound unfamiliar and just plain odd. For the Spiral Arm I compromised. Awesome is something everyone says these days, so what would they say in years to come? Beyond awesome of course!

WHY I WRITE DYSTOPIAN BY KATIE FRENCH

2013-06-18T03:00:00.000+01:00

WHY I WRITE DYSTOPIAN

Katie French

A few days ago, as I was watching the critically acclaimed show,The Walking Dead, I had a thought. Just as Andrea was about to stab a screwdriver into a zombie's eye socket, I wondered what exactly was wrong with me. Just an hour before I was listening toJustin Cronin's The Twelve, an equally brutal look at possible human annihilation by vampires. Prior to that I was on the treadmill reading Fuse, Julianna Baggot's masterpiece about survivors of an atomic blast that left them fused to the objects, animals or people they were touching when it detonated. Looking back on my day, I realized there might be something really psychologically wrong with me. Why would I spend copious amounts of time amerced in human destruction? Why would I be draw to stories that start with the basis that everything we love and value has been destroyed? Conclusion: I need a good therapist.

Yet, I am not alone. I know that if you have picked up The Breeders and liked it, you might be a little sick in the head like me. The third season finale of The Walking Dead pulled in a whopping 12.8 million viewers. Hunger Games books were on the New York Times Best Seller list for over 100 consecutive weeks. That's a lot of us crazies walking around out there. So, humanity is fascinated with its own demise. But why? Folks, I have a theory.

In general many of us read for entertainment and escape, but those of us who read dystopian also read for a third purpose, to prepare. Do we all think we'll die soon by a North Korean missile and build bomb shelters in our basements? No. But, many of us might wonder, late at night, how we would act if society suddenly came to a halt. Would we be those that took up arms, marched to the aid of others and rallied those left to a new America? Or would we be zombie food? We read to ponder the multitude of ways it could go down. We read to quantify those qualities it takes to overcome. And when and if that bomb drops, we'll be the first to roll out our super secret Zombie survival plan. (Mine includes a visit to my local Outdoor World.)

There's one more reason I believe people read dystopian. There's something so magical about basic human survival. When all this commercial garbage is stripped bare, the human soul and its capacity to overcome is astounding. We know that about our race, that we never go down without a fight. There's a scene in episode two of season two of The Walking Dead where Hershel, the veterinarian turned surgeon, is speaking to Rick. Rick is destraught, wondering what's the point? Why go on in such a broken world? Hershel turns to him and says (I'm paraphrasing here, so don't get mad at me Walking Dead fans). "This is just a bump in the road. It's just nature's way of resetting itself. That's the beauty of humanity, we always overcome." Well said Hershel.

So, my lovely dystopian readers, if you need some recommendations here are some of my recent favorites. Happy reading.

Fuse and Pure by Julianna Baggot
Wool by Hugh Howey
A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Scourge by A.G. Henley
Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
The World of Shell and Bone by Adriana Ryan

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - JOANNA MAZURKIEWICZ

2013-06-17T13:00:00.000+01:00

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?

My name is Joanna, I was born in Przemysl, Poland. I moved to the UK when I was 19. I currently live in Cardiff, Wales.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

I have written for as long as I can remember, but it was two years ago that I made a decision that I wanted to be a full time writer.

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?

I self published my first book, so I did it as soon as it was ready.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?

Unfortunately yes, I work as an employment advisor

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

It took me nearly 3 years to finish my first book. Right now, between 1-4 months.

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?

I have got a lot of ideas. I am going to write a lot more fantasy and probably a few more contemporary romances.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

Yes, I am currently working on contemporary romance novel and it’s a stand alone book.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?

£6.19 per Witching Hour is my favourite because I enjoyed writing it so much.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from? What/Who is your inspiration?

Dreams, other books and films. Ideas are coming to me all the time.

Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?

My friends and beta readers. I try to get ARC to as many people as I can.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?

Yes

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

I try to, but I know that I shouldn’t.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?

I always design my own covers. I buy a lot stock pictures which I really like and then I add what I need in the end.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?

Sometimes I plan the story, so I know what I have to write in the next few chapters and sometimes the writing just flows.

Which format of book do you prefer, ebook,hardback, or paperback?

Since I discovered kindle I do prefer ebooks.

What is your favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?

Harry Potter series, I can read this over and over again. I love the world that JK Rowling created. It’s so unique.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?

No, I think there still will be people that would enjoy printed books.

Did you read a lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life?

I have always been an avid reader and I wrote a lot of stories when I was in school. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Do you have a favourite genre of book?

Paranormal Romance

Where can readers follow you?

http://joannamazurkiewiczco.ipage.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanna-Mazurkiewicz/256859647665050

https://twitter.com/joannamaz

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6543523.Joanna_Mazurkiewicz

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - JOANNA MAZURKIEWICZ

2013-06-17T11:30:00.000+01:00

About the Author:

Joanna Mazurkiewicz was born in Poland. She moved to United Kingdom when she was only nineteen and just finished high school. She had aspired to be a writer upon completion of the Harry Potter series but also enjoyed reading books like ‘Gone with the Wind’, ’Animal Farm’ and ‘The Doll’. She graduated from Swansea University with a bachelor degree in American Studies. While studying in the UK she made a decision to start writing fiction in English.

The “Whispers of the Sprite” is her first debut novel and she is currently working on the other projects. Joanna lives in Cowbridge, a small town in South Wales near Cardiff with her boyfriend Bruce. She enjoys cycling around Welsh countryside some of which has become the settings in her first series.

@joannamaz

https://www.facebook.com/thewhispersofthesprite

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6543523.Joanna_Mazurkiewicz

http://joannamazurkiewiczco.ipage.com

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY - £6.19 PER WITCHING HOUR BY JOANNA AZURKIEWICZ

2013-06-17T10:00:00.000+01:00

£6.19 per Witching Hour
Paranormal Personnel Saga Book One

Joanna Mazurkiewicz

Genre: paranormal romance

Book Description from Bewitching Blog Tours:

Julia Taylor works as a recruitment consultant for Paranormal Personnel in London. Her days at work seem normal, she sees clients that regularly are looking for work, she source new vacancies, updates CV and visits employers.

Everything is pretty ordinary for her, apart from the fact that Julia is half elf and Paranormal Personnel is not an ordinary agency at all because all jobless supernatural creatures come to the agency to look for work. Fairies, vampires, witches, hags, wizards, mermaids, elves, giants and trolls, they all need to find employment and during this economic climate this seems pretty challenging.

Julia doesn’t want her life to be complicated but when her day is interrupted by the shape shifter with the chain saw; she just has to deal with him as she always does. She is normally calm, confident and is not afraid to stand up for herself but when the meeting with Nathaniel’s Corporation goes not as well as she expected she wants to bury herself under the ground and die.

Then Mr. La Caz gets under her skin, lights up a fire inside her, she accidentally reads his thoughts and learns that he craves for her, he wants to suck her dry but she is convinced that he is not even a vampire.

GIVEAWAY
It's a Tour Wide Giveaway
The Prize is 6 E-Copies
Enter below using the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

COVER REVEAL & COVER COMMENTS - DARKEST DAY by EMI GAYLE

2013-06-17T03:00:00.001+01:00

Darkest Day

The 19th Year

by Emi Gayle

Release Date: January 6, 2014

Target Reader: Young Adult

Keywords: Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Romance,
Thriller/Suspense,Urban Fantasy, Fairy, Shape-shifter, Vampire

Back of the Book

Mac Thorne’s time as a Changeling is coming to an end.

It may have taken eighteen years, but Mac did finally manage to do what the Council wanted: she chose a teacher and renounced the in-between.

There’s just one last step. She must say goodbye to her human. Forever.

After being challenged in every way possible, Mac leaves what she thought would be the easiest task for the last possible moment. As midnight on July fourth draws near, though, she hasn’t found a way to give up Winn Thomas.

Nor does she want to.

With time running out, Mac stands at a literal crossroads.

Choose Winn, and she’ll be stripped of the only family she’s ever known—vampires, dragons, and her favorite demon. Even her own mother. Accept her position on the Council and rule as an equal to her twelve peers, and she’ll forget Winn ever existed.

Independence and freedom have never before been so limiting.

In this final chapter of the 19th Year Trilogy, it’s time for Mac to decide.

Responsibility? Or Love?

URL: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/30

MY COVER COMMENTS

This cover fits well with the covers of the rest of the series so far, in both colour and style. The cover features two people who look to be in a relationship. I think the female is probably Mac and the male her love interest. There's also the byline that gives a clue as to what is going on in the book "Choose him or let him go" which insinuates that Mac has a very difficult decision to make. the expression of the female on the cover gives the impression that maybe she is feeling as though she is being torn in two directions and doesn't know what to do next.

Then you read the blurb and realise that Mac does in fact have a very important decision to make about her life.

I would also like to add that I have in fact read Book One and really enjoyed it too. Here's the link to my review of book one, After Dark

GUEST POST - STEAMPUNK IS COOL BY TRISHA WOLFE

2013-06-16T13:30:00.000+01:00

Steampunk is Cool

Trisha Wolfe

Want to first give a big thanks to Sandra of JeanzBookReadNReview for inviting me to this event! Thanks, girl. Now, let’s see. I suppose I write Steampunk, or elements of the sub-genre, in most of my books because…it’s just cool. There’s no other significant or meaningful reason as to why I love it so much. I just do.

Steampunk is all about the “what if”. What if a magical, fire-wielding race could change the course of history, shaping the future with their power? What would that world look like? How would it operate? Those are the questions I asked myself before I started writing Destiny’s Fire. All genres of Fantasy and Science Fiction begin with the “what if” question, for the most part, and I think the infinite possibilities to answer that question is why I will forever be a die-hard Fantasy girl. It’s limitless.

I’m not one who was ever able to choose only one thing. One genre of music. One hair color. One flavor of ice cream…though actually, that one ispretty easy: chocolate. Don’t argue. You know it’s the best. So it makes sense why I could never strictly adhere to writing only in one genre. Being able to layer and mix different sub-genres in order to create something different and original is why I love writing. The freedom. And when all those intricate parts are weaved and connected together to make something bigger and fantastical, I actually get goose bumps.

In Destiny’s Fire, the Narcolym wield Flame, and the world (their world) functions much like ours, only everything is powered by Flame, through steam devices. It’s pretty easy and logical, really. It’s so perfect that it needs a problem, a conflict. Enter the Shythe, the Narcolyms’ exact opposite and a race that will challenge not only them, but the entirety of civilization. Having external conflict as well internal for our MC to grapple with gives a novel more tension, and that’s good. You never want your readers getting too cozy in any scene. Keep shaking it up.

This wasn’t supposed to be a writing lesson, but I think it’s hard to separate thoughts on Steampunk and writing, at least for me. They go hand-in-hand. The point is, Steampunk is so cool and so much…well, just more. There’s no end to the possibilities to where it can go. Every day I search out new novels and writers of the genre because I can’t get enough, and as excited as I am about my next project, I love losing myself within others’ worlds and their creations. Limitless and fantastical. Fantasy for the win.

I’m the author of the YA Steampunk DESTINY'S FIRE (O mnific Publishing), ASTARTE'S WRATH NA Historical/Supernatural, NA Dark Fantasy OF SILVER AND BEASTS, and the upcoming YA Utopian FIREBLOODfrom Spencer Hill Press, November 2013.

I’m the creator of YA Bound, a promotional site for the Young Adult genre. Also a member of SCWW and The Apocalypsies.

A proud business owner, I'm partnered with my partner, my husband. When I’m not busy doing all of the above, I’m a wife and the mother of a gorgeous teen boy who's the sounding board for my male characters.

Check out my website at www.TrishaWolfe.comfor more on my books and bonus material. Follow me on Twitter @TrishWolfeand my Facebook page for updates on all things book boys and writing.

GUEST POST - WHY I WRITE THE TYPE OF GENRE I DO BY JACK BLAINE

2013-06-16T11:30:00.000+01:00

Why I Write The Type Of Genre I Do

Jack Blaine

"I write books set in awful futures. As my bio says, I like to put good people in horrible situations, just to watch what happens. Why? Because that's where the big questions are, where we find out what really matters. That's where we can see how people act in the face or danger, how we might act in the same situation. I love to explore those sorts of worlds to see how far off course humanity might be capable of going, and also how strong and good people can be, if given the chance."

Jack writes Helper12 and also has a new book coming out in late June called Twitch.

BLURB from Goodreads
Helper12 works as a Baby Helper in Pre Ward, the place where babies spend their first six months of life before they’re tracked for vocations and sent to training. She does her job well, and she stays out of trouble. But one day, the Sloanes, Society members who enjoy all the privileges of their station—family unit clearance, a private dwelling, access to good food and good schools—come to “adopt” one of the Pre Ward babies. The Director makes a deal and the Sloanes walk out with a brand new child.

They also walk out owning Helper12—the Director sells her to them, and there’s nothing she can do but go. At the Sloanes, Helper12 enters a world where people should be able to enjoy life—with high position and riches come the opportunity for individual freedom, even the chance to love—but that’s not what she finds. The Sloanes are keeping secrets. So is their biological son, Thomas.

Helper12 has some secrets of her own; she’s drawing, which is a violation, since Baby Helpers aren’t tracked for Art. And she’s growing to love the child she was bought to care for—at the same time that Ms. Sloane is becoming disenchanted with her impulse baby buy.

When all your choices are made for you, how do you make some for yourself? Helper12 is about to find out.

PURCHASE LINKS

BLURB supplied by Jack Blaine
Twitch is trapped in a world where, unless you’re lucky enough to be a Society Member, your whole life is decided for you. Lower designates like her are expected to do what they’re told, when they’re told, from birth on.

But when her only real friend mysteriously disappears, Twitch asks one too many questions and gets caught in a dangerous game.

Twitch tells the story of a character from Jack Blaine’s novel, Helper12.

Available in paperback, Kindle, Nook and on iTunes, July 1, 2013.

I read and loved Helper12 so am seriously looking forward to reading Twitch and learning more about her, and the world that Jack Blaine has created.

JUNE 2013 RELEASES

2013-06-16T03:00:00.001+01:00

Due to being ill and Rachel being so busy at college (coming to the end of her main course and squeezing an extra day course in) this June Releases post is much later than usual so sorry everyone but here it finally is! I've decided to just give you the cover pic and blurb and where I have already reviewed my review link this month and rather than my usual lengthy comments, just adding a short comment.

BLURB from Goodreads
Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.
MY REVIEW

BLURB from Goodreads
I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

BLURB from Goodreads
The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

BLURB from Goodreads

For as long as Ebony can remember, she's been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It's as if she's being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can't be concealed. She's growing more beautiful by the day, she's freakishly strong, and then there's the fact that she's glowing.

On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she's intensely drawn to him. It's as if something explodes inside of her--something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she's a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.

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When 16-year-old Abigail's mother dies in Scotland--leaving a faded photo, a weirdly cryptic letter, and a one-way ticket to America--she feels nothing. Why should she? Her mother gave her away when she was a baby, leaving her to grow up on an anti-nuclear commune and then in ugly foster homes. But the letter is a surprise in more ways than one: Her father is living in California. What's more, Abigail discovers she has an eighteen-year-old sister, Becky. And the two are expecting Abigail to move in with them.

After struggling to overcome her natural suspicions of a note from beyond the grave (not to mention anything positive) Abigail grows close to her newfound sister. But then Becky is found dead, the accidental victim of an apparent drug overdose. As Abigail wrestles with her feelings and compiles a "Book of Remembrance" of her sister's short life, she uncovers a horrifying global plot aimed at controlling teen behavior: one that took her sister's and mother's lives, with vast implications.

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Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

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In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!

Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!

But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.

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The Registry saved the country from collapse. But stability has come at a price. In this patriotic new America, girls are raised to be brides, sold at auction to the highest bidder. Boys are raised to be soldiers, trained by the state to fight to their death.

Nearly eighteen, beautiful Mia Morrissey excitedly awaits the beginning of her auction year. But a warning from her married older sister raises dangerous thoughts. Now, instead of going up on the block, Mia is going to escape to Mexico—and the promise of freedom.

All Mia wants is to control her own destiny—a brave and daring choice that will transform her into an enemy of the state, pursued by powerful government agents, ruthless bounty hunters, and a cunning man determined to own her . . . a man who will stop at nothing to get her back.

MY REVIEW

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Meet Mookie Pearl.
Criminal underworld? He runs it.
Supernatural underworld? He hunts in it.
Nothing stops Mookie when he’s on the job.
But when his daughter takes up arms and opposes him, something’s gotta give…

The Blue Blazes – the first in a new urban fantasy series in which lovable thug Mookie Pearl must contend with the criminal underworld, the supernatural underworld, a new drug that makes the invisible visible, and a rebellious teen daughter who opposes him at every turn.

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Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?

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When a visit to the Tower of London triggers an overwhelmingly real vision of a beheading that occurred centuries before, Cole Ryan fears she is losing her mind. A mysterious boy, Griffon Hall, comes to her aid, but the intensity of their immediate connection seems to open the floodgate of memories even wider. As their feelings grow, Griffon reveals their common bond as members of the Akhet-an elite group of people who can remember past lives and use their collected wisdom for the good of the world. But not all Akhet are altruistic, and a rogue is after Cole to avenge their shared past. Now in extreme danger, Cole must piece together clues from many lifetimes. What she finds could ruin her chance at a future with Griffon, but risking his love may be the only way to save them both.Full of danger, romance, and intrigue,Transcendence breathes new life into a perpetually fascinating question: What would you do with another life to live?

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Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

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Cat has been forced into an arranged marriage with William - a situation that comes with far more strings than even she could have anticipated, especially when she learns of his family's intentions for them both.

Meanwhile, Max and the gargoyle investigate The Agency - a mysterious organisation that appears to play by its own rules - and none of them favourable to Society.

Over in Mundanus, Sam has discovered something very peculiar about his wife's employer - something that could herald a change for everyone in both sides of the Split Worlds.

MY FAVOURITE DYSTOPIAN READS!

2013-06-15T14:30:00.000+01:00

So I decided to compile a list of Dystopian, Steampunk, Post-Apocalyptic & Zombie books that I have read and reviewed on my blog, or books in a series I have started and want to continue reading. If you'd like to read the reviews they are ALL listed in my A to Z listing under author surname.

The Procedure by Margaret Bell
Helper 12 by Jack Blaine
Outside by Shalini Boland
The Clearing by Shalini Boland
The Spiral Arm by Peter Boland (wishlist, been recommended to me)
The Mers by Ami Blackwelder
The End Of All Things by Lissa Bryan
The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Prince by Kiera Cass
The Elite by Kiera Cass
Breathe by Sarah Crossan
The Blemished (The Blemished Series) by Sarah Dalton (on my to read list)
Wither by Lauren De Stefano
Earth Girl (Earth Girl Bk#1) by Janet Edwards
Earth Star (Earth Girl Bk#2) by Janet Edwards (wishlist)
Zoo (The Enclosure Chronicles) by Tara Elizabeth
The Blight (Eden's Root Bk #0.5) by Rachel E Fisher
Eden's Root (Eden's Root Bk #1) by Rachel E Fisher
Seed's Of War (Eden's Root Bk #2) by Rachel E Fisher
Emergence (Eden's Root Bk #3) by Rachel E Fisher
The Breeders by Katie French
Nessa A Breeders Story by Katie French
Dark Parties by Sara Grant
Cracks by Caroline Green
Masque Of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand
Remnant by Sam Hill (to read)
The Great Collapse (Survivors Of The Pulse Bk#1) by Jeff Horton
The Dark Age (Survivors Of The Pulse Bk#2) by Jeff Horton (to read)
The Way Of Nacor (Tales Of Eden Bk#1) by Jeff Horton (to read)
The Last Prophet by Jeff Horton (to read)
Insanity by Aaron Jordan (to read)
Dress Your Marines In White (Monument 14) by Emmy Laybourne (wishlist)
Monument 14 (Monument 14 Bk#1) by Emmy Laybourne
Sky On Fire (Monument 14 Bk#2) by Emmy Laybourne (wishlist)
Aftertime (Aftertime Bk#1) by Sophie Littlefield
Rebirth (Aftertime Bk#2) by Sophie Littlefield) (to read)
Intrusion by Ken MacLeod
Bumped (Bumped Bk#1) by Megan Mcafferty
Thumped (Bumped Bk#2) by Megan Mcafferty
Ashfall (Ashfall Bk#1) by Mike Mullin
Ashen Fall (Ashfall Bk#2) by Mike Mullin (to read)
Birthmarked (Birthmarked Bk#1) by Caragh M O'Brien
Prized (Birthmarked Bk#2) by Caragh M O'Brien
Promised (Birthmarked Bk#3) by Caragh M O'Brien (wishlist)
Delirium (Delrium Bk#1) by Lauren Oliver
Pandemonium (Delirium Bk#2) by Lauren Oliver
Requiem (Delirium Bk#3 ) by Lauren Oliver (wishlist)
Chasers (Alone Bk#1) by James Phelan
Survivor (Alone Bk#2) by James Phelan
Heir To Power (The Healing Crystal) by Michele Poague
Fall Of Eden (The Healing Crystal) by Michele Poague
Ransom (The Healing Cryatal) by Michele Poague (wishlist)
The Baby Merchant by Kit Reed
Enclave by Kit Reed (to read)
The Night Children by Kit Reed (to read)
Divergent (Divergent Bk#1) by Veronica Roth
Insurgent (Divergent Bk #2) by Veronica Roth (to read)
Alleigant (Divergent Bk#3) by Veronica Roth (wishlist)
The Forest Of Hand and Teeth (Forest Of Hand & Teeth Bk#1) by Carrie Ryan
The Dead Tossed Waves (TFOH&T Bk#2) by Carrie Ryan
The Dark and Hollow Places (TFOH&T Bk#3) by Carrie Ryan
Haremoon (FOH&T Novella) by Carrie Ryan
The Archived by Victoria Schwab (Wishlist)
The Registry by Shannon Stoker

So have you read all of the above? some of the above? Or do you have other great titles within these genres you'd like to recommend? Leave your recommendations in the comments!

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - PRIZE PACK THREE IN THE GIVEAWAY!

2013-06-15T12:30:00.000+01:00

THE END OF ALL THINGS

LISSA BRYAN

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After a terrible virus ravages the planet, Carly Daniels, one of the few survivors, hides in her apartment in Juneau trying to survive the best she can with only occasional forays to gather food. With her is Sam, a wolf puppy she found starving on the streets. He becomes her companion and a reason to continue when giving up sometimes seems like the more attractive option. Still dazed with shock and grief, she hopes for the world to go back to normal soon.
She is discovered by Justin, an ex-soldier who is intent on making his way to Florida before the winter sets in. Justin coaxes her out of her hiding place and convinces her to join him on his journey, because a warmer climate will be their best chance against the extremes of Mother Nature.
Together, they begin a perilous journey through a nation laid to waste by the disaster. Challenges abound along the way. The weather, injury, and shortage of supplies all help to slow them down. In time, they discover that they aren’t the only survivors. Some are friendly but some have had their minds destroyed by the high fever. Then there are those who simply take what they want, leaving Carly and Justin with no choice but to defend what is theirs.
But their journey is not without joy and love. Together, they face every struggle, including an unplanned pregnancy. Despite the perils of bringing a child into a world of chaos, their baby is a new beginning for themselves and a symbol of hope for the other survivors they find along the way.
This is the story of their journey to find a place to begin a new life, and a home in each other.

ZOMBIE FALLOUT

MARK TUFO

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It was a flu season like no other. With the H1N1 virus running rampant throughout the country, people lined up in droves to try and attain one of the coveted vaccines. What was not known was the effect this largely untested, rushed to market, inoculation was to have on the unsuspecting throngs. Within days, feverish folk throughout the country convulsed, collapsed and died, only to be reborn. With a taste for brains, blood and bodies, these modern day zombies scoured the lands for their next meal. Overnight the country became a killing ground for the hordes of zombies that ravaged the land. This is the story of Michael Talbot, his family, and his friends. This is their story: a band of ordinary people trying to get by in extraordinary times. When disaster strikes, Mike, a self-proclaimed survivalist, does his best to ensure the safety and security of those he cares for. Book one of the Zombie Fallout Trilogy follows our lead character in his self-deprecating, sarcastic best. What he encounters along the way leads him down a long dark road, always skirting on the edge of insanity. Can he keep his family safe? Can he discover the secret behind Tommy's powers? Can he save anyone from the zombie queen? Encircled in a seemingly safe haven called Little Turtle, Mike and his family, together with the remnants of a tattered community, must fight against a relentless, ruthless, unstoppable force. This last bastion of civilization has made its final stand. God help them all.

STITCH

SAMANTHA DURANTE

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Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa's body screams at her to run... but yet she's powerless to move.
Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees - and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell - Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.
Because what Alessa hasn't figured out yet is that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface...
The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.

SHUDDER

SAMANTHA DURANTE

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It's only been three days, and already everything is different.
Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa's life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she'd counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she'd thought she'd tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she's discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.
And then there are the visions.
The memory-altering "stitch" unlocked something in Alessa's mind, and now she can't shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers - and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world's sorry history - will soon leave Alessa reeling...
The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante's shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

DEAD: THE UGLY BEGINNING

T.W. BROWN

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The unthinkable has happened. The dead are walking! Humanity's fragile thread may be reaching its bitter end. Individuals and groups struggle to survive...some at any cost. Will there be anybody left? Or, is this just...The Ugly Beginning?

THE BREEDERS

KATIE FRENCH

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Sixteen-year-old Riley Meemick is one of the world's last free girls. When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race. Her parents do everything possible to keep her from their clutches-- moving from one desolate farm after another to escape the Breeders' long reach. The Breeders control everything- the local war lords, the remaining factories, the fuel. They have unchecked power in this lawless society. And they're hunting Riley.
When the local Sheriff abducts the adult members of her family and hands her mother over to the Breeders, Riley and her eight-year-old brother, Ethan, hiding in a shelter, are left to starve. Then Clay arrives, the handsome gunslinger who seems determined to help to make up for past sins. The problem is Clay thinks Riley is a bender-- a genderless mutation, neither male nor female. As Riley's affection for Clay grows she wonders can she trust Clay with her secret and risk her freedom?
The three embark on a journey across the scarred remains of New Mexico-- escaping the Riders who use human sacrifice to appease their Good Mother, various men scrambling for luck, and a deranged lone survivor of a plague. When Riley is shot and forced into the Breeder's hospital, she learns the horrible fate of her mother—a fate she'll share unless she can find a way out.

And if you don't manage to be a winner or can't wait and want these books now here are the purchase links for you.

Purchase Links

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - PRIZE PACK TWO IN THE GIVEAWAY!

2013-06-15T10:30:00.000+01:00

ZOO

TARA ELIZABETH

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A chronicle of my time living in a zoo . . . I'm not really sure where to start, and you may have trouble believing me even as I tell you my story. My family did. They laughed the first time I told them, so now I just say it was all a crazy dream. You see, I died in a totally preventable car accident . . . or so I thought. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to discover that I had been resurrected into the year 2282 and, just as unbelievably, was locked up in a zoo! A HUMAN ZOO! Oh wait, I mean the People's Past Anthropological Center.
The Global Government created the Centers because all of the different cultures of the world had, over centuries of time, slowly absorbed into one uniform culture. Everything and everybody felt the same, and the world didn’t like it. So, to help the people of 2282 find cultures they thought worthy to live their lives by, they used time travel to zap the people of the past into the future. They created enclosures to house their live human exhibits. And that's what happened to me. I became a research project, a source of entertainment. I was a prisoner who was over two hundred years away from my family and friends.
Most of my time in the enclosure was spent trying to escape. I also made friends, lost friends, fell in love, was betrayed, was held captive within captivity, and lots of other fun stuff. There were some shocking moments and some devastating moments . . . It’s a lot to recount, but I’ll try my best to tell you all about my time travel . . . PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.
I'm Emma, by the way.

HELPER 12

JACK BLAINE

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Helper12 works as a Baby Helper in Pre Ward, the place where babies spend their first six months of life before they’re tracked for vocations and sent to training. She does her job well, and she stays out of trouble. But one day, the Sloanes, Society members who enjoy all the privileges of their station—family unit clearance, a private dwelling, access to good food and good schools—come to “adopt” one of the Pre Ward babies. The Director makes a deal and the Sloanes walk out with a brand new child.
They also walk out owning Helper12—the Director sells her to them, and there’s nothing she can do but go. At the Sloanes, Helper12 enters a world where people should be able to enjoy life—with high position and riches come the opportunity for individual freedom, even the chance to love—but that’s not what she finds. The Sloanes are keeping secrets. So is their biological son, Thomas.
Helper12 has some secrets of her own; she’s drawing, which is a violation, since Baby Helpers aren’t tracked for Art. And she’s growing to love the child she was bought to care for—at the same time that Ms. Sloane is becoming disenchanted with her impulse baby buy.
When all your choices are made for you, how do you make some for yourself? Helper12 is about to find out.

SECRETS

J. CUNNINGHAM

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Gelton isn't the revolutionary type. If you asked him, it would be
the last thing he would ever use to describe himself - if you could
get the gefling to answer at all. When he gets entangled in events
larger than his own story, he finds that he's got more than a few
things to learn about himself.Part speculative history, part fantasy, and definitively steampunk,
Secrets is the first novel in the Clockwork Skies series. Action
packed and full of political intrigue, romance, and richly

detailed fantasy settings, Secrets will entice you from the first page and keep

you guessing until the last.

MORTALITY

KELLIE SHERIDAN

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After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.

THE BONE ROAD

MARY HOLLAND

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A divvy, a dying woman, and a promise
Rhona has the divvy gift; with only a touch she can tell if a baby will be fertile or a sterile Shun, destined to be killed or outcast. The people of the Deom depend on the divvys for survival, but it is a hard and brutal gift. As long as Rhona’s mother was alive, Rhona had followed the old ways, but now her mother is dead and Rhona is free to live her own life. She has one last obligation to fulfill: honor her mother's dying wish to find a woman named Selina and offer her help.
Rhona has no idea who Selina is, but the best way to find anyone on Deo is to travel the Bone Road, the trade highway paved with the remains of their ancestors. And follow it Rhona does, accompanied by her young son Jak, straight into a twisted conspiracy of vengeance, death, rebirth, and the mystery of the Riders, men who never die and are bent on closing the Bone Road forever.

THE REGISTRY

SHANNON STOKER

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EDEN'S ROOT

RACHEL E. FISHER

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The year is 2033 and the world hovers on the edge of explosion as unexplained crop deaths lead to severe global food shortages. In the United States, the Sickness is taking lives slowly, creeping its way into every family. Fi Kelly has already faced the Sickness in her own family, toughening her beyond her years. But a shocking confession from her dying father will push her toughness to its absolute limits. Saddled with an impossible secret and the mission of saving her little sister, Fi sets out to transform herself into the warrior that she must become to survive the coming collapse. Along the way, she will discover that evil can be accidental and that love can be intentional.

ZOMBLOG

T.W. BROWN

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Samuel Todd is a regular guy: ...Failed husband... ...Loving father... ...Dutiful worker... ...Aspiring rockstar. He had no idea if anyone would care, or take the time, to read his daily blog entries about his late night observations. But what started as an open monologue of his day-to-day life became a running journal of the firsthand account detailing the rising of the dead and the downfall.

Once again, if you can't wait to see if you're a winner or you end up not winning here are the purchase links for all the books in this prize pack!

Purchase Links

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - PACK ONE OF THE GIVEAWAY!

2013-06-15T03:00:00.001+01:00

THE ISLAND

JEN MINKMAN

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‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.
Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.
If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.
I have never seen one.’
Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?
Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

ZOMBIES DON'T CRY

RUSTY FISCHER

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Maddy Swift is just an ordinary girl, until the fateful night when she is struck by lightning and wakes up face down in a puddle. Then it's goodbye to all things Normal – such as breathing and having a heartbeat – and hello to yellow vision and a whole new Afterlife.

Turns out there’s a lot more to being a zombie than shuffling and groaning, but surviving school as one of the living dead requires a totally different set of skills. And things don’t get any easier when Maddy realises that she’s not the reanimated student at Barracuda Bay High . . .

THE BLEMISHED

SARAH DALTON

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A beautiful world comes at a price...
In a world filled with stunning clones Mina Hart is Blemished. Her genes are worthless and that takes away her rights: her right to an Education, her right to a normal life and her right to have a child.
Mina keeps a dangerous secret which she never thought she could share until she meets Angela on her first day at St Jude's School. But their friendship is soon complicated by Angela’s adoptive brother Daniel. Mina finds herself drawn to his mysterious powers and impulsive nature. Then there is the gorgeous clone Sebastian who Mina is forbidden from even speaking to…
The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion.

SILENT SYMMETRY

J.B. DUTTON

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The Embodied glide through the busy streets of New York, uttering barely a sound.
Their eerie beauty comes from their perfect symmetry. Are they flawless humans, the epitome of evolution? Are they a genetically modified super-race? Are they extra-terrestrials? Once prep school student Kari Marriner becomes aware of their existence, she is driven to find the answer and finds herself ensnared in a web that reaches further than she could possibly have imagined.
Kari’s earliest memory is her father’s death in a car crash back in small-town Wisconsin. Now, 12 years later, her mother has been hired by a pseudo-religious organization in Manhattan called the Temple of Truth (a.k.a. the ToT). At Chelsea Prep, Kari develops a crush on classmate Cruz. But when she realizes that Noon, another attractive guy at school, is involved with the ToT, her curiosity gets the better of her.
Kari stumbles upon a secret tunnel leading from her apartment to another in the building, where an ancient book holds images she can scarcely believe, and a cavernous room contains... something inexplicable. As Kari pieces together the incredible evidence, she discovers that the ToT is run by other-worldly beings called The Embodied who influence human behavior and have established a global long-term human breeding program. But why? And what is her role in all this?
Just as she starts wondering whether the love she feels for Cruz is genuine or if her emotions are being controlled by The Embodied, her mother is kidnapped and Kari has to figure out who is human, who is Embodied, and who she can count on to help rescue her mother.

OUTSIDE

SHALINI BOLAND

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The future is divided by Perimeters: high-security gated communities where life goes on as normal. If you’re inside you’re lucky. If you’re outside, life expectancy takes a nose dive.
Riley is fortunate to have been born on the right side of the fence. But her life of privilege comes crashing down when someone breaks through and murders her sister.
She forsakes her own safety to go in search of the killer. Luc decides to go with her otherwise she’ll be dead before she’s past the security gate. But what awaits her outside is more unbelievable that she ever imagined.
Cut to the present day where Eleanor's world is falling apart. This time next year, civilisation won't be quite so civilised..

THE SPIRAL ARM

PETER BOLAND

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This is the first novella-length episode in the series.

Wren Harper lives on an overcrowded Earth on the brink of apocalypse. There are just too many people. The answer lies 600 light-years away on Kepler; a planet more than double the size of Earth. For decades humans have been fighting another race for its control. Earth’s armies are depleted, so now 15-year-old cadets are sent to fight, trained along the way in vast combat ships. But why has Wren been chosen? She's small and geeky and not a fighter. Will she survive Kepler? Or will the training kill her first?

THE GREAT COLLAPSE

JEFF HORTON

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While scientists prepare for a massive solar flare heading towards the earth, a hostile foreign government steals a top-secret, experimental weapon. When they use the EMP weapon to attack America however, the result is the immediate and catastrophic loss of modern technology all over the planet. The president calls upon Dr. James White to lead a group of scientists and theologians in an effort to develop a plan that will offer humanity a second chance at civilization. When societies begin to unravel, refugees flee the anarchy in the cities as people learn how to survive in a world without technology, a world for which they are not prepared. Will humanity survive this catastrophic event? Join author Jeff Horton for a journey into the chaotic and perilous new world of The Great Collapse.

IN BETWEEN SEASONS

CASSANDRA GIOVANNI

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At eighteen there is one thing Kate Ericson is certain of—the world is at war and has been since she was two years old. That was when her father pulled her family and a group of close friends to a God forsaken place in the middle of nowhere. For Kate there is no escape from the sea of lies she is drowning in until her world collides with Hunter Marks—the son of her father's biggest opponent. An opponent that Kate didn't even know existed. What Hunter kidnaps Kate for, and what her family will try to kill her to keep secret, is a knowledge that she doesn't have. Now Kate’s innocence seems to becoming undone at the seams of reality. Hunter then finds himself fighting the hopelessness that is creeping into the edges of her heart as she learns more about the corruption that has devoured their lives. As Hunter and Kate forge a strong and unique relationship it becomes clear that their love is something that the bureaucracy never expected, and that Hunter's father will do whatever he can to destroy it. Hunter believes he must sacrifice love in order to teach Kate that the world's deadliest weapon is her. Hunter and Kate will have to find the strength to rise above a deception that is so great, even the ones who created it don't realize its depth.
In Between Seasons is a new kind of post-apocalyptic novel, one that focuses on the characters and uses the lack of understanding of a corrupt world as the backdrop to shape them into who they are as people.

DESTINY'S FIRE

TRISHA WOLFE

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It's the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind—part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.
As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, she fears the change her birthday will bring.
When Dez's newfound power rockets out of control, it's a Narcolym who could change her fate...if she can trust him. Dez's guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.

HAIR OF GOLD

DAI ALANYE

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A fifteen-year-old tomboy joins an expedition searching for treasure. Her father has been slain and the family’s future depends on her, but to succeed she must disguise herself as a boy and undergo the dangers and hardships of grown men. They journey through a savage desert to the treasure-hoard, but hardly does she arrive than worse confronts her, flinging her into dangers beyond what any youth should be forced to confront.
A cover is attached.
Here's a post you may use if you wish:
One advantage to the dystopian genre is that the writer can use period descriptions from the past, if so inclined. That's a great deal less work than building a new world from scratch. In Hair of Gold I chose to use a setting like that of circa 1800 in our own history, with characters and plot modeled on those of a more famous book. The story almost wrote itself. Despite a certain lack of originality, however, it has received compliments similar to this:
"...a ripping yarn. Great writing, engaging, interesting and places us right in the heart of the action, no tell, all show."
And despite having degenerated technologically, the society Valys lives in has its attractions.

And just in case you can't wait to see if you win or if you are not a lucky winner here are the links you'll need to buy these brilliant books!

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THE CRIMSON KEY - THE VISITORS SERIES BK#2 BY CHRISTY SLOAT

2013-06-14T10:30:00.000+01:00

ASIN: B00CUMFE0M
Series: The Visitor's Series
Publisher: Anchor Group
Pages/File Size: 354KB
Formats Available: E-Book

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The truth can be deadly.

Brylee Branson’s best friend and boyfriend have fallen victim to a horrible curse that haunts her home. With the witches who cast it dead she has no choice but to rely on the ghosts inside the Brown house to help her find a cure. But time is not on her side, because Lynley's illness is spreading rapidly.

Confused and scared, seventeen-year-old Brylee must confront a new ghost in the house she has never spoken to before. This spirit is not a Brown relative and makes no promises to help them … unless she can re-unite her with a loved one.

The fate of those she loves now rests on her. Can Brylee put the pieces of this puzzle together in time to save them? Or will the Brown house claim another victim?

The Visitor’s Series continues to scare and entice its readers with this gripping second book.

MY REVIEW
I received this book via Girls Heart Books Tours in exchange for my honest review and participation in this great blog tour! I read Bk #1 The Brown House by Christy Sloat sometimes ago, and it was a leap from the usual genres I read as it has a horror edge to it. I can imagine these books being made into horror/suspense films or TV shows. It was Christy that gave me the first book my review for it is here. Christy had also contacted me regarding reading the book so I was definitely going to read this book!
The cover of this book is quite dark which really does suit the book as in places that too is very dark and scary. the cover features the "key" which is an important part in the book. Overall I like the cover and think I would pick it up in a book store to learn more about it. I think the font of the title and author name etc is good and I like the way it is "aged" as some of the documents written about in the book are very old too.
So now what can I say about the book without giving too much away regarding the book?
Even though I'd say that horror would be very near the bottom list of reading preferences I have really loved this series of books. This second books sort of picks up more or less straight where Book one left off. The curse is really taking hold onto Lynley and Ephraim. Lyn is losing weight and looks really ill, it almost seems like she is taking the bulk of the curse upon herself and slowly dying in front of their eyes. Ephraim and Lynley's mother Carole is also acting strangley, she's never been overly friendly with Brylee but now she seems totally hostile towards her. Brylee is trying to keep her head and life together despite being able to see and speak to dead people! Things seem to have settled in the house a little and then a "new" ghost turns up. Brylee also feels the atmosphere in the house changing there's feels to be a more scary dangerous feel in the house now. Whilst on a shopping trip a woman grabs hold of Brylee and declares that she know Brylee is a "dead talker". This woman called Hala turns out to be just what Brylee is in need of, a source of knowledge and maybe some help with the curse? Brylee also does some research in the library and meets another ghost there. Brylee is seeing more and more ghosts as the days go on, she finds herself promising to help them "pass over" once she has saved Lynn and Ephraim. But can she save Lynley and Ephraim. How can she get access to the Barclay sisters when they are dead? There are lots of puzzles and unanswered questions that Brylee has to deal with to help her friends.
Brylee's parents even take her away to Califormia for her birthday, I think they are hoping a little distance will maybe put an end to her relationship with Ephraim or cool it down a little. But Brylee can't escape the ghosts. the one thing Brylee is looking forward to and hoping for is that she may get to see Ethan again. His "ghost" has been texting her but will she get to see him and if she does can she help him pass over? How will she cope seeing his parents again as her parents have organised a "family" dinner with them?
I could really go on and on about this book. I do have to say I am pleasantly surprised that I am enjoying a book with a horror edge to it. I admit it has some "hold your breath" moments as well as some "nail biting bits". If it were a movie you'd be hiding behind the cushions!!
So did I enjoy the book? I loved it! Christy is slowly converting me to opening up to books with a horror edge to them. Would I recommend the book? Yes, it would suit all those who love ghosts, horror,suspense and a good mystery too. Would I read a Bk#3? Yes please when can I have it to read?! Would I read other books by Christy Sloat? Yes I intend to.

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - THE VISITOR'S SERIES BY CHRISTY SLOAT

2013-06-14T03:00:00.000+01:00

ISBN: 978-0985538545
ASIN: B0089FV9JY
Series: The Visitor's Series
Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing
Pages/File Size: 324pages/414KB
Formats Available:

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Some secrets should never be revealed…
Brylee Branson begrudgingly made the excruciating move with her family from the warm sandy beaches of California to small town living in New Jersey. As if she wasn’t miserable enough, they’ve moved into a creepy old house that everyone in the area claims is haunted. Brylee dismisses the idea of ghosts and hauntings, until she begins to see and hear things that can’t be explained…

Brylee has no choice but to seek the help of new friends to unlock the secrets of this place she now calls home. But some secrets should never be revealed. Can the teens find a way to release the spirits imprisoned within the walls? Or will the curse claim them, too?

Here's my Review

ASIN: B00CUMFE0M
Series: The Visitor's Series
Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing
Pages/File Size: 354KB
Formats Available: E-Book

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The truth can be deadly.

Brylee Branson’s best friend and boyfriend have fallen victim to a horrible curse that haunts her home. With the witches who cast it dead she has no choice but to rely on the ghosts inside the Brown house to help her find a cure. But time is not on her side, because Lynley's illness is spreading rapidly.

Confused and scared, seventeen-year-old Brylee must confront a new ghost in the house she has never spoken to before. This spirit is not a Brown relative and makes no promises to help them … unless she can re-unite her with a loved one.

The fate of those she loves now rests on her. Can Brylee put the pieces of this puzzle together in time to save them? Or will the Brown house claim another victim?

The Visitor’s Series continues to scare and entice its readers with this gripping second book.

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PLAYLIST & SOUNDTRACK OF THE ISLAND BY JEN MINKMAN

2013-06-13T12:30:00.000+01:00

Can you share the playlist you listened to while writing The Island?

Absolutely! I listened to the full score soundtrack for The Hunger Games and to the album ‘Wind in the Wires’ by Patrick Wolf. I especially liked ‘Rue’s Theme’ from The Hunger Games and ‘Shipping News’, ‘Penzance’ and ‘Wind in the Wires’ by Patrick Wolf. The HG score put me in the right mood to write a dystopian, and the songs by Patrick Wolf have a definite ‘coastal’ feel to them so I could imagine being on an island, listening to the sounds of the sea.

Please share 10-15 songs with us that you consider to be the perfect soundtrack to The Island

While writing the book, I listened to the entire score of The Hunger Games, but the following songs also fit the mood really well:

Patrick Wolf - Wind in the Wires

Patrick Wolf - This Weather

Patrick Wolf - Epilogue

Laura Veirs - Spelunking

Laura Veirs - Where Gravity Is Dead

Rosie Thomas - I Run

Tori Amos - Horses

Tori Amos - Not The Red Baron

THE ISLAND BY JEN MINKMAN

2013-06-13T11:00:00.000+01:00

ISBN: 9781483959818
Publisher: Self/Indie
Pages: 105 pages
Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book
Release Date: 1st June 2013

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‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall.
Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.
I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

MY REVIEW
(Since first reading this book some character names have been changed so my review has been adjusted/updates with the new character names)
I received a copy of this book directly from the Author as I had read another book by her and loved it, so she asked if I would be interested in reading her first attempt at a new genre. As dystopian is my favourite genre I of course agreed immediately. In fact I was so looking forward to it, that I put my current read on hold to read the novella. I was given this book in exchange for my honest review. I also requested the book on Netgalley as I knew it was one I really wanted to read.
This book has been a really difficult one to review for me, as I loved Jen's other book Shadow's Of Time so had high expectations of this book The Island.
I like the cover, it is in fact a scene described in the book. I like the font of the title and the little scrolly underneath it as well as the "a dystopian novella" which is also really good as it informs the reader that this is in fact a novella. The authors name is at the top of the book and is well placed and does not interfere with the flow of the cover.
So would I pick this book up from a store shelf? Yes definitely! I find the cover attractive, and the fact it plainly tells us what genre it is in too,
The blurb gives a great description of the book, and would further entice me into wanting to read the book. This is the Author's first attempt at the dystopian genre and I have to say on the whole I did enjoy it. I loved the setting and basis of the story. The only thing I didn't like was the Star Wars references . .. I don't think they were really needed. To me they took the genre in a more quirky direction. I love the characters of Leia and Colin and the basic plot. the pace and writing style is great. The book really didn't need the quirkiness of the star wars references in any way. It was a much better book without those. The book in the story which connected the Star Wars references could have just been an ancient book with its own rules. The whole parents and virus theme was strong enough to stand alone without any of the Star Wars references. Had I known about the Star Wars references, I admit, I would have been put off reading it.
So did I enjoy the novella? On the whole yes, I just think it could have been even better without certain references. Would I recommend the novella? Yes but more in a quirky dystopian genre than a recommendation to a straight dystopian fan. Would I read more dystopian by Jen Minkman? Definitely the roots of a fantastic story are there and I did enjoy the book. I do enjoy Jen's writing a lot. Would I read other work by Jen Minkman? Definitely, I would give anything Jen has written a go! I hope I have not offended her in my honest appraisal of her book,. I do not mean to be negative, I just felt the book could have been even better.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - JEN MINKMAN

2013-06-13T10:00:00.000+01:00

Jen Minkman (1978) was born in Holland, in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn. When she was 19, she moved between The Hague, Salzburg (Austria), Brussels (Belgium) and Cambridge (UK) to complete her studies in intercultural communication. She is currently a teacher of English, career counsellor and teenage coach at a secondary school in Voorburg, Holland. She tries to read at least 100 books a year (and write a few, too!). She is a published author in her own country, and translates her own books from Dutch into English for self-publication.

In her spare time, she plays the piano, the guitar and the violin. For every novel she writes, she creates a soundtrack.

'I have always been drawn to writing. My first book was a sci-fi novel at the age of eight, which I painstakingly typed out on my dad's typewriter and illustrated myself. Nowadays, I stick to poetry, paranormal romance, chicklit and/or fantasy. In my home country, I am the first-ever published writer of paranormal romance, and I will gradually make my books also available in English (seeing I have to re-write and translate the books myself, this will take some time!).

Links-
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5808037.Jen_Minkman
Website-http://www.nwelsaturay.com/jenminkman/index.html
Twitter- https://twitter.com/JenMinkman
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/JenMinkmanYAParanormal?fref=ts

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - THE ISLAND BY JEN MINKMAN

2013-06-13T03:00:00.001+01:00

Title-The Island

By- Jen Minkman

Expected Publication Date-June 1, 2013

*Novella* (80 pages)

Genre- YA Dystopian

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‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall.

Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.

I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

Links-

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17825118-the-island

Book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmOfSXPMN98

Purchase Link

PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT & COVER COMMENTS - THE ISLAND BY JEN MINKMAN

2013-06-13T03:00:00.000+01:00

EXCERPT - NEVER LET YOU FALL BY MICHELE G MILLER

2013-06-12T11:00:00.000+01:00

EXCERPT

“Go. I will be in touch soon. I promise, Xander,” Rioden vowed, and then pushed me forward and turned back towards the hotel.

Whirling quickly, I grabbed Skye’s hand and pulled her along; keeping one hand in my jacket, wrapped about my dagger in case of danger.

“Come on! His car is down a few blocks and we need to hurry.”

“Xander, what is he doing? What’s wrong?” she asked, as she practically ran to keep up with me, her hand squeezing mine tightly.

After a moment my hand was yanked backwards, and Skye stood there in the street, mulishly looking at me. I glared at her questioningly and she began to verbally flay me. “Xander! What is he doing? Where are we going?”

“He’s trying to protect us Skye! Protecting YOU! We need to go now before they find us!” I snapped. I continued to try pulling her along, but she wasn’t having it.

“No! You can’t just leave him there to fight those things by himself! Go help him!”

“Damn it, Skye! He told me to leave. You heard him, and he also told you to listen to me and you said you would. We have to go NOW! There aren’t just Semvon back there, but men - trained men - and I…” The truth crashed down, causing my shoulders to fall as I admitted the truth to her. “Skye, I don’t think I can win against them. That’s why he wants us to run.”

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PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY - NEVER LET YOU FALL BY MICHELE G. MILLER

2013-06-12T03:00:00.000+01:00

ISBN: 978-1484159408
ASIN: B00CLKOW0Q
Publisher: Self/Indie
Pages/File size: 315pages/467KB
Formats Available: Paperback, E-Book

BLURB from Michele G Miller

Orphaned at 7, with no memory of her past or the family she lost, 17 year old Skye Martin is tired of being alone and afraid. After a hard night of partying, Skye wakes up alone in an unfamiliar hotel. All she can remember is the deep voice of her rescuer and his promise: “I am safe.”

Xander has been tasked with watching Skye from afar for the past two years, in order to keep her safe from the demons that hunt her. An easy job - until a pair of red glowing eyes reveal themselves to Skye, and Xander, in a moment of weakness, is forced to break his cover to protect her.

Never good at trusting people, Skye is inexplicably drawn to Xander and the immediate bond she feels for him. However, Xander is filled with secrets and ties to her past that threaten to thrust Skye into a world she could never imagine existed…

As she begins to unravel the truth about who Xander is and the details surrounding her family, she discovers that she might just be the key to saving everything...

And, most importantly, she finds that there has always been someone by her side who would never let her fall…

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GIVEAWAY
Tour wide Giveaway run by Michele G Miller

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AUTHOR INTERVIEW - CASSI CARVER

2013-06-11T13:30:00.000+01:00

What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?

Hi! I’m Cassi Carver and I grew up in San Diego, California. I moved away for a few years after high school, but I’ve been back for quite a while now. I love it here! The weather is awesome!

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

I wrote stories when I was younger, but I wanted to be a veterinarian when I was little. I’ve had to settle for simply having lots of animals. LOL

When did you first consider yourself as a "writer"?

After I completed my first urban fantasy novel. It was my first attempt at writing and I was totally hooked. The book was a whopping 550 pages, but writing it was so fun! I don’t think it took all that long.

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?

The first novel I wrote wasn’t one I tried to get published. Slayer’s Kiss, the first book in my spicy urban fantasy series, was actually the third book I’d written. I was fortunate to get a few offers on Slayer’s Kiss soon after submission.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?

Dark Flight is the 3^rdfull-length novel in the Shadow Slayers series. Kara helps Gavin bring down his evil black-wing father.

Who is your publisher?

My urban fantasy series is with Samhain Publishing.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

It can take a few months for a full-length novel, but recently, I wrote a novella from concept to submission in 11 days. Of course, I was on a tight deadline—and that always helps. LOL That novella should be out next year.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?

The hardest book to write was book 2.5 in The Shadow Slayers series, The Silverwing’s Sorcess. It’s Abbey and Jaxon’s story, and I’d never tried to write a novella before. It came in at 30,000 words, and toward the end of edits, for every word I put in, I had to take one out, so that it wouldn’t exceed 30k.

Do you have a favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?

Dark Flight, my recent release, has been one of my favorites so far! I’ve struggled with the heroine, Kara Reed, through her ups and downs and this book has such a satisfying ending that reading it makes me so happy.

Do you gift books to readers to do reviews?

Yes! In fact, on my website, there’s a link to sign up for my reader review team. I will gift a digital copy of any of my books in exchange for an honest review posted to Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

Yes, I do. But I never comment on a bad review. (Though I’m not opposed to giving a thumbs up to someone who loved the book!)

What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?

A man once said something like, “I should have just watched porn.” I got the biggest kick out of that. It didn’t hurt my feelings at all. I’m generally just honored that someone takes the time to read my books!

Would you ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?

Never. People are entitled to their own opinions. I certainly don’t like every book I read. The difference is, though, since I consider authors my peers, I don’t post reviews for books I didn’t like or books I didn’t finish.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?

I decide all that during the planning and plotting phase before a book begins, but I still learn a lot about the characters as I go.

Have you ever suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?

No. I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I suffer from being a busy mom. I suffer occasionally from scheduling kid doctor appointments or grocery shopping trips during time I should be writing. But when a story is grinding to a halt, it usually means I got off track and I need to fix something. Once I fix this broken thing (usually by brainstorming other options), the story is off and running again.

What do you do to unwind and relax? Do you have a hobby?

Reading, pets and gardening are some of my favorite things! (Plus my kids are pretty cute and need lots of snuggling.)

Have you ever based characters on people you know or based events on things that have happened to you?

Not in my urban fantasy, but the chicken in my contemporary novella, If You Need Me, is based on a real bird. LOL

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books?

No, but there is a secret passageway on my website that no one has ever found. It leads to a special page where you can win something just by finding it!!!

Where can readers follow you?

I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads and I love talking to readers!!