Monday, August 27, 2012

Authors are Rockstars Blog Tour



I am way too excited today because I am taking part in the Authors Are Rockstars Blog Tour!!
Massive Thank You's are in order for the lovely Jaime and Patricia from Two Chicks on Books and Rachel from Fiktshun for asking me to be a part of this event.

  

Today I am talking about why Amber Kizer, author of the Fenestra series is a rockstar!
You can read my reviews of Ambers books as well:

Amber's books have been some of only a handful that have actually managed to transport me to another world. I mean really and truly, forget the world that is going on around me, staying up till 3am to finish them kind of books. Amber's characters are so life like and easy to relate to, her plots are intricate, detailed and full of the shock factor. 
All these things are must haves for a brilliant book to me.

The Fenestra series was my first venture into the world of Angel books, and honestly since then nothing in the same genre has topped this series. To me Amber's books are some new and different, to be honest they stand out on their own, they really don't need me praising them any more.

Ok I'll shut up now, Amber has very kindly wrote a guest post so share with all my lovely readers, so here it is!

When Meridian and Tens set out at the end of MERIDIAN to find more Fenestra, the angel-humans who are windows for the dying, there was one place I needed them go…
…Indiana…
Why Indiana you ask? My roots go deep into Hoosier soil and there are lots of misconceptions about the Midwest that I tried to dispel. There is art and history, tradition and National respect, a hearty helping of patriotism, and forward thinkers…so much more than soybeans, corn, and cows. The initial spark of the idea for Fenestra, and Meridian in particular, developed over the course of my grandparents’ deaths. Several more heartbreaking deaths in that couple of years handed me a level of grief I needed to turn into something purposeful. I am our family’s story keeper. I love and hang old photographs, hold onto my grandmother’s elementary school report cards, and try to keep straight the pieces of that family tree. They are all Hoosiers and proud of their heritage—so it’s no small wonder that I feel a connection to the place and people.

When Meridian and Tens stopover in Carmel, Indiana, at the beginning of WILDCAT FIREFLIES they visit real places, meaningful places like Helios Tea Room, Wildcat Creek, and The Art and Design District. There is a Feast of the Fireflies that grew out of my childhood memories of an actual festival called Feast of the Hunter’s Moon at Ft. Ouiatenon (We-ought-te-non). These are all woven into the backdrop of a coalition fighting for good.

When we looked at continuing Meridian’s story, I wanted to connect these beloved characters to the joys, sorrows, and traditions of Memorial Day in Indy. In my family, Memorial Weekend is all about tradition and remembrance. Visiting the cemetery where generations of my family are buried to clean the graves and plant flowers tops on the list. We eat a picnic at the park my grandmother played in as a child, and visit the house where she was born. There is also usually a memorial service either at the Circle in downtown Indianapolis, or out at Crown Hill Cemetery. We also attend the Indianapolis 500 car race.

I grew up watching the race, which is really a month long focus that takes over the town—parades, pageants, services, and of course fast cars. I can name drivers and teams and winners or losers—we call can. Black and white checker flags appear on lampposts and in yards; all the clothing stores display black and white outfits for all ages. You don’t have to be a fan of cars or racing to enjoy the spectacle. There are incredible opportunities for people watching! Hundreds of thousands of people attend from all over the world—it’s the perfect backdrop for a battle between Fenestra and Aternocti. SPEED OF LIGHT is the third book in Meridian and Tens’ love story and for the moment will wrap up Fenestra books. There are so many seeds from MERIDIAN and WILDCAT FIREFLIES that I was able to develop and delve into that I hope readers feel this is the ultimate payoff. So much of my joy for Indy and my love for these characters went into these pages! Readers can expect to understand Juliet’s history, much more about Fenestra and Nocti, and Tens’ past and family history. They’ll also see a deepening of the love and commitment between Meridian and Tens. For a pictorial sneak peek of behind the scenes of this upcoming book, visit AmberKizer.com and click on SPEED OF LIGHT.

MERIDIAN and WILDCAT FIREFLIES are available now in paperback and audio versions. SPEED OF LIGHT will be released in hardcover in November 2012. I love hearing from readers and send bookmarks and bookplates free of charge to any reader, anywhere in the world. Simply email Amber@AmberKizer.com or via Facebook messages, with your mailing address and allow 6-8 weeks for delivery!

I'm also hosting a giveaway for one lucky winner to win themself a signed copy of both Meridian and Fenestra. Giveaway is open to US residents only, sorry folks.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Stacking The Shelves #2



Welcome to my second Stacking The Shelves post!
Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I seem to have misplaced my camera, typical Emma! 
So I'm afraid you will have to do with stock photos this week.

Physical Books

  

  

For Review:
Missing Me (Missing #3) - Sophie McKenzie (Simon&Schuster)
This is So Not Happening (He's So/She's So #3) - Kieran Scott (Simon&Schuster)

Bought:
Fateful - Claudia Grey
Revived - Kat Patrick
Shift - Em Bailey
Destined To Play - Indigo Bloome

Books on Kindle

For His Pleasure (For His Pleasure, #1) Submission: the Plume Connections
Bewitching the WerewolfThe McCree's Star Spangled 4th A Witch's Memory (The Council, #1)

Monday to Friday Man The Ride Saving You, Saving Me

Baked!  What A Boy Wants (What A Boy Wants, #1) What A Boy Needs (What A Boy Wants, #2)
For His Pleasure (For His Pleasure #1) - Kelly Favor
Submission (The Plume) - Ella Ardent
Connections - Selena Kitt
Bewitching The Werewolf - Caroline Hanson
The McCree's Star Spangled 4th- JC Isabella
A Witch's Memory (The Council #1) - JC Isabella
Monday to Friday Man - Alice Peterson
The Ride - Keara Kevay
Saving You Saving Me - Kailin Gow
Baked - Lacey Dearie
What a Boy Wants (What a Boy Wants #1) - Nyrae Dawn
What a Boy Needs (What a Boy Wants #2) - Nyrae Dawn










Friday, August 24, 2012

Last Summer Blog Tour


BelleBooks is taking part in the Last Summer Blog Tour!
Make sure to stop by Rebecca's blog to see a full list of all the stops on the tour!

Today I'm going to be sharing my review of Last Summer with you all!




Name: Last Summer
Author: Rebecca Rodgers
Release Date: 2nd August 2012
Date I finished it: 23rd August 2012
Source: received from author for review
Rating:



First of all I want to say a massive thank you to Rebecca for sending me a copy of this book to review. It seems to be the book that has lifted me out of my summer reading slump, yay!

Last Summer is by no means a typical YA romance. It is fresh, edgy, raw and I loved it!
Chloe is spending summer with her parents at their summer house, she knows this will probably be the last summer they spend together as a family and she is determined to make the most of it and enjoy herself. 
Although things don't really go to plan, her father ends up walking out on the family and her mother starts to camp out in front of the tv, almost oblivious to the world around her.
When Chloe meets Logan, a homeless boy living in an old, abandoned cottage, she makes it her summer mission to help him, even if he doesn't want any help, she doesn't expect to fall for him along the way and get mixed up in his crazy world.

I really loved this book, it is a quick read. It only took me a couple of hours to finish, but the detail and description that is packed in there is awesome!
This is a more mature YA book, with drug use, sex scenes and a near-rape scene. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under the age of 16/17.

The book does touch on some hard subjects, but Rebecca writes about them to get the issues out in the open and talked about, which is something I really like about this book.

The book switches between Chloe and Logan's points of view, which I really liked. Especially at the beginning before they really get to know each other. I felt like I got to know them both as individuals as well as a couple.
I loved Chloe and Logan's relationship, especially all the ups and downs. They are really so sweet together and I think they complement each other well, and bring out the better qualities in each other.

I really was hooked on this book from page one, there is something about the characters and all the raw emotion thats built up in the book that just gets under your skin. 
Overall I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more of Rebecca's books in the future!




Sunday, August 19, 2012

Vampire Hunter's Daughter Blog Tour and Giveaway!

I am super excited to be taking part in The Vampire Hunter's Daughter Blog Tour!


I first started reading these books months ago, and I am hooked!
They are brilliant, witty and full of action and suspense!
You can read my reviews of them HERE and HERE

Today as part of the blog tour I am sharing an excerpt with you all, enjoy!

Drew let me be until snowflakes began to drift down from the sky. “Come on, Chloe. We have to go now.”
With tears still staining my cheeks, I gave my mother‟s grave one last caress and then stood. “All right, I‟m ready.”
Drew took my hand again and led me between the plots as best as we could manage. The air outside had chilled even more than when we arrived. It was cold. Really cold. When we approached the gates, warmth suddenly filled my stomach and spread through my body.
“Oh, my… what the heck?” I clutched my stomach as the tingling spread all the way into my fingertips.
“Are you okay?” Drew asked. “What‟s wrong?”
“I don‟t know.” I shook my head. Tears threatened to surface again. “I don‟t know.”
“It‟s your senses, Chloe, telling you something is off.”
Drew and I both spun around and Drew whipped his gun out from underneath his jacket.
“Who are you?” Drew yelled.
There, sitting atop one of the gravestones, bathed in the green glow of florescent lights, was a woman. Even though it was freezing, she barely wore anything, and what she did have on looked like leather wrapped around her body and a halter top with crude lacing holding it together. Snowflakes drifted down and passed through her tanned skin, dissolving into nowhere.
“How do you know me?” I shouted. “Who are you?”
My stomach was still flooded with warmth, and it made me feel like I had to pee. I wished I had brought my gun.
She clicked her tongue and tossed a wave of dark brown hair over her shoulder. “You do not need your weapons, my children. I do not come to harm.”
She slid off the gravestone, and I watched her bare feet sink into the snow. They left no footprints.
“Who are you?” Drew demanded again.
She moved forward slowly. “I am your mother, many times over.”
This chick scared me. Was she a ghost? I moved backward a few steps as she approached, using Drew as a shield, since he had the gun.
She smiled, her dark eyes intently focusing on Drew. “Andrew, lower your weapon. You cannot harm me.”
As if under a spell, Drew lowered his arms and his gun came to rest by his side. “What do you want?”
“I am here to help, Chloe.” She nodded at me and smiled. “You need the help of your ancestors. Your mother cannot help you, so I have come to give you guidance.”
The warmth in my stomach turned into fire in my heart. I can‟t explain it, but I felt the connection with this apparition. I moved out from behind Drew.
“Who are you?” I whispered.
She lifted her chin arrogantly. “I am Sostrate, the daughter of Artemis, and as I have told you already, your mother, many times over.”
“Why are you here?”
“I have come to give you the guidance your mother cannot give you. It is my duty.”
“Are you a ghost?”
She only shook her head and gave me a crooked grin. “I am a demi-goddess. I gained immortality from my mother. I do not come as an apparition, because I cannot die.”
“Holy shit.” Drew actually dropped his gun in the snow.
I moved forward, not afraid anymore. I knew she was who she said she was. As we approached each other, I stretched out my hand, wanting to touch her. She also extended her hand and as my gloved fingers connected with the solid fingertips of hers, I gasped. “You‟re real.”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Sostrate,” I pulled my hand from hers, “How can you help me?”
“Chloe, it is time that you think with a clear head. Revenge has taken over your heart and your soul, taken over so much of you that you cannot possibly win this battle. It takes more than thinking with your brain. You must fight with love,” she pressed her fist against her heart “not only hatred.”
“I don‟t understand,” I told her.
“Wars are not won because of hatred for the enemy; they are won because of love for what is being defended.”

As well as this excerpt you can also enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon Giftcard!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Stacking The Shelves #1


I think it's been about a month since I last showed you any of my new books.
I've now pretty much decided to go with Stacking The Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews, purely because it doesn't have the word Sunday in the title. As most of you know, I'm terrible at sticking to routines, so most likely these posts will not be made on Sundays, but rather some other time during the week when I have time to do them (I work Sundays).

Anyways, these are the books I've dug out that I've got recently, there are probably a few more hiding somewhere that I haven't included. If I find them I'll add them into next weeks post.
Also hopefully will be getting videos up again soon, finally got a new camera, don't know what the movie quality is like on it yet, but fingers crossed!



Bought:
Obsidian (Lux #1) - Jennifer L Armintrout
Onyx (Lux #2) - Jennifer L Armintrout
Pushing The Limits - Katy McGarry
Wicked Lovely Manga #1 and #3
Shadow Bound (Unbound #2) - Rachel Vincent
Bared to You - Sylvia Day
The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1) - James Dashner
The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2) - James Dashner
The Death Cure (Maze Runner #3) - James Dashner

For Review:
Losing Lila (Lila #2) - Sarah Alderson (Simon & Schuster)
Girl Missing (Missing #2) - Sophie McKenzie (Simon & Schuster)
Envy (Fury #2) - Elizabeth Miles (Simon & Schuster)
The Feathered Man - Jeremy De Quidt (A&B)
Dark Eyes - William Richter (Razorbill)
I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) - Pittacus Lore (Razorbill)
Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) - Pittacus Lore (Razorbill)


Swapped/Gifted/Won:
Shadow of Night ( #2) - Deborah Harkness (won from Siobhan @ Totally Bookalicious)
Bunheads - Sophie Flack (swapped)
Wicked Lovely Manga #2 (gifted from Kay @ K-Books)



Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Blog Tour: Dante's Girl - Courtney Cole

I am so happy to be taking part in the blog tour for Dante's Girl, the latest release from Courtney Cole.
As most of you will probably know I love Courtney's books, especially the Bloodstone Saga!

Dante's Girl is more of a contemporary YA, so when I first found out about the book I was super excited to get my hands on a copy! 
Today as part of the blog tour I'm sharing my review of Dante's Girl with you all!



Name: Dante's Girl
Author: Courtney Cole
Release Date: 24th June 2012
Date I finished it: 6th August 2012
Source: received from Kismet for book tour
Rating:




Dante's Girl is the first book in the Paradise Diaries series, and follows the story of 17 year old Reece as she is making the long journey from America to London to spend yet another boring summer with her father.
Halfway through her journey all planes are suspended because of the Ash Cloud, unsure of what to do or where to go, Reece goes with her gut and agrees to follow Dante, a boy she met in the airport home. But  Reece gets a whole lot more than she was expecting when she finds out that Dante's father is the president of a small Greek Island and that she is actually staying in a palace!

I really loved this book, it was cute and witty, with just the right amount of romance. I rated it 5 stars because the book did keep me glued to my Kindle. I didn't want to put it down at all, too bad that I'm human and need my sleep.

This is the perfect summer read!
It's packed full of action, romance, suspense and humour, all set on a beautiful Greek Island. It is Ideal for lazy summer afternoons as it can whisk you away to a different country, which was great for me with all the rain we've been getting here recently! I forgot all about the crappy weather and my boring wee life and for a few hours lived the high life in Greece!

Reece is great as a main character, she is charming, funny and doesn't take herself too seriously. I really liked her, there are times in the book that I could actually imagine myself in her shoes and felt bad for her. She is well written and very life-like, I think most teenage or twenty something girls could see a part of themselves in Reece and relate to her.

Dante is brilliant, just sheer brilliant! The whole way through the book I was thinking to myself, if only he was a little bit older! Lol, not once did I think, if only he was real?! He is cool and sophisticated as well as super hot, what girl wouldn't go weak at the knees when he was around?

I don't want to spoil the plot or the ending for anyone, so I'm trying not to give too much away with this review! The book was fast paced, which is something I really enjoy, it keeps me interested in the story line, and makes me feel like I need to keep reading to find out what is going to happen next. 
Overall I really did love this book, even though I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary romance, there was something about this book that I can't quite place my finger on, but it kept me hooked from page one till the end!

Since this is the first book in the Paradise Diaries, I'm looking forward to the release of the next book. I'm really hoping to see more of Reece and Dante in the future, they make a really cute couple.



Friday, August 3, 2012

Review: The Glimpse - Claire Merle

The Glimpse


Name: The Glimpse
Author: Claire Merle
Release Date: 7th June 2012
Date I finished it: 19th July 2012
Source: NetGalley ARC
Rating:








Wow, it's been ages since I done a proper review on here!
I got The Glimpse months ago from NetGalley, it's a book I was really looking forward to sinking my teeth into, a dystopian based around mental illness? How could I say no!
Anyway like usual life got in the way and I've only just now got around to reading it!

The Glimpse follows the life of 17 year old Ana as the world she knows and grew up in falls to pieces with the news that her father faked her Pure test.
The Pure test weeds out those who are genetically perfect, from those who have the genes to possibly develop a mental illness. These less than perfect people are known as the crazies.

When Jasper, the 18 year old boy who Ana has been promised to disappears, Ana ventures over to the other side of the wall where the crazies live to find answers. It's the that Ana ends up finding out a bit more than what she bargained for.

I don't want to go too much into the story as I don't want to give away the main plot, but lets just say everything kind of keeps snowballing for Ana from page one.


I really enjoyed this book. I've read a lot of bad reviews on it based solely on the mental health side of things, which is what I want to mainly address in this review. First this is work of fiction. Of course there is no real to test to find out if a person might develop depression in a couple of years! I think the way the crazies were portrayed in the book was actually very interesting and made me want to learn a bit more about different mental health issues.

As far as the plot and the pace of the book, I managed to finish this one in a day. It's not a massive book but it's the story that keeps you from putting it down. I was glued to my Kindle for hours with this one! The story itself is something surprisingly fresh in the YA Dystopian genre, It really was much more than I was expecting and it left me wanting to know more about this amazing world Merle has created!

Overall a very enjoyable and different sort of read for me!


 
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