Saturday, November 30, 2013

{Review} The Boy from the Woods by Jen Minkman





Julia fell down on her knees next to his lifeless body, her heart filling with dread as she noticed the left side of his face was covered in blood. He had fallen off the motorbike, hitting his temple on a sharp-edged rock. His head injury looked really, really bad.
“Michael?” she whispered softly, putting a trembling hand on his forehead. “Can you hear me?”

Julia has been in love with Michael for years. He’s the hottest guy in school, and she can’t believe her luck when they finally hit it off during Senior Prom. Her dream doesn’t last, though: after a few dates, he callously dumps her out of the blue. Summer vacation starts with Julia feeling heart-broken and miserable.
But then she rescues Michael in the woods when he has a motorcycle accident in a heavy thunderstorm. From that point onward, her life is turned upside down. Michael has changed completely after the blow to the head that nearly killed him... and he wants her back. But why is he so different? And will she be able to trust him this time around?

Can the boy who broke your heart ever win it back again..?

Amazon׀ B&N

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18665617-the-boy-from-the-woods?ac=1


 




 My Review



I received this from the author for my honest review.

The book starts off with Julia at her senior prom and how she wants to get Michael to notice her. Well he does. She is on cloud nine and then he takes her back to his place and they have a wonderful night together and then BAM He wants nothing to do with her after prom. Doesn’t that just make you sick to your stomach? Guys that know that the girl likes him and then they use them to get what they want. I’m going to get off that subject before it gets out of hand. LOL But that incident does play a big role in the book though because Julia saves Michaels life when she finds him in the woods. After that accident he changes and Julia can’t wrap her head around it and yet she wants to believe that he is changed. He is changed but I was still a little bit weary of him. I never really forgave throughout the whole book. I was just wanting for everything to hit the fan. So Michael becomes the boy from the woods, but is there another boy from the woods…lurking. *Shudders* you’ll have to read the book to find out. This part of the book had me cringing. It had me freaked out and I didn’t know what to do with myself. But the book is about Julia and how she falls in love..with a little twist.

Overall: This was a really sweet but sad story.

Julia: For her I’m going to paste what I wrote on goodreads and of course add some more to it. :D

"Holy heck Julia! You are too good for Michael! Get over him already."

"Julia makes me tired. UGH why do you do this to yourself? He is a jerk and always will be a jerk. Once he gets his memories back, he will go back to his original ways. UGH UGH UGH"

Now with saying all that, I really liked Julia. She just could be really naïve sometimes. By the end I could tell she had grown. She wasn’t afraid to say what she wanted and although she still likes fairy tales she doesn’t live by them anymore.

Gaby was a hoot. She was the comic relief in the book. I was always waiting to see what she would say next. She was not afraid to speak her thoughts. She was also a good friend. You can’t find one better than her. Well my bestest friend is pretty great. :D

Michael: I’m not going to say anything about him because I think it would be kind of a spoiler alert. So yeah Michael lol :D

Thorsten: Ok I really liked this guy. Ok maybe it’s his blue eyes and the fact that he plays the guitar. ;) Once he cam into the picture I was like Michael who? Lol

Quote:


"He took your V-card and didn’t even bother to call you back afterwards, and for that fact alone he should be on your shit list forever. Michael doesn’t deserve you, and you don’t deserve to get your heart crushed by him all over again.”

4 STARS



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Friday, November 29, 2013

{Review} Broken Blade (Colbana Files #3) by J.C. Daniels




Synopsis:

Kit Colbana: assassin, thief, investigator extraordinaire. Now broken. She always expected her past to catch up with her but never like this. Haunted by nightmares and stripped of her identity, she’s retreated to Wolf Haven, the no-man’s land where she found refuge years before. But while she might want to hide away from the rest of the world, the rest of the world isn’t taking the hint.
Dragged kicking and screaming back into life, Kit is thrust head-first into an investigation surrounding the theft of an ancient relic...one that she wants nothing to do with. Her instincts tell her it’s a bad idea to just leave the relic lying about, but finding it might be just as bad.
Forced to face her nightmares, she uncovers hidden strength and comes face to face with one of the world’s original monsters.
If she survives the job, she won’t be the same...and neither will those closest to her.


 



 My Review




I received this form Shiloh Walker Inc via NetGalley for my honest review

You can read my review of Blade Song, the first in the series --->HERE<---

Night Blade left me with an Open Wound that couldn’t be healed until I got my hands on Broken Blade. When I got accepted to read Broken Blade on netgalley I got really nervous. I was like do I really want to do this.....and then was like HECK YES! I need to know what happens so I can heal the wound that has just been festering. So I tore open the book like tearing off a Band-Aid. I started reading as fast as I could and the first chapter was depressing. I knew it would be. The book starts about 4 months after they found Kit. She is not the same person. She jumps at every noise and reeks of fear. It tore me up inside to see her like this. I just broke down a couple of times in the book. Kit is very dear to my heart. She is Broken, hence the title of the book. She is living her life in fear now and her friend T.J. told her, do not let him win like her tormentor did her. This book just goes to show how strong Kit really is. No, she is fully herself, she is still trying to find herself but she is almost there. Before all that though she had to make a move and she did when she got a tattoo…..of what, you’ll have to read to find out. Then she decides to take a job, just an innocent job. Or so she thinks. Now she is in head deep with a powerful being that will stop at nothing to get the case that she wants. Kit does what she does best and says some sarcastic comment. LOL I do love Kit. I haven’t even mentioned Damon *PAIN* He really hurt her and she still doesn’t know if she can go back to him. I can see his pain though and I want them to be together. They are so right, they just click. I love there connection.

Kit: Although she is broken she is the same as ever. She will always have her attitude if she doesn’t have her blade. I knew she would get through it, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy for her. I hope she does recover. Yes, there is progress in this one, but it was torture to read about. Kit the once feared is now cowering in the shadows. This is not a happy read and don’t go in expecting it is. It is full of raw emotion and you better have some tissue handy.

Justin: If it wasn’t for him and T.J. I don’t Kit would have made it. Justin once her lover and healer, now her best friend. He was there for her and swears to be there till the end. It tortures him as well that he couldn’t find her without the help of Doyle. Now he is trying everything to make up for it. I think he is still in like with her as well. IDK though. He could just be doing it to make Damon mad.

Damon: Yes, he is in this one but he doesn’t command the book like he did in the other ones. I do feel bad for him, but I’m still mad at him like Kit is. HE LEFT HER!!!!! After one fight he cut it quits. I’m still stewing over that and it happen in the second book. UGH Damon, WHY?!?!?! I could see his pain and I hope him and Kit can fix things because I do think they are good for each other. Not to mention they love each other. *tears*

Overall: This series just keeps getting better and better!!!!! Although Kit doesn’t have her sword, she is still as kick ass as ever and she is going to make someone pay. Broken Blade was emotional to read at times, but it was full of action and had me tense until the end. Now the wait for the next one is going to be TORTURE!!!

5 Stars!!!!!!!!


Quotes:

I am aneira. My heart was strong. Now it’s broken. I am broken.

“What kind of crazy bastard decorates a tree with weapons?”









About the Author:

I read, I write and you can find more about me here at my other author name...

Shiloh Walker

J.C. Daniels is the alter ego of author Shiloh Walker. J.C./Shiloh has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more...ah...serious works of fiction. She loves reading and writing just about every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She writes urban fantasy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance, among other things.





Any one else read this series? I'd loved to talk about it with you in the comments. :D


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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Review: Foreplay

Facebook | Website | Twitter | Goodreads 

Before she goes after the life she’s always wanted, she’s about to find the one she needs.

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has just the plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom—take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous, deep—with a troubled past. Soon what started as lessons in attraction are turning both their worlds around, and showing just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…



Review
This is the first book I have read by Sophie Jordan, although I have heard wonderful things about her young adult series about dragons. After reading this book, however, I am definitely picking up her other books. (: 

Pepper is hopelessly in love with her best friends brother and always has been. When he finally breaks up with his on again/ off again girlfriend, she decides that she finally has to go after what she wants- before they decide they are on again. The only problem is.. she is inexperienced at flirting, seducing, and hopelessly sweet- natured. She has no idea how to reel him in or get him to see her as anything other than hi sister's friend. That is where Reece comes in. *chuckles* Ah, Reece. On the outside, he looks like a womanizer and a complete schmutz. I mean, he is a hot as hell bartender with an eyebrow ring. *wiggles eyebrows* Of course he is a man- whore. right? Pepper decides (or rather her friends decide) that she needs to learn how to be a temptress and Reece seems like the perfect guy to show her how. 

This book was so CUTE. Pepper is a completely polite and sweet girl next door who wants the guy she likes to like her back. I was not really on board with the whole idea that she needs some random guy to teach her these things. I think that she just needed to tell the brother how she felt. BUT I am so glad she didn't because Reece was so great. There was so much more to that adorably sexy man than Pepper had originally thought. The progression of their relationship was sweet AND sexy. UGH, I just loved those two together. I just kept grinning because they were so CUTE. O.O I keep thinking about adorable things that Reece did and... screw, Pepper. She can have Hunter. lol. I want Reece. :D *sigh* I do not just want to gush about their adorable awkwardness together so I am going to stop now. (so cute..._) I was sad that it was over so soon, however. It felt like it took no time at all to read it even though it was around 320 pages long.

4.5/5
(But Reece gets a 5. lol)




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Monday, November 25, 2013

Chameleon by Kenya Wright Book Blitz + Giveaway


Title: Chameleon
Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy
Author: Kenya Wright
 
 
Blurb:
Cameo lives in a caged supernatural city where all species are tagged at birth with silver brands embedded in their foreheads. Her X brand identifies her as a Mixbreed, but she’s so much more. Like a chameleon, she can shift from one person’s image to another.
 
It’s a great way to make money for a habitat street kid, or Cage Punk as most people call them. Wiz, her street partner-in-crime, finds her jobs to use her abilities. Some jobs entail changing into people to take academic tests. Others require more skill and involve higher risk.
 
When Wiz asks Cameo to stand in for a Were-wolf teenager who doesn't want to go to her debutante ball, it seems like just another job, until a corpse is discovered and an old friend of Wiz appears.

 
Kenya Wright always knew she would be famous since the ripe old age of six when she sang the Michael Jackson thriller song in her bathroom mirror. She has tried her hand at many things from enlisting in the Navy for six years as a Persian-Farsi linguist to being a nude model at an art university.
 
However, writing has been the only constant love in her life. Will she succeed? Of course.
For she has been coined The Urban Fantasy Queen, the Super Iconic Writer of this Age, The Lyrical Genius of Our Generation. Granted, these are all terms coined by her, within the private walls of her bathroom as she still sings the Michael Jackson thriller song.
 
Kenya Wright currently resides in Miami with her three amazing, overactive children, a supportive, gorgeous husband, and three cool black cats that refuse to stop sleeping on Kenya’s head at night.


Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card and Kenya Wright's Paranormal Romance ebook Bundle Giveaway (Eight Books: The first three Santeria Habitat Books, Vampire King Series, Incubus Hunter, and Chameleon)

a Rafflecopter giveaway




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Sunday, November 24, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #43



Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we share the books we are adding to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

 
Hey peeps, it’s Stacking the Shelves time again. I must say that this week was awesome! A lot of amazing goodies in the mail. :D And don't forget to show us some love by leaving us a comment and leaving a link to your STS. Read on peeps, read on!!!!!



Tiffany’s Stack

Won: Swag/Books



Thank You Susan Harris!

Much thanks to Hannah @Hannah Reads Books

Thank you Amalie Howard!!!


 Traded:



Rule by Jay Crownover 
Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
Much thanks to AJ & Duks at the YA Book Exchange





Ryan’s Stack

Won: Swag/Books



Lie to Me by Angela Fristoe
Heal Me by Angela Fristoe




Deception's Web by Crista McHugh





Stained by Cheryl Rainfield





 For Review:


Haven by Laury Falter




 Traded:



Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs 
Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs




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Cover Characteristic - Dragons




This is a new Meme hosted by Sugar & Snark

 Each week we will post 5 different covers that have the same theme/characteristic. 

 This weeks theme is Dragons!!! WOOHOO









 5. Slayers by C.J. Hill
4. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman





 3. Scorched by Mari Mancusi
2. Between by Kerry Schafer



MY FAVORITE COVER IS!!!!




 1. Eona by Alison Goodman







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Friday, November 22, 2013

Haven: The Apocalypse Chronicles [Review + Giveaway]




HAVEN:


On an ordinary day in early September, Kennedy Shaw leaves for school unaware that within a few minutes the world she knows will be gone - succumbed to an outbreak of epidemic proportions. After finding a safe haven inside the security of her enclosed high school, she learns that four others have survived, one being a bold, mysterious transfer student from Texas whose unruffled demeanor harbors more than a cool interest in her. As they struggle to survive the dead fighting their way inside, will Kennedy discover there is more to life than survival? And will she and the others find a way to live in this terrifying new world?

Meet the characters HERE

Read the inspiration behind the novel HERE






LAURY:




Laury Falter is a bestselling author of young adult romantic suspense and urban fantasy. She has three series out: the Guardian Trilogy, the Residue Series, and the Apocalypse Chronicles.








REVIEW:
This book wasted no time getting right into the action. The book is told from Kennedy's POV. Kennedy is a troubled (albeit badass) senior in high school trying to deal with the death of her father a year earlier. At least until the Infected attacked. Then Kennedy is suddenly the co- leader of a very small group of survivors inside her high school. The other guy in charge- Harriosn- and Kennedy have some serious chemistry going on before the shit hits the fan. And low and behold- and I love this- the first day they speak to one another is the last normal day of their lives. But there is no time for romance with The infected running around "nom-nom-nomming" on people... is there? 

Kennedy is strong character who is easy to love. I was rooting for her from the very beginning. I will admit that some parts of her story got me a little emotional, since, it made me think about my own father. *sniff* MOVING ON. No matter what is thrown at her, she always comes out swinging.. or.. you know.. kicking. Because she is bloody awesome. When she is presented with a new or difficult situation, she attempts to think it through and she can admit when she makes a mistake. She is also very loyal. All characteristics I admire in a hero or heroine.  

Harrison is pretty cool himself. He is a gentleman and is genuinely concerned about Kennedy and the other survivors in the school. He plays an integral part in the book alongside Kennedy, and I am genuinely looking forward to learning more about him in the upcoming book. hmn... 

The other survivors in the school were pretty basic.

On to the actual storyline itself. I am thrilled that the "virus" or whatever actually has an origin and did not just show up all willy nilly out of the blue (although I don't mind that, personally.) but it is a large part of the story that I found intriguing. Intriguing indeed...
Also, I love that the book takes place over several months. I don't know why.. I just do.
The zombie plotline and characters created by this author are pretty original. 

The Infected? As villains go, they were not so bad, but they weren't very memorable either. *shrug* Hey, I love zombie fiction. If you have a weak stomach, I think you will be able to handle this book. It mostly centers on the characters and their survival. Not much gore to behold. 

Oh, hey, one more thing. You can't just end the book like that, woman! It is driving me insane. O.O 

All in all? Kennedy kicks ass, Harrison is adorable and intriguing, the timeline is A-ok, the Infected have a believable origin, and the plotline thoroughly captured my interest. On to book two. You know. When it comes out. Next year. 


3.7/5









GIVEAWAY:
One DIGITAL copy of the book. Laury will send the winner a digital copy from either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. To enter, leave a comment with a way to get in contact with you. Any old comment will do. I will pick a winner on December 17th. 



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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Effectuation Tour [Guest Post + Giveaweay]






Release date: October 16th 2013
Self-Published
Purchase: Amazon
Goodreads
On an earth where the spirit world and human world not only comingle but know each other’s deepest secrets, Ewan Trace is an ordinary college senior at a prestigious film school: obsessed with old movies, secretly in love with his best friend Sophie, and looking to forge a career as a writer. Oh—and he also can never go out because his über-agent father and mother are always away and he has to stay home and care for his little sister. But it’s all normal to him…until he finally meets his spirit protector, Zac, and that Terra, the girl he just spent the night with, might be someone far more sinister than she appears.

Now Ewan and Zac are on the trail of a mystery that takes a left turn along the way, diving deep into a conflict between humans and spirits that just may be worse than what they thought was their worst nightmare. And as hearts are broken and people die, the two find themselves strapped to a rocket-propelled adventure far more unbelievable than anything Hollywood could ever imagine.




 Website | Twitter
Carlyn Greenwald is a writer, student, and decently sized superhero, mystery, and animation nerd. She definitely writes for the YA/NA markets, but her genres of choice include contemporary, urban fantasy, science fiction, crime, romance and mystery. Anything that has at least one murder, a nice-looking guy, and some witty banter will do. She lives in Los Angeles with her dogs, cat, and family.





Guest Post:
A Day in the Life of Carlyn Greenwald

I’m a student, so there’s a sad amount of my day that involves school, but I’d say I make it a bit more interesting than most seniors in high school.
Let’s take, oh, say, last Tuesday.
        Immediately upon waking up, I turn on my computer for ten minutes or so to check my email and Facebook, just to see if there’s any communications from anything in book world (comments on my blog, emails about Effectuation, or responses to a couple threads I follow on Absolutewrite.com), and go through the basic pre-school routine. I’ll usually have a scene running through my head. Since I’m currently working on a mystery series, those characters have their dialogue and scenes running through my head. During that time in the morning, there’s usually nothing creative about it—it may be a scene I’ve already written or have fully planned out in my head, that I plan to write soon. That day, I was focused in on a scene in my latest work, the story of 16-year-old boy who becomes an intern for a Sherlock Holmes-like exotic beauty of a detective. But, the book is part of cycle that focuses both on the current novel’s detective and a detective from a book I had previously finished, Nick, so I was running through the scene in which the intern discovers Nick in a Jackass-esque viral cop cam video.
        My first class of that day (the schedule shifts classes each day) was AP Spanish, so I tried to focus pretty hard, so no time for the cop cam scene (plus, I can’t translate everything into Spanish and thinking and speaking in two languages is awful). From there, I moved onto AP Literature, where my brain had the chance to loosen up a bit. We were studying the omnipresent sexual undertones in poetry, that day’s treat being Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Mistress,’ otherwise known as another dude using crazy manipulation tactics to bag some girl. The idea of all this sexual innuendo in classic poetry remained an amusing idea in my head, and I made a mental note to use either a reference to romantic/modernist/metaphysical poets in the current novel.
        After Lit, I actually have an independent forensic science/writing study with two of my teachers, one of which is my AP Lit teacher. So, as we do every other week, we headed into an empty classroom and went over the last 6-chapter chunk of my current novel. We were trying out different methods of feedback, and that week, I was told to have us discuss what was on my mind, so I brought up the cop cam scene. After sharing a few laughs, we had this very constructive conversation about how to adjust the scene to better reflect character consistency and realism, something I can always use a wake up call about. Hah, we ended up talking so long about the section that we didn’t even have time to go over the Poe short story I had painstakingly printed out in red ink (my printer was out of black, I wasn’t trying to be cute, I swear).
        After lunch, I had a free period (otherwise known as the biggest blessing in a senior’s life), so I revised the scenes my teacher and I discussed in my current manuscript. Once those changes were put in, I simply continued writing for the rest of the period. In my last class, psychology, we studied classical conditioning, and I paid attention with my thoughts focused on how exactly my last phobia-afflicted character became conditioned to fear his object of fear. After grabbing my stuff, I turned up my car’s radio and got myself back into my last brief moment of living inside my fictional world before I had to focus on my homework. For that particular drive home, I tried to smoothen out the revised cop cam scene, and throw around a few ideas to keep this slightly tweaked version of Nick’s character in other scenes I’d eventually have to write.
        After checking my email a few more times, I worked straight through from about 4:00 to 6:00 pm finishing up my homework, and dedicated what time I didn’t spend on evening rituals on writing. Depending on the night, I’ll either read over and line edit another previously finished book (like book one of the cycle I was working on), or actually write, depending on how tired I was. That night, I wrote some more, the days I meet with my teacher usually sparking the inspiration in me. After some swift maneuvering to avoid over-studying for the SAT, I jumped into bed to read. That week, I was working through Stephen King’s Carrie, so I weighed one of the Barnes & Noble leatherbound Stephen King collections on my lap before getting to bed. Overall, I’d say I managed to write somewhere between 1,000-1,500 words, which, on a school day, isn’t too shabby.



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Sunday, November 17, 2013

Cover Characteristic - Short Hair



This is a new Meme hosted by Sugar & Snark

 Each week we will post 5 different covers that have the same theme/characteristic. 

 This weeks theme is Short Hair!!



Tiffany's Picks

5.  Inside Out by Lauren Dane
The City's Son by Tom Pollock


 3. Broken Blade by J.C. Daniels
2. Written in Red by Anne Bishop

And My Favorite Cover IS.................



1. So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev 



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