Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween! Celebrate with The October Trilogy by Heather Killough-Walden!

I recently stumbled upon Suddenly Sam, the newly released third book in The October Trilogy by Heather Killough-Walden.  Which combines quite a few obsessions loves of mine: Halloween, paranormal, and young adult.  Apparently I have been living underneath a rock and have completely missed a series that practically has my name written on it.  So for those of you who have been hanging out under the rock with me, I'm going to give you a Halloween treat and let you know about it.  If you're really nice and agree to share your Halloween candy with me (none of those taffy things either!) I may even include a teaser for you.



Suddenly Sam
The October Trilogy, Book Three

Samhain is running out of time. When the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, the door to his realm will close forever, and any precious hope he possessed of winning the heart of the woman he would choose as queen will vanish along with October. A desperate lack of time calls for desperate measures, and Sam finds himself pushing boundaries and breaking rules to claim the heart he loves. But there is more at stake  here than even the Death God realized, and as the long hand climes toward October’s final moments, what is truly to be gained and truly to be lost becomes all too terrifyingly clear.

Logan Wright’s world spins out of control as she is dragged unwillingly into the realm bordering Samhain’s kingdom. But what begins as a struggle to free herself from Sam’s clutches and leave the new yet achingly familiar land she has entered becomes a journey of dawning understanding and self discovery – as October Land, in all of its amber-hued splendor and Autumn magic not only captures her body and soul, but the very heart she is trying so desperately to protect.

Somewhere between the mortal realm and the Realm of the Dead, in the fantastical world of apple orchards and pumpkin patches, cinnamon spice, and midnight masquerades, ten friends quest for power, freedom, and salvation – and one must make the ultimate choice. And the ultimate sacrifice.

Suddenly Sam is the anxiously awaited third and final heart-pounding novel in the award winning young adult paranormal romance series, The October Trilogy, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Heather Killough-Walden.


 _____________________________________________________
White lightning split the sky overhead, casting the masquerade floor into stark contrasts of light and dark. Thunder, its violent brother, came rumbling along after. The Harvesters looked up, fidgeting nervously in their seats.
Logan, however, remained as she was, her gaze trapped in Sam’s as if held there by chains. “I have a life to live, Sam.”
The lightning that had been dancing through the skies now dove for the ground, shooting into the forest nearby and cracking a tree in half. The sound shocked the universe for a moment, and the ground shook.
Sam’s gaze never left hers. “When will the living stop using their lives against me?” he asked.
“When you stop using death against them.”
___________________________________________________________________________________



I will be reading and reviewing this entire series next month.  Go grab yourself a copy and read along with me!


Sam I Am (Book One):


Secretly Sam (Book Two)

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Secretly-Sam-The-October-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B009JKBGKK/
B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secretly-sam-heather-killough-walden/1113073176?ean=2940015536331

Suddenly Sam (Book Three)

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Suddenly-Sam-October-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00G7KY3AK/
B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/suddenly-sam-heather-killough-walden/1117249904?ean=2940148650256


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Review: Allegiant


Allegiant
(Divergent, #3)
Veronica Roth

 You guys, I didn’t love this book and that’s a damn shame. I actually loathed it, and that’s a freaking tragedy! I originally rated this two stars but as I sat down to write this review, I asked myself ‘what did I like about this book?’ And the only answer I came up with was ‘at least it’s over’. I can’t give this book two stars, and it pains me that it has come to this.


Let’s start with the dual POV. This is becoming a popular thing, and I’m fine with it as long as it is done well and there is a reason for it. I was actually kind of excited to hear Four’s take on things. Or I thought I was anyway. This reads like what not to do if you attempt dual POV. Tris and Four ended up sounding so much alike that I would be reading along and then it would refer to something Tris did across the room and I’d be all- “wait-whaaat I thought we were Tris this chapter *flips back* oh. We are Four, oops”. This didn’t even just happen once or twice, it was constant.


The character growth in this book was non-existent. I’d go so far as to say some of them regressed and a few went bat shit crazy for no apparent reason whatsoever. Four has always been a strong, level-headed character but after hearing some news he doesn’t like he suddenly completely ignores everything Tris says and does a bunch of stupid shit without thinking twice about it. Umm, isn’t he the one always getting on to Tris for being reckless and not thinking things through enough? 


Guess what’s outside the wall? Swiss-cheese plot that makes no sense! I’m not a geneticist or even Bill Nye for that matter- but this is not how it works. Did these scientists graduate from the University of Looney Tunes?


Everybody is freaking out about the ending and I am too but not at all for the same reason. I thought it was just ridiculous. I do not understand how what they did would even fix the issues except for temporarily. What they did affects one place, when we learn early on this is a national issue. This is also not how government works.


Some of the “bad guys” are foiled with what is possibly the stupidest shit I have ever heard in my entire life. This is apparently how you change power hungry, evil people:

A) Offer them something they gave up willingly before and seemingly never wanted to do in exchange for giving up what has been their entire life goal.

B) Tell them they are not the boss.

I decided to experiment with this before I condemned it as completely worthless. So I tried these tactics out on my seven year old, my two year old, my hubby and our pack of dogs. The seven year old listened intently then proceeded to choose to continue exactly what he was doing in the first place. The two year old (a tiny, much prettier Napoleon really) enjoyed the ‘I’m the boss!’ ‘No, I’m the boss!’ game but ultimately continued to color the table with her markers instead of the coloring book. The significant other blinked at me a few times then asked if I was getting enough sleep. The dogs just tilted their heads and kept looking at eachother. I’m no Cesar Millan but I’m pretty sure they were making fun of me. You know what didn’t happen? No one magically decided to do exactly what I wanted. I now, officially, proclaim these tactics bullshit.


The final crime of this book is that it was written so shoddily that I felt nothing when the big shock came. I didn’t cry or even tear up and that was the point when I realized how much this book had killed what was previously a much beloved series.


I don’t know what happened to her writing between the first two books and this one, but this felt like really bad fan-fiction. I’m just glad it’s over.






Tuesday, October 29, 2013

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY: Sentinel: Remembering Pure

Link to the COMPLETE tour!

Don't forget to scroll all the way down for your chance to win a gift card courtesy of Spencer Hill Press!!!


There is need. And then there is Fate. 
Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her. When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon--and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude--or killing her. When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

Buy Links:
Goodreads:


















Author bio:


# 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia.

All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.

Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

She is the author of the Covenant Series (Spencer Hill Press), the Lux Series (Entangled Teen), Don't Look Back (Disney/Hyperion) and a yet untitled novel (Disney/Hyperion), and new YA paranormal series with Harlequin Teen.

Jennifer also writes New Adult and Adult romance under the pen name J. Lynn. The Gamble Brothers Series (Tempting the Best Man/Tempting the Player) and Wait for You. Under her pen name, she is published with Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JLArmentrout
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout


WHY THIS IS NOT A CLIFFHANGER LOVES PURE

Just for the record, pretty much everything below this line (except the giveaway) is a spoiler.  If you haven't read Pure yet (shame on you!) and you don't want to be spoiled (Which you don't. Trust me) don't read past this line! 

____________________________<<THIS IS THE LINE>>____________________________

First of all, WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE about Pure.  Except for maybe the fact that it focuses a lot on Seth and not nearly as much on Aiden, depending on whose team you are on.

SOOOO much happens in this book.  To say its a "rollercoaster" would be an understatement, because it would have to be the most epic, insane, rollercoaster from hell to even come close.  I think I cycled through every single emotion I can fathom while reading this book.  When I say "cycled" I mean, cycled through repeatedly.  It was like a washing machine full of emotion and it hit the spin cycle a lot.  It was insane.  I almost went insane.  True story.

Before you can even finish the first chapter you find out that daimons are attacking The Covenant.  THE COVENANT!  So you already know JLA is not going to play around in this book.  She's jumping right in with the "OH SHIT" moments.




Of course, as a result of the daimon attack, the God's get all pissy and send the Furies (as statues... for now) to stand guard.  Of course, if things don't get brought under control ASAP, the Furies will break free from their statues and start tearing shit apart.  They apparently don't have a lot of discretion when it comes to ripping shit either.  Daimon, Half-Blood, Apollyon... whatever.  It just gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside knowing they are sharpening their claws awaiting the orders to start ripping off limbs.



Then there is the trip to the zoo.  OMG! THE TRIP TO THE ZOO!!!!

With all of the insanity going on at The Covenant, Aiden decides that Alex needs a day to just be normal, and takes her on a surprise trip to the zoo.  *swoon*  The whole trip is full of flirtation and sexual tension and that "OH MY GOD JUST GET WITH HIM ALREADY" anxiety.


They go to leave, and FINALLY, the moment you've been waiting for....


THEY FINALLY KISS!!!!!!!!!


And then Alex tells Aiden that she loves him and he freaks out, and you go from complete euphoria to utter heartbreak instantly.


It was SOUL CRUSHING!  I almost, accidentally, killed my Kindle at this point.  I literally went "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?!?!" and THREW my Kindle across the couch.  It then bounced off the couch and onto the floor.  Panic ensued and I damn near killed myself scrambling off the couch to pick it up and see what the damage was.  Luckily there was none, so I continued reading like the book was some sort of crack for my eyeballs.


Since Aiden is being all "I can't love you, you can't love me, we need to stay away from each other" about things, Alex starts spending lots and lots of time with Seth.  I think, beyond any doubt, my favorite line of the whole book is when Seth and Alex sit down to watch Twilight and she ask him if he's on Team Edward and he responds:

“No. I’m Team James or Team Tyler’s Van, but apparently neither of them won by the look of it. She’s still alive.”

WOOT!


In fact, that was probably the point where I decided Seth could stay.  I was that amused.


So, before I could even manage to stop snickering over how awesome TEAM TYLER'S VAN was and all that jazz we get to that ugly little scene where Alex and Caleb sneak out past curfew to steal drinks.  Because, who needs rules.  It's Alex.   She'll do what she wants.



And of course it all goes horribly wrong, they run into Lea, get attacked by a daimons, and CALEB FREAKING DIES!!!  All over a few cans of soda.  SODA!  I was so sad and angry over the whole thing.  I was sad because I totally love Caleb, and I knew that it KILLED Alex.  Yet, I was so pissed at them for going out in the first place.  It was just AUGH!


Anyway, we finally get past all the sad funeral stuff and they head off to New York Covenant to do their thing there.  So much has happened already and my head is still spinning that I'm totally not prepared for all the drama that goes on in New York.  

I KNEW that the drama was coming.  I've read enough of JLA's books to KNOW the crazy doesn't stop here.  

So first, someone puts a compulsion on Alex that causes her to believe the best place for a nap would be outside in the freezing cold wearing practically nothing.  It ALMOST works.  Great... so now we have a crazy person trying to kill Alex by way of compulsion.  Lovely. 

When that fails they get a little more creative.  

Now, I KNOW that the whole Aphrodesian Brew thing is not good.  HOWEVER, I could not stop laughing throughout the entire scene.  I really like Alex under the influence.  



She's amusing as hell!  Poor Seth though.  He was TRYING SO HARD to be good, and yet Aiden still kicks his ass!  I literally had tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard, and my sides hurt for a week.  I mean, c'mon.  She told Aiden she wanted to marry Seth's bed....



Of course, then JLA has to end the book with something crazy.  So what does she do?  She has the Furies attack.  Furies are f'in creepy btw.  I had like Furie nightmares for a week.  I thought I was going to need therapy.  Thank you JLA.  

She doesn't stop there though.  Not only do the Furies attack, but during the attack Alex kills a Pure (oops) and Aiden puts a compulsion on the Pure witnesses to keep them quite.  


You have no idea how bad I freaked out at the end of this book.  I seriously walked around like a drug addict without a fix for like a week.  

I obviously did survive until the next book (barely), and I'm onto freaking out over the last book.  I'm so torn over it though.  It's bittersweet.  The entire Covenant series has been phenomenal and although I want to have all the answers, I really don't want it to end.  

However, it's been really fun going through and reminiscing over the last few books as we approach the release date for Sentinel, and I'm honored to be a part of it.  

We will be eagerly swiping up our copy of Sentinel on November 2nd, and I hope that all of you will be as well! 


GET EXCITED!  
and maybe a little bit depressed... 




Giveaway:
Spencer Hill Press is giving away a $200 gift card to Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Book Depository or any indie bookstore of the winner's choice to not only stock up on amazing books, but to perhaps buy a Nook HD or Kindle Fire.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Review: Tent City












Tent City
Kelly Van Hull
3.5/4.0

After a devastating plague, introverted 17-year-old Dani Campbell and her family find themselves living in a very different America, one run by a cult-like leader, who forces children to move to "safety camps" designed to protect the human race. Encouraged to flee by her parents, Dani and her five-year-old brother seek refuge in the Black Hills of South Dakota. On the run with danger around every corner, Dani must fight to ensure their survival in this new world while trying to unmask the mystery of how it all came to be.

First of all, don't let the 3.5 scare you.  The story overall is great.  I lowered my rating because some of the details in the story just left me going "Wait... What??" and feeling rather confused.  


Like, I really didn't understand the whole government using ARSENIC to kill locust.  I mean, it's a poison we've known about for quite sometime now... we kind of know what the effect will be.  



WHY would the government choose to use it as pest control?  I think I would have understood it better if it was just some crazy shit we came up with and tried out and then realized that it was deadly.  

That's believable. 

It was little things like that, that caused me to drop the rating.  

HOWEVER, beyond that its a really good book and I love the characters Van Hull creates.

I adore Dani.  I was really unsure of her in the first few chapters, but by the end of the book I loved her.

I also loved the boys.  OMG the boys.  Poor Dani, I totally get why she's having hell picking one.  I love both Jack and Bentley for entirely different reasons.  Bentley is just that bad-ass make you swoon kind of guy.  He's kind of a jerk, but you KNOW why he's a jerk, and it's not because he's just an asshole. When he's being sweet he's really OMG adorable, and you just love him.  Then there is Jack who is just all selfless, fix everything, protective, hot doctor swoon worthy dude.  When he's taking care of Dani and Brodi and everyone else you can't help but fall for him.  Oh, and lets complicate this by making them brothers (which I kind of hate actually).  What is a girl to do???


Oh, and the end!  WHAT WAS THAT!?!?!

Seriously.  There is no word on a Book Two (AND THERE BETTER BE A BOOK TWO), and as I'm getting closer to the end I'm thinking, "There is noooo way she can wrap this in the 20 pages that are left... no way!"  She totally doesn't.  Instead she just leaves us hanging there, mouth hanging open, going "oh shit...  wtf just happened..."

It's a cliffhanger from hell.  Seriously.

Overall, I would recommend that you give the book a try.  It's not a bad read at all and its got major potential for book two to be awesome.


Thursday, October 24, 2013

Review: Switch


Switch
Janelle Stalder
4.5/5.0

All’s fair in love and war.

Two thirds of the world's population has been wiped out, devastated by the worst war earth has ever seen. Still standing amongst the ruins is a mind reader who finds herself on the wrong side of the war. Everyone does what they must to survive. When the rebels bent on bringing down the New World leader start to rise up, it is her job to make sure they stay down where they belong. That is, until one rebel sneaks past her defences and into her heart. Love will blossom from the ashes, but will it be enough to save them, or will it mean the end of them both?


*This book is for mature audiences due to sexual situations, violence and strong language. NA


First off:

THANK YOU Janelle Stalder for FINALLY writing a (true) NA book the way I've always wanted to see one written.

I generally avoid NA books because the vast majority of NA books out there right now are contemporary romances.  I'm not a huge fan of romance novels personally.  I have nothing against them really, I just need something with a bit more... ... action?  It's definitely not that I'm anti-romance.  I LOVE a good romance/love interest.  However, I really need the book to be about something else. 

I've always wanted to find a NA book that was truly dystopian/post-apocalyptic/etc.  I want all the dirt and grit we get in YA Dystopian, but with an adult lead, facing adult issues, and maybe, ya know, getting into a few *clears throat* adult situations.

Switch does just that.  It's a dystopian book, full of all the gritty, OMG moments we know and love from YA, but with a very steamy adult twist.


And Pete McCay...

There is just something about him that is... so... freaking... sexy.   He's got the sexy bad boy with a soft side thing down.  Also... in my head... he's totally got an Irish accent, so all I saw was The Boondock Saints.
Particularly the shower scene from Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day.  *drool*

Charlotte/Dinah (read the book and you'll understand that phrasing) was also amazing.  She's a serious bad-ass, and I love her and Pete together.

I seriously LOVED this book and I HIGHLY recommend it.  HIGHLY!  My only real concern was the end where it was hinted that book two might be a book about a different couple.  I'm seriously in love with Pete and Charlotte/Dinah.  I want to see what happens with the other couple too, but not at the loss of being all over THIS relationship.  However, whatever Janelle Stalder writes, I will most definitely be reading.  I can't wait to see how this whole world plays out.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

BLOG TOUR: Review & GIVEAWAY!!! Taunting Destiny by Amelia Hutchins














Title: Taunting Destiny
Author: Amelia Hutchins
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Hosted By: Love Between The Sheets


Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17980013-taunting-destiny?from_search=true




How to find Amelia


Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7092218.Amelia_Hutchins
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorameliahutchins




Buy Links


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taunting-Destiny-The-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00FAFJU8S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380677253&sr=1-1&keywords=tauting+destiny


Barnes N Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taunting-destiny-amelia-hutchins/1116947943?ean=2940148551720




Synopsis


I thought things were bad and weird before – hold on – it’s getting worse.

Adam and I are both going through identity crises of epic proportions as we Transition from who we were, and discover who we were meant to be. More Fae are dying, and I feel as if time is running out for us to find all of those responsible and put an end to the killings.

The people I thought I could trust have betrayed me and the one person I should absolutely not trust; is taking me deeper and deeper into his world.

Ryder’s secrets are dangerous and devastating.

With each touch and word, he pulls my heart closer to himself and at the same time he is trying to keep me at arm’s length. The dance he and I have begun, is getting more complicated as our worlds are being shaken from all sides, and the visions of the future are frightening, and nothing like I had ever pictured for myself or those I care for.

This time, destiny is taunting me.

I had always thought that I controlled my destiny. Now, my rights are being taken from me by powerful people and leaving me with alternatives that range between bad and awful.

This time, the choices I have to make can decide the fate of both worlds.

Everything is unraveling, and nothing will ever be the same again.






Author Bio:





Amelia lives in the great Pacific Northeast with her family. When not writing she can be found on her page Erotica Book Club. She's an avid reader of everything paranormal romance.

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________________________________________________________________________________

REVIEW

________________________________________________________________________________
Taunting Destiny picks up right where we left off in Fighting Destiny with Syn struggling to come to grips with all the changes and revelations she was hit with in the last book. After hating the fae her whole life she is having a very difficult time accepting that she is one of them. The mere thought of going through Transition horrifies her. Adam is off going through his own transition and she is, for the most part, cut off from Alden, leaving her feeling rather adrift with no one that she trusts to turn to. She is still the strong, caring, kickass Syn we know but she is dealing with a lot and is more unsure of herself and her place in the world at this point.





Ryder is of course being his typical self, which is to say-a bastard. A sexy, dominant, sexy, secretive, sexy, cocky, sexy, overprotective, sexy bastard.  Did I mention sexy?   I can totally understand why Syn wants to choke him one minute and throw him down on the bed the next.



And boy does he have a mouth on him! Not like that, well that too actually now that I think about it…wait, where were we? A lot of the things he said had me giggling like a schoolgirl and "allegedly" blushing.


Okay, I was, and for my boyfriend to notice I must have been roughly the shade of a fire truck.

As the story progresses you do start to see a softer side to Ryder. Hint: It is definitely NOT in his pants, but feel free to check for yourself. I still don’t know what exactly he is, but after getting to know him better and getting to spend some time in his head, I did finally start to trust him this time around.




Amelia Hutchins does a really good job of weaving all the plot threads together without getting tripped up on them. The beginning was a little bit slower for me, but it builds to a breakneck speed by the end. The only real criticism I had was that sometimes it was a bit redundant particularly when characters were talking about Syn or when Syn was talking about Adam. It didn’t really detract from my enjoyment, but I am hoping that aspect is tightened up in the next one.


The ending is a cliffhanger from hell, and my cockiness leading up to it made it all the more painful. It went something like this:

Me: I know exactly what is about to happen *pats self on back*

Amelia Hutchins:




Me: Yep, he’s gonna knight in shining armor the fuck out of this…any second now….where the fuck is he?!



Amelia Hutchins:




Me: That's okay, I had a backup plan: they’re going to be one and the same. Fae can’t lie but he’s tricky, it’s possible. Right? Riiiight??? Wait, you’re not….fuck, what the hell is happening? WHERE... IS… HE...?



Amelia Hutchins:




Me:





I need book 3 yesterday.