Eyes of Ember by Rebecca L. Ethington

Book & Author Details:

Eyes of Ember by Rebecca L. Ethington
Series: Imdalind, #2
Publication date: April 6th 2013
by Imdalind Press
Genre: YA Paranormal

Synopsis:

Joclyn is in hiding, hunted by the man she still desperately loves. Ryland is gone, his mind erased, no memory of Joclyn remains. But, Joclyn’s heart desperately begs her to hold out hope. While, in reality the black eyed monster that possesses him, attempts to kill her over and over.

If it wasn’t for Ilyan, Joclyn would be dead by now.

Ilyan. The man who once stalked her, is now Joclyn’s protector, the only thing she has left. He protects Joclyn from the men who seek to end her life, and while she is haunted by dreams where Ryland begs her to break the bond between them.

Ilyan is there. Always there.

Ilyan trains and prepares her, teaching her everything she needs to know in the hope that one day she can avenge Ryland, if not protect herself from him.

And then there is her father.

The man who has never been there, is suddenly responsible for everything. And who he is has made Joclyn into something she never wanted to be.

The Silnỳ.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17304097-eyes-of-ember?ac=1

Purchase:

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009ZNTLPS

--Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/rebecca-ethington

AUTHOR BIO

Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then on stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn’t found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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My thoughts: I really like the cover. The book sounds creepy enough to be good, but I doubt I'll ever read it. Do it for me, kay? ;)

 

 

Review: Chantress by: Amy Butler Greenfield

Book Description (Amazon)

Release date: May 7, 2013

Lucy’s Chantress magic will make her the most powerful—and most hunted—girl in England. “Sing, and the darkness will find you.” This warning has haunted fifteen-year-old Lucy ever since she was eight and shipwrecked on a lonely island. Lucy’s guardian, Norrie, has lots of rules, but the most important is that Lucy must never sing. Not ever. Now it is 1667, Lucy is fifteen, and on All Hallows’ Eve, Lucy hears a tantalizing melody on the wind. She can’t help but sing—and she is swept into darkness. When she awakes in England, Lucy hears powerful men discussing Chantresses—women who can sing magic into the world. They are hunting her, but she escapes and finds sanctuary with the Invisible College, an organization plotting to overthrow the nefarious Lord Protector. The only person powerful enough to bring about his downfall is a Chantress. And Lucy is the last one in England. Lucy struggles to master the song-spells and harness her power, but the Lord Protector is moving quickly. And her feelings for Nat, an Invisible College apprentice and scientist who deeply distrusts her magic, only add to her confusion… Time is running out, and the fate of England hangs in the balance in this entrancing novel that is atmospheric and lyrical, dangerous and romantic.

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Buy it on Amazon here.

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Review:
Source: e-ARC for review from publisher through Edelweiss.

For starters, I'll say that this book has very little romance. I like a little romance, and if a book doesn't have any...I'll pass. This book? It had a shadow of puppy love. You might like that, but I'd have liked more. I did enjoy and savor what I got though. :)

This was a quick, exciting read. The majority of the ending I could guess by just reading the blurb, but knowing how the book ends and being a part of the journey are two very different things.

I loved Nat, had a love-hate relationship with Lucy, and really didn't find myself loving the rest of the Invisible College. I didn't get any two-dimensional feelings from these characters, but that could have been because I was so distracted with Lucy's ignorance most of the time. I did end up caring if they lived or died, and I did understand Lucy.

I loved the setting. Loved. It.

For me, the book was enjoyable. While I've never said this before, I think it just rings true here: I feel like this would have been better in 3rd person P.O.V.. I mean, the story itself was amazing, and the world-building was perfect.. but I feel like this story would have been better without all of Lucy's idiotic thoughts. Or, at the very least, it could have been half Nat's P.O.V. and half Lucy's, but I guess it's whatever came to Ms.Greenfield, right?

And I really have been looking forward to a book about a Siren or Enchantress, and this didn't let me down. It just didn't BLOW MY MIND. I'm glad I read it, and I'll for sure pick up Ms.Greenfields' next book. I'd say give it a shot, but be ready for a teenager, as being a rebel and know-it-all just comes with the package. And that's coming from a teen, herself. ;)

Oh, and that cover just became a drug. My drug. *stares longingly*

Guest Post: The Last Academy by: Anne Applegate

Hey, guys! I'm sooo sorry I've been MIA since my birthday (April 18th)! ): BUT. I'm. Back. Now. *evil laugh* Thanks for stickin' with me! ;)

Before we get to the guest post, here is a little about the book:

 

 

Book Description (Amazon):

Release date: April 30, 2013

What is this prep school preparing them for?

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam--and readers--stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

 

 

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GUEST POST:

 

Advice for Aspiring Writers

They say you should write what you know.  My advice is to write about what you know and don’t want to talk about. 

It’s the thing you almost tell your best friend, but bite the tip of your tongue so it doesn’t get out.  Or what you whisper in the dark of night, only to wake up the next morning, cringing at the memory.   

You don’t have to tell the world the actual, true, word-for-word story about the time your first boyfriend caught you sniffing the contents of his gym bag.  But in the story you do tell, you should find a way to make this confession.  Maybe your story is a space opera, and by 2095 gym socks have been outmoded, and there are no odors in space.  But one of your characters should burn with a weird impulsive, the euphoria of forbidden success, and the horror of being caught.  All of which you’ve got scorched in your memory somewhere. 

When I am the reader, I drag through a book, grunting and stumbling over the details of the plot.  It’s work, work, work.  Then, Zing!  If it’s a good read, there is always that piece that jumps off the page, alive and throbbing.  It’s the moment when characters make a choice I didn’t see coming, but it’s perfectly them somehow.  It makes me laugh, or cry, or throw the book across the room.  As readers, we recognize how exquisite those moments are, and wonder at the sacrifice it must have taken to get them on paper.   I think you should try it.

Take it slow.  Start with a secret that makes your armpits as sticky as a gummy bear left in the morning sun.  Hide it in the story you want to tell.  Let us see how twisted you are, and how brave you are willing to be.  This is what readers like me love.  And that’s because we are turning the pages, hoping to find out if your secrets are the same as ours.

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Loved the guest post! And it seems realistic, no? ;) My review will be up soon! Tomorrow you can watch for a review of Chantress by: Amy Butler Greenfield.

Purchase The Last Academy on Amazon here.

Jon S. Lewis Guest Post

Hello, Lovelies! :) Today we have a guest post from author Jon S. Lewis. First, I'm going to show you his books...

Domination (C.H.A.O.S. #3)
 Find it on Goodreads. Enter the Goodreads giveaway here.

THEIR GOAL IS SIMPLE: TOTAL DOMINATION.
With six arms and jaws that can snap a man in two, the warmongering race of aliens known as the Thule has conquered every planet they’ve attacked.
And now their invasion of Earth has begun.
Humanity’s only hope springs from a mysterious Thule legend about a Betrayer, who they believe will rise up and destroy their people. The American government tried to manufacture their own Betrayer by injecting children with Thule blood but time after time the experiment failed . . . until Colt McAlister.
A decade later, Colt is a 16-year-old cadet at the CHAOS Military Academy where he’s training to defend mankind. But he’s afraid that the alien blood may be turning him into a Thule—and he’s beginning to suspect that fulfilling his role as the Betrayer may cost him everything.
Experience a cosmic battle filled with high-tech gear, gateways to other planets, and ultimate stakes. Not everyone will survive. But heroes will rise up and step into their destiny in this earth-shaking conclusion to the C.H.A.O.S trilogy.

Invasion (C.H.A.O.S. #1)

 Find it on Goodreads.

Alienation (C.H.A.O.S. #2)
 Find it on Goodreads.
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Guest Post:

Why George Lucas and My Nana Get Credit for CHAOS

Without George Lucas creating Star Wars. And without my Nana reading me the story of David killing a Philistine giant with a slingshot, the CHAOS Trilogy wouldn’t exist.

I still remember the day I saw Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in the theatres. I was 5 and my brother, Joshua, was 2. He got sick so we were late and I missed the opening credits. I was heart broken, but it didn’t take me long to get over it. When I saw Darth Vader flanked by Stormtroopers boarding Princess Leah’s ship, I was hooked. George Lucas showed an entire generation that whatever you dream could come true.

I spent all my allowance on collectible Star Wars cards and action figures, and if a company like Wonder Bread ran a Star Wars promotion, I begged my mom to buy it. I had Star Wars sheets and was Darth Vader for Halloween. I even had Darth Vader Underoos (http://theswca.com/images-misc/underoos-esb-darthvader-thermal.jpg).

But Star Wars wasn’t the only story to fuel my imagination. I was small growing up and I came from a small town where people didn’t expect a lot from me. But I had big dreams. Like King David. I spent quite a few summers with my Nana in Austin, Minnesota, and everyday she’d make me lunch and then read me a story. I had three that I liked: Pinocchio, Sampson, and David vs. Goliath, but David was my favorite. There was something about the way he relied on God to accomplish something amazing that resonated with me.

So when I sat down to write the CHAOS trilogy, I called on my two favorite stories: Star Wars and David vs. Goliath. What are the stories that fuel your imagination?

 

Find the author on Goodreads. Find the author's books on Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

Review: Search and Rescue (Rock Harbor)

Source: paperback ARC for review for my blog tour stop today. I was not paid or encouraged to write a positive review.

In "Rock Harbor Search and Rescue," a middle grade fiction novel based on Colleen Coble's bestselling Rock Harbor series for adults, kids will enjoy the mixture of pets, adventure, suspense, and a mystery.

Emily O'Reilly is obsessed with all things Search and Rescue. She volunteers with the team and goes on rescue missions with her stepmom. She is even selling homemade jewelry to save up for her own Search and Rescue puppy. But when an expensive necklace is stolen from a renowned jewelry artist at Rock Harbor's fall festival and Emily is accused of the crime, it looks like she'll never get her puppy and be able to join the Rock Harbor Search and Rescue team.

Emily isn't willing to give up on her Search and Rescue dreams that easily, and she sets out to find the real culprit and to restore her reputation. With a few suspects in mind, Emily is determined to uncover the truth, but she isn't prepared for the secrets she and the Search and Rescue dogs sniff out in the process. This exciting mystery is filled with twists and turns that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and have them pining after a Search and Rescue puppy of their own!______________________________________________________________


Review:
This was a quick light-hearted read.

I was expecting this book to be really predictable, but it took me a little time to figure out who I thought it was, and even then I was only partially right.

Negatives: I really didn't like that Em's father didn't trust her to tell the truth. She kept saying she wasn't the thief, but he refused to be believe her and her friend because someone else said she had planned it all along. The whole town seemed to think it was her at first, and I just didn't find it to be believable. And I, personally, wouldn't have really cared that much if they didn't believe me, but Emily acted like it was the end of the world. Can you say D-R-A-M-A? I felt like Emily was immature, even for a thirteen year old. She also cried a lot, and honestly.. I didn't like her as a main character. I normally hate third-person POVs, but it was needed with this book for sure.

Positives: I really liked the animals in the story. They were a huge part of the story, and they were treated and respected as they should be. I also like that this book is appropriate for all ages, unlike some books that are labeled for kids.. and, you know...really, uhm, shouldn't be.

Overall this was a really fun story for all ages. BUT be warned: the characters are terribly immature and whiny. Even after all of that, this was an easy breezy and overall fun read.

On a side note, Fall Out Boy's new CD came out today! It's called Save Rock N Roll. Buy it on Amazon here. :)

Come again soon!

FanGirl Hostess~Currently Reading

I'm going to start using this blog as a reading log in addition to what it is. Why? This will allow me to post more often, get great books extra promo, and let you know what books will be getting reviewed soon! I'll also use this as a sort of "Stacking The Shelves" and post books I just got in.

Ready? 'Cause I am. :)

CURRENTLY READING:

*The Collector by: Victoria Scott
Buy it on Amazon (I did, lol).

Thoughts so far: hmmm... well, for starters, it's freakin' amazing. And, let's face it, that IS a good start. :P

*Brilliance by: Marcus Sakey

 Pre-order it on Amazon.

Thoughts so far: This is a really great story! I don't read much in the Adult genre (or Mystery), but this book makes me wonder why that is.

New on my shelves:
*
Buy on Amazon.



Today I got a paperback copy of If He Had Been with Me by: Laura Nowlin for review from the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire. :) REALLY excited about this one, even though I know it's tragic and heart-breaking. What can I say? I'm a glutten for punishment. ;) I'll try to start this one this weekend.


* Angel's Ink by: Jocelynn Drake.

Get it FREE on Amazon! Thanks to Kim Harrison (author) for posting about it on her FaceBook page!


*Phoenix by: Melissa Starr

Get it FREE on Smashwords or Nook. Thanks to Melissa's FaceBook page I found out! :)

Giveaway :)

Cover is not on Goodreads yet. ):

 

 

Book & Author Details:

 

 

Alaskan Nights by Nadia Scrieva
Publication date: April 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:

When Brynne left Alaska, she promised herself she would never go back.

The day after graduation, she got in her beat-up Honda Civic and drove down the west coast to pursue her dream of becoming a Hollywood makeup artist. Growing up in a rural fishing village with dirty, rundown buildings, and dirty, rundown men, she longed for the glitz and glamour of the silver screen. She had no qualms about leaving behind her dysfunctional family and her nowhere-job at her mother's fishing tackle shop. She didn't even think twice about leaving behind the cute boy who came in to buy gear almost every day, shamelessly flirting with her and always leaving a generous tip. Well, maybe she thought about it twice; but she knew that a relationship with Callder Murphy would only be bound to lead her deeper into nowhere. She was sick and tired of being nowhere—and no one.

Brynne set out, determined to prove to the world that she was much more than just a fisherman’s daughter. Unfortunately, her luck and tip money ran out in Seattle when her car broke down. Exhausted from the stress of travel, she decided to take a waitressing job in the city for the time being. “For the time being” ended up being far longer than she would have liked. That was four years ago. Now, a call from home has alerted Brynne to some bad news. She needs to get back to Soldotna promptly, but she has been living paycheck to paycheck and can’t even afford a plane ticket home. Enter a ghost from her past as her knight in shining armor. Unexpectedly showing up outside her restaurant in a red Ferrari, Callder is determined to take her home with him, and keep her there for good.

* * *

Perpetually drunken playboy, Callder Murphy, is currently loaded. Of course, that’s only because he stole his big brother’s credit card. He was off in Vegas, doing what he does best (absolutely nothing) when he received the call from home. A name he hasn’t heard in years pulls him out of his mindless haze of stumbling from one wild party to the next: Brynne Ambrose needs his help. Pleasant memories of the rude, tomboyish, and completely adorable girl-next-door come rushing back to him with a vengeance. He drops all of his shenanigans and cleans up his act instantaneously. He uses his brother’s credit card to buy an impressive car, and sets out to win over the girl of his dreams. He knows he’s no good for her, but he can’t stay away.

Callder has been waiting his whole life for the opportunity to be her man, and he’s not going to let her slip away again.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17481780-alaskan-nights

Purchase:

No purchase links available yet--book not yet released.

AUTHOR BIO

Nadia Scrieva lives in Toronto, Canada with no husband, no kids, and no pets. She does own a very attractive houseplant which she occasionally remembers to water between her all-consuming writing marathons. Nadia has a degree in English and Anthropology from the University of Toronto. She likes knives. Her writing always features powerful females and (mostly) honorable male characters. "Ms. Scrieva is clearly a very talented writer with a natural gift for weaving beautiful, sometimes lyrical prose that kept me entranced for hours." - Stacy Decker, Goodreads reviewer

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

 

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Giveaway:

The giveaway is open to anyone. The winner will get one (1) e-copy of Alaskan Nights.

To enter: send an email to contest.marissa@gmail.com with "Alaskan Nights" in the subject line. In the body of the email: please put your name and preferred format:

ePub (Nook/Kobo/iPad)

Mobi (Kindle)

 PDF (All devices)

 

There will be two winners selected from all entries. Each person can only get one entry. 

 

Good luck! :)