Monday, April 30, 2012

Cover reveal: Closed Hearts

Coming May 23rd...

Closed Hearts (Book Two of the Mindjack Trilogy)

"When you control minds, only your heart can be used against you.

Eight months ago, Kira Moore revealed to the mindreading world that mindjackers like herself were hidden in their midst. Now she wonders if telling the truth was the right choice after all. As wild rumors spread, a powerful anti-jacker politician capitalizes on mindreaders’ fears and strips jackers of their rights. While some jackers flee to Jackertown—a slum rife with jackworkers who trade mind control favors for cash—Kira and her family hide from the readers who fear her and jackers who hate her. But when a jacker Clan member makes Kira’s boyfriend Raf collapse in her arms, Kira is forced to save the people she loves by facing the thing she fears most: FBI agent Kestrel and his experimental torture chamber

for jackers."

Release Date: May 23rd, 2012

Click Here to sign up for the Virtual Launch Party on May 23rd! There will be prizes, reviews, bonus content, did I mention prizes? Come join the fun!

Praise for Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy):

"The other thing that makes this book captivating is the amount of surprising plot twists. I distinctly remember at least three times reading and thinking, “Well, didn’t see THAT coming”."

--- Lauren, (ME) from Epilogue. See my full review here.

“Being a fan of dystopian and sci-fi in young adult books this was exactly the type of book I was hoping to fall in love with and absolutely did ...YA readers who love authors like Ally Condie, Veronica Roth, Lauren Oliver and others would be missing out if they failed to pick up Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn. Join Kira on her journey to save her fellow mindjackers and potentially change the landscape of her world forever.”

— Danielle Smith, book blogger at There’s a Book

“Susan plunges readers into a compelling and frightening world where nearly everyone can read minds when they come of age. The very idea makes me shudder. This is easily one of the best books I've read not only this year, but in recent years.”

— Heather McCorkle, author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll

"Susan Kaye Quinn's Open Minds is an edge-of-the-seat YA sci-fi, where 16 year-old Kira dodges psychological bullets from all sides." — Catherine Stine, author of Fireseed One

Open Minds $2.99 on Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes&Noble, and iTunes

Meet the author:

Susan Kaye Quinn grew up in California, where she wrote snippets of stories and passed them to her friends during class. She pursued a bunch of engineering degrees and worked a lot of geeky jobs, including turns at GE Aircraft Engines, NASA, and NCAR. Now that she writes novels, her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" and she doesn't have to sneak her notes anymore. All that engineering comes in handy when dreaming up paranormal powers in future worlds or mixing science with fantasy to conjure slightly plausible inventions. Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as much as she can handle.

Way too often, you can find Susan on her blog, facebook, and twitter.

Susan’s Other Works

Open Minds

In His Eyes Anthology (includes Mind Games, a short prequel to Open Minds) (my review here)

Life, Liberty, and Pursuit (a teen love story)

Full Speed Ahead (short afterstory to Life, Liberty, and Pursuit)

What do YOU think of this BEAUTIFUL new cover??

Saturday, April 28, 2012

IMM (#10)

In my mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren

This meme allows bloggers to hop from one blog to another and see what others are reading. It is also a way to showcase the books in a "spotlight of fame" since it might be a while before the review is ready! I have lots of goodies to show you from the last two weeks so here we go (I'm sorry if I forget anyone):

Review:

You can check out my review for The Hunt here.

Bought:

Gifted/ Borrowed

Kristin @GrowingUpYA offered to lend me her copy of Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (because she's wonderful). When it arrived I found out she went ahead and bought me my own copy so I would have one. She is too sweet!! :) Go stop over to her blog and say hi for me!!

My buddy Heather @TheFlyleafReview recently won a huge box of ARCs in a giveaway. When she found out I was jumping up and down to read one of them she offered to lend it to me in exchange for book one in another series she needed to read. (I said yes, DUH!!) What was the book I couldn't wait for you ask? Dreamless!!

I got her package today and I found that Heather had included ANOTHER book for me to read. She had seen it on my Goodreads list and decided to surprise me with it. So I also got Hourglass from her to read! Thanks so much for the wonderful surprise Heather, you are awesome!!

So, that was my mailbox... what did YOU get this week?? Let me know and leave a link in the comments :)

While you're here don't forget to enter all my fantastic international giveaways listed up on the top left. Included there is a chance to win and book of your choice up to $15 (I have two of those going ) and a chance to win a signed copy of Tempest by Julie Cross (US only)

Friday, April 27, 2012

Let's Talk: Traveling For Signings

Today’s topic: How far would you travel for a book signing… whether you are getting the book signed or doing the signing.

Recently I’ve realized how fun and AWESOME book signing can be. I have had an amazing time at the two I’ve gotten to go to and I would definitely go to signings given the opportunity… the only problem now is, how far is too far to travel for a book signing?? Personally, I have to rely on others for most of my transportation so anything too far away would be a burden for my family. I think that for a normal weekday anything over 1 hour is too much. That means I would be out for at least 3 hours, which is a LOT when you have to go to school at 7:30. I would be more likely to travel farther on the weekend when I had all day to be out and knew I could sleep in the next morning ;).

The other thing about book signings is they usually only happen for ONE day and there is no guarantee that I will ever have that opportunity again. This is, to me, a very logical point that I use in discussions to get my mom to take me… sadly we don’t always see eye to eye on it. LOL. In short… If someone is willing to drive me, nothing under an hour is too far for me!

Another factor to me is whether or not the author at the signing is someone you've heard of before. I would definitely be willing to travel a little farther if it was someone who I had heard of, read their work, or just really wanted to meet. Meeting any author is an amazing experience for me... but meeting one of my "heroes"? Yeah, that would be worth traveling farther, at least to me!

What about you? How far will YOU travel for a book signing whether you’re getting something signed or you’re the author whose DOING the signing

~Lauren

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Review: The Hunt

Title: The Hunt

Author: Andrew Fukuda

Book Summary:

“Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?”

Gene has to worry every minute of everyday about what he does. Even the simplest of reactions can give him away. Why does he have to worry? Because Gene is human, and his mortal-craving, blood-sucking classmates, well, are not. Gene adapts very well: wearing fake teeth, shaving every bit of hair from his body (besides his head), and smearing ointment all over himself to mask his stench have all become part of his daily routine. Until, he is chosen for the hunt. The hunt is one of the most coveted activities by vampires and a huge honor to win. The only problem? They’re hunting humans…

I am so entranced when I read this premise. I love novels about vampires, but some have gotten… cliché. The Hunt’s premise is certainly fresh and new. A human who is hiding in a world of vampires? That’s playing by a whole new set of rules. I already know how a vampire would try to survive and hide in human society, and I am intrigued to find out how a human fares when the roles are reversed.

Gene is a very fascinating character. When I first meet him, it becomes obvious that the rules have been drilled into his brain from a very young age. Frankly, I worry it has completely ruined his chances at compassion and humanity. It hasn’t. Yet. The signs are all there. He refers to the “humans” as “hepers”, which is the derogatory word the vamps use for them. He is ashamed of going out in sunlight and of being a human. I definitely worry about connecting with him, but after the first chapter, I come to understand and admire his character. Gene is intelligent and thinks fast on his feet, and he is resourceful and very courageous. I find myself rooting for him throughout the book. I really like that he doesn’t just magically evade everyone: stuff happens. And, he doesn’t always get off the hook.

The storyline is awesome. I can say with confidence that it is unlike any vampire story I have ever read or heard of. A few of the plot twists seem predictable, and that is slightly disappointing. I really enjoy how The Hunt progresses;l it doesn’t move too fast, but neither does it drag on slowly. Fukuda takes his time exploring and describing in detail what it’s like being a human in this time, while also giving brief, unique glimpses into the lives of the vampires. I‘m excited about how many things are told about vampires that I have never heard before. The Hunt is definitely a fantastic and unique read, even if it does end on a super, mega, HUGE cliffhanger!

The Cover:

Just like the story, the cover for The Hunt is more than it appears at first glance. If I look closely, there are two people standing on a cliff inside the ripped looking portion. Then, at the bottom of the cover, there are people running… it has an eerie, haunting look. It gives me chills: can’t wait to see the cover for book two!

I give The Hunt 4.5 out of 5 hearts: Very Highly Recommended!

*This book officially releases on May 8th 2012. I got a copy of The Hunt for free in exchange for an honest review *

For more on Andrew Fukuda visit his website here: http://andrewfukuda.com/

Preorder The Hunt here:

paperback eBook

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop (INT)

Hey everyone! Welcome to Epilogue's stop on the Fairy Tale giveaway hop. Here you will get your choice of one of the books shown belowor you can get any Fairy Tale themed book from The Book Depository. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL IF The Book Depository ships to you! I am participating in this hop in honor of reaching 800 GFC followers.

This hop has a unique twist the participants have to do one of the following:

1. Brief interview from author of giveaway book (2-5 questions)

2. Guest post from the author of giveaway book

3. Fictional brief interview between blogger and their favorite fairy tale character (2-3 questions)

4. Paragraph (and picture -optional) spotlighting blogger's favorite fairy tale character

5. List of top 3 favorite fairy tale villains and the books they appear

6. List of top 3 favorite fairy tale heroes and the books they appear

I have for you here a brief interview with Marissa Meyer the author of Cinder!!

Interview:

1) How long did it take you to write Cinder?

The first draft took a mere two weeks. After that, it took almost two years of rewriting and revising before I felt it was ready to send to agents.

2) What is your favorite food for breakfast?

Waffles with peanut butter and maple syrup.

3) What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write as much as you can—it’s the only way you’ll develop your voice and learn about all those nitty-gritty craft things like point of view and conflict. And don’t write for trends or the market. Yes, eventually you’ll have to consider where your book fits and who your audience is, but your first priority should be in writing a story that you love and that you would want to read. Otherwise you’ll make yourself miserable.

4) Name one person who has had the greatest impact on your life.

My Mom.

5) Which book do you wish you had written?

The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter. I love spy movies and wish I’d gotten this idea first!

6) What is your favorite genre of music?

I listen to a lot of alternative rock (Muse, The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie) and also classic rock (The Beatles, The Eagles, David Bowie). I also have a fondness for Broadway musicals.

7) What is your favorite color?

Gray—always chic and classic and goes with everything!

8) What do you do when you have writer’s block?

I find that true writer’s block is very rare for me. When I force myself to sit down and start writing, I can produce words 99% of the time (the difficulty in those cases is, of course, forcing myself to sit down and get started!). On those rare occasions when words truly won’t come, I usually put on my story playlist and lay down on the floor and try to picture the story world and the characters, and just let my imagination go. Doing that helps me reconnect to the story and figure out what should happen next.

Here are the choices:

*I do ask that if you would like to participate please site me and my blog somewhere in the post.*

Todays topic: Fiction Vs. Nonfiction

My Answer: Fiction. When I read I want the story to take me away from the current time/situation/place that i'm in. When I read nonfiction it leaves me with a flat feeling, it doesn't lift my spirits and make the rest of the day great: at best I stay awake.

What about you do you prefer fiction or nonfiction? Let me know in the comments which YOU prefer!

If you would like to grab my picture to use here it is:

Next weeks question: E-Book Vs. Print Book

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

New Meme, Starting Tomorrow!

Hey everyone!!

I am hosting a new Wednesday blog meme called "Weigh in Wednesday" starting tomorrow. This meme is strictly a Something vs. Something type of thing. The purpose is for it to be short, interactive, and something fun to do halfway through the week! I would love if you guys would participate! it is perfectly fine with me if you want to do it along with another Wednesday meme, by itself, or not at all.

There is absolutely no pressure but if you think it sounds like a good idea please spread the word. I will be doing my first post tomorrow and I would love to see you guys get involved! I will be having a linky on my blog so if you decide to join in sometime come link up! Also if you would like to participate please site me and my blog somewhere in the post.

This is something new I have been wanting to do and I have looked around and not found another meme with this name... if you know of one or something with a similar idea already active please let me know!

Tomorrows post will be fiction vs. nonfiction.

Here is the image I will be using:

Let me know what you think of this new idea... I hope to see you back here tomorrow!!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Interview with Natalie Star + Giveaway

About Natalie:

Three years ago if you told me one day I would love to read and I would write a book that would be published, I would have told you you were crazy-out-of-your-mind. Since then I have read 130+ books and written 2 complete novels (one of which is being published) and I have 3 more in the works.

When I'm not reading or writing, I can be found with my husband supporting my two children on the soccer fields. Or maybe running around with my camera taking photos while camping and/or hiking. Or lastly, and most probable - I'm watching movies on Netflix while simultaneously perusing Facebook. Our family resides in the state of Virginia along with our old-unintelligent-diabetic cat named Lucky.

Interview:

Are your characters based off any friends or family?

No, my characters are straight from my imagination!

Rain or Snow?

I LOVE snow! Ask my kids, if it snows when they are sleeping I run outside and take photos. And if there is no school the next day, I wake them up and make them go outside with me. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because I’m a winter baby.

What was your favorite book when you were a child/teen?

I really didn’t read much as a child or a teen. But when I joined the library summer reading program one summer (by peer pressure from my friends who enjoyed the hobby), I enjoyed reading Judy Blume’s books.

What time period in history would you want to visit?

Egyptian times back when Cleopatra was alive! Egypt fascinates me. My husband and I took a weeklong trip there back in 1995, and I found it even more interesting than I thought I would.

In one sentence explain why we should read The Keeper?

The Keeper is a unique paranormal romance that will suck you in with intriguing twists and turns— many you won’t see coming.

What inspired you to become an author?

I just sat down one day on a whim in my late thirties and started writing. My very first story was an epic fail. I cannot do a contemporary YA love story. Then when the idea for The Keeper happened, it felt like the most natural thing to sit and write a paranormal romance. Go figure.

Would you rather write stories or read stories?

I don’t think I can choose between the two, because it depends on my mood. There are some days my characters won’t shut up, and I have to write what they tell me. Then on the days when they take a break, I get to enjoy reading.

Too hot or too cold?

Ask my husband, I am always too cold! In fact sitting here typing this I wish I was wearing socks. My feet are freezing!

Describe yourself in one word.

First word to pop in my head, crazy! Haha! Okay, for a real answer, I will say creative. Not just in the writing sense. Although, The Keeper was pretty creative. But I’ve always enjoyed arts and crafts, scrapbooking, and photography. So, yeah, I will go with “creative”.

Do you have a play-list for The Keeper? If yes what is your favorite song on the list?

I think I am the only author who doesn’t have a play list. Music doesn’t influence my writing or my stories in any way, shape, or form. I enjoy all kinds of music though, mostly the kind I can dance to. I love to go dancing. Also, there is nothing better than tunes you can sing to while on a long drive!

What is your favorite past time (excluding writing, or reading).

I love photography! It’s even better when I can combine it with family road trips, hiking, and camping.

What movie and/or book are you most looking forward to this year?

Hmmm. Movie? The Hunger Games was a biggie for me, but saw that (and really enjoyed it). Then there is Breaking Dawn, Part Two!

For a book, I can’t name just one…so we need to say books:

City of Lost Souls, by Cassandra Clare

Black Dawn, by Rachel Caine

Nevermore (the last Maximum Ride), by James Patterson

Lauren, thank you for this interview, the questions were great! Some of them really had me thinking. Whew! J

Thank you so much for being here Natalie! J I find that I am also cold all the time… it can be quite annoying!! From your writing and our conversations I think creative applies nicely, you definitely have to have creativity to come up with a story line like The Keeper!

Click here to read my review of The Keeper.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Review: Undertow

Title: Undertow

Author: Callie Kingston

Book Summary:

“While she sleeps beside a log on the wild Oregon coast, a rogue wave pulls Marissa into the sea. Now she dreams each night of a merman who rescues her. Obsessed with returning to this beautiful creature, she again risks her life in the frigid ocean.

Will Marissa remain lost forever in the eddies of her mind, or can real love save her from the abyss? Sometimes, the dangers which lie within are the deadliest.”

Marissa has a problem--- several actually, most importantly is that her boyfriend breaks up with her. Well, really, she catches the lying, cheating jerk talking with another girl, flips out, and leaves. Then, Marissa goes to the beach to calm down and drifts off to sleep. The next thing she knows, she’s waking up in a hospital: confused and afraid. Everyone keeps telling her that she should have drowned, but the only thing Marissa knows for sure is she can’t get the merman who saved her out of her head…

When I first read the premise, I am excited. Undertow sounds like it has great promise and will definitely be something I enjoy. Who doesn’t like stories about mermen? I haven’t read a good sea creature love story for a while, so Undertow is just in time! Or not…

Undertow is NOT about a merman and a land dweller that live happily ever after despite their differences (as the book synopsis suggests). Instead, it is about a girl who has serious mental issues and has to try to deal with her growing problems. Throughout the story, I see her slowly slip further away from reality until she is almost unrecognizable to the character that I meet in the beginning.

Right off the bat, I am not thrilled with Marissa. In the opening scene, I think that she blows things WAY out of proportion. Yes, her boyfriend is cheating on her. Yes, he admits it later. No, the “proof” she has is not good enough to support her accusation. I understand that she’s upset because she thinks he’s cheating on her… but, really, just because a boyfriend talks to another girl does not automatically mean that he is cheating. Throughout the rest of the novel, I find myself easily irritated by things that Marissa does and says.

Though it is hard for me to connect with Marissa, I still really like how Kingston shows the progression (or rather digression) into insanity. I can definitely see someone in Marissa’s shoes being frustrated and irritable after everything that she goes through. The hard road Marissa has to face is evident, and it makes me want to know more. One thing that I like is that towards the end of the book I learn more about why things are so strained between everyone in Marissa’s family… it’s not pleasant, but it makes sense. The major problem with this is that by the time I find out why Marissa acts the way she does I already don’t like her and don’t care. I don’t have any sort of bond with her, which makes her problems, and past issues seem flat and unimportant. My lack of empathy with Marissa coupled with the misleading summary drastically takes away from this book for me.

Undertow definitely has many great elements, the story just doesn’t click with me. If your looking for a paranormal merman story this is not the book for you, but I would definitely recommend Undertow to people who like reading about psychological challenges and self discovery.

The Cover:

I really like this cover; it drew me in from the start! I did think that it was more symbolism for the merman and human plotline, but I can see why it would be fitting for this type of story as well. Very intriguing cover!

I give Undertow 3 out of 5 hearts: Worth Reading

To find out more about Callie Kingston visit her website here: http://www.calliekingston.com/

To buy Undertow go here:

ebook paper

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Ebooks Under Four Dollars!

Save a little cash while reading some great books!! Hurry.. all these deals won't last long!!

Under Four Dollar Bargains:

Under Three Dollar Deals:

Blog tour: for a pendant? YES!!

Many of you know that I did a review for the book The Grimoire: Lichgates a while back. The author, S.M. Boyce has something she wanted to tell you about so here it is:

Hey gang! I’m thrilled to be sharing some awesome news with you, and I’m so grateful that Lauren let me kidnap her blog for the day to do it. You may remember me from when I was here a last month on my Hidden World blog tour promoting my novel, The Grimoire: Lichgates. To those of you who participated and won some of the hundreds of dollars in prizes, thanks for making that tour so epic!

So today, I’m here with awesome, Grimoire-related news I think you’ll really like. Because we of the modern era like information to be fast and furious, I made this quick video to tell you what all the fuss is about:

Isn’t that cool? I’m bringing the Grimoire pendant from my novel to life!

There’s a lot of buzz around the pendant, and I’ll fill orders in the order they’re received. That means it’s really best to act as soon as you know which pendant you want. For all the ordering info, head over to the pendant’s page on my blog.

Thanks again for having me today! You’re all amazing and I can’t thank you enough for reading Lichgates. You’re making all my geeky little dreams come true.

She also added a special incentive to preordering now, here is what she is offering:

Anyone who pre-orders a Grimoire pendant will be entered to win a guest appearance in Heritage, Book Three of the Grimoire Trilogy! See the contest here for more details!

Learn More:

The Real-Life Grimoire Pendant

The Grimoire: Lichgates

S. M. Boyce’s Blog

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Showers of Books Giveaway Hop

Thanks for stopping by! Here on Epilogue I am celebrating reaching 700 followers with this fantastic giveaway hop. Which means not only am I giving you a chance to win here, I am also showing you 150+ other giveaways tyou can go enter to win! Sound awesome? Of course it does!

What I’m offering for this giveaway is your choice of one of the fantastic books listed below. Don’t like my books? Well, fine. If you DON’T like any of these books I will allow you to choose one book up to $15 from the Book Depository. This giveaway IS open internationally AS LONG AS the Book Depository ships to you for free. Don’t know if you qualify?

Check here: Book Depository

Well, now that I'm done rambling, lets move on to what you could win!

Your choice of one of these great books:

Title: Finnikin of the Rock

Author: Melina Marchetta

Book Summary

“Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems — and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.”

Finnikin and his two best friends make a pact when they are younger, then years later, Finnikin’s resolve in his promise is tested when he meets the novice Evanjalin. Evanjalin brings back painful memories and asks many hard questions, challenging Finnikin at every turn. Together, they must overcome fierce obstacles and face their past… but, will overcoming the past prepare them for the future?

When I read the premise for Finnikin of the Rock, the setting draws me in. I really enjoy books that have a more medieval setting rather than being just historical fiction. In addition to the setting, I am really looking forward to the dialogue between Finnikin and Evanjalin; it sounds like they are going to be at each-other’s throats a bit. I definitely like that Finnikin of the Rock appears to have a physical journey as well as an emotional journey… and I can’t wait to pick it up!

Finnikin is an amazing main character. Throughout the story, I root for him, connect with him, and love being there during his successes and failures. Early on, I see that Finnikin is going to be stubborn and a little controlling. He starts out expecting Evanjalin to do everything he asks… man, does that come back to bite him. Finnikin must undergo huge challenges throughout the book and it tests him emotionally. I really connect with Finnikin on a deeper level than in most stories and, more than a few times, I am shocked at how completely Marchetta draws me into the story. I laugh, (almost) cry, and feel huge waves of relief. I feel disgust, remorse, hope, and love-- not only for the characters, but also alongside them.

Evanjalin is one of the strongest female characters that I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Her overall attitude is demure (HA!) but right away, I see the spark of attitude in her. She really does NOT take orders well, and she is constantly getting the group into troublesome situations. Out of all of the characters, I have to say Evanjalin is the one who has a knack for getting under my skin. The way she treats Finnikin really annoys me at times. Since Evanjalin and Finnikin are always butting heads (and NOT in a flirting way) it makes their whole relationship run hot and cold.

Marchetta has a beautiful writing style and she makes reading very enjoyable. Overall, Finnikin of the Rock is one of the best Epic Fantasy stories, and I definitely recommend reading it!

The Cover:

This cover is such a great hook! I mean, really, what draws the eye more than a huge jeweled-hilted sword? Not. Much. Add in a hooded figure fading into the background and that is one alluring cover. Not to mention the fantastic symbolism that the swirling red cloud at the bottom presents, and the way the dead forest seems to call me into the picture… basically, this cover is amazing!

* This book did have some sexual content, it isn't very graphic and it is easy to overlook but it is in there*

I give Finnikin of the Rock 4.5 out of 5 hearts: Very Highly Recommended

Find out more about Melina Marchetta on her website here: http://www.melinamarchetta.com.au/

Buy Finnikin of the Rock here:

Print Ebook

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Team Abnegation $100 Giveaway!!

Harry Potter - Twilight - The Hunger Games

What is the next big thing?

Divergent by Veronica Roth!

All throughout the month of April fans of Veronica Roth's Divergent series are promoting the upcoming release of her book Insurgent through various contests, group efforts, and more!

If you have never heard of the Divergent Series you are missing out.

Learn more about the series on the Publisher's Website.

This $100 Amazon Gift Code Giveaway was organized by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and is brought to you by a large group of Bloggers who are showing their support for the Faction Abnegation by posting this giveaway on their blog.

All entries are done via the Rafflecopter Form. (Yes I know it is ridiculously long. We had a lot of people sign up to support Team Abnegation! There is a +25 Clicking Bonus if you make it all the way through the rafflecopter and follow & like everyone).

Open to anyone 18 or older who can legally receive and use an Amazon Gift Card Code. The Rafflecopter accepts entries from 12:01 AM on April 18th to 11:59 PM on April 30th.

Enter daily to better your chances of winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, April 16, 2012

Taste Book Trailer , Excerpt Reveal and a Hidden Surprisel!

Taste Blurb:

"At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud."

Author Bio:

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.