Friday, January 31, 2014

Up From The Grave #Giveaway


Last night I had the awesome experience to go to a Jeaniene Frost signing. All of you who read The Spine know I am a HUGE Frost fan! I was so excited to get to go with my awesome sister Christine and amazing husband.


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This is me outside Malaprops Book Store in the freezing cold.


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Sister selfie time, while waiting on Jeaniene Frost:)


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Jeaniene talked a little about her new book The Beautiful Ashes. This new series comes out this August! She also talked a little about writing in general through questions she received.

When asked about naming different characters Jeaniene said  "I have cursed Stan Lee many times. He has all the cool nicknames."

Also when asked what story in vampires series will be next Jeaniene said  "It's a bit like letting the inmates run the asylum (while pointing to her head)." “whoever is loudest gets written.”


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How cute are we. You know those authors you meet and your like “Oh we could totally be friends!” *But you don’t say it out loud because then you would sound like a crazy person* Yeah, I was totally there.

If this is your first time visiting my blog you should know that the Night Huntress series is one of my all time favorite series.Up From The Grave is the final book devoted to Cat and Bones. And though I am so sad to see this be the end, Jeaniene did say that the characters I love will pop up from time to time in future books that come from this same world. I am happy that I will still see glimpses of them through other books.


The Giveaway!
Sorry guys but this one is going to be US only due to shipping cost.


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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!
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More from Malaprops book store

Malaprops is an amazing book store in downtown Asheville, NC.


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Me in front of Malaprops… And possibly a ghost? Or, just a person walking fast in front of me? You decide;)

Malaprops sells all genres, and their store is just cool on the inside! Malaprops host awesome bookish events all year long with numerous author signings thrown in. They also have a nice CafĂ© with lots of yummy hot and cold beverages. If you are ever in the area you should definitely make a stop. 



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While there my sister saw these fun blind date with a book packages. I thought this was such a genius idea! These are shelves of wrapped books with a vague description of what’s inside written on the packaging.  


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Christine back in the truck opening her blind date book.


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*No she is not drunk, my flash blinded her* Christine go The Golem and the Jinni. She says it’s very good so far.

Happy reading & book shopping everyone!
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Thursday, January 30, 2014

Southern Blues


This post is coming to you via phone.

We got snow in my neck of the woods, and now my internet is down:( I know you all must be shocked. If I get things up and running by tomorrow I will post my highlights from going to Jeaniene Frost's book signing, and a giveaway.

Stay warm everyone,
Rebecca

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Waiting On Wednesday: Creed by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie


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"Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at “Breaking the Spine”, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


What I’m waiting on


Creed

Creed
Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: November 8, 2014

Dee Langley is seventeen and mere months away from total freedom and a life where state social workers, counselors, and foster parents don’t dictate her every move. She has spent years trying to eke out a normal existence, hiding from her past and walking the tenuous line between denial and self-preservation. A weekend away with her boyfriend, Luke, and his brother, Mike, seems like the perfect opportunity to forget and start over. Little does Dee know that she's just trading one hell for another.

When an unexpected storm and a lack of gas force their car off the road, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves with no other choice but to wander into the nearby town of Purity Springs for help. But it’s not good Samaritans they find, but rather complete and utter silence, every store and every house abandoned. Forced to seek shelter in one of the deserted homes, they uncover a disturbing book with explicit instructions on how to correctly rear a child, complete with a hand written record of its use. It’s not until the next morning, however, that they discover the alarming truth – the town isn’t abandoned; it is populated by a deadly cult, and the leader, Elijah Hawkins, has plans for the three of them. The group’s only hope for survival lies in the hands of Elijah’s son, Joseph. But is Joseph really their ticket to freedom or is his game just as deadly as his father’s?

Three went in, and three will come out, but not a single one will ever be a shadow of who they once were.


Why I HATE waiting


Y’all this does not come out till November, but I so want to read it for Spooking The Spine this year. From the description it sounds like the suspense is going to have me biting all my nails off. And I may get so scared while reading it that Creed may have to go in the freezer from time to time… (Those of you who loved the show Friends get the book in the freezer reference, right?!?!) But I want to read this one BAD!!!


I am both scared and excited to get my hands on this book.

Is Creed on your to read list?
Can’t wait to see what books you are wanting this week?
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Review: The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith

The Geek's Guide to Dating

The Geek’s Guide To Dating
Eric Smith
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: December 3, 2013
Source: Publicist

You keep your action figures in their original packaging. Your bedsheets are officially licensed Star Wars merchandise. You’re hooked on Elder Scrolls and Metal Gear but now you’ve discovered an even bigger obsession: the new girl who just moved in down the hall. What’s a geek to do? Take some tips from Eric Smith in The Geek’s Guide to Dating. This hilarious primer leads geeks of all ages through the perils and pitfalls of meeting women, going on dates, getting serious, breaking up, and establishing a successful lifelong relationship (hint: it’s time to invest in new bedsheets). Full of whimsical 8-bit illustrations, The Geek’s Guide to Dating will teach fanboys everywhere to love long and prosper.

Review

Rebecca got a review request from the publicist, she said I should check it out.  And I looked at how fun and awesome the cover was, and said yes.  So, going in, I didn't realize this is an actual guide to dating.  As in self-help.  I was taken by surprise.  And, I'll admit, it was my own fault.

I'm not complaining, because it was very well written.  The Geek's Guide to Dating is very geeky--entering parts of geekdom and gaming that I have never ventured nor dared to (I'm a tech-geek, not a gamer).  But it wasn't completely foreign to me.

As far as self-help books go (I've not read very many), this was entertaining and chock-full of useful, relevant information and presented in a way that is humors and down-to-earth.  I liked Smith's easy writing style.

What did bother me is that my copy of The Geek's Guide to Dating wasn't labeled as an ARC, but had many rookie spelling/wrong-word-used mistakes that should have been caught during a through editing.  Not that it detracted from my enjoyment of the material, but did seem less than Quirk Books-quality.

If you're a geek, and you have trouble in the dating area of your RL (real life), or know someone who does, pick this up.  It covers just about every aspect of dating you can imagine, and even has some date night ideas that I'm going to try out with my wife of 10-years.

If this had been available back when I was hitting the dating scene (not that I ever was part of the scene...Rebecca and I met through a mutual friend, dated a month, got engaged, and married 6 months later) I would have wanted this powerful weapon in my arsenal.


4 Moons


This on is great for anyone in need of V-Day advice!

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Monday, January 27, 2014

Covet January New Releases & Giveaway!


Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.

Also, make sure to hop on over the Entangled in Romance blog to join in the fun as Covet challenges readers to share their worst date stories. The worse, the better, hold no punches!

Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's January releases:


Love at Stake by Victoria Davies

Abbey is the lone human working for Fated Match, a company that pairs members of the supernatural community with their eternal mates.

To snag a young vampire socialite as their next client, Abbey journeys to the home of Lucian Redgrave, the oldest vampire on the East Coast. But he's not willing to allow his vampire daughter to use the agency... unless Abbey can first find his perfect match in a month.

As Abbey coaches Lucian through his dates, she can’t deny the chemistry between them. But humans are toys for vampires, and risking her heart isn't a part of the plan.




Haunt Me by Heather Long

Recently divorced author MacKenzie Dillon has lost her writing mojo. When she inherits her great aunt’s haunted house in Virginia, she is determined to make a new start. The creepy old house provides inspiration but at what cost?

Successful architect and paranormal skeptic Justin Kent returns to Penny Hollow to fulfill his father’s dying wish of revitalizing their small town. To do that, he needs the allegedly haunted estate at Summerfield. Mac, the new owner, may be gorgeous and spunky, but she refuses to sell.

These two have a dangerous history that spans the ages, but will they discover the truth in time to save their lives?



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Sunday, January 26, 2014

Dark and Stormy Promo & Giveaway

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Dark And Stormy
Sacred Hearts Coven Book 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
(Extra Steamy!!)
136 Pages
GoodreadsAmazon

The sisters of the Sacred Hearts Coven gather every month with one intention, to ignite a flame of passion into one lucky person’s love life. Regina’s work is her driving force. She strives to be the top of her game, but there is a large thorn in her side—Reddick, her apparent nemesis. His confident and somewhat arrogant persona makes her blood boil, but as the saying goes: there is a thin line between love and hate. Will a touch of magic have Regina opening her heart to the unknown? Or will she run from this storm only to be crushed by her greatest fear?    


Excerpt

The thunder cracked against the dark night sky. The loud booms had Regina jumpy and on edge. Reddick pretended not to notice, but he snickered to himself at her childish reaction. He always saw her as a hotheaded workaholic, but there was something innocent about the way she reacted to the storm. Whether they got along or not, he didn’t mind the way her cherry-red heels carried her across the sales floor.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Felicia Starr Author Picture



Author Felicia Starr lives five miles from her favorite Jersey Shore destination with her amazingly supportive family. She loves to spend time creating special memories with her husband and two young boys Everyone expected her first publication to be a cookbook, but her love for writing has surpassed her love for cooking. Felicia graduated magna cum laude from Kean University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a post baccalaureate in elementary education. She is a licensed real estate sales person, a certified yoga instructor, and most importantly, a stay-at-home mom.

AUTHOR LINKS Website | Facebook | Twitter    


The Dark And Stormy Virtual Book Tour is a Pure Textuality Public Relations promotion.


Giveaway




Happy Reading
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Friday, January 24, 2014

Stacking The Shelves #34

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a post for bloggers to share what books they've received to review, bought, won, borrowed or were gifted.

What I got this week

I won
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The Explorer

A tense, claustrophobic and gripping science fiction thriller from the author of The Testimony.

When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first manned mission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history as one of humanity’s great explorers.

But in space, nothing goes according to plan.

The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedly fail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue.

But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death … unless he can do something to stop it.
Thanks so much to Harper Voyager for this win! I am excited to read The Explorer. It has been a while since I have read anything with a space setting:)

That’s it for me this week due to the fact that I am rereading the Night Huntress series over the next few days. In case you some how are not in the know the last book in the series comes out Tuesday… Oh how I am going to miss Cat and Bones.

Can’t wait to see what you got this week!
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Two Reviews for the Price of One: Clockwork Prince & Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2)Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3)

Clockwork Prince
The Infernal Devices #2

In magical Victorian London, orphan Tessa found safety with the Shadowhunters, until traitors betray her to the Magister. He wants to marry her, but so do self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem. Mage Magnus Bane returns to help them. Secrets to her parentage lie with the mist-shrouded Yorkshire Institute's aged manager Alyosius Starkweather.


Clockwork Princess
The Infernal Devices #3

London 1873 shape-shifter Tessa Gray 16 is engaged to Jem Carstairs 17, dying of addiction to demon drug, all bought up by evil Mortmain. The "clockwork prince" controls an army of automatons to abduct Tess, kill the Shadowhunters, and blackmail Charlotte Branwell, head of London Institute. Will and Tessa hide their love, for love of Jem.


Review

Ok, confession time.  I didn't like Clockwork Angel.  In fact, it was recommended to me not to finish the Infernal Devices series and instead read the Mortal Instruments series (I have read City of Bones).  Now, I'm glad I continued with Clockwork Prince because I REALLY liked it.  Like LOVED it.  I could fan-boy all over that book.  It was that good.  
 
I loved the character development, the plot line.  Heck, I even enjoyed the love triangle and the tension that it built.  I loved just about everything about it.  See?  I'm going all fan-boy over this one. {The only thing I do not love is that I didn't write a full review of Clockwork Prince before reading book 3--the two books become mingled as a single existence in my mind}
 
However, I did not like Clockwork Princess as a whole.  There were parts that I really enjoyed, parts that I could fan-boy over, but as a whole Clockwork Princess sucked.  Bad.  It felt drawn out and tiresome.  As if Clare just kept writing and writing without any direction or path to the end, or to simply have a lengthy book.  There were so many times that I didn't even pay attention to the audiobook (which is 13 discs long!) and used it purely as background noise while I got lost in thought.  And didn't care at all about what I missed.  Because it didn't matter.  The words I missed didn't move the plot along, nor were they essential for telling the story.  
 
To make matters worse, {Spoiler Alert!} all the story-lines are getting tied up nice and neat.  Gift-wrapped with beautiful, annoying bows.  In story-lines where there was perfection, you're left with muck.  Not everyone needs a happy ending.  It is perfectly acceptable to kill off main characters...and leave them dead.
 
As far as finales go it was very predictable and poorly thought out; this is worse than Mockingjay. {At the time of writing this I still haven't finished the entire book.  I don't normally review a book I haven't finished, but I don't think the ending will change my point of view.}
 
And with that being said, I'm scared to continue the Mortal Instruments series now...

 
Clockwork Prince:
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Clockwork Princess:
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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Wicked Waves Giveaway!

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I am so excited to be hosting this Promo and Giveaway for Wicked Waves today! I have read so many great reviews about this series and hope top start it very soon. I hope you enjoy and don’t forget to enter the giveaway.


Wicked Waves
Series: Solsti Prophecy #2
Sharon Kay
Print Length: 309 pages

Making daggers out of raindrops is only the tip of the iceberg for Brooke Bonham. As one of four women who can control the elements, her ability to manipulate water packs a deluge of potential. Eager to learn more, she’s frustrated at the precautions she must take to avoid the wrong kind of attention on Earth.

Kai's duties as a Lash demon have kept him busy on Earth for nearly two hundred years. Fighting? He was born to do it. Females? They're drawn to him. And Earth? The perfect place for him to avoid supernatural bounty hunters.

Though the two of them mix like oil and water, Kai senses that beneath Brooke’s frosty exterior hides a vortex of simmering passion. He’s determined to thaw his ice princess.

Forced to work together in the immortal realm, they track a rogue Lash demon at the helm of a widespread kidnapping operation. All too soon, Kai’s dark past catches up to them. Time runs out as a second enemy, bent on revenge, vows to stop at nothing short of Brooke’s enslavement and Kai’s death. As they and their foes stalk each other in a demonic game of cat-and-mouse, will her evolving skills and their fledgling bond be enough to save them?

 

About the author



Sharon Kay was bitten early by the writing bug. At age twelve she wrote a short story, about a magic ring,that won a statewide Young Authors contest. With her nose always in a book, she read the most novels for her age group in her local library’s summer reading program. In her teens, writing took a back seat to fashion, as she was determined to find clothes different from what everyone else bought at the mall. And what she couldn’t find, she created. She learned to sew, worked in a fabric store after school, and spent her spare time with a needle in hand. Her black and orange prom dress is still one of her favorite creations. Sharon lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son, and didn’t expect to write again. But Wicked Wind and the Solsti series formed in her head one weekend and refused to stay quiet until she put pen to paper. Her characters tend to keep her up at night, as they banter, fall in love, and slay endless varieties of power-hungry demons.

Sharon loves to hear from readers! You can find her at: Sharonkay.novels(at)gmail.com www.facebook.com/sharonkaynovels Twitter: @sharonkaynovels

Giveaway
The Author is giving away 5 ebooks. Fill out the form below to enter.

Good Luck!
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Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Bending_the_Spine_MeMe_WW
"Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at “Breaking the Spine”, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What I’m waiting on

Second Star
Second Star
Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Release Date: May 13, 2014

A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary ocean side adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.


Why I HATE waiting

I saw this on so many Stacking the Shelves post this weekend. Ok y’all I am going to be completely honest. I’m not sure if I am going to be amazed by this or not… But, Second Star is a Peter Pan retelling!!! I have to try it! If you know anything about me at all you know I LOVE fairy tell retelling. I really want to read this and see if it is worth the hype.
P.S. I really like this cover:)

Is Second Star on your to read list?
Can’t wait to see what books you are wanting this week?
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ARC Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty
Cruel Beauty
Rosamund Hodge
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Source: Publisher/Edelweiss

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.


Review

I can’t tell you how many times I have sat down to write this review, only to stop and save the notes that I jotted down. I was so excited about Cruel Beauty when I first found out about it. Beauty and The Beast is one of my all time favorite fairy tales and I generally jump on any retelling that comes my way. Cruel Beauty was not just a retelling of BaTB but also a fantasy, so I had very high hopes… But, I think my hopes were a little too high.

Let me preface this review with warning you that the copy of Cruel Beauty I read is an ARC so some of the aspects may be different from the completed copy you can buy in the store. 

What I didn’t care for:

The main character Nyx in general. I wanted so badly to feel sorry for her, and at times I did. Nyx has been raised essentially to be a sacrifice for her people. Her father and aunt who should have brought her up with love and affection simply trained her and made her feel unwelcome. Even though I was apathetic to her plight in life I had a hard time staying sympathetic to her as she was constantly changing her mind on how she treated those around her and at times she was just mean.   

Now this is completely nit picky on my part and if you haven’t read Cruel Beauty yet please don’t read this part of my review. Even though I was excited about this book I almost stopped at the halfway point because the main character, Nyx was always clenching something. Nyx would get angry and clench her fist, her jaw, you get the idea. I actually went back and counted and how many times it was used:  19 times by page 114. Because of this one descriptive word being used over and over I found myself rolling my eyes every time I read it and almost stopped reading all together.

One thing that always draws me to a Beauty and The Beast type story is the romance. (Yes, I know the romance between a trapped prisoner and the person/being doing the imprisoning is a bit messed up, but whatever.) The romance just didn’t grab me the way I wanted it to in Cruel Beauty. Maybe it had something to do with the odd faux love (Yeah, I’m not even going to go there.) that was going on between the main characters, I just wanted a little more in the love department and not just physical love and the constant thought of kissing. (Really Nyx thinks of kissing… A lot!)

What I liked:

Ignifex! Ignifex is just as the book blurb says. He is the evil lord over the world Nyx lives in and he is a “strangely charming lord.” I fell so hard for this character. Ignifex was my redeeming factor for Cruel Beauty that made me continue reading. I had to keep going to find out all the secrets he didn’t even know he was hiding. I love Ignifex! 

I’m not going to lie; I thought the fantasy world that Hodge created was cool. I loved all the mythology that she spun throughout this story. I just felt like the relationships and the world in itself was all pushed together a bit too soon. I honestly think that if this one book had been turned into two, and everything was a bit more fleshed out I would have loved every part of it. Honestly I went back and read Cruel Beauty again to try to clear up a few parts I was confused about.

I think Cruel Beauty is an interesting story, but I also think the world, mythology, characters, and romance where all together a little to much for one book to handle. If you are a Beauty and The Beast fanatic, or a high fantasy lover this may still work for you. I will be on the lookout for more by Rosamund Hodge because I did like the concept of Cruel Beauty.

Happy Reading,
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2 Moons

Other book in this series
Gilded Ashes: A Cruel Beauty Novella