Friday, November 30, 2012

{Cover Reveal} The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

EntangledTeen Publishing brings you another amazing cover. I really think this one is cute and the title leaves me wondering what the heck is going on here? I embraced my geek girl side a long time ago and am better off for it, perhaps Maddie is ready to embrace hers?




Blurb:

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.



About Leah Rae Miller

Website     Twitter     Goodreads


Born and raised in northern Louisiana, Leah Rae Miller still lives there on a windy hill with her husband and kids. She loves comic books, lava lamps, fuzzy socks, and Cherry Coke. She spends most of her days reading things she likes and writing things she hopes other people will like.

{A Kelly Coffee Review} The Nothingness of Ben by Brad Boney


Title: The Nothingness of Ben
Author: Brad Boney
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Adult Romance, Contemporary, Male/Male Romance








Synopsis: Ben Walsh is well on his way to becoming one of Manhattan’s top litigators, with a gorgeous boyfriend and friends on the A-list. His life is perfect until he gets a phone call that brings it all crashing down: a car accident takes his parents, and now he must return to Austin to raise three teenage brothers he barely knows.

During the funeral, Ben meets Travis Atwood, the redneck neighbor with a huge heart. Their relationship initially runs hot and cold, from contentious to flirtatious, but when the weight of responsibility starts wearing on Ben, he turns to Travis, and the pressure shapes their friendship into something that feels a lot like love. Ben thinks he’s found a way to have his old life, his new life, and Travis too, but love isn’t always easy. Will he learn to recognize that sometimes the worst thing imaginable can lead him to the place he was meant to be?



 Disclaimer: This is a gay romance novel. That does mean guy on guy action, but certainly no worse than anything I've read in any straight romance novel, and honestly, there's a lot less of it than in most romance novels I've read. Onto the actual review.

Let me start with just wow. This was just an overall good read. The characters came alive for me. From the out of his element Ben, just trying to do the right thing, to Travis's easy going affability and certainty of self and each of Ben's brothers being individuals. In his biography, the author calls his style "dialogue and stage direction." It may be accurate, but it also does his writing an injustice. The detail in the settings, the way you feel like the author knows exactly where things are happening, add layers of reality to the book. 

This was a book that I just wanted to keep reading. The pacing flowed effortlessly and the dialogue was spot on. I smiled helplessly, outright laughed and even cried a bit. And yes, the sex scenes are smoking. If you want a contemporary story that just builds a relationship, step-by-step, watching the characters grow and fall in love, this is a book you have to read. Just when I was itching for a good, solid love story, I found this book. And if slash is not your thing, skip the sex and read the love story. I promise it's worth it.



Friday, November 23, 2012

{A Kelly M Review} Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Title: Alice in Zombieland
Series: White Rabbit Chronicles #1
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher:


Synopsis:

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.





Alice in Zombieland!!!! My first ever zombie book and it didn’t disappoint. I am hesitant to read any zombie books, firstly because they scare me motherless and secondly I just do not see the point. But alas I really did love this particular zombie book. I know what you’re thinking,  this is just another Alice in Wonderland rip off with Zombies shoved in just for the mickey of it. Well, at least, that’s what I thought, if you don’t then good on you! Anyway back to my point, that is NOT what this book is about! Even the zombies are like completely different! I was like huh?!?! Dafuq is this weird ass invisible zombie stuff??? It actually worked out for the better and it gave a whole different twist on the zombie myth that we all know and love.

It starts off where Alice loses her entire family to a zombie attack even though she refuses to believe it. She moves in with her grandparents and has to move to a new school as well. There she finds her new friend whom she met at the hospital, Kat and the very hot, very tattooed awesome sexiness that is Cole. This guy is a man after my own heart. When you read about Cole, think about me and you will know that he is my ideal guy, I kind of literally drooled most of the time I read this. The dude is perfection. I thank thee Mariam for freaking out so badly with this book and talking about it nonstop.

I love Alice because she is just so tough and doesn’t hesitate to do what she has to even if that means that she will be in danger, lose the people she loves and get bad grades. She only cares about keeping everyone else safe and I find that so admirable. She is also quite badass and made me laugh a few times.

Kat is my absolute favourite character in this book! The girl made me laugh since the first time she appeared. She is hilarious through most of the book. Very few characters accomplish the art of making me literally laugh out loud. She is so loyal and just plain awesome; I wish she was my best friend.

Cole and Frosty, my two favourite male characters. Both are very hot like I mentioned before and so fierce and can be scary when they want to be, I loved that about them so much. I’m a freak what can I say. Guys who look like can beat the shit out of people but are also very caring when it comes to girls are my weak spot. Some people think I need help, others help me embrace it, like my Starbooks girls!

This is a very actiony book with a lot of fighting and stuff in it which is just so awesome! It never drags, it keeps you interested straight through. I read this book until I finished it at 4:30am and I never regretted the loss of sleep. I couldn’t put it down. It consumed my very being until I was sucked into the story completely like Alice was into Wonderland (that was my corny line of the day)

Please Please PLEEEEEEEEEASE read this book!!!!!!! It is the epitome of awesome sauce topped with sprinkles of amaze balls!


{Special Feature} Kelly and Kristin Discuss Deity by Jennifer L Armentrout


Title: Deity
Series: Covenant Series #3
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Blurb:

"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

Kelly and Kristin Discuss Deity

 WARNING – SPOILERS ARE INEVITABLE! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ DEITY YET, THE SPOILERS WILL BURN INTO YOUR BRAIN AND IF YOU DO NOT PREFER THAT STAY AWAY BUT IF YOU LOVE SPOILERS THEN BY ALL MEANS. 


So Kelly, I read this book the other day – Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout? It’s part of the Covenant Series. You heard of it?

Kelly: Dude seriously, of course I’ve read it. Angela at ReadingAngel basically shoved it down all of us Starbooks girls’ throats hehe ;)

Kristin: Right…but that is why we call her the “book pimp.” Imagine how many awesome books we would’ve missed out on if not for Angela and her awesomeness.

Kelly: I know!!!!! Angela is made of awesome

Well, of course you’ve read it. We wouldn’t be doing this discussion if you hadn’t. So, in general, what did you think? We’ll get to the specifics in a moment.

Kelly: I really did love it, like all of Jen’s books, BUT I think I’m the only one who doesn’t view it as my favorite of the series.

Kristin: Well, personally…it’s my favorite of the series thus far, but I’m a sucker for anything that makes me go “Wait! What? WTF just happened?” and Deity did that more than any of the other books so far. A clever one, Ms. Armentrout!

Kelly: Yeah I get it but I missed Seth so much

If you could sum up the book in one or two words, what would they be?

Kelly: Satanic freakout

Kristin: And she’s not lying…she freaked the heck out. Major. For me, though, I think GAME-CHANGER is perfect.

Kelly: Yeah that is also perfect because so much is gonna happen in Apollyon O_O

We finally met a couple of gods, what was your first reaction to meeting Apollo? I mean, I completely know because you screamed in ALL CAPS on Facebook, but why don’t you tell our readers.

Kelly: Ok I reacted something like this: LEON IS APOLLO??????? WHAT???? THAT IS SO COOL!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HIM NOW I GET IT!!!!!!!!!!! *jumps up and down*

Kristin: Haha…thank goodness she tamed her language because that is NOT what she said, but close enough. I happened to hear one of Jennifer’s live chats that she does every so often and she mentioned that the gods were always around, or something similar. My mind instantly went to Leon for so many reasons: unwavering bad timing, Alex always dissed on Apollo when she happened to be with Leon, and again…his precise timing in everything Alex/Aiden related.

Kelly: Haha, well yeah I had to tame it a bit! And I know that was so hilarious for me!!

Alex seems to have matured a little in this book, realizing that she may not like the rules, but to keep her friends and family safe, she has to at least try. What did you think of the way she handled things?

Kelly: In a way she kind of annoyed me. She is going to be the Apollyon, there is nothing she can do about it so please stop whining and accept it and focus on things that are more important. Other than that I thought she was quite awesome

Kristin: Okay, now here’s where everything gets interesting and you’ll see why in just a moment. While I don’t completely disagree with Kelly, I have to put in my two cents for Alex.  I find it easier to list the reasons I believe Alex has every reason to complain every now and then.

·         As a young child, her mom took her from the Covenant and hid her from everything she’d ever known because she was in danger.
·         Alex’s mom was attacked by Daimons and killed, leaving Alex to fend for herself.
·         She’s forced to run for her life, only to be saved and returned to the Covenant where her uncle and stepfather live. Both of whom she believed despised her.
·         She’s constantly threatened to be enslaved because she acts out.
·         She’s been lied to by everyone and has no idea who she can and cannot trust.
·         All her life’s decisions are taken away from her, not only because she’s a half-blood, but because she is destined to be the second Apollyon – which happens to be a complete freak of nature.
·         As the second Apollyon, she’ll be a source of power for Seth, the First, and his second-half, like it or not.
·         Also, the prophecies predict Seth will be a God Killer and he’ll drain her power to create chaos and evil…so there are plenty of people who want her and Seth destroyed.
·         BUT…because Alex hasn’t turned 18 and Awakened yet, she’s the one everyone is aiming for. Take her out, lessen Seth’s powers. The. End.

Now, all I’m saying is…if you handed all this to me at the age of 17, I wouldn’t hold up nearly as well as Alex has. I’d literally be a whining, balling, crying mess of a child, throwing constant temper-tantrums and retaliating in every way possible. No one wants their free will taken away, and in Alex’s eyes, hers is gone.  Now, throughout the book I saw Alex realize that things were far more dire than she believed and making appropriate, adult actions. She CHOOSES to go into hiding to keep horrible things from happening.

            Kelly: ok ok! I get your point! You totally make sense, Alex is now less annoying for me! yay J

Okay, now we’re to the sensitive issue. Team Aiden or Team Seth?

Kelly: TEAM SETH!!!!!!!!!!!! Like duh! Although I finally like Aiden, Seth will always be my baby.

Kristin: Until Deity, I was completely undecided. I loved both Seth and Aiden equally. Honest. But now, I have to say TEAM AIDEN!!!!!!!!!! Though Seth will always have a soft spot in my heart.

We see some major changes in all of the characters, and I think it’s safe to agree that Seth changes the most. Do you believe it is his destiny to become the God Killer or do you think someone is manipulating him?

Kelly: I do not believe in that. He is being manipulated. I know some people go around saying he is a big boy and needs to make his own decisions and shouldn’t be influenced by someone else. Ok really? If no one wanted you when you were a child, your mother hated you because you were a half blood and then suddenly this very influential man starts paying attention to you, gives you praise, treats you as an equal, gives you ‘love’, something that you have never experienced before in your life, are you telling me you won’t go out of your way to please that man? People are too quick to judge, they need to read between the lines. I don’t think Seth is evil or bad or whatever just seriously misguided and lost.

Kristin: OMG! I love you, Kelly. The funny thing about this answer is that she can completely reason Seth’s position but can’t reason Alex’s whininess and I can reason Alex’s issues but I cannot reason Seth’s side.

Yes, Seth is absolutely being manipulated, I will not deny that. The facts are in the books. Everyone should be able to see them, starting in Half-Blood, but Seth is no longer a child and he knows right from wrong. You can’t tell me he doesn’t. Sure he wants to please Lucien. Okay, I get that. And, if he were still a child, I might even forgive him for his neediness, but Seth is a freakin’ Apollyon for gods’ sakes. He has all the power and respect he needs to keep his gargantuan ego intact in his title alone. He needs to grow a pair and tell Lucien to kiss his @$$! He says he cares about Alex, and I believe him, or I believe he wants to. Now show me. Get over your daddy issues and, to steal a quote from Kelly, “focus on things that are more important.”

Hehe…I’m laughing so hard right now, because basically, Kelly and I are just alike in our beliefs, we just each use them to justify different things. Isn’t that how life always is!

Kelly: haha this is so funny! We are the EXACT opposite but the same! I love it!

Remember: Celebrate your differences!!! You’re probably more alike than you think.        
This statement made by Kristin above is so true, It’s fun to have differences and there is no need to get angry or fight each other because of it. Love all around people

There are so many prophecies included in all of the Covenant books, but one always stands out to me…

“Sometimes you will mistake need for love. Be careful. The road with need is never a fair one,never a good one. Much like the road you must walk down. Beware of the one who needs.”

To me, this prophecy applies to so many areas of the story? What do you think about this prophecy? Are there others that stick out in your head as eerie or especially important to the story?

Kelly: To me this applies to Alex and both Seth and Aiden. To me Seth needs Alex, but it’s deeper than just to overthrow the council, I think he needs her to save him and that is why he is so attached to her. He used her but he didn’t like it. Alex on the other hand needs Aiden because she is afraid of what she feels for Seth, so she needs him and his love to over shadow her feelings for Seth.  The other one that stuck out to me was about how Caleb was going to die. I think it is very important to the story because he made a reappearance in Deity. I don’t think that was the last of Caleb.

Kristin: Oh, I hope you are right about Caleb. I love him so much!

I agree that this prophecy applies to Alex, Seth, and Aiden, and I completely see Kelly’s point. She made it so beautifully, too. However, I see this in Alex’s relationship with Lucien and Marcus also, maybe even Seth’s relationship with Lucien. Lucien NEEDS both Alex and Seth. He always has, and somewhere that we haven’t seen yet, there’s a god who needs Lucien.  Lucien has tried to play at making Alex think he ‘wants’ her, but she’s smart enough to see through him. Marcus has always been all business-like and caring, yet firm with Alex. In Deity, we see him show how he wants her to be safe and to succeed.

Kelly: Oh wow! You are so right!!!!!

This was my favorite book of the series so far, but I know it’s not yours. If you had to pick your favorite book so far, what would it be?

Kelly: Favourite book was Pure because we got to see who the real Seth is. I’ve read Pure like 5 times whereas Half-Blood and Apollyon only once.

Kristin: What? You’ve read Apollyon and not shared. I’m thinking you mean Deity.Haha. Anyway…I love this one. I’ll probably eat my words, but I’ll go on record as saying Deity is my favorite of the entire series, even though Apollyon isn’t even released yet. All the pieces are in play now…let them fall where they will.

Kelly: Oh oops, yeah I meant Deity, Mah baaaaad!

Favorite scene in Deity?Favorite scene in series so far? (You’ll be surprised…I think ours might be the same here…LOL)

Kelly: Where I found out Leon is Apollo, I kind of lost my shit.Haha.Favourite scene so far, it’s a tie between the pool scene and where Seth wanted to kill that Master for hitting Alex and how only she could calm him down. I LOVED that scene

Kristin: My favorite from Deity is Alex finding out who Leon/Apollo really is and remembering her discussion with Leon about Apollo and his sexual proclivities. I laughed so hard I cried. And my favorite scene from the series so far…is the pool scene from Pure. Although, I did love the scene Kelly mentioned with the Master.

Three words to describe these characters:

                                  Kelly:                                                                                    Kristin:
Alex:                       Bad Ass Chicka                                                                  Girl on a Mission (‘a’ doesn’t count)
Aiden:                   Serious, Boring(sometimes), Intense                      Caring, Protective, Passionate
Seth:                       Vulnerable, Misunderstood, HOTTTTTT               Passionate, Sexy, Misunderstood
Deacon:                Awesome, Funny, Loveable                                       Awesome lil bro
Luke:                     Dependable, sweet and loyal                                      Deacon’s worse half (LMAO)
Leah:                     Entertaining, sad, Fierce                                              Trying to like (but failing)
Marcus:               Cutest uncle ever                                                             WTH? Cutest Uncle Ever?
Lucien:                NEEDS TO DIE                                                                   Kelly said it
Leon:                     Apollo fan boy ;)                                                              Are you serious? (Not you, Kelly)
Apollo:                 AMAZINGLY HOT GOD                                                 Oh My Gods!!!
Artemis:             Arrow wielding warrior                                                 Should be her
Hades:                  Dark, British, interesting                                               Intriguing and Still Deciding
Caleb:                   I MISS HIM                                                                          ME TOO!
Olivia:                  Was a bitch                                                                          Was not ;-)
Minister Telly: KARMA BITCH! HA!                                                     I’ll show you Akasha (Oops!)

Haha yes cutest uncle ever! He was just so awkward like

Regardless of which boy you choose, you have to admit that Seth messed up quite a bit in Deity. Which of his actions ripped your heart out of your chest and made you want to curl up in a ball and cry?

Kelly: To be honest the only thing that bugged me was that he pulled Akasha through Alex without her permission and that he made the marks appear faster.  I was just like, Seth….what are you doing? Please stop hurting Alex!

Kristin: Honestly, his taking her Akasha against her will is what killed it for Seth in my eyes, but I also could not believe he kidnapped Alex either.


Now, let’s flip that coin…you have to admit, beyond a doubt, that Jennifer has written the storyline so that Seth is redeemable. What one thing stands out, in Deity, that makes you believe he can be saved?

Kelly: Because of what Caleb said that Alex mustn’t believe what everybody tells her because things with Seth aren’t as they appear.

Kristin: I also believe Caleb had a point behind his words about Seth “not knowing,” but I think, for me,  it’s that Alex actually seemed to get through to the real Seth a couple of times. We see he’s in there somewhere; we just want him to come out and play nice now.



How do you feel about Alex and Aiden? Are you happy with the way Jennifer has made their relationship fall into place?

Kelly: Nope I do not like this at all. I’m glad because she had Aiden through this difficult time with Seth but other than that they are not meant to be in my eyes. I want lil Seth babies!!!! I think Aiden should get someone else, but I know that’s not going to happen. That’s why I’m so glad that I started to like Aiden.

Kristin: Yes!!! I’m a sucker for the underdog. Okay, I know, someone is going to say “Aiden has never been the underdog,” but, in my eyes he is. He’s the Pure who’s not allowed to be with a Half because the powers-that-be say so, he loves Alex because of who she is and not what she can do for him, and he isn’t her fated “other half.” (I love a character who beats out Fate and Destiny.) Seth has sex appeal, his bad-boy edge, and he’s the freakin’ Apollyon. Come on!

Kelly: Underdog my ASS


What made you love Seth or Aiden that made you decide to become Team whoever?

Kelly: Well for me Seth just had that something extra and I just knew that there was more to him than meets the eye. What made me Team Seth indefinitely was how he treated Alex in Pure. He was so sweet and awesome and you could see he really cares about her deeply.

Kristin: I’m not going to completely disagree with Kelly, but Seth does admit in Deity that he had multiple intentions behind gaining her trust in Pure. But, ultimately, I’m Team Aiden, and it’s because of everything I mentioned about being an underdog!


How would you feel if Jennifer took Seth to the place where he has to die to redeem himself?

Kelly: I would die, literally. I would cry for days and burn the books.

Kristin: Kelly McGeer!!! I cannot believe you went there! I know this is not one of my questions! I refuse to think of such a thing because I’ve boycotted one author’s books for this tactic. Okay…maybe not forever, but it’s been a while and I’m not over it…so, let’s hope this does not happen.

Kelly: Yeah I went there!! Cause I’m so scared it’s gonna happen!

These are the opinions of Kelly and Kristin and we’re okay if you disagree, heck, we disagree; we just ask that you keep your comments friendly and don’t be haters. In fact, any comment containing the word hate will be deleted. At Better Read Than Dead we celebrate different opinions and think the world would be just plain boring without them, but we prefer to promote what we love, not degrade what we dislike.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

{Book Trailer Reveal} Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout


******************************************************************************



No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.
After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.


USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.


Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog

{A Kelly M Review} Deity by Jennifer L Armentrout

Title: Deity
Series: Covenant #3
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Synopsis:

"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "


Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...
>


So hey everyone! I’m finally back! I’ve been absent  so long because I’ve been so busy with university tests and exams now but I’m  done and I’m back. I missed everything on this blog so much and I have a ton of reviews lined up for you guys. I’ll Start off with my Deity review since me and Kristin are gonna do something fun involving it soon!
I’ll admit I was deathly scared of reading this book and with good reason since I am and will forever be Team Seth and I’ve been seeing all this anger towards him and I was like O_O what has he done? Am I gonna be destroyed at the end of this book? Will my soul no longer be fully functional? I would have so been broken if Seth turned out to be evil.
Thank God I saw no evil in his actions. Just a boy misguided and that will be my opinion forever! I love love love love Seth so much and even if he was evil, me and my two Starbooks friends Kim and Mariam will be his cheerleaders chanting: “Go Seth Go.” I never used to like Aiden at all but in Deity he got me to like him finally! I was so happy coz I don’t like it when I feel no connection towards a character, so yay for the Aiden love
Deity is mostly an Aiden and Alex book so it was not my favourite out of the series and I DO NOT like the direction Jennifer L Armentrout is taking Seth into because it is breaking my heart but it was still such an awesome book. I can barely write this review coz anything I might mention could be spoilerly. There are so many awesome things that happen in this book that will leave you going, “dafuq? OMG!!!!!!!!”
Jennifer L Armentrout knows how to get you so invested into a story and make you fall so in love with all her characters that most of the times you cannot breathe.  She has become one of my very favourite authors, very fast. The amount of humour in this book is amazing, some of the things that were said left me killing myself with laughter. And can I just say that one character surprise was AWESOME SAUCE and he is one of my absolute favs!!!!!
Deity will leave you feeling like a Bi-Polar person at the end because you are happy, then sad, then happy, then sad and then at the end it leaves you on the brink of a psychotic break. You forget yourself, your life, your world when you read a JLA book.
So be free and enjoy shattering to pieces, I know I did.




Saturday, November 17, 2012

{Book Review} Blood Debt by Nancy Straight

Title: Blood Debt
Series: Touched #1
Author: Nancy Straight
Self-Published

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Blurb:
Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.

Sorry guys! I meant to get this up earlier this evening, except...the 11 year old turned 12 and, believe it or not, she thought she deserved a birthday party! Can you imagine? Anyway, all is quiet now (FINALLY) so I thought I'd jot down my review of Nancy Straight's Blood Debt!

Okay, so I'm perusing this tour request I received and saw the word "Centaur" and I'm thinking, hmmmmm? A book about half-men/half-horses...no freaking way. Right? But then I thought, if anyone can pull this off, it's Nancy because I've read many of her other books and they are all amazing. Needless to say, she managed to pull this one off perfectly and there weren't even any hooved men stomping about.

The first thing that pulled me into the book was Camille's friend Daniel. A little weird since he was far from the main character, I know, but something tells me Daniel's a little more than just Camille's best friend. As of this moment, I know nothing more, but I'll keep you updated. HeHe.

So, Camille's mom, Angela, is a powerful Centauride who escaped a horrific fate and managed to keep Camille hidden from the most influential Centaur Herds. Angela only told Camille her father's name on her death bed, leaving Camille alone to search for a man she had never met. Once Camille and her father meet the secrets start flying. Can you imagine not only finding out you are of a magical race, but because of something your mom did, you owe a blood debt to another family? No thank you.

I loved the matriarchal society that the Centaurs revolved around, though there are many things about their lives I disagreed with and hopefully Camille will resolve some of these issues. But I must say, the most impressive thing is how the author managed to keep up with all Camille's half-brothers. Each of their names started with a B and each seemed swoon-worthy in their own way. I'm wishing them all the best of luck in the coming years, because I think they all deserve a good mate.

And Drake...OH YUMMY!!! He's amazing and kind and courteous and good. I love the way his and Camille's story is woven together and how many obstacles they each have to overcome in order to try to be together, and that's still up in the air. Still! Bianca and Gage are interesting characters and I cannot wait to know more about Gage and his family. Some things pulled together, but as with every well written series, some questions were answered while others were presented.

The only thing that kept me from giving the book a complete 5 stars is the frequent changing of POVs. Usually this is not a problem for me, but when you get more than two or three going at the same time, I tend to get confused and have to go back and reread things to make sure I understand who is saying what.

Nancy takes different mythologies and mixes them all together to create a fascinating, spell-binding, and nail-biting novel. I'm still rocking on the edge of my chair after that ending. She attacks political and social issues in an interesting manner and keeps your brain thinking far after the last page has been turned. If you are a fan of romance, mythology, and unique literature...Blood Debt is a must read. Be sure you run over to the giveaway and enter to win an ebook copy of Blood Debt.

{Author Interview & #Giveaway} Blood Debt by Nancy Straight

Title: Blood Debt
Series: Touched #1
Author: Nancy Straight
Self-Published

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Blurb:
Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a Centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her family acknowledges her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately desires.


*********************************************************************************

Author Interview

Nov 17
Author Interview Questions – Better Read Than Dead Blog
Thanks for letting me stop by for a chat today, Kristin!! 

Kristin:  Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you live?
Nancy:  I LOVE Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). I have a lead foot so I set cruise control when I drive, even in 25 MPH zones. I almost never win when I play Angry Birds, but have my 8 year old close, so he can clear the hard levels for me. I grew up on a farm and am opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to meat - just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). I am a huge fan of the show, Big Bang Theory, on CBS. I have a stray cat that I feed every night and morning but she’s never let me get closer than within 3 feet of her – I keep thinking eventually I’ll wear her down and she’ll let me pet her. I share my life with two fantastic sons, three rotten dogs and a husband that I adore. I live in rural South Carolina.

Kristin:  What is the name of the book you are currently promoting and would you like to tell us a little about it?
Nancy: Blood Debt is the first book in my Touched Series.  The genre is Mythological Romance and focuses on Centaurs.  I know what you’re thinking:  Centaurs, really? 
I promise, they aren’t the half person, half horse creatures you’re thinking about!!  LOL!  It’s a modern take on a mythological race.     

Kristin:  Tell us a little about your main character(s).
Nancy:  The main character is Camille.  She’s a strong heroine that I think most of us can relate to.  Camille could easily be your sister, cousin or friend and if she weren’t a fictional character I’m sure she’d be one of my BFF(s).

The story starts out shortly after Camille lost her mother to cancer; she believed she was all alone in the world.  Just before her mother died, she revealed to Camille who her father was.  Camille finds her father and is introduced to an entire world she never knew existed.

Kristin:  Do you feel like you put parts of yourself in your characters?
Nancy:  I try to make the characters as believable as possible and I do my best to give every character a unique personality.  Lots of my pet phrases make it into the character’s dialog and although I’d like to be more like Camille, she’s waaaay tougher than I am. 

Kristin:  Will there be a sequel or do you have another project in the works?
Nancy:  Yes!  Book 2 in the Touched Series is titled Centaur Legacy and releases this weekend!!  I’m working on Book 3 in this series and plan for it to be out before summer 2013.


Kristin:  Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Nancy:  Most of my friends are strong, independent women so I have a tendency to write very strong heroines.  My house is filled with three dogs and two sons so there is never an absence of humor in my life.  I have a husband who I adore so writing about characters who love each other in a meaningful way isn’t much of a stretch either.  The short answer is I draw the inspiration for my writing from my life.

Kristin:  If you couldn’t be an author, but anything else…what would you be?
Nancy:  Hmmm, maybe a professional blogger?  That’s not to say I am very good at blogging but I read ALL THE TIME and when I find a book I love, I always send a note to all my friends telling them to get it right away.  Bloggers are the unsung heroes in the indie world.

Book bloggers are willing to take a chance on an unknown author, devoting hours of their lives reading and reviewing, then broadcasting their opinion to the world.  Thank you to you and others like you isn’t adequate; sometimes I wish there were better English words, something like:
OHMYSWEETGOODNESSILOVEYOU! 

Kristin:  Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring writers?
Nancy:  Do it!  Don’t let anyone convince you that can’t be a writer.  Write what you would love to read.          

Fun Stuff

Kristin:  The apocalypse is coming…what do you do?
Nancy:   Horde Mountain Dew, Diesel fuel and snickers bars.  I’m sure I’d score REALLY low on any kind of readiness scale, but if the end of the world is coming I want to be on a sugar high watching my favorite movies on DVD.

Kristin:  What 5 things are within your reach right now? No cheating.
Nancy:   Sunglasses, popcorn container, Centaur Legacy, Mountain Dew and my Jack Russell Terrier, “Flash.”

Kristin:  Favorite Food?
Nancy: Five Guys Burgers!!

Kristin: Favorite Movie?
Nancy:  The Avengers!!!

Kristin:  Favorite TV show?
Nancy:  Big Bang Theory and Revolution is a close second.

Kristin: Favorite Song?
Nancy:  Naked by Dev and Enrique Iglesias

Kristin:  Favorite singer or band?
Nancy:  Taylor Swift

Kristin:  One food you would never try?
Nancy:  Anything with insects!!

Kristin: Health nut or junk food junkie?
Nancy:  Junk food junkie!!

Kristin: The most exotic food you have ever eaten?
Nancy:  A marlin that a friend and I caught off the cost of Oahu, Hawaii.

Kristin:  Day on the beach or snow skiing down a mountain?
Nancy:  Well, since I have no balance or coordination, I have no business on a mountain snow skiing or as my son would say, “watching mom roll down.”  I love a day at the beach because it doesn’t require balance or coordination!

Kristin: Two books you think everyone should read. (Yes, you can and should include yours.)
Nancy:  Amy Bartol’s Inescapeable and Shelly Crane’s Significance.  These are two of the nicest ladies I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet and both are very talented writers! 

Kristin:  Places my readers can stalk you?

Smashwords

Other social media links are at the top of this post along with buy links!

Thank you so much for taking this time to let us get to know you. We have enjoyed having you today. I hope you have enjoyed yourself and will stop by to see us again soon.

Kristin, this has been a blast!  I’ve been stalking you for a while now so it’s a real pleasure to have been here for a chat!

Thank you so much, Nancy for stopping by and providing us with such wonderful answers. Blood Debt is an intriguing and captivating book! Look for the review later tonight!!! So many yummy, yummy men. I don't know how Nancy kept up with them all!


Giveaway!!!
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Friday, November 16, 2012

{Cover Reveal} Aversion by Kenechi Udogu


Aversion (Book One of The Mentalist Series)
A YA paranormal romance novella by Kenechi Udogu

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Blurb:
For Gemma Green’s first time, things should have been straightforward. Find your subject, hold their gaze and push a thought into their head to save them from future disaster – Aversion complete. A pretty simple process given that the subject was to have no recollection of the experience. But Russ Tanner doesn’t seem to want to forget. In fact the more she tries to avoid him, the more he pushes to get to know her. Gemma knows she has a problem but is she facing the side effects of a failed Aversion or has the school’s tennis champ really fallen for her?

Mini excerpt (opening paragraph):

My name is Gemma Green and I am an Averter. You’re probably wondering what that means and why it is important for me to state that I am one. On the surface there is not much difference between me and most other fifteen year old girls, except for the fact that I have the ability to alter people’s minds and stop them from carrying out actions that will unhinge their predestined life paths. I know it sounds impossible but trust me, it’s true. Only another Averter will be able to tell what I am from sight. Well, not really sight. We have the ability to sense things that others overlook. For example, I always know when I’m being lied to. I can’t tell what the exact lie is but I get a knot in my stomach every time I hear one; the bigger the lie, the tighter the knot. It’s clearly not the most enjoyable ability for anyone to have but the older we get, the easier it becomes to tune the feelings out. You eventually get to a point where the only person’s emotions you can tune into is the person you are assigned to. But I’ll get to that later.

Expected release date: December 3rd 2012



Monday, November 12, 2012

{Blog Tour, Review, and #Giveaway} Ember by Jessica Sorensen


Welcome to the Ember Blog Tour brought to you by SupaGurl Tours! Be sure you read down to the bottom, because there's a giveaway hiding in plain sight!


Title: Ember
Series: Death Collectors
Author: Jessica Sorensen


Blurb:

What if you knew when someone was going to die?

For seventeen-year-old Ember, life is death. With a simple touch, she knows when someone will die. It’s her curse and the reason she secludes herself from the world. The only person who knows her secret is her best friend Raven. 

Then she meets Asher Morgan. He’s gorgeous, mysterious, and is the only person Ember can't sense death from. So when he pushes into her life, she doesn’t mind.

But when unexplained deaths start to haunt her town, Ember starts questioning why she can’t sense Asher's death and what he may be hiding.


Yeah! Seriously, 5 Stars! I knew from the very first page when we meet Emmy and she's attuned to death and ravens, that this was going to be a book I seriously could not put down. All I know, this is a book for Miss Kelly McGeer. It's eery, and creepy, and a bit dark, but I loved every minute of it.

Finally, technical difficulties solved. I loved Ember so much, but I have to admit that I am a sucker for angels, death, and good versus evil scenarios. Jessica put a neat little spin on what could have turned out to be another ordinary book about angels. She created mythology revolving around Angels of Death and the Grim Reaper. I love that she created a Grim Angel who was supposed to be the balance between the Angels of Death who collected the good souls and the Reapers who collected the bad souls. Somewhere in the past, rules had been broken and one group was steeling souls that weren't theirs to collect.

Ember was cursed. With one single touch, she could tell how someone would die and when. She had other powers that she was just discovering. She'd grown up being able to feel the "death omen" as she called it and had never interfered in another's destiny, until her best friend's end drew near. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to help, but someone else managed to fix the situation for her and would be punished for his involvement. In fact, so many rules were broken by the end of the story, I'm surprised anyone survived.

I'll admit to staying a little confused between Asher and Cameron during most of the book, well, actually until the very end. Jessica kept you up in the air as to which yummy, yummy guy played on which team. Who was the Grim Reaper and who was the Angel of Death. Just as I began to trust one, something weird would happen and I would decide he was the bad guy, then Jessica would switch the tables and make you trust the other one before she ripped the rug out from underneath you.

Admittedly, Jessica's writing pulled me in from the very first page and kept me enraptured to the very last page. This book is not a light read, you need to have quiet time and be able to concentrate on what is happening inside the story, because everyone has something to hide, and I do mean everyone. When I admitted to being confused, this was not a problem with the writing, this is how Jessica kept your attention, making you question everything someone said or someone did. 

And that darn raven had me guessing constantly. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love Ravens and the many different stories that accompany their existence. In Ember, they are portrayed as announcers of death...which I absolutely loved.

When you are looking for a dark and creepy read, huddle down in a corner with Ember. I promise you will not be disappointed. 

*I have never met, nor corresponded with Jessica Sorensen at any given time. I use her name only to refer to her writing. I received a copy of this book, free of charge, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Giveaway Time

1 eBook of Ember (Death Collectors) by Jessica Sorensen


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