Wednesday 31 October 2012

Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout Blog Tour - Author Interview

 
I am so excited to be a part of the Deity blog tour organized by the wonderful Valerie at Stuck in Books.

Today, I am sharing my interview with Jennifer L. Armentrout where she talks about her popular, Covenant series.


A Twitter party will be held on November 2nd at 8PM EST with the hashtag #DeityJLA

About the Author

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in West Virginia. All the rumors you've heard about her state aren't true. Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write. She shares her home with her husband, his K-9 partner named Diesel, and her hyper Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent her time writing short stories...therefore explaining her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes Adult and Young Adult Urban Fantasy and Romance. She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

JLA Interview

 S - In one sentence, how would you describe the Covenant series?

JLA -Greek gods aren’t warm and fuzzy and you really don’t want to end up on their radar. Okay. Maybe that doesn’t explain the series, but pretty much sums up the gods.

S - Has your story played out as you originally planned or does it tend to take on a life of its own?

JLA - Some things have panned out how I originally planned, but there is so much that has changed as I wrote the first three books. Characters that have died originally hadn’t and vice versa. I don’t plot, so sometimes the way the story ends up surprises even me.

S - I don’t think I have cheered for a couple as much as what I have for Aiden and Alex; do you have a favorite couple from any of your series?

JLA - It really depends on what I’m writing at that moment. Just like with my favorite character, my favorite couples cycle out on a regular basis.

S - Do you find a particular character more challenging to write than the others?

JLA - Aiden is a really hard character for me to write. He’s very complex and not as he seems earlier on. The real Aiden is still a mystery to me at this point. So he can be hard to get a grasp on at times.

S - Are there certain influences that inspire you when writing? (literary and non-literary)

JLA - Any good book is an influence, because you want to be just as good, but in reality, I write to cure my own boredom. Not the most inspirational influence, but hey, it works. =)

S - Which 5 songs would you choose if you had to make a mini playlist to accompany Deity?

Adele “Set Fire to the Rain”
Sarah McLachlan “Possession”
Korn “Narcissistic Cannibal”
Shinedown “Sound of Madness”
A Perfect Circle “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War drums” (i.e. the longest song title ever)

S - What is up next for you?

JLA - After Deity, Elixir releases (Aiden’s novella) and then Opal (3rd Lux novel) in December.

S - Thank-you so much Jennifer!

JLA - Thank you for having me.

Deity (Covenant, #3)My 5 star Deity Review:

Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the third book in the Covenant series and was kindly provided to me by Spencer Hill Press.

Deity is another of my most anticipated reads for 2012, I have loved everything written to date by Ms. Armentrout and this book was no exception, if I could use one word to describe it, it would be brilliance!

This book was all sorts of amazing and I am still in shock by the events which took place.

After everything that happened in Pure and fear of the consequences of what took place, Alex has returned home and is lying low in the hopes of not being found out for what she, Seth and Aiden are hiding from the daimon, fury attack whilst in the NY covenant.

She is also approaching her eighteenth birthday which will result in her awakening, something she fears terribly but the marks of the apollyon are appearing sooner than expected when she is up close and personal with Seth, the question lies about whether or not he can be trusted or if he wants her to awaken sooner than expected for his own purposes.

Alex is one of my most favorite heroines, she is totally kick-butt, intelligent, has a sense of humor and a snarky mouth that gets her into a heck of a load of trouble but makes me laugh out loud and she has a caring streak a mile wide but also vulnerability which I think shows more in this book than what it has in the others.

Seth is hiding so much and for most of this book I was quite wary of his intentions and whether he could be trusted, I thoroughly enjoy the interactions and the banter between Alex and Seth but I questioned their true feelings for one another. He could be infuriating one moment but then he would let down his guard and I would question his sincerity {argh!}.

On the other hand, there is gorgeous {sigh}, perfect, protective Aiden who will pretty much do anything for Alex and his feelings are certainly not as hidden in this book as they have been in the others which I loved but the whole forbidden romance is still in their way.

So much was revealed in this book and I was literally gaping at the many twists, turns and shocks I didn’t see coming – at all! The element of surprise was certainly welcomed. The politics were alive and well and we learn more about the gods, a secret order, the court and Alex’s purpose in this book which was wonderful. Ms Armentrout never fails to amaze me with her enthralling storytelling.

Deity was an action packed, drama filled and exciting installment in this amazing series with a romance that makes me gush, I don’t think I have ever cheered on a couple as much as what I have for Aiden and Alex, I think they compliment each other perfectly.

Jennifer Armentrout’s writing is flawless; her characters are written to absolute perfection as it the setting. The world-building is pure genius and I am so eager to see what is to happen in the next book, Apollyon.

Overall, Deity is a perfect addition to this series that had me on the edge of my seat from the first to the very last page, Jennifer L. Armentrout is a must-read author, every one of her books are fantabulous!

Need.To.Get.Hold.Of.Apollyon – Now. 

Giveaway:

Spencer Hill Press are kindly giving away 3 x prize packs which includes a $25 Amazon giftcard, a copy of the book, a shirt and lots of SWAG!  
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday 30 October 2012

AToMR Blog Tour - Reaping Me Softly Review + G!veaway by Kate Evangelista



I am pleased to be able to participate in the Reaping Me Softly, by Kate Evangelista blog tour through AToMR Tours.
  
Reaping Me Softly
Author: Kate Evangelista
Pages: 220
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal)
Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Synopsis.

Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.

At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?


Reaping me Softly Tour Schedule

Kate Evangelista’s Contact links: Facebook - Website - Twitter - Goodreads

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Kate Evangelista’s debut novel, Taste was a book I absolutely devoured, so when the opportunity arose to read Reaping Me Softly through AToMR Tours, I jumped at the chance.

Seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson has the ability to see dead people, something which began at a young age after a near-death-experience on the operating table. She is a character you immediately connect with, she is smart and sweet, had a nice family unit and genuinely cared for those around her, especially her sister, Carrie and her best friend Ben.

Nikolas Clark, is the Reaper of Georgia and the boy Ari has had a crush on for quite a while but believing him out of her reach – his job is to escort souls to the cross-roads and he has taken a keen liking to Arianne who accepted him as non-human without question.

Niko was a bored reaper until he met Arianne, but things change when he accidentally reaped the soul of someone she cares deeply about, I enjoyed this aspect of the book and how it all played out; the little twists we are given certainly kept the storyline intriguing and I loved the look we are given into Niko's paranormal world.

The secondary characters were each interesting and played an important role in this book, but Ben was definitely my favorite, I adored the relationship he shared with Arianne and Janika, the Reaper of NY the least enjoyable although her feistiness kept me entertained.

My main complaints with this book, it's that I wish the romance would have taken longer to develop – it seemed a tad rushed and there were also a few plot points which were predictable and a not believable but they didn’t take away from me enjoying this book.

The premise of Reaping Me Softly was enough to draw me in and keep me engaged in the story, I really enjoy Ms Evangelista’s writing, it is entertaining, easy to follow and read.

Reaping Me Softly is a nice first installment in what I believe is to be a series.


Giveaway:

Kate Evangelista is kindly giving away 10 x eBook copies of Reaping Me Softly (Int’l)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 29 October 2012

Borrowed Ember by Samantha Young Blog Tour: Kismet Book Touring

Welcome to Obsession with Books blog tour stop for Borrowed Ember, the third book in the Fire Spirits series by the wonderful Samantha Young

sponsored by Kismet Book Touring

Fire Spirits series by Samantha Young

Book 1: Smokeless Fire (my review)
Book 2: Scorched Skies (my review)
Book 3: Borrowed Ember (my review)
Book 4: Darkness Kindled


About the Fire Spirit series

Light and Dark cannot exist without the other. Ari Johnson knows this. She has seen both elements battle for supremacy within her family and within the boy she loves. But on her eighteen birthday, after her friends surprise her with a gimmick genie claiming to grant wishes, Ari witnesses the brightest of lights and the blackest of darks. Within our world, and all the others, exist Jinn. Powerful beings of smokeless fire – beings Ari cannot escape…

One terrifying king.
One overprotective, arrogant young guardian.
One uncle whose loyalties are suspect.
And Azazil: Sultan of all Jinn.

…Ari has no idea who she can trust. When the truth burns through her life in its determination to turn it to ashes, Ari will have to battle with ancient deadly creatures, epic family drama and heart-wrenching romantic entanglements.
It’s time… to fear the heat…

Borrowed Ember (Fire Spirits #3)About Borrowed Ember - Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

Everything in Ari’s life until this point has felt borrowed.

Her human life with a father who wasn’t really hers.

A love for a boy that needed more than her to be strong.

Kisses with a Jinn who refused to do anything but lend them out in moments of weakness.

And even her resolve, which seemed to fail her whenever she needed it most.

But Ari is done borrowing. She finally feels strong enough to make hunting Jinn not just a hobby to get her through her dismal situation… but to make hunting a permanent and necessary career. Her friendship with Charlie might finally make it onto real and steady ground if only she can save him from the trial on Mount Qaf that may mean his death. And her love for Jai could be eternal, if only she could gain control over the darkness of the Seal within her.

Ari believes all of this is fixable. That finally Ari will truly own the relationships in her life and to a certain extent have ownership over her future.

For some reason Ari forgot it wasn’t up to her.

That high in the emerald mountains of Mount Qaf, the Sultan Azazil has been keeping secrets… even from the Jinn Kings. Secrets that will change everything… and bring Ari to the crashing realization that once again…

… she’s borrowed something that will never truly belong to her.


Darkness, Kindled (Fire Spirits #4)Coming November 23rd Darkness, Kindled - Goodreads

Ari Johnson wishes adjusting to living with her boyfriend was her only source of excitement and anxiety.

She wishes a lot of things.

But then wishing was what got her here in the first place.

Ari chose to be a Guild Hunter. She wanted to stalk dangerous Jinn and destroy them before they could harm innocent people. But now that Ari is a member of The Guild, she finds herself in the impossible position of hunting her ex-best friend – human-turned-dangerous sorcerer, Charlie Creagh. As Ari struggles to come to terms with her duty, an ancient Jinn and his companion want revenge on her for using the command of the Seal against them; the White King refuses to give up on his quest to resurrect Lilif, and Asmodeus isn’t done toying with her.

When Ari can take no more, rushing to the Sultan Azazil’s side to demand of him the favor he owes her, the events she sets in motion will not only alter everyone’s lives, it will kindle a darkness that will shake the realms to their very core.



Samantha Young is a 26 year old writer who resides in her home county of Stirlingshire, Scotland. She is a self-proclaimed book addict and Kindle junkie, using fantasy, dystopian, sci-fi and paranormal novels to feed her addiction.

After graduating from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in ancient and medieval history, Samantha returned to her main passion, writing, and often incorporates history and mythology into her novels.

Samantha’s first release, The Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy, was followed by a second series titled Warriors of Ankh. At present, she is a full-time writer working on a number of projects for near future release. She is the author of nine novels and one novella. Her young adult paranormal series are Amazon bestselling novels.

Charlie Creagh Character Bio:

Charlie Creagh was a typical guy. He had a normal family including his little brother, Mike, who he considered one of his best friends. His other best friend, Ari Johnson, had quickly become something more and they were on their road to Relationshipville. School was good. Life was good.

Then Mike was killed in a car accident. Charlie was driving. Fast forward two years and Charlie Creagh is a slacker, drug taker, drunk on school days, throwing his life away in shame, anger and guilt kind of guy. Only Ari refuses to give up on him, and when her life gets flipped upside down and they discover that genies are real, Charlie also discovers the disturbing truth behind Mike’s death, a new addiction to the world of the Jinn, and renewed interest in making Ari more than just a friend. All he needs is to discover a way to be more useful in keeping her alive, and also in kicking the ass of the macho guardian Jinn, Jai, who’s turned his best friend’s head. Asshat.
 
Giveaway:

Daily prize: Swag pack (pen, poster, bookmark, keyring, magnet) and signed copy of Borrowed Ember

Major Prize: Kindle Touch skinned in the winner's choice of cover art from the Fire Spirits series!

Contest open internationally.




Check out the rest of the tour schedule: 

Smokeless Fire week: 
Monday, October 15th - Parajunkee 
Tuesday, October 16th - Rants N Scribbles 
Wednesday,October 17th - Book Briefs 
Thursday, October 18th - Coffee, Books & Me 
Friday, October 19th - Tater's Tall Tails

Scorched Skies week: 
Monday, October 22nd - Refracted Light Reviews 
Tuesday, October 23rd - Seeing Night 
Wednesday,October 24th - Ruby Reads 
Thursday, October 25th - Books With Bite
Friday, October 26th - Urban Fantasy Investigations

Borrowed Ember week: 
Monday, October 29th - Obsession With Books 
Tuesday, October 30th - Tsk, Tsk! What To Read? 
Wednesday, October 31st - I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read!
Thursday, November 1st - Nick's Book Blog 
Friday, November 2nd - Unabridged Andra


Thursday 25 October 2012

Review: Dirty Blood (Dirty Blood #1) by Heather Hildenbrand

Dirty Blood (Dirty Blood, #1) 
Author: Heather Hildenbrand
Series: Dirty Blood
Pages: 289
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Accendo Press

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. That’s about the time I went into shock… And that was the moment he showed up.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand is the first book in the Dirty Blood series.

We are thrust into the action from the onset of this book when we meet Tara, leaving a bar and coming across a girl who shifted before her very eyes into a werewolf. Tara had been oblivious to the supernatural existing before this time but was able to defend herself and kill her with a piece of pipe. There to help her out was Wesley, a werewolf himself.

Wes wasn’t able to get a read on Tara but knew there is something different about her so introduces her to a few friends where she finds out she is what is known as a Hunter. Wes was sensitive, protective and pretty swoon-worthy but he also held many secrets, his biggest made him a target to not only the hunters but also the werewolves.

Werewolves and Hunters are enemies and spend most of the time trying to destroy one another, hence the reason behind The Cause – a combined group of both species trying to come to a form of peace agreement. I enjoyed this aspect and learning of the Hunter/Werewolf heritage and The Cause’s purpose along with Tara.

I didn’t mind Tara as a main character, I liked her snark and her acceptance of what she was being told but her moodiness at times got on my nerves; I did feel sorry for her with the many secrets being kept hidden but she over-reacted a tad too often. Wes was great but I wanted to know more about him and the secondary characters each played an important role in this book, I especially loved Jack and Fee.

There were so many things I liked about this story but also a few things which I tend to squirm about, the biggest being declarations of love too soon, although it wasn’t overly wrung out it is still a peeve none the less and if it was believable I would have accepted it a lot easier, another thing was Tara’s tendency to act out on impulse, there were a few times where I wish she would have stayed put or closed her mouth but not the case, she came across as spoilt and demanding.

Ms. Hildenbrand’s writing style was simplistic, the plot was enjoyable but there were a number of plot elements and pieces of cheesy dialogue that bought it down a few notches for me.

Despite the few things mentioned above, Dirty Blood was an enjoyable and quick read with likeable characters, action and suspense. I will be picking up the next book in the series, Cold Blood.


Tuesday 23 October 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (24th October)


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

My choice for this weeks WoW is Poison by Bridget Zinn

 Poison
 Author:  Bridget Zinn
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: 12th March 2013
Pre-order Amazon: Poison

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon

What is your WoW for this week?

Cover Reveal: Unresisting by Shane Morgan


I have the pleasure of bringing you another GORGEOUS cover reveal today!

Unresisting by Shane Morgan.

 

Release date: November 27, 2012
Publisher: Createspace (Independent)


Synopsis:

Seventeen year old Natasha Johnson is having a rough year. Her twin brother, Sean, died last summer after a car crash, and her parents decided to pack up and leave the only home she’d known all her life. It's a lot to take in, and Nat has decidedly given up on the world, until moving to Stetson Valley and meeting high school ‘outcast’, Chace Owens.

Chace's dark and mysterious aura is not exactly seen as 'normal', but Nat already knows that not a lot of things are of the norm when it comes to her life. She soon finds herself unable to resist Chace's strange pull on her heart, unleashing a sudden attraction to the unnatural forces that have always been burning within her. But with uncovering her true self brings forth great danger, as Nat learns that her brother's death had a lot more to do with the side she's unable to resist.

Can Natasha calm the blazing flames and withstand the threat of danger, or will this new found power destroy her?

What do you think?

Sunday 21 October 2012

Stacking the Shelves + The Sunday Post

STSmall_thumb[2] 
Hi everyone {waves} thank-you so much for stopping by!!

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews

It's a chance to share what has happened the past week, showcase books and other bookish things we have received and talk about what is coming up on our blog.

 This is my recap of what I received and what happened on the blog this past week.

(Clicking on the title will take you to Goodreads)

Received for Review:

Amarok by Angela J. Townsend
After Moonrise by P.C. Cast & Gena Showalter
Gravity by Melissa West

(Thank-you to Spencer Hill Press, Harlequin Australia & Entangled Publishing)

Purchased

Cold Fury by T. M . Goeglein
Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally


Thank-you to Alyssa Rose Ivy (Flight) for all of the swag she sent :)

  A recap of my week:

 Currently Reading:

Gravity by Melissa West

Monday

Supagurl Blog Tour – My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron

Tuesday

Interview + Aust/NZ Giveaway with Julie Kagawa (The Lost Prince)
Excerpt – ICED (A Dani O’Malley novel – Fever #6) by Karen Marie Moning

Wednesday

Review: Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt
Waiting on Wednesday – Vengeance Bound

Thursday

Review: Alight (Pyxis #2) – BB Book Tours

Friday

Cover reveal – Phoebe Pope the Year of Four by Nya Jade

(Reviews to come:) 

Reaping me Softly by Kate Evangelista (30 Oct),
Betwixt by Melissa Pearl (1 Nov,
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (18 Nov),
The Impossible Engineers by M.J. Fletcher,
Toxic by Jus Accardo.

Thank-you for stopping by! I have also joined Facebook (finally), I'd love for you to join me there as well - FACEBOOK

What did you get this week? Please feel free to leave your
link in the comments.