Tuesday, January 15, 2013
January New Release Giveaway Hop
Monday, January 14, 2013
Cover Reveal: Awaken by Sarah M. Ross
Title: Awaken
(Patronus, #1)
Author: Sarah
M. Ross
Original release date: January 27, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy/Paranormal
Cover Designer: Donna Dull of Sharp Cover Designs
Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours
Amazon|B&N|Smashwords|Kobo|itunes|Goodreads
Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours
Amazon|B&N|Smashwords|Kobo|itunes|Goodreads
AWAKEN is on sale for .99!
Synopsis:
Lucy Donovan was supposed to have a
weekend of fun in the sun, celebrating her upcoming graduation from college. In
a split second, everything changed. A drunk driver ended Lucy’s mortal life.
Lucy opens her eyes to a world she never imagined possible and a new destiny: as a Patronus, a guardian of spirits. Adjusting to her new role and abilities while negotiating this confusing realm will test her limits and push her further than she ever dreamed she would go. From wayward spirits who don’t want her help to soul stealing vampires, and even a stuck-up British royal, Lucy must brave them all to save one spirit she can’t bear to lose.
Further complicating her confusing life is an inexplicable yet growing connection she feels to a member of her team, Max, whose mysterious behavior leaves her both confused and intrigued.
Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy’s death is about to become the greatest adventure of her life.
Lucy opens her eyes to a world she never imagined possible and a new destiny: as a Patronus, a guardian of spirits. Adjusting to her new role and abilities while negotiating this confusing realm will test her limits and push her further than she ever dreamed she would go. From wayward spirits who don’t want her help to soul stealing vampires, and even a stuck-up British royal, Lucy must brave them all to save one spirit she can’t bear to lose.
Further complicating her confusing life is an inexplicable yet growing connection she feels to a member of her team, Max, whose mysterious behavior leaves her both confused and intrigued.
Waking up dead was just the beginning of her problems. Lucy’s death is about to become the greatest adventure of her life.
I started my obsession
with reading at an early age, getting in trouble for sneaking BabySitter Club
and Nancy Drew books into math class in elementary school. I would read any
fiction book I could get my hands on. I knew it was an addiction when instead
of grounding me from TV or music, my mom would take away my books as punishment
(The Horror!). My love of all things paranormal was inspired by my good friend
Laurie, who convinced me that books with vampires, witches, and all things
shifter were amazing. After a little reluctance, I gave it a shot with the
Sookie Stackhouse books, realized she was right, and the rest was history.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Review: A Tale of the Other Kind by Leandi Cameron
Kai Emery likes to be indiscernible; however, his infatuation for his classmate, Sienna Fynn, has made his invisibility status all the more impossible to upkeep. His world spirals out of control when he discovers that he is a shapeshifting were-leopard, and finds himself unable to control his newfound anatomy.
An unpredictable vampire enters his life, leading him down a path that soon reveals his destiny, and discloses another world, filled with magic and terrifying darkness. When he finds himself in danger from the god of magic and darkness for disobeying a curse bestowed upon his kind, forbidding him from falling in love with a human, he has to fight for survival, and protect everyone that he loves.
Thoughts:Sienna is in a bad relationship and Kai wants desperately for her to realize she can do better and possibly with a guy like him. Yet, soon as things begin to look hopeful for the two of them, Kai discovers that he is not entirely human. Now, he's afraid that his change will make the one girl he cares about turn away from him. Sienna just wants him to trust her and believe that she can hold her own. Kai meets another shifter Astrid who tells him that he needs to stay away from Sienna otherwise it will not end well. She informs him that all of their kind is cursed to lose those they love.
I think the story is interesting take on the shapeshifter lore. Kai is an okay male lead and the story is told from his perspective.He does come off a little slow to process things when he discovers his new abilities and what they mean for his future. Sienna comes off as vulnerable but with a hint of ferocity simmering beneath. The romance between Kai and Sienna is cute with just a little heat. What I do like about Kai is his capacity to love and the fact that he wants to take his time to get to know Sienna without rushing into anything too quickly. Overall, an okay read filled with fantasy, romance and bit of action.
About the Author
Leandi Cameron is the author of Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy A Tale of the Other Kind series, starting with A Therian Novel. She is an award-winning journalist who grew up in the South of Johannesburg, and now lives in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni, South Africa, where she also spends her days working at Caxton Newspapers as the Assistant Editor for the Boksburg Advertiser. She has an Honours Degree in Journalism from Tshwane University of Technology. Cameron also co-owns House of LeaVik with her sister Vikki Rostoll-Olivier where she also dabbles in publishing, fashion and graphic design.Author: Leandi Cameron
Title: A Tale of the Other Kind
Series: Therian Novel
Publication: September 18, 2012
Publisher: House of Leavik
Source: Author via Orangeberry Book Tours
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway: Pandora's Temple by Jon Land
Title: Pandora's Temple
Author: Jon Land
Publication:
Publisher:
Source: Publisher/Author
Genre:
Audience:17 and up
Synopsis:
McCracken has never been shy about answering the call, and this time it comes in the aftermath of deepwater oilrig disaster that claims the life of a one-time member of his commando unit. The remnants of the rig and its missing crew lead him to the inescapable conclusion that one of the most mysterious and deadly forces in the Universe is to blame—dark matter, both a limitless source of potential energy and a weapon with unimaginable destructive capabilities.
Joining forces again with his trusty sidekick Johnny Wareagle, McCracken races to stop both an all-powerful energy magnate and the leader of a Japanese dooms-day cult from finding the dark matter they seek for entirely different, yet equally dangerous, reasons. Ultimately, that race will take him not only across the world, but also across time and history to the birth of an ancient legend that may not have been a legend at all. The truth lies 4,000 years in the past and the construction of the greatest structure known to man at the time:
Pandora’s Temple, built to safeguard the most powerful weapon man would ever know.
Now, with that very weapon having resurfaced, McCracken’s only hope to save the world is to find the temple, the very existence of which is shrouded in mystery and long lost to myth. Along the way, he and Johnny Wareagle find themselves up against Mexican drug gangs, killer robots, an army of professional assassins, and a legendary sea monster before reaching a mountaintop fortress where the final battle to preserve mankind will be fought.
The hero of nine previous bestselling thrillers, McCracken is used to the odds being stacked against him, but this time the stakes have never been higher.
McCracken has never been shy about answering the call, and this time it comes in the aftermath of deepwater oilrig disaster that claims the life of a one-time member of his commando unit. The remnants of the rig and its missing crew lead him to the inescapable conclusion that one of the most mysterious and deadly forces in the Universe is to blame—dark matter, both a limitless source of potential energy and a weapon with unimaginable destructive capabilities.
Joining forces again with his trusty sidekick Johnny Wareagle, McCracken races to stop both an all-powerful energy magnate and the leader of a Japanese dooms-day cult from finding the dark matter they seek for entirely different, yet equally dangerous, reasons. Ultimately, that race will take him not only across the world, but also across time and history to the birth of an ancient legend that may not have been a legend at all. The truth lies 4,000 years in the past and the construction of the greatest structure known to man at the time:
Pandora’s Temple, built to safeguard the most powerful weapon man would ever know.
Now, with that very weapon having resurfaced, McCracken’s only hope to save the world is to find the temple, the very existence of which is shrouded in mystery and long lost to myth. Along the way, he and Johnny Wareagle find themselves up against Mexican drug gangs, killer robots, an army of professional assassins, and a legendary sea monster before reaching a mountaintop fortress where the final battle to preserve mankind will be fought.
The hero of nine previous bestselling thrillers, McCracken is used to the odds being stacked against him, but this time the stakes have never been higher.
My Thoughts: Just as the blurb on the cover suggest Jon Land is a great thriller writer. this is a fast paced, action packed, thriller. This is the first I have read of the McCracken series and it will not be my last. Blaine McCracken is facing a milestone his 60th birthday. In the face of this milestone and the fact that he hasn't had a mission in two years leaves McCracken feeling that he no longer has what it takes. He is given a suicide mission and proves himself. Then the real test begins. McCracken and his long time friend and partner in crime find themselves up against formidable opponents.
Land really made me thing about what our retired service men and women are doing with their spare time. I also wonder how many former special service persons contract themselves out for the safety and security of our nation? I'm sure many of them feel as McCracken does. I am also sure that their services can still be used today.
Excerpt:
Land really made me thing about what our retired service men and women are doing with their spare time. I also wonder how many former special service persons contract themselves out for the safety and security of our nation? I'm sure many of them feel as McCracken does. I am also sure that their services can still be used today.
The Mediterranean Sea, 2008
“It would help, sir, if I knew what we were looking for,” Captain John J. Hightower of the Aurora said to the stranger he’d picked up on the island of Crete.
The stranger remained poised by the research ship’s deck rail, gazing out into the turbulent seas beyond. His long gray hair, dangling well past his shoulders in tangles and ringlets, was damp with sea spray, left to the whims of the wind.
“Sir?” Hightower prodded again.
The stranger finally turned, chuckling. “You called me sir. That’s funny.”
“I was told you were a captain,” said Hightower
“In name only, my friend.”
“If I’m your friend,” Hightower said, “you should be able to tell me what’s so important that our current mission was scrapped to pick you up.”
Beyond them, the residue of a storm from the previous night kept the seas choppy with occasional frothy swells that rocked the Aurora even as she battled the stiff winds to keep her speed steady. Gray-black clouds swept across the sky, colored silver at the tips where the sun pushed itself forward enough to break through the thinner patches. Before long, Hightower could tell, those rays would win the battle to leave the day clear and bright with the seas growing calm. But that was hardly the case now.
“I like your name,” came the stranger’s airy response. Beneath the orange life jacket, he wore a Grateful Dead tie dye t-shirt and old leather vest that was fraying at the edges and missing all three of its buttons. So faded that the sun made it look gray in some patches and white in others. His eyes, a bit sleepy and almost drunken, had a playful glint about them. “I like anything with the word ‘high.’ You should rethink your policy about no smoking aboard the ship, if it’s for medicinal purposes only.”
“I will, if you explain what we’re looking for out here.”
“Out here” was the Mediterranean Sea where it looped around Greece’s ancient, rocky southern coastline. For four straight days now, the Aurora had been mapping the sea floor in detailed grids in search of something of unknown size, composition and origin; or, at least, known only by the man Hightower had mistakenly thought was a captain by rank. Hightower’s ship was a hydrographic survey vessel. At nearly thirty meters in length with a top speed of just under twenty-five knots, the Aurora had been commissioned just the previous year to fashion nautical charts to ensure safe navigation by military and civilian shipping, tasked with conducting seismic surveys of the seabed and underlying geology. A few times since her commission, the Aurora and her eight-person crew had been re-tasked for other forms of oceanographic research, but her high tech air cannons, capable of generating high-pressure shock waves to map the strata of the seabed, made her much more fit for more traditional assignments.
“How about I give you a hint?” the stranger said to Hightower. “It’s big.”
“How about I venture a guess?”
“Take your best shot, dude.”
“I know a military mission when I see one. I think you’re looking for a weapon.”
“Warm.”
“Something stuck in a ship or submarine. Maybe even a sunken wreck from years, even centuries ago.”
“Cold,” the man Hightower knew only as “Captain” told him. “Well, except for the centuries ago part. That’s blazing hot.”
Hightower pursed his lips, frustration getting the better of him. “So are we looking for a weapon or not?”
“Another hint, Captain High: only the most powerful ever known to man,” the stranger said with a wink. “A game changer of epic proportions for whoever finds it. Gotta make sure the bad guys don’t manage that before we do. Hey, did you know marijuana’s been approved to treat motion sickness?”
Hightower could only shake his head. “Look, I might not know exactly you’re looking for, but whatever it is, it’s not here. You’ve got us retracing our own steps, running hydrographs in areas we’ve already covered. Nothing ‘big,’ as you describe it, is down there.”
“I beg to differ, el Capitan.”
“Our depth sounders have picked up nothing, the underwater cameras we launched have picked up nothing, the ROVS have picked up nothing.”
“It’s there,” the stranger said with strange assurance, holding his thumb and index finger together against his lips as if smoking an imaginary joint.
“Where?”
“We’re missing something, el Capitan. When I figure out what it is, I’ll let you know.”
Before Hightower could respond, the seas shook violently. On deck it felt as if something had tried to suck the ship underwater, only to spit it up again. Then a rumbling continued, thrashing the Aurora from side to side like a toy boat in a bathtub. Hightower finally recovered his breath just as the rumbling ceased, leaving an eerie calm over the sea suddenly devoid of waves and wind for the first time that morning.
“This can’t be good,” said the stranger, tightening the straps on his life vest.
* * *
The ship’s pilot, a young, thick-haired Greek named Papadopoulos, looked up from the nest of LED readouts and computer-operated controls on the panel before him, as Hightower entered the bridge.
“Captain,” he said wide-eyed, his voice high and almost screeching, “seismic centers in Ankara, Cairo and Athens are all reporting a sub-sea earthquake measuring just over six on the scale.”
“What’s the epi?”
“Forty miles northeast of Crete and thirty from our current position,” Papadopoulos said anxiously, a patch of hair dropping over his forehead.
“Jesus Christ,” muttered Hightower.
“Tsunami warning is high,” Papadopoulos continued, even as Hightower formed the thought himself.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, we are in for the ride of our lives!” blared the stranger, pulling on the tabs that inflated his life vest with a soft popping sound. “If I sound excited it’s ‘cause I’m terrified, dudes!”
“Bring us about,” the captain ordered. “Hard back to the Port of Piraeus at all the speed you can muster.”
“Yes, sir!”
Suddenly the bank of screens depicting the seafloor in a quarter mile radius directly beneath them sprang to life. Readings flew across accompanying monitors, orientations and graphic depictions of whatever the Aurora’s hydrographic equipment and underwater cameras had located appearing in real time before Hightower’s already wide eyes.
“What the hell is—“
“Found it!” said the stranger before the ship’s captain could finish.
“Found what?” followed Hightower immediately. “This is impossible. We’ve already been over this area. There was nothing down there.”
“Earthquake must’ve changed that in a big way, el Capitan. I hope you’re recording all this.”
“There’s nothing to record. It’s a blip, an echo, a mistake.”
“Or exactly what I came out here to find. Big as life to prove all the doubters wrong.”
“Doubters?”
“Of the impossible.”
“That’s what you brought us out here for, a fool’s errand?”
“Not anymore.”
The stranger watched as a central screen mounted beneath the others continued to form a shape massive in scale, an animated depiction extrapolated from all the data being processed in real time.
“Wait a minute, is that a . . . It looks like— My God, it’s some kind of structure!“
“You bet!”
“Intact at that depth? Impossible! No, this is all wrong.”
“Hardly, el Capitan.”
“Check the readouts, sir. According to the depth gauge, your structure’s located five hundred feet beneath the seafloor. Where I come from, they call that impos—“
Hightower’s thought ended when the Aurora seemed to buckle, as if it had hit a roller coaster-like dip in the sea. The sensation was eerily akin to floating, the entire ship in the midst of an out-of-body experience, leaving Hightower feeling weightless and light-headed.
“Better fasten your seatbelts, dudes,” said the stranger, eyes fastened through the bridge windows at something that looked like a waterfall pluming on the ship’s aft side.
Hightower had been at sea often and long enough to know this to be a gentle illusion belying something much more vast and terrible: in this case, a giant wave of froth that gained height as it crystallized in shape. It was accompanied by a thrashing sound that shook the Aurora as it built in volume and pitch, felt by the bridge’s occupants at their very cores like needles digging into their spines.
“Hard about!” Hightower ordered Papadopoulos. “Steer us into it!”
It was, he knew, the ship’s only chance for survival, or would have been, had the next moments not shown the great wave turning the world dark as it reared up before them. The Aurora suddenly seemed to lift into the air, climbing halfway up the height of the monster wave from a calm sea that had begun to churn mercilessly in an instant. A vast black shadow enveloped the ship in the same moment intense pressure pinned the occupants of the bridge to their chairs or left them feeling as if their feet were glued to the floor. Then there was nothing but an airless abyss dragging darkness behind it.
“Far out, man!” Hightower heard the stranger blare in the last moment before the void claimed him.
“It would help, sir, if I knew what we were looking for,” Captain John J. Hightower of the Aurora said to the stranger he’d picked up on the island of Crete.
The stranger remained poised by the research ship’s deck rail, gazing out into the turbulent seas beyond. His long gray hair, dangling well past his shoulders in tangles and ringlets, was damp with sea spray, left to the whims of the wind.
“Sir?” Hightower prodded again.
The stranger finally turned, chuckling. “You called me sir. That’s funny.”
“I was told you were a captain,” said Hightower
“In name only, my friend.”
“If I’m your friend,” Hightower said, “you should be able to tell me what’s so important that our current mission was scrapped to pick you up.”
Beyond them, the residue of a storm from the previous night kept the seas choppy with occasional frothy swells that rocked the Aurora even as she battled the stiff winds to keep her speed steady. Gray-black clouds swept across the sky, colored silver at the tips where the sun pushed itself forward enough to break through the thinner patches. Before long, Hightower could tell, those rays would win the battle to leave the day clear and bright with the seas growing calm. But that was hardly the case now.
“I like your name,” came the stranger’s airy response. Beneath the orange life jacket, he wore a Grateful Dead tie dye t-shirt and old leather vest that was fraying at the edges and missing all three of its buttons. So faded that the sun made it look gray in some patches and white in others. His eyes, a bit sleepy and almost drunken, had a playful glint about them. “I like anything with the word ‘high.’ You should rethink your policy about no smoking aboard the ship, if it’s for medicinal purposes only.”
“I will, if you explain what we’re looking for out here.”
“Out here” was the Mediterranean Sea where it looped around Greece’s ancient, rocky southern coastline. For four straight days now, the Aurora had been mapping the sea floor in detailed grids in search of something of unknown size, composition and origin; or, at least, known only by the man Hightower had mistakenly thought was a captain by rank. Hightower’s ship was a hydrographic survey vessel. At nearly thirty meters in length with a top speed of just under twenty-five knots, the Aurora had been commissioned just the previous year to fashion nautical charts to ensure safe navigation by military and civilian shipping, tasked with conducting seismic surveys of the seabed and underlying geology. A few times since her commission, the Aurora and her eight-person crew had been re-tasked for other forms of oceanographic research, but her high tech air cannons, capable of generating high-pressure shock waves to map the strata of the seabed, made her much more fit for more traditional assignments.
“How about I give you a hint?” the stranger said to Hightower. “It’s big.”
“How about I venture a guess?”
“Take your best shot, dude.”
“I know a military mission when I see one. I think you’re looking for a weapon.”
“Warm.”
“Something stuck in a ship or submarine. Maybe even a sunken wreck from years, even centuries ago.”
“Cold,” the man Hightower knew only as “Captain” told him. “Well, except for the centuries ago part. That’s blazing hot.”
Hightower pursed his lips, frustration getting the better of him. “So are we looking for a weapon or not?”
“Another hint, Captain High: only the most powerful ever known to man,” the stranger said with a wink. “A game changer of epic proportions for whoever finds it. Gotta make sure the bad guys don’t manage that before we do. Hey, did you know marijuana’s been approved to treat motion sickness?”
Hightower could only shake his head. “Look, I might not know exactly you’re looking for, but whatever it is, it’s not here. You’ve got us retracing our own steps, running hydrographs in areas we’ve already covered. Nothing ‘big,’ as you describe it, is down there.”
“I beg to differ, el Capitan.”
“Our depth sounders have picked up nothing, the underwater cameras we launched have picked up nothing, the ROVS have picked up nothing.”
“It’s there,” the stranger said with strange assurance, holding his thumb and index finger together against his lips as if smoking an imaginary joint.
“Where?”
“We’re missing something, el Capitan. When I figure out what it is, I’ll let you know.”
Before Hightower could respond, the seas shook violently. On deck it felt as if something had tried to suck the ship underwater, only to spit it up again. Then a rumbling continued, thrashing the Aurora from side to side like a toy boat in a bathtub. Hightower finally recovered his breath just as the rumbling ceased, leaving an eerie calm over the sea suddenly devoid of waves and wind for the first time that morning.
“This can’t be good,” said the stranger, tightening the straps on his life vest.
* * *
The ship’s pilot, a young, thick-haired Greek named Papadopoulos, looked up from the nest of LED readouts and computer-operated controls on the panel before him, as Hightower entered the bridge.
“Captain,” he said wide-eyed, his voice high and almost screeching, “seismic centers in Ankara, Cairo and Athens are all reporting a sub-sea earthquake measuring just over six on the scale.”
“What’s the epi?”
“Forty miles northeast of Crete and thirty from our current position,” Papadopoulos said anxiously, a patch of hair dropping over his forehead.
“Jesus Christ,” muttered Hightower.
“Tsunami warning is high,” Papadopoulos continued, even as Hightower formed the thought himself.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, we are in for the ride of our lives!” blared the stranger, pulling on the tabs that inflated his life vest with a soft popping sound. “If I sound excited it’s ‘cause I’m terrified, dudes!”
“Bring us about,” the captain ordered. “Hard back to the Port of Piraeus at all the speed you can muster.”
“Yes, sir!”
Suddenly the bank of screens depicting the seafloor in a quarter mile radius directly beneath them sprang to life. Readings flew across accompanying monitors, orientations and graphic depictions of whatever the Aurora’s hydrographic equipment and underwater cameras had located appearing in real time before Hightower’s already wide eyes.
“What the hell is—“
“Found it!” said the stranger before the ship’s captain could finish.
“Found what?” followed Hightower immediately. “This is impossible. We’ve already been over this area. There was nothing down there.”
“Earthquake must’ve changed that in a big way, el Capitan. I hope you’re recording all this.”
“There’s nothing to record. It’s a blip, an echo, a mistake.”
“Or exactly what I came out here to find. Big as life to prove all the doubters wrong.”
“Doubters?”
“Of the impossible.”
“That’s what you brought us out here for, a fool’s errand?”
“Not anymore.”
The stranger watched as a central screen mounted beneath the others continued to form a shape massive in scale, an animated depiction extrapolated from all the data being processed in real time.
“Wait a minute, is that a . . . It looks like— My God, it’s some kind of structure!“
“You bet!”
“Intact at that depth? Impossible! No, this is all wrong.”
“Hardly, el Capitan.”
“Check the readouts, sir. According to the depth gauge, your structure’s located five hundred feet beneath the seafloor. Where I come from, they call that impos—“
Hightower’s thought ended when the Aurora seemed to buckle, as if it had hit a roller coaster-like dip in the sea. The sensation was eerily akin to floating, the entire ship in the midst of an out-of-body experience, leaving Hightower feeling weightless and light-headed.
“Better fasten your seatbelts, dudes,” said the stranger, eyes fastened through the bridge windows at something that looked like a waterfall pluming on the ship’s aft side.
Hightower had been at sea often and long enough to know this to be a gentle illusion belying something much more vast and terrible: in this case, a giant wave of froth that gained height as it crystallized in shape. It was accompanied by a thrashing sound that shook the Aurora as it built in volume and pitch, felt by the bridge’s occupants at their very cores like needles digging into their spines.
“Hard about!” Hightower ordered Papadopoulos. “Steer us into it!”
It was, he knew, the ship’s only chance for survival, or would have been, had the next moments not shown the great wave turning the world dark as it reared up before them. The Aurora suddenly seemed to lift into the air, climbing halfway up the height of the monster wave from a calm sea that had begun to churn mercilessly in an instant. A vast black shadow enveloped the ship in the same moment intense pressure pinned the occupants of the bridge to their chairs or left them feeling as if their feet were glued to the floor. Then there was nothing but an airless abyss dragging darkness behind it.
“Far out, man!” Hightower heard the stranger blare in the last moment before the void claimed him.
Author Bio:
Jon Land is the critically acclaimed author of 32 books, including the bestselling series featuring Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong that includes STRONG ENOUGH TO DIE, STRONG JUSTICE, STRONG AT THE BREAK, STRONG VENGEANCE (July 2012) and STRONG RAIN FALLING (August 2013). He has more recently brought his long-time series hero Blaine McCracken back to the page in PANDORA’S TEMPLE (November 2012). He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
Giveaway:
There are TWO giveaways going on. First, the Author is doing something special. He will be giving away 1 e-book set of his McCracken Titles.
The second, is a giveaway for an e-book copy of The Omega Command. The giveaways are International.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*This book was provided by the author and/or publisher for Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review*
Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway: Wisteria by Bisi Leyton
Title: WisteriaAuthor: Bisi Leyton
Publication: August 14, 2012
Source: Author/Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Synopsis:
Sixteen year old Wisteria Kuti has two
options—track the infected around the Isle of Smythe or leave the only known
safe haven and face a world infested with flesh eating biters. But even with
well-armed trackers, things go wrong and Wisteria ends up alone facing certain
death, until she is rescued by the mysterious Bach. Uninfected, Bach is able to
survive among the hordes of living dead.
Eighteen year old Bach, from a race known as The
Family, has no interest in human affairs. He was sent here to complete his
Great Walk and return home as a man—as a Sen Son. The Family regard humans as
Dirt People, but Bach is drawn to this Terran girl, whom he has never seen
before, but somehow knows.
Hunted by flesh eaters, cannibals, and the mysterious
blood thirsty group called Red Phoenix, Wisteria and Bach make their way back
to the Isle of Smythe, a community built on secrets and lies.
My Thoughts: Wisteria and her family are
struggling to survive after the world has been devastated by the nero virus.
Those infected by the virus are mindless and feed on those who are not infected
with the virus. In an effort to face her fears Wisteria becomes a tracker and
when faced with the decision she will “cure” any infected that crosses her
path. Wisteria and Bach’s paths cross and an instant connection is developed
between them.
I haven’t read many zombie themed books and was pleasantly surprised with Bisi Leyton’s take on the subject. The twists and turns keep me turning the pages. I never saw many of the revelations coming. The characters are well developed and translate well on the page. I have never put much thought into how I would react in an apocalyptic situation but I hope I would be a lot like Wisteria. She is a very strong and selfless. I am looking forward the next installment in this series.
I haven’t read many zombie themed books and was pleasantly surprised with Bisi Leyton’s take on the subject. The twists and turns keep me turning the pages. I never saw many of the revelations coming. The characters are well developed and translate well on the page. I have never put much thought into how I would react in an apocalyptic situation but I hope I would be a lot like Wisteria. She is a very strong and selfless. I am looking forward the next installment in this series.
Excerpt:
Thirteen months after the first official case of Nero Disease
“Wisteria, run.” Rebecca O’Leary screamed over the radio.
“Wisteria, run.” Rebecca O’Leary screamed over the radio.
Wisteria Kuti whipped around and came face-to-face with the blood-red eyes of a hungry flesh-eater. The biter was a man, infected by Nero Disease, who had long lost his mind. He looked more animal than human and he wanted one thing, the same thing all creatures like him did—to feed on the flesh of the uninfected. The biter growled and staggered toward Wisteria.
She fled down the deserted road to the nearest house, and found the front door locked. She kicked at it, but the oak panel refused to open. Taking out her handgun, she smashed through the large, ornate window.
The distinct shuffle of feet against the hard-packed dirt of the driveway alerted Wisteria to the growing number of biters behind her. Spinning around, she fired blind into the small crowd and hit one in the head. She reached inside the house and turned the lock, opening the door.
Crash—a biter smashed through another window.
Wisteria’s heart jumped and she darted up the stairs.
“Get out of the house, Wisteria!” Rebecca radioed.
I’m trying, she thought.
A biter grabbed her ankle, tripping Wisteria on the steps. She inhaled sharply, pain lancing up from the spot where her shin connected with the wooden tread of the stair. “Ah.” No time to cry, Wisteria. She fired at the flesh-eater holding her. One bullet left.
Three more biters appeared below and started up the stairs. Leaping to her feet, Wisteria sprinted to the top floor and dashed through the first open doorway into what appeared to be the master bedroom. Turning the lock, she headed straight for the window.
The infected clawed their way through, tearing the wood panel apart and snarling as they shuffled their way toward her.
Trying to open the window, Wisteria found it stuck and the panes too small to fit through. She pulled harder—nothing. Then she heard the biters’ cries. They were now in the room with her.
“Just hold on,” Rebecca shouted over the handheld radio. Wisteria strained to hear her over the cacophony of noise from the flesh-eaters.
Wisteria fired. The bullet went through one creature and hit another—both fell, their glazed eyes staring back at her as they dropped to the hardwood and stayed there.
She fired again. Click. No bullets. “Wonderful.” She stoned the biter with her useless weapon tono effect. It kept coming, inching her toward the useless window at her back.
The red handle of a samurai sword in the corner of the room caught her eye and Wisteria dove for it. Another infected entered the room. She took the sword from its sheath and pointed it at the approaching hoarde. The blade trembled in her grip, nearly slipping from her hands as a gunshot rang out from behind the crowd of flesh eaters. Two more biters fell, their gray matter splattered on the floor in front of her.
Lara Kuti filled the doorway, slowly lowering the two handguns she held trained on Wisteria, and the infected standing between them. “Wisteria, what the hell are you doing here?” the older woman seethed.
“I was cleared to work,” she explained to her mother.
“You’re prepared to die out here?” Her mother glared, stepping over a corpse and closer. “You think we’re playing here? And how the hell did you leave Smythe?”
“Major Coles cleared me,” Wisteria muttered.
“Coles knew?” Her mother’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Coles.
Something moved in the corridor, prompting her mother to whip out her handguns and aim them at the door.
A few seconds later, red-headed Rebecca O’Leary entered. “You’re alright.” She panted, face flushed scarlet with exertion from the half mile run to the house from her look-out spot. “I told you that you would.”
“You sent her out here alone?” Lara didn’t lower her weapons.
“Mum, it’s Rebecca,” Wisteria huffed. “I don’t think she’s infected.”
“You almost got her killed.” Wisteria’s mother ignored her defense of the other woman.
Praise for Wisteria:
“I love the buildup of this story, getting to know
the characters and watching their connection grow. I had no idea which way the
story was headed and I was kept in suspense right up to the very end! It has
plenty of action and a fascinating plot and I can’t wait to see what Bisi
Leyton has for us next!!”
“There are a lot of great things in this book, so
much more than zombies and a struggle for survival. At it’s base core it is
about star-crossed lovers, literally and the supporting characters roles… Ms.
Leyton brings to Wisteria a mixture of science fiction, fantasy, dystopic world
with a twist to the paranormal romance angle!”
“The book was full of nonstop action from the
beginning until the end, and I did not put it down until I had finished it. I
loved the book.”
Book Trailer:
Audiobook Excerpt:
Audiobook Excerpt:
Author Bio:
Bisi Leyton was born in East London in 1978. She grew up in
London, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from
aunts, cousins and big sisters.
She lives in London, but has worked around Europe
including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a
fondness for reading graphic novels.
Links
Links
Blog Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/31/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
*This Book was provided by the author and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Friday, January 11, 2013
Sybil the Backpack Fairy: Nina
Illustrator: Antonello Dalena, Manuela Razzi, and Cecilia Giumento
Title: Sybil the Backpack Fairy: Nina
Title: Sybil the Backpack Fairy: Nina
Publication: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Papercutz
Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book, Children
Pages: 48
Pages: 48
Audience: 8 and up
Rating: 5 out of 5
Source: Purchased
Synopsis (from the cover ): I'm Nina and she's Sybil, my fairy friend. Being friends with a fairy is so cool! She does all my homework and straightens up my room with a simple wave of her magi wand! All that would be just great if she didn't drag me into her magical world, peopled with monsters and fairies a lot less nice than she is.
I have a book problem. It happens anytime I go into a bookstore or comic shop. I usually see something I just have to buy because I just have to read it. I usually don't have time and that is where my book collection comes in. However, I thought this cover was so funny and I just had to buy it and read it. I thought it would be more pre-teen than what it is, but it is a perfect G-rated, girly comic. It was so funny and the artwork is well done. Oddly enough, the artwork reminded me of cartoons I used to watch when I was young. Nina is a cute little girl who has issues that everyone can relate to. She gets in trouble at school for talking too much, her parents are divorced, and she is young. Then Sybil comes along and turns Nina's world for a loop. Its all fun and games until Mom comes home! This is a wonderfully cute graphic novel. If you want to share the love of graphic novels or encourage a young child to read- I suggest this. I just looked it up on Amazon and Papercutz is still in business. It is super cute and easy to read!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Excerpt and Giveaway: Topaz and the Plum-Gista Stone by Pat Frayne
Title: Topas and the Plum-Gista Stone
Author: Pat Frayne
Publication: August 9, 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Audience: Middle Grade
Synopsis:
Topaz must find out what evil sickness has befallen his old friend, Otis, the great owl. With the help of his companions, Daisy and Dooley, Topaz takes Otis to the Healing Gnomes at North Fortress. As for Topaz and his raccoon friend, Dooley, their journey doesn't end here. Grim circumstances compel them to search for a rare, precious stone know as the Plum-Gista. Their travels take them to new and mysterious lands where they will make new friends and meet unusual beings. A warning from the Spirit of Amber Tiger gives Topaz reason to doubt his own judgement as life-threatening dangers and dark magical forces close in.
Excerpt:
Author Bio:
Topaz must find out what evil sickness has befallen his old friend, Otis, the great owl. With the help of his companions, Daisy and Dooley, Topaz takes Otis to the Healing Gnomes at North Fortress. As for Topaz and his raccoon friend, Dooley, their journey doesn't end here. Grim circumstances compel them to search for a rare, precious stone know as the Plum-Gista. Their travels take them to new and mysterious lands where they will make new friends and meet unusual beings. A warning from the Spirit of Amber Tiger gives Topaz reason to doubt his own judgement as life-threatening dangers and dark magical forces close in.
About the Series:
These cleverly woven and original tales of a mystical cat, his friends, and the magical land they live in will truly captivate anyone who loves mystical stories of high adventure. The reader is drawn into the amazing Kingdom of Knownotten and introduced to unforgettable characters. The classic fight of good vs. evil is waged in a world inhabited by Fairies, Elves, Gnomes, wizards and talking animals. All of these creatures coexist in a complex and beautiful land of peril and wonder. The author has crafted a truly well-rounded and enchanting story, rich with suspense, humor and tenderness.
Excerpt:
From Chapter Five:
No one knew how long it would take to reach the Land of Strang or what to expect when they arrived. So far the journey had been easy. The path was cool and shady and nearly flat. They met no travelers along the way. Rabbits, chipmunks, mice, and squirrels were the only other signs of life they saw. These animals were not so easy to talk to or ask questions of. Quick to startle, these small creatures would scurry into hiding or run up the nearest tree trunk at the first bit of noise they heard. The following afternoon they saw a scraggly gray fox trotting through the woods. He was coming from the direction in which they were headed, although he was some distance away from the main trail. He seemed to have made a path of his own through the brush. It was just by accident that Dooley happened to see him.
“Hold up,” Dooley shouted as he hurried through a patch of dense scrubs in an effort to catch up to the fox.
“Can you stop and talk to us?”
The fox was young and Dooley thought him to be a little skittish. He noticed how often the fox kept turning his head to look behind him as if he expected something or someone to be following. Although the fox appeared to be ignoring him, Dooley continued to call out to the fox. At last he was able to get the fox's attention.
“My name is Dooley. Me, and my companions over there, are on our way to Strang. We were wondering if you could tell us how far it might be from here?” The fox gave Dooley a wary look. “That's a troubled place,” the fox said to him, stopping, finally. “Why would you go there?”
Dooley was taken aback by the fox's question. Yet it was the sort of thing he himself might ask had he been the fox. So, he answered, “The Witch of Strang has something that doesn't belong to her, and we mean to get it back.”
“You must want it badly,” the fox barked. “Were I you, I'd turn around and go home.”
“Well,” Dooley said. “It ain't that plain, but I thank you for the advice, just the same.”
“Too bad you won't take it,” said the fox. Then he sat down and began to lick at something on his hind foot. His motions were quick and urgent. It was probably the reason the fox had stopped in the first place, Dooley thought.
Again, Dooley tried to get the fox to answer his question. “How far would you say we have to travel before we reach the Land of Strang?”
“By this time tomorrow, if you keep at it,” the fox answered, getting up again.
Then, looking past Dooley, his gaze came to rest on the Dorn brothers. The boys were standing on the path next to Topaz where they had been since the conversation with the fox had begun. However, the fox seemed to be noticing them for the first time.
“It's not a place one should take children. Especially Gnome children,” the fox said, addressing his comment to Dooley. Yet, his attention was still focused on the two young Gnomes.
Dooley did not miss the note of strong disapproval in the fox's bark. Then something unreadable flickered in the fox's slanting yellow eyes. It made Dooley feel a little nervous. He wondered what the fox was thinking. “Be good enough to send them home, at least,” the fox said with a sneer.
Dooley waited for the fox to explain this last comment, but these were the fox's last words, before he turned away to start off in another direction altogether. Dooley scratched his head with a forepaw while he watched the fox disappear into the thick brush. What was that all about?
No one knew how long it would take to reach the Land of Strang or what to expect when they arrived. So far the journey had been easy. The path was cool and shady and nearly flat. They met no travelers along the way. Rabbits, chipmunks, mice, and squirrels were the only other signs of life they saw. These animals were not so easy to talk to or ask questions of. Quick to startle, these small creatures would scurry into hiding or run up the nearest tree trunk at the first bit of noise they heard. The following afternoon they saw a scraggly gray fox trotting through the woods. He was coming from the direction in which they were headed, although he was some distance away from the main trail. He seemed to have made a path of his own through the brush. It was just by accident that Dooley happened to see him.
“Hold up,” Dooley shouted as he hurried through a patch of dense scrubs in an effort to catch up to the fox.
“Can you stop and talk to us?”
The fox was young and Dooley thought him to be a little skittish. He noticed how often the fox kept turning his head to look behind him as if he expected something or someone to be following. Although the fox appeared to be ignoring him, Dooley continued to call out to the fox. At last he was able to get the fox's attention.
“My name is Dooley. Me, and my companions over there, are on our way to Strang. We were wondering if you could tell us how far it might be from here?” The fox gave Dooley a wary look. “That's a troubled place,” the fox said to him, stopping, finally. “Why would you go there?”
Dooley was taken aback by the fox's question. Yet it was the sort of thing he himself might ask had he been the fox. So, he answered, “The Witch of Strang has something that doesn't belong to her, and we mean to get it back.”
“You must want it badly,” the fox barked. “Were I you, I'd turn around and go home.”
“Well,” Dooley said. “It ain't that plain, but I thank you for the advice, just the same.”
“Too bad you won't take it,” said the fox. Then he sat down and began to lick at something on his hind foot. His motions were quick and urgent. It was probably the reason the fox had stopped in the first place, Dooley thought.
Again, Dooley tried to get the fox to answer his question. “How far would you say we have to travel before we reach the Land of Strang?”
“By this time tomorrow, if you keep at it,” the fox answered, getting up again.
Then, looking past Dooley, his gaze came to rest on the Dorn brothers. The boys were standing on the path next to Topaz where they had been since the conversation with the fox had begun. However, the fox seemed to be noticing them for the first time.
“It's not a place one should take children. Especially Gnome children,” the fox said, addressing his comment to Dooley. Yet, his attention was still focused on the two young Gnomes.
Dooley did not miss the note of strong disapproval in the fox's bark. Then something unreadable flickered in the fox's slanting yellow eyes. It made Dooley feel a little nervous. He wondered what the fox was thinking. “Be good enough to send them home, at least,” the fox said with a sneer.
Dooley waited for the fox to explain this last comment, but these were the fox's last words, before he turned away to start off in another direction altogether. Dooley scratched his head with a forepaw while he watched the fox disappear into the thick brush. What was that all about?
Author Bio:
Pat Frayne, a retired registered nurse with twelve grandchildren, lives in a small town in Arizona with her husband, Ron and their dog, Charlie, a black lab mix. Her action adventure mysteries take place in mystical lands inhabited by Fairies, Elves, Gnomes, Sprites, Ogres, witches, wizards and other mystical beings. While written for children ages eight through twelve, many adults have greatly enjoyed these stories.
Tour Stops:
January 7th A Buckeye Girl Reads
January 8th Hanging With Bells January 9th Angels Are Kids & Fur Kids
January 10th Wanted Readers January 11th Amys Booket List
Giveaway:
Thank you to Pat Frayne for generously offering a chance to win a Topaz and Plum-Gista Stone t-shirt. This giveaway is open to US/Canada residents only. Please use the rafflecopter form below.
Tour Stops:
January 7th A Buckeye Girl Reads
January 8th Hanging With Bells January 9th Angels Are Kids & Fur Kids
January 10th Wanted Readers January 11th Amys Booket List
Giveaway:
Thank you to Pat Frayne for generously offering a chance to win a Topaz and Plum-Gista Stone t-shirt. This giveaway is open to US/Canada residents only. Please use the rafflecopter form below.
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