Review & Giveaway: Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer

Title: Arrow of the Mist

Author: Christina Mercer

Publication: March 21, 2013

Publisher: Christina Mercer

Source: Author/Publisher

Genre: Ya Fantasy

Audience: 14+ 

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Synopsis: Terror strikes the Celtic inspired kingdom of Nemetona when barbed roots breach the veil of a forbidden land and poison woodsmen, including 15-year-old Lia’s beloved father. Lia and three others embark on a quest to the forbidden land of Brume to gather ingredients for the cure. But after her elder kinsman is attacked and poisoned, she and her cousin, Wynn, are forced to finish the quest on their own.

Lia relies on her powerful herbal wisdom and the memorized pages of her late grandmother’s Grimoire for guidance through a land of soul-hungry shades, trickster creatures, and uncovered truths about the origin of Brume and her family’s unexpected ties to it. The deeper they trek into the land, the stronger Lia’s untapped gift as a tree mage unfolds. When she discovers the enchanted root’s maker, it forces her to question everything about who she is and what is her destiny. Ultimately she must make a terrible choice: keep fighting to save her father and the people of the lands or join with the power behind the deadly roots to help nature start anew.

My Thoughts: This is an intreging tale of mystery and a family's unyielding love for each other. Mercer is a wonderful world and character builder. The depth of Lia's character is unmistakeable. I really enjoyed the use of Cletic folklore in this story. This is a great read for teens; although, there is some terminology that may require looking up for understanding (knowledge is power). I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Book Trailer:

Author Bio: 

Christina Mercer writes fiction in addition to mothering two young adults, a pack of large dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees. Her varied interests prompted her to study creative writing, earn her official degree in Accounting, become a CPA, acquire a certificate in Herbal Studies, and keep honeybees. She took Writer’s Best in Show at the 2012 SCBWI CA North/Central Regional Conference and was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Contest. You can find her at www.christinamercer.com or working as the Reviews Director at www.indie-visible.com 

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Giveaway: There are 2 giveaways going on. The first is for an e-book copy of Arrow of the Mist (open internationally) and the second is for a Bookmare (open to US/CAN residents only). Both giveaways are sponsored by the Author and/or Xpresso Book Tours. Please use the rafflecopter forms below to enter. 

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Cover Reveal: Kinetic by S. K. Anthony

Title: Kinetic
Author: S. K. Anthony
Series: The Luminaries, #1
Publication: September 2013
Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy
Cover design: Mae I Design

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Synopsis: Being strong is one thing. Being an unlimited source of power is quite another.

Genetically altered by the Organization, Annie Fox takes down criminals CIA-style with her luminary strength. With nothing to mend but her broken heart, she is relentlessly pursued by her boss Derek Lake. Just when Annie is about to give him a chance, her ex-husband unexpectedly comes out of hiding. 

A wanted man, Nick Logan is a cold-hearted murderer who is considered enemy number one, and orders are clear: kill on contact. He is more powerful than ever and threatens the lives of those she holds most dear. His plan? Get his hands on Annie and use her Kinetic energy to destroy them all. When Annie finds herself with an opportunity to end him, she pauses, horrified by the scars covering the face she once loved. A split second that will cost her everything… 

Author Bio: 

S. K. Anthony is a writer, a reader and a make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York with her husband and toddler twins. She is a wine connoisseur, which just really means she knows she loves it, and a caffeine addict. When she isn’t busy with her family she finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders…she is convinced they are out to get her!

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Untimed by Andy Gavin: First Chapter Review

Join Andy Gavin, author of the Young Adult Time Travel/Adventure novel, Untimed, as he tours the blogosphere July 1 - July 26, 2013 on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Untimed
Charlie's the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can't remember his name. So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don't take him seriously. Still, this isn't all bad. Who needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben Franklin himself. And there's this girl... Yvaine... another time traveler. All good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into the future. And the baggage: Yvaine's got a baby boy and more than her share of ex-boyfriends. Still, even if they screw up history -- like accidentally let the founding father be killed -- they can just time travel and fix it, right? But the future they return to is nothing like Charlie remembers. To set things right, he and his scrappy new girlfriend will have to race across the centuries, battling murderous machines from the future, jealous lovers, reluctant parents, and time itself.

Purchase your copy at AMAZON

 

Our Review

From the first chapter you notice something is different about Charlie, his own mother has difficulty remembers his own name. He seems like a phenomenal kid, so how is he so easily overlooked. His parents have a secret to tell him but before he gets a chance, the police are on his doorstep searching for his father, who seems to have vanished into thin air. Charlie knows something is up and he decides to take a leap to find out what the connection is and maybe a little adventure where for once he will be noticed. I thought the first chapter was mysterious and intriguing. Initially the need to know more about why Charlie is essentially invisible and the news his father promised to share but didn't get a chance to. I can that there is a steampunk or time travel element that somehow Charlie will get dragged into. This makes me want to read more to see what happens next. Overall, the writing is good and Gavin does a great job of setting the scene of Charlie's life. This story sounds like it will be an action packed ride that any reader will love.







Charlie is a highly intelligent kid. His father and aunt are keeping secrets from him. Just when Charlie thinks he is going to get some answers his dad disappears and adventure begins. This first chapter is very interesting. It is easy to tell there is a lot a action and adventure in store for Charlie. I have so many unanswered questions after chapter one that I know I will be unable to put Untimed down until I turned the last page. 

ABOUT ANDY GAVIN
Andy Gavin is an unstoppable storyteller who studied for his Ph.D. at M.I.T. and founded video game developer Naughty Dog, Inc. at the age of fifteen, serving as co-president for two decades. There he created, produced, and directed over a dozen video games, including the award winning and best selling Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises, selling over 40 million units worldwide. He sleeps little, reads novels and histories, watches media obsessively, travels, and of course, writes. His latest book is the young adult time travel novel, Untimed. Visit his website at www.andy-gavin-author.com.

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Excerpt, Review & Giveaway: The Devil's Necktie by John Lansing

Title: The Devil's Necktie

Author: John Lansing

Publication: 12/31/2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Source: Author/Publisher

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Audience: 17+ 

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Synopsis: Retired Inspector Jack Bertolino had strict rules when dealing with confidential informants. But Mia had the kind of beauty that could make a grown man contemplate leaving his wife, his job, and his kids. After a passionate night together, Mia is found murdered, and Jack is the lead suspect.
Facing threats from the LAPD, the 18th Street Angels, and a Columbian drug cartel, Jack delves deeper into the seedy world of drug dealers and Murderers. Jack is torn between fearing for his life and seeking revenge for his slain lover... either way the body count will rise.

My Thoughts: Lansing is an incredible story teller. By the end of the first chapter I knew I was in for a good treat. One evening Jack receives an unexpected call from a former Confidential Informant. The chain of events that follow send Jack looking for Mia's killer(s), outwitting those that think he killed her, and trying to get the local PD to stop looking at him and find the real killer(s). There are no disappointments with this read there is sex, murder, and revenge. 

Excerpt:

Jack Bertolino stood on the balcony of his loft in Marina del Rey, tending a dry-aged New York steak on his prized possession, a top-of-the-line Weber gas grill. He didn't miss winter, not one little bit. Here he was manning the barbecue in his new uniform, a black T-shirt and jeans, while his cousins were chasing heart attacks shoveling snow off their Staten Island driveways. That image never ceased to put a smile on his face. That and the salty ocean breeze that floated in over the marina.

Jack nursed a glass of cabernet and watched the long line of bright white FedEx trucks return home from their final deliveries and park in neat rows in the lot next to his building. It sure beat the sight of patrol cars jammed onto the sidewalk in front of a precinct house.

Early evening was Jack’s favorite time of day. The sun was just starting to paint the clouds a muted orange. From his fourth-floor vantage point, Jack could see a string of jumbo jets in the distance, silently making their final approach to LAX. Stacked eight planes deep, their slim silver bodies glinted in the setting sun. For the first time in Jack Bertolino’s life, he felt at ease. 

His cell phone chirped, snapping him out of his reverie. He tossed some Japanese eggplant onto the grill, closed the lid, and checked his cell phone screen for the name of the caller.

“Hello.”

“How’s my Italian stallion?”

“Mia . . . ,” he said instantly, his tone neutral, giving away nothing. “All the planets are aligned, Jack. It’s time for you to man up and make an honest woman out of me.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile. Mia’s throaty voice and light Colombian accent had the power to make a grown man weep. More important, it could make a bad man give up his secrets. He hadn't really been surprised when he received her text. He knew it was only a matter of time. Payback’s a bitch.

“What can I do for you, Mia?”

“It’s what I can do for you, papi. My lips . . . they’re still magic.”

“I love it when you talk dirty.”

“Only for love or money.”

Although Jack was enjoying the back and forth, he was no longer in the business. “Why are you calling, Mia?”

Mia dropped her act as well. “We need to talk.”

“It’s not a good time,” Jack said as he opened the lid of the grill and pressed his fork against the steak, checking for doneness.

“Face-to-face, Jack.”

“I’m not in New York.”

“That’s why I’m in Los Angeles.”

Jack didn’t reply right away. He did a quick analysis of how Mia could know he was living in L.A., what kind of trouble she might be in, what kind of blowback he was going to suffer just from having this conversation. He came to the instantaneous conclusion that however this new wrinkle in his life played out, it would definitely have an impact on his newly found state of bliss.

Mia answered some of his unspoken questions. “I’m still connected, Jack, and you’re still on the radar screen. There are certain people—who will remain nameless, because I’m not on your payroll anymore—who are not convinced you’re out of the game.”

“I’m happily retired,” Jack fired back, wondering if his response sounded forced, wondering why he cared.

“And happily divorced?”

Jack didn’t respond. His private life was none of Mia’s business. He had strict rules when dealing with confidential informants, a line in the But Mia had the kind of beauty that could make a man contemplate leaving his wife, his job, and his kids. Jack had never taken the bait, but had to admit he’d been tempted.

Mia was one of the best CIs in the business, and she and Jack had done groundbreaking work together.

With the help of Mia and DEA agent Kenny Ortega, Jack and the team of NYPD narco-rangers he headed up had put away a heavy hitter in the cocaine trade. Manuel Alvarez was the head of a Colombian drug cell that had been importing a thousand keys of coke into Florida on a weekly basis, and the poison was dripping into New York City. Jack and his group had put away a major cartel scumbag, and Mia had gotten rich. The feds had a financial equation in place when dealing with CIs. The greater the quantity of drugs an informant was responsible for delivering, the more money it was worth to the United States government. They were happy to give to get. Mia did very well for herself at great personal risk. Informants had a short shelf life. Once a major domo got busted, the cartels worked very hard to discover where the “sickness” had come from. If your name ended up on the short list, you turned up dead. 

Jack had made a promise to Mia that if things ever got too hot to handle, he would do whatever he could to help her out of the jam.

Mia was turning in her chit. “Meet with me in an hour, after I get settled in.”

“I’m about to have dinner, Mia.”

“Vista Haven Road, 3468. You owe me, Jack.”

“It was a two-way street,” he reminded her.

“And I don’t want it turning into a dead end.”

Jack was about to protest, but she clicked off. He turned back to his grill, but now he was unsettled. Mia had always been a cool customer, but there was an edge of panic in her voice. Jack let out an irritated groan. He shut off the grill with a hard snap. He wouldn’t be able to eat anyway until he found out what the hell was wrong.

Author Bio:

John Lansing started his career as an actor in New York City. He spent a year at the Royale Theatre playing the lead in the Broadway production of "Grease." He then landed a co-starring role in George Lucas' "More American Graffiti," and guest starred on numerous television shows. During his fifteen year writing career, Lansing wrote and produced "Walker Texas Ranger," co-wrote two CBS Movies of the Week, and he also co-executive produced the ABC series "Scoundrels." John's first book was "Good Cop Bad Money," a true crime tome with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano. "The Devil's Necktie" is his first novel.

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Giveaway: There are 2 giveaways going on. The first is for an e-book copy of The Devil's Necktie (open internationally) and the second is for a kindle and copy of The Devil's Necktie use the rafflecopter below to enter (sponsored by author/publisher).

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*This book was provided by the author and/or publisher for Partners In Crimes Tours in exchange for a honest review*

Audio Review: Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Author: Ellen Hopkins
Narrators: Laura Flanagan
Title: Identical
Format: Unabridged Audio 
Length: 8 hrs, 42 mins
Publication: 2008
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Source: Library
~Website

Do twins begin in the womb?
Or in a better place?

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are identical down to the dimple. As daughters of a district-court judge father and a politician mother, they are an all-American family -- on the surface. Behind the facade each sister has her own dark secret, and that's where their differences begin.

For Kaeleigh, she's the misplaced focus of Daddy's love, intended for a mother whose presence on the campaign trail means absence at home. All that Raeanne sees is Daddy playing a game of favorites -- and she is losing. If she has to lose, she will do it on her own terms, so she chooses drugs, alcohol, and sex.

Secrets like the ones the twins are harboring are not meant to be kept -- from each other or anyone else. Pretty soon it's obvious that neither sister can handle it alone, and one sister must step up to save the other, but the question is -- who?

Wow, this is a compelling and disturbing book, which I listened to awhile back but never got around to writing a review for it. What these two girls experience, no child should have to go through that. You have Kaeleigh, the girl who gets all of her Daddy's love and Raeanne, who wishes she could even get some of his attention. Their mother seems to be in her own delusional world, not really present in their lives. Loaded with angst, envy, abuse and so many other things this book with its surprising ending will make you sad and angry. Overall, this is a great conversational piece for teens of abuse. 


Flanagan does an excellent job of giving voice to these two different girls through her tone and inflection. The production and sound are good. As each story unfolds, the narration gives a vivid picture of the circumstances of their lives. I can't imagine what my reading experience would've been like but I can say hearing the story made me squirm. I felt an overwhelming sadness sitting through the narration. 

Audio Review: House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Title: House Rules

Author: Jodi Picoult

Narrators: Mark Turetsky, Nicole Poole, Andy Paris, Christopher Evan Welch, Rich Orlow

Publisher: Recorded Books

Format: Unabridged Audio

Length: 19 hrs: 55 mins

Publication: March 2, 2010

Source: Purchased

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Rating: 5 of 5

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Synopsis: They tell me I'm lucky to have a son who's so verbal, who is blisteringly intelligent, who can take apart the broken microwave and have it working again an hour later. They think there is no greater hell than having a son who is locked in his own world, unaware that there's a wider one to explore. But try having a son who is locked in his own world, and still wants to make a connection. A son who tries to be like everyone else, but truly doesn't know how.

Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject -- in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's - not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect - can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder?

Emotionally powerful from beginning to end, House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way - and fails those who don't.

My Thoughts: This is a powerful and moving story about a family's love for one another. Emma Hunt will do anything to protect her family including not asking her son if he committed the crime he is accused of. All Emma knows is that he can not survive prison and she must protect him. Even if it means using an insanity defense. 

I really enjoyed this story getting to experience the story from each of the main characters point of view. I found it amazing how each individual can see the same thing and experience it in a completely different way. I kept going back and forth as to Jacob's guilt or innocence. I didn't want him to be guilty but all the evidence pointed to him and then there was the motive. I know that i never want to be on a jury evidence can be made to look however each side wants it to look. This is one of those stories that on the surface it appears easy to understand but the further you go into it the cloudier it becomes. 

This is an unabridged multi-voiced audio. The original work is appropriate for audio adaption. Each narrator did a great job with the narration. It was clear as to the voice the particular chapter was in due to the change in the narrator and each character within each narrators narration was easy to identify and differentiate form the next. Pacing was well maintained throughout the production and the plot flows without interruption. 

Waiting on Wednesday #2

Cricket's Pick

Expected Release: August 2013

When seventeen-year-old Katherine McCall awakened one morning to find her beloved sister, Sara, brutally murdered, her whole life changed in the blink of an eye. Kat was named the prime suspect and, on a string of circumstantial evidence, charged and tried. While the jury found her innocent, not everyone else agreed, and her only choice was to go into hiding. But she carried a dark secret with her, one that made her worry she might actually have had something to do with Sara’s death . . .

Now, years later, Kat is still haunted by her sister’s unsolved murder and continues to receive chilling anonymous letters, but she has tried to move on with her life. Until, on the tenth anniversary of Sara’s death, she receives a letter that makes the past impossible to ignore: "What about justice for Sara?" What about justice for Sara? And for herself? Kat realizes that going back to Liberty, Louisiana, might be the only way to move forward and find some peace. And there’s a killer out there who was never caught.

But the town she’s come back to is hardly different from the one she left. The secrets and suspicions still run deep. Kat has an ally in Detective Luke Tanner, son of the former Liberty police chief, but he may be her only one. With plenty of enemies, no one to trust and a killer determined to keep a dark secret buried, Kat must decide if justice is worth fighting—and dying—for.

Vyse's Pick
Expected Release: July 2013

The smash-hit ongoing epic continues! Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and alien monstrosities, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters something truly frightening: her grandparents!

Ashna's Pick

Expected Release: August 2013

It's been more than two years since Jon Evans and his family left Pennsylvania, hoping to find a safe place to live, yet Jon remains haunted by the deaths of those he loved. His prowess on a soccer field has guaranteed him a home in a well-protected enclave. But Jon is painfully aware that a missed goal, a careless word, even falling in love, can put his life and the lives of his mother, his sister Miranda, and her husband, Alex, in jeopardy. Can Jon risk doing what is right in a world gone so terribly wrong?

Page Turner's Pick

Expected Release: November 2013

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion? 

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

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