Audio Review & Giveaway: Say Your One of Them by Uwem Akpan

Title: Say You're One of Them
Narrator: Robin Miles and Dion Graham
Author: Uwem Akpan
Publication: October 13, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Format: Abridged
Source: Gift
Genre: Fiction, Short Stories
Length: 2 Hours and 32 minutes
Format:Rating: 5 of 5

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Synopsis: Each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances.

A family living in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday. A Rwandan girl relates her family's struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts. A young brother and sister cope with their uncle's attempt to sell them into slavery. Aboard a bus filled with refugees-a microcosm of today's Africa-a Muslim boy summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride across Nigeria. Through the eyes of childhood friends the emotional toll of religious conflict in Ethiopia becomes viscerally clear.

Uwem Akpan's debut signals the arrival of a breathtakingly talented writer who gives a matter-of-fact reality to the most extreme circumstances in stories that are nothing short of transcendent.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this listen. It is emotional. You always hear about the atrocities occurring in Africa but never from a child's point of view. Akpan does an excellent job of providing a child's experience. My eyes were opened by many of the things the children went threw. There were moments that i had many tears. The tears shed were worth getting to experience this story. I will be picking up this audio unabridged in order to get the rest of the stories. 

This book is perfect for an audio performance. This is a single multi-voiced performance. What I mean by that is that there are 2 narrators but for the most part they handle each story individually. Each character is differentiated by tone, inflection, and accent. The pacing of the audio is appropriate. The abridgment flows smoothly. 

Giveaway: This giveaway is for a used Audio in new condition (only listened to once) and is only open to US/CAN residents. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter. 
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Excerpt & Giveaway: Come Back to Me by Coleen Patrick

Title: Come Back to Me
Author: Coleen Patrick
Publication: March, 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary

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Synopsis:

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn't finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn't all or nothing, and that happy isn't something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

Excerpt:

From Chapter 14

I went to the rec center.

The front desk pointed me down a checkerboard-tiled hallway.  Halfway down, I heard guitar strumming and a mish mosh of clanging tambourines.  I transferred the paper bag with the last muffin to my other hand and swiped my damp palm against my shorts.  I moved toward the music, my gaze darting from one closed door to the next, until I found the right classroom.  There, I peeked into the square window on the door.

Evan.

He stood in the middle of the room, chairs pushed to the edges, orchestrating a dozen or so kids holding tambourines, triangles, and recorders.  The sound they made was loud, shy of any sort of regular rhythm, much like my heart suddenly, but they were all smiling, including Evan.  He clapped his hands over his head, while the guitar strapped around him swayed.  His shirt was blue—another button down, sleeves rolled to his forearm and shirttail hanging over his shorts as they played to their finale.  The tallest boy crashed his cymbals together while the kids with tambourines shook them wildly in the air. 

The butterflies in my stomach joined the ruckus, and I pressed a palm to my stomach.   It was just nerves thinking about our forthcoming conversation.  It wasn’t going to be easy to ask him about that night.

A girl in braids, the one holding the triangle, pointed at me and, in the moment, before Evan turned, I felt the muscles in my legs tense, but I stayed still.  I wasn’t going to run the other way anymore, not when I wanted answers.  Instead, I waved, and Evan raised his hand before heading in my direction.

“All right guys.” He opened the door wide.  “I’ll see you Friday.” 

One by one, the kids streamed past me, chattering to one another. I focused on the tops of their heads, unsure of how I would start my conversation with Evan.

“Hi.” I said, when the last kid was halfway down the hallway.  Then I got tongue-tied.  I smiled at him, but my lips trembled, drawn up by sudden nerves. 

Evan put out his hand for me to shake. I smiled, scrunching up my nose. 

“Hi,” he said.  “I’m Evan Foster.”

I laughed.  A slow smile spread on his face, and I felt the butterfly orchestra in my gut move into crescendo mode.  I held out my own hand.  His hand closed over mine.  It was warm, strong.     

“Whitney Denison,” I said, feeling a little bit silly.  That turned out to be good though, because as I took a deep breath, my nerves evened out.  “Whitney Elizabeth Morgan Denison.”

Evan raised an eyebrow.  “Oh, well in that case, I’m Evan Sebastian Foster.”

“Sebastian?” 

“Yes, my mom was really into The Little Mermaid.”

Again I laughed, but then stopped.  “What?  Wait, you’re serious?”

“Yeah.  She named me after Sebastian the crab.”

“And you tell everyone this story?”

“Not really.”  He watched me in a way that sent my heart on a faster pace.  “So, girl-with-two-middle-names…”

“I don’t think I’m ready for you to be calling me by my Native American name.”

He grinned and glanced down at the floor for a moment.  Then, he reached a hand in his jeans, pulling out his car keys.  Immediately, I was disappointed.  I didn't want to be done talking with him.  I was just getting started.

I remembered the bag in my hand and held it up to him.  “Are you hungry?”

Author Bio:

Coleen Patrick grew up in New Jersey, Virginia, Michigan, Louisiana, and Indiana. Always being the new kid, she learned that books and friends are precious—and dessert. She never met a dessert she didn’t like (except for flan).

When she’s not writing, reading (or avoiding flan), she enjoys TV, arts and crafts, quoting movies, and trying to take cool photos.

She lives in Virginia with her husband and two kids.

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Giveaway: This giveaway is for an ebook copy of Come Back To Me and open Internationally. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter for a chance to win.

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Echo (The Soul Seekers): Audiobook

Author: Alyson Noel

Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Title:Echo (The Soul Seekers)

Publication: November 13, 2012

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Pages: 352
Length: 9 hours 34 minutes

Audience: 17 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover): There's still so much Daire Santos has to learn about being the last Soul Seeker...and about herself. As her magical training become more intense, so does her relationship with Dace. But when she learns that his connection to the evil Richter family goes far deeper than she ever imagined., she begins to question if love really can conquer all. Dace is painfully aware that he wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the Richters' dark magic- and now his brother Cade is determined to use his love for Daire against him. Dace is willing to sacrifice his own life. But will Daire allow it? And what if defeating Cade costs not only his life but his soul too?

My thoughts:

 I thought Fated moved a little slow and made me a little unsure if I wanted to continue the story, but I really wanted to read Echo so I went for it. This book picks up the pace and throws in new people and new drama. I really liked this one. Daire's relationship and training even pick up pace and seem to rush a little bit, but time is of the essence! Even though the pace picks up, plenty of drama and new people are thrown in to slow things down. To make you wonder why people are disappearing, appearing, and/or reappearing. Also, Auden, Xotichl's (So-chee) boyfriend is making bets against her. She believes it will snow by Christmas and he believes it won't. He seems to be the only one betting against her. By the way, Xotichl is still my favorite character.
As I have said the book throws a lot more into the storyline and I feel like it really developed in this book. The ending of this book totally blew my mind. I would think, "Oh my goodness! This is going to happen!" only to have something completely different happen. The ending is a complete and utter cliff hanger. I've really enjoyed listening to the audio version of the book, but since it usually takes a while for the audiobook to come out, I am going to my public library on May 8, 2013 and hoping to goodness they will have this book on their shelves. I NEED to know what happens!
The audio is done once again by Brittany Pressley. In Echo, the perspective changes from Daire and Dace. Her voice is a little deeper and more relaxed for Dace and I really enjoyed listening to her narrate for him. I also enjoy the way she narrates for Paloma as well. In the epilogue of the book, the reader gets to hear from about 7-8 different character perspectives and their voices! It really brought the characters to life. It was a pretty cool ending to hear each individual character's thoughts and the insane cliff hanger.

Review & Giveaway: Destiny Gift

Title: Destiny Gift
Author: Juliana Haygert 

Series: Everlast, #1
Publication: April 9th 2013
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

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Synopsis:

Thirty years in the future, a sinister New York City exists in permanent darkness.

A student at the secured NYU, nineteen-year-old Nadine has visions of Victor Gianni, an imaginary guy she has real feelings for. Afraid of being truly insane, she explains the visions away as simple daydreams, but she can no longer deny them when she bumps into Victor in real life. But this Victor doesn’t know her, and turns her away. After the encounter, Nadine’s visions change to those of eerie fates, gods she’s never heard of, demons with sharp claws they are not too timid to use … and instructions.

To discover if she’s losing her mind, Nadine follows the vague directions—with the real, rude and reluctant Victor—leading to a man who knows it all: Nadine can restore an ancient creed by unveiling the clues on her visions, and bring sunlight and peace to the world again. But that’s only if the demons and the other evil forces behind the darkness don’t stop her first.

My Thoughts:  Our future, Nadine's present, is dark. Plagued by crime, distruction, and feral animals. The light of Nadine's life is the "daydreams" she is having. Nadine know's that the things she is seeing is out of the norm. She brushes them off. Things take a turn when her "daydreams" begin to change and the man in those dreams turns out to be real.

Destiny Gift started out slow for me but, I was intrigued from the beginning with Nadine's vision's. The visions kept me turning the pages as I had to know what they meant (I had my theories and few were right). Nadine's world is believable and easy to picture as our future. Ultimately  Juliana Haygert has created a great beginning to a new series. She gave enough to keep you wanting more and left a bit out there for the next book. I'm read to snatch up the next book to see how thing turn out and how my lingering questions will be answered.    

Author Bio:

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

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Blast Giveaway: Trail of Bones by Chris Salisbury

Trail of Bones

Ready for a new adventure? Are you a fan of fantasy, young adult, science fiction and action stories?

“No mercy, No rules - Welcome to the Trail of Bones!”

Run with Purpose – battle cry of the Shade Wolves

Magnus, the runt of a litter of Shade Wolves, wants nothing more than to be a loyal, strong member of the pack. But when an ancient enemy threatens his friends and family, he faces a choice that could tear him from all he's known and loved. Born in captivity, the giant panther Kelor knows nothing but suffering and loss. He struggles to find his place in this world of terror, and he battles to protect his family without succumbing to the darkness lurking inside him. Falling captive to the evil Warden, the two are forced to fight in the battle of the beasts known as 'The Trail of Bones'. How will Kelor and Magnus learn to work together? How will they escape a fate of despair and death? How will their choices affect their comrades? Their enemies? And the forgotten magic that could doom all life of their world? Let the adventures begin!

A fun, exciting, clean read for teens, young adults, adults and readers of all ages. Pick up your copy of this fantasy adventure today!

Are you a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robert Jordan, Orson Scott Card, Jim Butcher and other fantasy and science fiction authors? You’ll feel right at home with Trail of Bones. This fantasy story offers a strong moral message, suspense, action, and mystery, in a world full of magic, unlikely heroes, and devious villains.

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Editorial Reviews Salisbury is a rising star in genre fiction. This book makes a unique and exciting contribution in the fantasy realm. The first of great things to come. --Jake Black, "The Authorized Ender Companion" "Smallville" "Ender's Game: Recruiting Valentine"
Amazon Reviews Conclusion: A fantasy adventure that features lots of action and intrigue that is geared to a YA audience. There are moments in this tale that are especially well done... story telling at a level that I'd be interested to see what this author would do with an adult orientated fantasy work. As a dedicated YA work... 5 Stars. ~ Ray Nicholson The beginning of a great adventure! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book of the Trail of Bones series. It is an unpredictable adventure, with heartwrenching acts of love and friendship. The story ended before I was prepared to put my Kindle down, and now I will wait anxiously for the second book to be published. In the meantime, I think I'll read it again with my eleven-year-old son; I'm sure he'll love it as much as I do. Give it a read! ~ HRL
Enthralling story line that really pulls you in …The characters were some that I will not easily forget because he explains their background in a way that makes the reader really connect and believe they are real. He creates a world that I long to see. I really grew to both love and hate different characters. I think that is a sign of a really great author when they can make us feel so much emotion towards a character. ~ Janason

About Chris Salisbury

Chris Salisbury has been writing fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and action thrillers for years in independent films. Now he’s expanded his love of good movies, such as Gladiator, Counte of Monte Cristo, Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart, Star Trek, to the world of books. Trail of Bones is the first book in a planned four part fantasy, young adult series targeted at readers of all ages.

The father of four enjoys a wide range of interests from scuba diving to softball, coaching basketball to playing Battlefield 3 on his Xbox 360 or NCAA Football with his sons. He is also a big advocate for literacy and reading for young boys. There seem to be few titles that appeal to young boys and young men to hold their attention, trigger their imaginations and create a love of reading. Chris is out to change that.

In addition to the Trail of Bones series, he also has a number of other titles in development including historical fiction, action, suspense thrillers, and several science fiction properties. There’s a lot more on the horizon, so enjoy Trail of Bones but be sure to look for more captivating titles from Chris Salisbury in the near future.

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Review & Giveaway: Underground Witch

Title: The Underground Witch 
Series: Incenaga Trilogy, #2
Author: Debbie Dee 
Publication: May 2, 2013 
Publisher: Dolce Books
Source: Author/Publisher
Genre: Young Adult
Audience: 12 and up 

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Synopsis: 
As the last of the Incenaga Witches, Emmeline has been tortured, abused, and forced to use her power to kill. But unlike the Incenagas before her, she has survived. With her freedom restored, she should feel safe, invincible even. After all, she has the protection of Erick’s army and a power strong enough to obliterate any enemy. Yet Emmeline lives in fear for the next person who will try to control her, and no one can seem to find the tyrant threatening to claim her.

Until it’s too late.

With everything on the line, and the enemy at her throat, Emmeline has no choice but to convince Erick she no longer loves him (or risk him following her) and disappear with the one person she vowed to hate. But when she finds a way to take back her freedom and fight for Erick, will Emmeline be able to use her power like never before? Even if it kills her?

In The Underground Witch, the second novel of the Incenaga Trilogy, Debbie Dee delivers enough adventure, heartbreak, and suspense to captivate readers at every turn.

My Thoughts: This is the second installment in the Incenaga Trilogy. Emmeline fears she is destined to be alone. History has shown that Incenaga Witches often bring pain and destruction to everyone, especially those she loves. Emmeline knows the key to her survival is learning how to control her power and keep someone else from claiming her. She goes on a worldwide adventure (not by choice) and begins the process of understanding her powers. Tiergan, King of Griet, is after the greatest power in the world. “The Incenaga of unimaginable beauty and power”, Emmeline. He will stop and nothing to have her.  Emmeline's sacrifice allows her to come face to face with someone who may have all the answers to Incenaga Witches.

Debbie Dee continued an incredible story that will keep the reader wanting more till the very end. I love this story and have been waiting for this second book since I read the first book. I was not expecting The Underground Witch to have so much suspense and was pleasantly surprised. I was not able to put this down until I finished the last page.  I am going to try a patiently  wait for the final book. 

About the Author:

Debbie Dee recently moved to southern Idaho with her husband and three children where she is learning how to be a country girl in her favorite pair of blue heels. She adores fairy tales and happy endings, but secretly crushes on the bad guy now and then. As a dedicated musician who practices way too much, she never expected writing would sweep her off her feet until she jotted down a scene from a daydream, which turned into two scenes, which turned into a messy house and her first novel. Since then she hasn’t been able to let a day go by without writing. Her website is www.debbiedee.com.

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Links to find/buy previous book in the series: 

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You can find my review of The Last Witch here

Giveaway: This giveaway is for an ebook copy of The Last Witch and open Internationally. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter for a chance to win.

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Your Mine by Janeal Falor

Title: You Are Mine

Author: Janeal Falor
Series: Mine, #1
Publication:  May 6th 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis:

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life– worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

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Author Bio:

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

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Giveaway: This giveaway is for one (1) ebook copy of You Are Mine. Open internationally. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter.

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