Review of Blood Shadows by Lindsay J. Pryor

Hey everybody! It's time for this book to get back in the spotlight. I hosted a book tour for it here a few days ago, but I hadn't finished reading it by the time the tour came around here. Yeah.... But it did just finish it a little while ago, so now I can actually finish the review I started for the tour.

Make sure that you do end up checking out the tour post to see an interview with the author and to read the first three chapter of the novel for free!

For vengeance - would you trust a vampire?

For justice - could you betray your family?

For love - are you ready to question everything you believe in?

Gifted with the ability to read the shadows of 'third species' beings, Caitlin Parish is the Vampire Control Unit's most powerful agent. Despite that, her mission to hunt down Kane Malloy - a master vampire - comes with a death wish. Many have tried, but few have survived.

For Caitlin, tracking Kane is about more than just professional reputation. With her parents both mysteriously killed 7 years apart to the day, Caitlin knows that without Kane's help she is next.

She has four days to make a deal with the wicked, the irresistible, the treacherous Kane Malloy. The vampire who despises everything she stands for. Or die.

***

Just give me a moment, I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that this is only Lindsay J. Pryor's debut novel. I know she said that she's been writing unprofessionally for years, but still. Wow.

First off, I absolutely adore the world she's put into place here. Everything is so well formed with its own history and culture that it really feels like I'm living in Blackthorn whenever I'm reading. Every character has a story to tell (or not to tell if they have anything to say about it, ehem, Kane....), and I love to hear from them all.
 
The things about Blood Shadows that I've appreciated the most so far is how invested the author gets into the little details. She won't just skim over the minor plot points and give a little summary that says this and this and this happened but that it doesn't really matter too much.... Of course it matters! If it's not important, then it doesn't need to be in there at all! The little details really do count when you throw yourself into a story, and I'm really glad that they're not forgotten here.

My favorite parts of the novel come more from Kane's perspective, even though I feel like I probably shouldn't like him so much. He's extremely manipulative, devious, and follows his own agenda at all costs, but he's a very interesting character to follow, so I love him anyway. I tried really hard not to like him so much because he's honestly not that nice of a person, but I couldn't help myself. Ask anyone, I never like the "bad boy" type of characters, but Kane got under my skin from the moment he broke into Caitlin's apartment to kidnap her in the middle of the night (see, not nice!) and he's stayed there ever since.

The ending, or at least the part leading up to it.... well, I'm not really sure what I think about it. Yeah, I guess I can understand it, but it didn't really feel like the whole epic showdown that was being led up to throughout the whole novel. I don't think anybody even technically died. And yes, I do have to say technically because there were some slightly nontechnical deaths there for a little bit.

I do have a few questions, and if you haven't read this book yet, this is the time where you tune out. If you have read it, or are just curious about my questions, you can highlight the text for it to show up.

For one, I wasn't exactly so sure about the necessity of a soul. When the soul ripper takes it out, you die, yet Kane was able to remove Caitlin's and she was fine. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the soul ripper steals your astral body too...? I don't know.

My other question is more of a technical detail, but it confused me all the same. I'm assuming that Caitlin's mom was a shadow reader (and I could be totally wrong) because it sounded like it was hereditary and she passed the book along to her. But then Kane said the only way to remove a shadow reader's soul was for them to give it up. Well, her mom died when the soul ripper took hers, and I highly doubt that any of that was willing. 

Just questions, but still, they made me wonder. Overall, they didn't bother me at all. I loved everything in this book, especially because none of the characters were perfect, but still so amazing in their very own way.

Rating: 5 stars

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For When Words Aren't Enough....

A copy of the novel was provided for us in exchange for an honest review.

Coming Soon.... #5: The Retribution of Mara Dyer

These are a Must Read. 

The Retribution of Mara Dyer doesn't come out until Fall 2013!! Keep a look out!!

Review of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

***

This. Book. Is. Incredible! I loved it! Put it this way, I finished it in under twenty-four hours. That ought to tell you how amazing it is.

At the very beginning, one becomes hooked. We are informed of the protagonist being a girl who doesn't even know what her name is. Interesting? Well, there is more to the story. Apparently, there was an accident. A building collapsed. Tragic right? Or so we think up until we get further into the book and we find out the cause of the collapsed asylum. I did mention that the building was an old, dilapidated asylum? That is enough of foreshadowing to get you through the first several chapters. Up until the first death. Or should I say murder? What I love so much about this book is how much suspense there is! Every chapter ends so abruptly that you are eager to turn the page and see what happens next. It should be like that with every book, but sadly its not.

Now, the characters Noah Shaw: the sexy, British boy who plays the guitar, loves dogs and hates Florida. The one who everyone seems to think is a bad-boy but who deep down, is truly just a loving, sweet, sarcastic bad boy. See the difference? It seems as though he and the protagonist, Mara have a lot in common. More so than anyone has a right to believe.

Mara Dyer: The girl who all the drama is happening to. She has her own personal stalker. Doesn't that tell you how important she is? It should. She is the one who the psychologists are calling crazy, schizophrenic and trying to institutionalize. Sounds as though her life is the bomb, huh? On the bright side she is the..wait, I can't ruin the book!

When people think of crazy people, they think of white lab coats, pills, and probably even the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But this brings a whole new twist on what suspense, psycholgy and coo-coo is.

Rating: 5 Stars

For When Words Aren't Enough

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Michelle Hodkin grew up in Florida, went to college in New York, and studied law in Michigan. She is the author of the Mara Dyer trilogy, including The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The Evolution of Mara Dyer and The Retribution of Mara Dyer. Visit her online at MichelleHodkin.com.

Blood Shadows Book Tour: Thoughts, Interview, & Preview

Welcome to our stop of Lindsay J. Pryor's Blood Shadows book tour, hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. I have to confess that I haven't technically finished reading this book yet (I know, I'm sorry!), but everything I've read so far I've absolutely LOVED. I'm going to share my first thoughts so far, but I promise that a full review of the novel will be up as soon as possible. First, though, I want to turn it over to the author who I really hope can forgive me since I'm really loving her book!

 

The Interview

1. For those who don't know much about Blood Shadows, how would you describe it?

Blood Shadows is a dark, dystopian and sexy urban paranormal romance said to skirt extremely close to the edge. It’s fast-paced, action-packed and, as I’m told, with twists you don’t see coming.

It’s book one in the Blackthorn series which is set in an alternative reality where the ‘third species’, such as vampires, are controlled by humans who rule over them with an iron fist. Society is divided and the third species are both feared and discriminated against.

Blackthorn is the backdrop for forbidden romances that are going to impact on the fate of both humans and the third species oppressed by them.


2. What was your favorite scene to write in Blood Shadows? Your least favorite?

I don’t have an outright favourite but all the scenes where the hero and heroine, Kane and Caitlin, are bantering were definitely my favourite to write. I love it when I’m writing a scene and the characters take over, especially to the point where I feel as though I’m watching a film and not even I’m sure what’s coming next.

I’m very protective over Caitlin so scenes where she’s having a hard time were emotionally difficult to write.


3. Do you have a favorite character, or do you love all of your children equally?

I have some characters I don’t like, that’s for sure! When it comes to my protagonists though, I love them all equally – flaws and all. Even when my heroes are misbehaving or my heroines are doing something to put themselves in jeopardy, I understand where they’re coming from so still have an inherent respect for them.


4. What is your favorite book/story that you've ever written?

As with favourite characters, I can’t choose one. I only write what I love and believe in, and each book appeals to me for different reasons.


5. Is there anything new that you're working on that you can tell us about?

I’m in the final stages of revisions for Blood Roses (book 2 in the Blackthorn series), which is due out in the spring. I’m also currently working on book 3.

Blood Roses follows on in terms of plot from Blood Shadows, but it’s Leila and Caleb’s story (though Kane and Caitlin do get mentioned because they will be back). Leila is a serryn – a rare and supposedly extinct witch whose blood is poisonous to vampires. Though reluctant to become ‘active’, she’s forced to face her worst nightmares when she’s summoned to Blackthorn in the belief her sister’s life is at risk. There she meets Caleb who, for decades, was the Higher Order’s most proficient serryn hunter. Determined to prove Leila isn’t the exception to the rule, Caleb needs to evoke her true nature before being forced to free her from Blackthorn.

Book 3 will lead on from Blood Roses, with each love story lining up to have a major impact on the outcome of the future of Blackthorn.


6. Did you ever want to be anything other than an author? If so, what? What made you decide to be an author?

Becoming an author was never an active decision. From a young age I basically had the need to spill what was in my head onto paper and it’s never waned. I write first and foremost because I need to and because I love the writing process. I’ve always felt like an author because writing books is how I’ve always enjoyed spending my time. For me, being published is a huge bonus because now I get to share what I’d be doing anyway.

My main turning point towards becoming a professional author was back in 2010 (and I’d been writing for twenty-five years by then) when I entered an online writing competition run by Harlequin Mills and Boon called New Voices. It was an interactive competition where readers commented on uploaded chapters and voted for their favorites. I made it into the final in both 2010 and again in 2011 with two of my Blackthorn books. The amazing response I received gave me a real boost and convinced me I could become published one day. Last year I was approached by my publisher, Bookouture, who knew of my success in New Voices and offered me a three-book deal.

Like most authors I have another job/profession. I qualified as a psychology lecturer and English teacher before moving on to teach children with special needs. I’ve been a teacher for sixteen years, although I’m now part-time.


7. What authors do you look up to?

So many authors for so many reasons! I really admire Emily Bronte, Mary Shelley and Bram Stoker for paving the way to the modern-day gothic romance. I adore Shakespeare – no one writes dialogue like he did. I admire James Patterson for the page-turning quality of his books, Roald Dahl for being a master of twists in the tale and Anne Rice for being a descriptive genius. I also adore Tolkien for his world-building and Stephen King for his characterization. 

This or That

 
Series or Stand-Alone? I tend to read more stand-alone books than series, but I prefer to write the latter.
Chicken or the Egg? I’m a real animal lover so I’ll opt for the chicken.
Prequel or Sequel? Oh, that’s hard! I watch a lot of sequels and prequels, especially as I’m a huge fan of sci-fi. I think I’m going to say prequel though. I love getting back to the root of things.
Happily Ever After or To Be Continued? To be continued! As long as I know it will be happy in the end…
Star-Struck Lovers or Turbulent Relationships? Ha! From my stories I think it’s obvious I prefer turbulent relationships – as long as they’re based on love. Conflict is the driving force to any story and I love to be kept guessing.
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars, hands down. Forgetting for a moment what I said in my answer to ‘Prequel or Sequel’, Episodes I, II and III didn’t do much for me unfortunately compared with the superiority of IV to VI. Episode IV will always be my favourite.

Thanks so much for having me! 

 

My Thoughts

Just give me a moment, I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that this is only Lindsay J. Pryor's debut novel. I know she said that she's been writing unprofessionally for years, but still. Wow.

First off, I absolutely adore the world she's put into place here. Everything is so well formed with its own history and culture that it really feels like I'm living in Blackthorn whenever I'm reading. Every character has a story to tell (or not to tell if they have anything to say about it), and I love to hear from them all.

My favorite parts of the novel come more from Kane's perspective, even though I feel like I probably shouldn't like him so much. He's extremely manipulative, devious, and follows his own agenda at all costs, but he's a very interesting character to follow, so I love him anyway.

The things about Blood Shadows that I've appreciated the most so far is how invested the author gets into the little details. She won't just skim over the minor plot points and give a little summary and say that this and this and this happened, but it doesn't really matter too much.... Of course it matters! If it's not important, then it doesn't need to be in there at all! The little details really do count when you throw yourself into a story, and I'm really glad that they're not forgotten here.

So you could definitely say that it's so far, so good. Or, so far, so AWESOME! The plot has dragged me around all over the place, and I've been guessing the entire time. I'm still in the midst of trying to figure out exactly what's going on and who's up to what, but there's no way that I'm giving up now. I love the story, and I love the characters, and I really love the world they're living in. If I was rating just what I've read so far, I'd say that five stars aren't nearly enough to even begin to cover it.

 

The Excerpt

Blood Shadows FREE extract by bookouture

 

About the Book

For vengeance - would you trust a vampire?
 
For justice - could you betray your family?
 
For love - are you ready to question everything you believe in?
 
Gifted with the ability to read the shadows of ‘third species’ beings, Caitlin Parish is the Vampire Control Unit’s most powerful agent. Despite that, her mission to hunt down Kane Malloy – a master vampire – comes with a death wish. Many have tried, but few have survived.
 
For Caitlin, tracking Kane is about more than just professional reputation. With her parents both mysteriously killed 7 years apart to the day, Caitlin knows that without Kane’s help she is next.
 
She has four days to make a deal with the wicked, the irresistible, the treacherous Kane Malloy. The vampire who despises everything she stands for.
 
Or die. 

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For When Words Aren't Enough....

 

About the Author

Lindsay J. Pryor is a British Paranormal Romance author who writes dark, intense stories set in the dystopian world of Blackthorn.

Her trademark powerful vampire heroes and utterly combustible sensual romances have earned Lindsay comparisons with both J.R Ward and Sherrilyn Kenyon. A finalist in Mills & Boon’s New Voices competition in both 2010 and 2011, Lindsay has already proved a smash hit with readers.

Comments like “Utterly captivating”, “Jaw-droppingly good”, “Awesome”, “I forgot to blink”, “The sexual tension is off the charts”, “I nearly fainted when he removed her belt”, “I drooled on my keyboard” and even “Tell Kane he can have my soul RIGHT NOW!” convinced Lindsay she just might have what it took to become a published author.

With the launch of Blood Shadows, that dream is now a reality. Her journey to published author though has been a long one.

Lindsay has been creating stories since she was nine years old, when she quickly decided that fantasy was more interesting than reality. She thought she’d grow out of it but hasn’t yet.

Despite years of bashing out stories on an old typewriter, it was the death of her father in 2007 that finally convinced Lindsay to try and become a published author. “One of the last things my dad said to me was to do what I wanted to do in life. After he passed away, I pulled out all my scribbles from over the years and got back to writing what I loved most – paranormal romance.”

If reviews are anything to go by, it was a journey well worth making.

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I hope to see you guys again soon once I have that review finished. You're not going to want to miss out on this book!

Review of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy’s classic story of doomed love is one of the most admired novels in world literature. Generations of readers have been enthralled by his magnificent heroine, the unhappily married Anna Karenina, and her tragic affair with dashing Count Vronsky.

In their world frivolous liaisons are commonplace, but Anna and Vronsky’s consuming passion makes them a target for scorn and leads to Anna’s increasing isolation. The heartbreaking trajectory of their relationship contrasts sharply with the colorful swirl of friends and family members who surround them, especially the newlyweds Kitty and Levin, who forge a touching bond as they struggle to make a life together. Anna Karenina is a masterpiece not only because of the unforgettable woman at its core and the stark drama of her fate, but also because it explores and illuminates the deepest questions about how to live a fulfilled life.

***

Now, I know that this is quite out of the norm for our blog. I know that this book is not supernatural or anything magical. Still, I have a passion for the classics and thought, "Hey, why not?" So, for any one who might want to read something out of the norm, here you go.

Let me start off by saying that this book is LONG! I know, that is a little obvious, but I feel the need to express it. It took me two weeks to read this book and seeing as how I read "Gone with the Wind" in three days, the length and details of this book can be determined with that information.

So when the book starts off, we expect it to be about some woman named Anna Karenina right? Well, its not. That is the first unique thing about the book. The book begins with Oblonsky, the unfaithful older brother to Anna. So this in itself is something to help foreshadow the events of the book. Basically, there is an affair which gives you a pretty good foreshadowing of what is to come....Need I say more?

Throughout the book, the point of view changes but the point remains the same. Love. Betrayal. Death. What more could you want?

For When Words Aren't Enough....

Yes, it's for the movie, but it's still pretty close!

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Watcher Book Tour: Review, Intiverview, & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to our stop of Audra Middleton's Watcher book tour, hosted by Reading Addiction Blog Tours. I was able to read this REALLY good book, so I'm going to tell you what I thought of it, as well as share a giveaway that the author was nice enough to offer up. But first, I got the chance to ask said amazing author a few questions, so let's turn it over to her!

 

The Interview

1. For those who don't know much about Watcher, how would you describe it? 

Watcher is a love story set in a world where magic is possible. I think of it as a fairy tale for grown ups, except my heroine doesn’t sit back and wait to be rescued, like traditional fairy tale women. As for what it’s about, I think my log line sums it up best: An orphan girl seeks the oblivion of the forest while darkness lures the Chosen Son of prophecy, yet they find each other, and their budding love could destroy the very world Goran, the tormented prophet, is trying to save. 


2. What was your favorite scene to write in Watcher? Your least favorite? 

I loved writing the scene where Watcher and Benaiah meet. She comes across him bathing in a pond. It was actually the first scene I wrote, even though it doesn’t happen until about halfway through the book. My least favorite scenes to write were the battle scenes. I’m not a warrior, so I felt a little out of my element. I finally got some good advice from a fellow writer, who told me to put myself in the soldiers’ shoes and write it like I was there. Pretty much the same way I wrote the other scenes. Once I clued in to that, they were no more difficult to write than the rest of the book. 


3. How did you come up with the names for your characters? 

I spent way too much time researching names for my book: their meanings, historical & literary associations, cultures of origin. I used web resources, other works of literature, and my ginormous dictionary. I also tried to make sure there was a combination of normal names and unusual ones. Nowadays I just do the Usual Suspect trick, borrowing names from whatever’s posted on my bulletin board or cluttering my desk. 


4. Is there anything new that you're working on that you can tell us about? 

I recently completed a quirky little paranormal thriller about a small town art teacher who gets recruited by the FBI’s ‘freak squad’ to help solve a bizarre conspiracy, and now I am working on a sequel to Watcher as well as a stand-alone romantic comedy. 


5. Did you ever want to be anything other than an author? If so, what? What made you decide to be an author? 

I went to college thinking I would go into journalism, graduated college thinking I would go into publishing, and then went back to school to get my teaching degree. Through all of that I enjoyed writing as a hobby. I didn’t write much after college, until a few years ago. Some friends of mine found out I liked to write, and they encouraged me to start up again. Now I can’t shut it off. 


6. What authors do you look up to? 

I think Beverly Cleary is still my favorite, because her characters are so well-crafted. When I first read Ramona the Brave, I swore that woman had reached in and stolen my eight-year-old soul. I want to write characters like that, steal people’s souls. I also admire Capote, Tolkien, and Stephen King. 


7. If you could be anyone for an entire day, who would it be? 

Benjamin Franklin: a true genius who was also witty, and the only founding father to become an abolitionist. I’d have use of a brain that could solve major problems without sacrificing humor or morality. 


8. What is your favorite book that you've read so far this year? Favorite book of all time? How about movie? 

I enjoyed reading The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan to my boys recently, and I just started a book called Forever Man, by January Bain, that looks to be pretty good. My favorite book of all time is probably Ramona the Brave. My favorite movie is Simon Birch; it’s funny, sweet, and meaningful. 


9. If you had a code name, what would it be? Why? 

Squarepeg: not cool, but smart enough to know it doesn’t matter. 

This or That 

Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate. 
Series or Stand-Alone? I’ll go with Stand-Alone, but I do love a series if it’s well done. 
Morning or Night? Night. I’d skip mornings if I could. 
Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Coffee. 
PC or Mac? PC. 
Star Wars or Star Trek? I’m going with Star Trek, since Roddenberry gave me more overall hours of entertainment. 

Thanks for having me!



The scene where Watcher and Ben meet was my favorite to read too! It just seemed to have the clearest "picture" if that makes any sense, and both of their reactions were awesome and seemed so like them that I knew it was only going to get better from there.

I actually enjoyed the battle scenes a lot too. I really think you did a great job on them, and even though it was slightly gruesome, I loved Benaiah's witty remark to the beefy swordsman.

I'm pretty sure that during elementary school I read every single book Beverly Clearly had ever written by then. She probably started me on my mass author stalking where I would have an entire shelf in one of my bookcases dedicated just to her.

Yes! Another Star Trek fan! I don't think that anyone could even come close to making a case of Star Wars having more running time than Star Trek. There's absolutely no contest there.

 

My Review

I really, really, really liked this book. It's a perfect example of the epic fantasy genre (or as one of my friends (you know who you are) keeps telling me its called, high fantasy), but it still has a little bit of that contemporary feel to it. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore authors like Tolkien, but is it too much to ask for just a little dry humor? Maybe even some sarcasm?

Oh, and yes, I did just compare this book to Lord of the Rings. The one and only, multimillion dollar grossing, seemingly never ending trilogy that is an icon for all things fantasy. But where Lord of the Rings is your adventurous, quest-riddled journey, I'd consider Watcher to be more of a true story at heart with pieces of that woven in there.

And what a story it was. The novel starts off when our two main protagonists, Watcher and Benaiah, are just kids, goes with each of their separate journeys until they unexpectedly meet each other (which is undoubtedly the best scene in the book), and then continues with them together for the rest of the novel to play out in every epic proportion imaginable.

It was interesting to really watch the characters grow up instead of having to make due with only a few flashbacks to childhood at best. Little Ben stole my heart from the very first time I met him, and I was about ready to take out Imala or anybody else who tried to corrupt the inherent goodness that lived within him. Having to see him go through battle at first almost killed me, and I deeply regretted what he had to deal with in order to grow up, along with the incidents that led to his aunt having to raise him alone (even though Marta would find a way to make me smile pretty much every time she opened her mouth).

Watcher intrigued me from the very beginning, but I never really connected with her until she started spending time with Ben and her past was revealed (in pretty much the coolest way possible, I might add). Her selective naivety and very understandable questions on many overlooked topics (such as the necessity of clothing) were always much appreciated.

And then there's Kitty. Kitty's just so awesome that he deserves his own paragraph. Honestly, how many friendly bears do you know named Kitty? Yes, a bear named Kitty. How awesome is that?! He is extremely protective of Watcher and is the best friend she could have ever asked for, even though his concerned licking has disturbed quite a few. Kitty is the literal epitome of being a big teddy bear, and I absolutely loved him for it.

I can't wait for book two!

Rating: 5 stars

 

The Excerpt

"“She blocks her thoughts,” he whispered, surprised. 

“Yes. I’ve no idea what goes on in that fool head of hers.” 

Ben became flushed with anger. It was rare to find someone he could not read. To have constant knowledge of others’ thoughts was maddening, tedious, and altogether lonely. He had been living in near seclusion on the farm for almost three years, escaping the thoughts of men, resting from the war. He would have appreciated the company of someone he could not read. 

“Why have you kept her from me?” he asked, angrily. 

Goran laughed. 

“You assume I have some sort of influence on that creature. I tried to find a proper home for her in the village throughout her childhood. Every time I tried, she hid in the woods for days. I finally decided God put this kernel in my teeth for a reason. She comes and goes as she pleases, but she has never left Willowbrook Wood until now,” Goran explained. 

Benaiah let go of Goran’s arm. Watcher was now several paces ahead, determined to show them she was not crippled by her embarrassing fall. 

“I did not give you permission to wear my cloak,” he taunted her, knowing from the flashes of pink he saw as she fell, she had nothing on under. 

Watcher glared back at him and walked toward the edge of the woods again. She walked face first into the first tree she came to, dropping the cloak as she became bark, then trunk wood, then bark again on the other side. Watcher called softly to her pet, hoping he did not get hungry and wander off. Having smelled the man in the water, it made him uneasy when she left toward the clearing. He was not far off when she called. 

“Thank you, Kitty. Off you go, I’ll be all right for a while,” she whispered, as she grabbed her pack, slipped on her own cloak, and returned to the clearing. 

Ben once again stopped in his tracks. 

“How did she do that?” he asked. 

Goran shrugged. “Her gift.” 

“What sort of creature walks through trees?” Goran shook his head. “I am afraid you are about to find out.” 

He thought for a moment about warning Benaiah not to become distracted, not to lose focus of his duties soon to come, but he had grown weary of being the messenger of such foreboding. She would most likely be gone within the week, after all."

 

About the Book

War threatens to destroy the world of Anthelion unless the holy man, Goran, can solve his prophecy riddle. For every clue he finds, another obstacle surfaces. An orphan girl, Watcher, becomes his responsibility. As if parenthood itself isn’t daunting enough, she keeps a bear for a pet and transforms into her forest surroundings to avoid socialization. Hope momentarily emerges when Goran finds Benaiah, the Chosen Son of the prophecy. Only he soon discovers Benaiah is a social pariah on the verge of embracing darkness. 

When Benaiah and Watcher unexpectedly meet, the two outsiders find in each other a sense of belonging they’ve never known.  Now their emerging love promises to bring about the very war Goran is struggling to prevent.

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About the Author

Audra's love of writing began in the third grade, when she was chosen to go to a young author’s conference based on a story, "The Dragon Cookie", which she wrote about a giant cookie that comes to life. She continued writing, and was sometimes asked to write stories for friends as birthday gifts.

Audra went to college thinking she would go into journalism, but opted to go into publishing instead, and even took an internship at Yale University Press. Audra married right after college and was unable to find a publishing job where they were living in Seattle. Audra took an office job. After helping put her husband through law school, Audra went back to school and got her teaching degree. Audra enjoyed teaching, but once her oldest was born, she chose to stay home. At the encouragement of friends Audra started writing again, the result being her first novel, Watcher, releasing January 2013. 

Audra and her husband with their three boys, now live in a small town in eastern Washington. They have a black Lab named Benji who eats shoes, gophers and packages left on her front porch (thanks Fed-Ex). When Audra is not chauffeuring and refereeing her children, she writes, dabbles in on-line shopping and plays Texas Hold ‘Em with her friends.

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The Giveaway

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The Tour

January 20 - Meet and Greet at Reading Addiction Blog Tours

January 21 - Review & Interview at Marked By Books

January 22 - Interview at Mom with a Kindle

January 23 - Interview at A Dream Within a Dream

January 24 - Review at My Reading Addiction

January 25 - Interview at Wintry Words

January 26 - Interview at Love in a Book

January 27 - Review & Interview at My Cozie Corner

January 28 - Interview at Lovely Reads

January 29 - Promo at Intriguing Reads

January 30 - Review & Interview at Stressed Rach

January 31 - Review at Emily's Bookshelf

February 1 - Interview at Brooke Blogs

February 2 - Review at Say it with Books

A copy of the novel was provided for us in exchange for an honest review.

So I've Been Thinking.... #5: "Twist" Endings

Hey, Luke! You know that guy in the cape? The one with the funky mask? Yeah, him. Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise, but he's your dad!

The good news? He only kinda sorta wants you dead.

The bad news? Gender confusion appears to run in the family. You may want to get a new haircut.


They're everywhere. Those ultimate "surprise" endings that nobody except for the majority of the human population ever saw coming. They may have started off okay, and probably even have a pretty good premise, but they're overworked and hinted at so much that there really isn't much guessing left by the end of the story. At that point, all of the built up tension falls flat, and you're just left thinking, oh well, I guess that was sort of nice.

That's not what I want out of my books! I'm what you'd call an "active reader," always trying to figure things out along with everybody else in the story. I try to be a part of the novels I'm reading as much as possible because if I take the time to invest myself in the story, I'm going all the way. That's just how I do things.

I recently read a story (that shall remain nameless, no book bashing here) with this problem. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it as a whole, but it just didn't do it for me. The characters were great, the premise was awesome, and a whole lot of time was invested into world building, but it just seemed too.... predictable.

When I was able to see every major plot point coming, including the huge "twist" ending, the book lost a lot of its appeal. I basically had the entire storyline, sans minor occurrences, mapped out in my head. That took pretty much all of the fun out of reading the book because if you already know what's going to happen, then why keep going?

Good books, and I mean really good books, drag you along to the very last page. You're always completely immersed in the story, never breaking the suspension of disbelief by your own fulfilled predictions. There is no way you're putting that book down because you know that you'll never be able to sleep until you figure out what really happens.

That's not to say that you can never guess anything right in book, just that the story shouldn't be so transparent that you can see all the way to the ending after the first few chapters.

Now, I'm not saying that the only good books out there have that element of mystery to keep the readers guessing because that's not true at all. There are absolutely amazing books that never even try to twist and turn to confuse the reader, but they are very evident about that. You start running into problems when there's this highly extensive dramatic build up to some great reveal that never seems to live up to itself.

So what do you guys think? Do you like to be actively involved in figuring out the story, or do you usually just go along for the ride? Are you bothered when even really good books turn out to be completely predictable?

I Kissed a Dog Book Tour: Excerpt & GIVEAWAYS

Welcome to our stop of Carol Van Atta's I Kissed a Dog book tour! This tour is hosted by Bewitching Book Tours and we've got the first chapter here for you to read, as well as many chances to win this book and more!

 

About the Book

Chloe Carpenter isn't like other women. She can communicate with animals. A gift she unwrapped following one of her frequent dances with death. 

In her otherwise wacky life, she's finally found a semblance of sanity working at the Plum Beach Wildlife Park, where her unique talents can make life or death differences for the animals in her care. That semblance is shattered when a new veterinarian roars into the park in his spiffed up sports car and sets his golden gaze on her. If she had her way, he'd roar right back out. 

Problem: He's her new coworker and he's saved her life twice - in the past twenty-four hours. 

Zane Marshall, Enforcer for the Pacific Pack of purebred werewolves, has a job to do - figure out who or what is mutilating the young men of Plum Beach. 

With orders to find the woman who talks to animals, he accepts a position working alongside the fiery Chloe Carpenter, a female who ignites his interest far more than he ever expected. Remarkably, she's the one elusive female with potential to bring meaning and passion to his empty existence. 

Problem: She despises him. 

Together, they're forced to unravel a mystery of supernatural proportions, a murderous mystery with eternal implications for everyone. In the process, they discover opposites really do attract. 

Major Problem: Zane is pledged to another woman, and she'll do anything to keep him from Chloe.

Goodreads         Amazon         B&N         The Book Depository         Indie Bound

 

About the Author

Like most authors, Carol Van Atta is no stranger to the written word. She penned a short novel at age 12 (somewhat frightening illustrations included, and lots of bunnies were involved), and had a creative writing piece published in her high school newspaper (about David Bowie's Diamond Dogs LP). Yes, she's an ex-80's chick. 

Devouring books from numerous genres, Carol developed a deep thirst/hunger for more reading material, and could almost always be found with her nose in a book. 

She has contributed to several popular inspirational anthologies and devotional books, and lives in the rainy wetland of Oregon with a terrifying teen (another in college) and a small zoo of animals. She is taking an undetermined hiatus away from inspirational writing to delve into her darker side. (Though you can check out her latest spiritual suspense novel, Soul Defenders). It is rumored that this genre-jumping occurred after Carol discovered too suspicious red marks on her neck, and experienced an unquenchable urge to howl at the moon. 

Goodreads          Facebook          Website          Blog

 

The Excerpt

Click here to read all of Chapter One.

 

The Giveaways

 
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The Tour

January 5 - Guest Blog at Fangs, Wands & Fairydust 

January 8 - Promo at Cover2CoverBlog

January 10 - Guest Blog at Rabid Reads

January 11 - Guest Blog and Review at Books Books and More Books 

January 13 - Guest Blog at Reading Between the Wines

January 16 - Promo at Marked By Books 

January 17 - Promo at Frankie Blooding's Bookshelf

January 18 - Interview at Paranormal Romance News

January 20 - Review at Books, Books, and More Books

January 21 - Interview at Paranormal Book Club

January 24 - Excerpt  at Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books

January 26 - Interview at Books & Tales

January 30 - Interview at Beauty but a Funny Girl

January 30 - Review at Library at the End of the Universe 

January 31 - Interview and Review at Laurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews 

January 31 - Review at She Wolf Reads 

February 1 - Interview and Review at Happy Tails & Tales

February 3 - Promo at Fetch Me My Fainting Couch

February 4 - Promo at Mama Knows Books

February 6 - Guest Blog at Buffy's Ramblings

February 8 - Review at Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Blog

February 11 - Review at TBQ'S Book Palace

February 13 - Interview at What's Beyond Forks?

February 14 - Guest Post at Monique Morgan

February 21 - Guest Blog and Review at Adventure Into Romace

February 27 - Guest Blog and Review at The Book Maven

February 28 - Review at Vampire Romance Books

Secret of the Songshell Book Tour: Review, Interview, & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to our stop of Brian Tashima's Secret of the Songshell book tour, hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. I literally just finished reading this book, so everything is still fresh in my memory and has yet to be lost in the confused abyss that is my brain. But before I tell you what I thought of the novel, I'm going to turn it over to the author for a little while.

 

The Interview

1.   Your main character Joel Suzuki, has Asperger's Syndrome. Why did you choose to include that in particular? 

Joel is partly based on my son, who has Asperger’s. Secret of the Songshell all started when, a couple of years ago, my son asked me to write him a book. When I was working on ideas for the protagonist, I thought about how my son — because of his condition — could do some amazing things that seemed like superpowers to me (memorizing patterns, noticing and remembering tiny details, etc.) So, I set out to create a character for whom Asperger’s was a boon, rather than an obstacle that had to be worked around. 


2.   How did you come up with the names for your characters? 

Joel is an Asian-American character, and I chose Suzuki as his last name because I figured that most people were familiar with the Suzuki car company and, maybe to a lesser extent, Ichiro Suzuki the baseball player. Felicity Smith’s name came from an older story idea I had that involved therianthropes – kids who can transform into animals. She was going to be able to transform into a cat, so, you know, cat . . . felis . . . Felicity . . . you get the idea. But Felicity also means “happiness,” which happened to work out very well with the main theme of Secret of the Songshell, which is about the pursuit of, well, happiness. 


3.   What was your favorite scene to write in Secret of the Songshell? Your least favorite? 

My favorite scene, by far, was the climax scene, where Joel confronts the bad guy. I actually wrote a draft of it before any other part of the book. My least favorite was a scene near the beginning of the book that I ended up scrapping, so I guess now you could say that I don’t have any least favorites. 


4.   Do you have a favorite character, or do you love all of your children equally? 

I love them all, although I will admit that Felicity is especially fun to write because she’s very feisty and sarcastic. 


5.   Looking back, if you could change one thing about Secret of the Songshell, what would it be? 

The good thing about being independently-published is that if there was something I wanted to change about the book, I could just go back and change it. I haven’t made any changes to the text and I don’t plan to, but I am having a new cover design made. I like the cover I have now, but people have told me that it looks more like a book geared towards adults rather than teens and younger readers. 


6.   Is there anything new that you're working on that you can tell us about? 

Secret of the Songshell is the first of a planned seven-book series, and right now I’m working on the second book. I was hoping to have it out by the fall of this year, but I’m not sure I’m going to make that (self-imposed) deadline as I’m still only on page 57 of the first draft! I’ve found that things tend to move slower when you’re trying to promote one book and write the next one at the same time. 


7.   Did you ever want to be anything other than an author? If so, what? What made you decide to be an author? 

Like Joel, I wanted to be a rock star. I’m a singer/songwriter/guitarist and have been playing in bands all my life. Writing a book was something that I’d always wanted to do, though, and when my son asked me to write something for him, that was the catalyst that I needed. 


8.   What authors do you look up to? 

As a kid, I read tons of fantasy novels and was a big fan of Tolkein, Piers Anthony, Alan Dean Foster, and many others. These days, I find Joanne Rowling’s personal story to be very inspirational. 


9.   If you could be anyone for an entire day, who would it be? 

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, so that I could know how it feels to be able to play the drums so amazingly well. 


10.   If you had a code name, what would it be? Why? 

I would go with “Spooky Hero,” which is a nickname one of my buddies gave me in college. It’s based on my middle name and sounds pretty cool. 

This or That

Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

Chicken or the Egg? Egg

Prequel or Sequel? Prequel

Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Coffee (decaf)

Happily Ever After or To Be Continued? To Be Continued

PC or Mac? PC

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars

Okay, while I have to admit that you have good taste in books (Tolkein is a god), your choice of classic sci-fi leaves much to be desired. You can't beat Star Trek!

I do agree with the cover redesign, though. Just looking at the original, it doesn't really give the reader any indication of the story it contains and may be misleading to the target audience. It doesn't exactly scream inter-dimensional fantasy adventure to me.

 

My Review

This book has proven to be very hard for me to pin down. There were parts that I loved so much that I could barely contain myself, yet there were a few others that seemed to fall flat regardless of the incredible feats they were describing. There is nothing about this story that is boring, however; in fact, it is one of the most imaginative books I've read in a long time. Think of something along the lines of the world of Pandora from James Cameron's Avatar, except explored at much greater lengths and less concerned with the laws that govern the natural universe.

Besides when Joel and Felicity are training with the wavebows, there isn't really any down time in this book. There's always something going on that's different from what came before it, with some new challenge for them to face. Usually, it works perfectly and the reader gets caught up in whatever new adventure is being undertaken. There are times, however, that things are rushed and not enough attention is paid to the details, making some pieces of the plot seem rather meaningless. For instance, I absolutely loved the parts with the Heatwraith in the Flaming Fields and Nineteen and the "gator-eels" in Prism Valley, but I wasn't a huge fan of most of the time in the Jungle of Darkness where it would just say that they would face some sort of monster and move on.

Regardless of all of the extremely creative creatures and settings in Secret of the Songshell, my favorite part of the novel was always Joel. It was cool to see everything from his perspective, and he always does in fact have something interesting to say.... when he's being himself that is. Joel seemed to lose himself and just become a cookie cutter character at times to keep the story moving along, when actually he is anything but. My favorite section of the novel was the first few chapters before he meets Marshall where it was just Joel being.... Joel.

The only other complaint that I have is that it doesn't seem like the readers are given much credit for their own skills in figuring certain plot points out. Two major character identity "twists" were built up and hinted at almost nonstop throughout the novel, making the actual reveals less than spectacular.

An incredible feat the Brian Tashima did pull off in Secret of the Songshell was some very impressive world-building. Much like something Tolkein would write, there wasn't a single detail left out of place or Spectraland-themed question left unaddressed. The sheer amount and variety of original creatures and other beings is incredible on its own, but this world was so filled to the brim with its own history, dynamics, and even politics that it really felt like I was steeping into the pages of the book and into another dimension.

Rating: 3 stars

This excerpt comes from the very beginning of the novel, and is actually what originally drew me in because of how unique of a main character Joel is.

 

The Excerpt

You can view the excerpt from Chapter One here.

 

About the Book

Joel Suzuki gets a huge surprise when he bumps into his favorite rock star while walking down the street. You see, this particular rock star -- multiplatinum bandleader Marshall Byle -- is supposed to be dead.

Joel gets an even bigger surprise when Marshall makes him the offer of a lifetime: the chance to become a rock star himself. There's a catch, of course, but this one is a little different. To unlock the shortcut to success, Joel must travel to an alternate world where his unique brain waves can be combined with the sound waves of music to create magical effects. If he can learn to harness these powers, he will be able to write songs that capture the hearts of millions.

As a sensitive sixteen-year-old with Asperger's Syndrome living in a single-parent home, Joel leads a stressful life full of bullies, bad grades and money woes. Figuring that stardom will solve all of his problems, he accepts Marshall's offer. But once Joel arrives in the new world, he finds himself faced with an unexpected audition that is unlike anything he has ever imagined....

Goodreads          Amazon          B&N          Smashwords

 

About the Author

Brian Tashima was born and raised in Hawaii and has been a resident of Vancouver, Washington since 2000. In addition to being an author, he is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who has won a Hoku award (Hawaii’s version of the Grammys) and has had his music featured in short films, international compilations, and numerous other forms of media. He is currently a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), Willamette Writers, Northwest Independent Writers Association, and three Vancouver/Portland-based rock bands.

Website          Blog          Twitter          Facebook          Goodreads

 

The Giveaway

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The Tour

January 7 - Guest Blog at Mom With A Kindle

January 7 - Promo and Review at Honest Variety Books

January 8 - Interview at Fang-tastic Books

January 9 - Interview at Roxanne’s Realm

January 10 - Promo at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

January 11 - Guest Blog at The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom

January 12 - Interview and Review at Marked By Books 

January 12 - Interview at Books, Books The Magical Fruit

January 13 - Guest Blog at Monique Morgan

January 14 - Guest Blog and Review at Moosubi Reviews!

A copy of the novel was provided for us in exchange for an honest review.