Sunday, December 16, 2012

Otherkin by Nina Berry Review!


Otherkin
Author: Nina Berry
ISBN: 0758276915 (ISBN13: 9780758276919)
Release Date: July 31st 2012
Format:
Paperback
Pages:
320
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal,
Romance, Fantasy

Series:
Otherkin #1
 








Summary
Dez is a good girl who does as she's told and tries not to be noticed. Then she rescues a boy from a cage, and he tells her secrets about herself. Now inside her burns a darkness that will transform her.

Everything is about to change--and neither Caleb, nor the Otherkin, nor those who hunt them, are prepared for what Dez will unleash.

Review
I’ve wanted this novel for a long time now, ever since I first saw the cover. The tiger caught my attention right away and I knew I would like it. So I finally bought Otherkin and you know what, I really did love this novel. Everything was so different from what I’ve read before; because of the fact that she turns into a Tiger and the way she finds out about herself, not to mention Caleb's powers, I just couldn’t put this novel down.

Desdemona, or Dez as she commonly goes by, is the main character of this novel. She has a spinal disease called idiopathic scoliosis, which is a curvature of the spine. To treat this disease, she wears a special back brace to force her spine to stay straight. For me, this was a powerful plot idea. A girl who refuses to allow her disability to become a disability. She's shy around boys, and often feel angry about wearing the brace. I can understand this. Anyone who's worn a cast knows how much of a problem it can be, but to wear a brace to reduce your movement... It's something different to see in a book. We don't have the glorious perfect girl. Dez's anger towards her brace triggers a transformation that turns her into a tiger. While in this form, she's captured and brought to a strange place. She means another prisoner, Caleb, and learns they're being held by a group called the Tribunal. When the pair escape, Dez thinks that she can go back to her normal way of life. Hello girl, you just turned into a TIGER! That is in no way normal! I don't blame her for wanting to have a normal life, it would be a scary process, but there are things that 'normal' just doesn't belong in. And this includes Dez's life. An odd detail is that when she became a tiger, her back was magically cured. Yep, she has a disease that usually takes painful surgeries to correct, but becoming a tiger fixes it! It seems almost too easy of a solution. Maybe the transformation gave her the change to stretch out her spine and then go into proper alignment? I just think it was a fast way for the author to remove a rather large part of Dez's character, and remove it from being a problem down the road in the book.

The setting jumps a bit. It first takes place in Burbank, California, but then shifts to the Mojave desert, when the Tribunal captures her. Once she's with Caleb, it moves to the forest. Once in the forest Caleb takes her to a special school for people like her. I guess Google Maps missed this school... And how do you even find kids for this? Put up posters calling for kids who turn into animals? Not to mention Caleb is going on something his mother told him years ago. You do learn more about the school, but I can't really talk about it without giving away spoilers. I will say that Dez is given the chance to fit in and become more comfortable with herself and what she can do.

Dez's character grows throughout the book. At first, she desperately wants to fit in and just be normal. When she changes into a tiger, she's afraid of it. I would be too. Tiger's aren't really known for being friendly towards people. Anyways, she learns to trust this part of her, accepting it as a part of who she is. She's a strong woman, able to take on the challenges of her disease, and later on, the challenges of transforming.

Caleb on the other hand, he remains about the same. He does lie to Dez at first, but it's more out of fear and to keep her save then to harm her. He does open up to her, but the boy also worships the ground she walks on. He does have his own powers, where he can transform objects. For example, he can summon the power of the tree can can transform a part of a tree, like a branch into lightning. I'd say this is a pretty good power to have.


I mentioned them before, but the Tribunal are our villains book. They want to 'cure' Shifters of their powers. Shifters are individuals who can transform into animals. This includes Dez. Of course, this involves painful, and lethal, experimentations on the Shifters they do capture. Readers may see a similarity to them in the Death Eaters in Harry Potter. These dark villains play on our fear of ethnic cleansing, a too easy way to sell a book. I wish writers could come up with a different kind of monster then this. We already see it in real life.

The romance between this book is very sweet. Dez and Caleb are drawn to each other when they first see each other in their cages. Caleb is always checking on Dez, making sure she's safe. He always calls her beautiful, be her in human or tiger form. It's nice to see two characters not trying to get into each other's pants at first glance.

Overall, this book was amazing! It’s one of my favorite reads of 2012 and I’m excited to find out what happens in book two. I’m glad I don’t have to wait too long to find out.


Rating
5 out of 5 Howling Wolves

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Black Moon Book Tour



Black Moon

Author: Jessica McQuay

ISBN
:
1936185741 (ISBN13: 9781936185740)
Release Date:
October 2012

Genre:
Young Adult, Paranormal,

Romance

Series:
Paige Tailor Series #1










Summary
"Am I losing my mind?"

Paige couldn't help but question her sanity. What other explanation could there be for her hearing a conversation held barely above a whisper in the back of a classroom full of students? What about coming home to find one of those very classmates lying in wait in the darkness of her home, ready to attack her?

Confused, frustrated and feeling every ounce of her social ostracism, Paige confides in the one person she's always been able to count on: her mom. But when her mom reveals a deeply rooted, unbelievable family secret, Paige discovers her world is filled with more than she ever imagined possible. A world where fairytales live alongside nightmares and secrets are the glue that binds them together. Suddenly no one is who they seem and Paige is faced with more questions than answers. Can she survive in a world filled with creatures scarier than anything she could imagine and where deceit runs as thick as blood? Or will the truth send her over the edge?


Excerpt

I could feel the fear morphing into adrenaline as it seeped through my blood and coursed through my body. Suddenly I no longer cared that I was about to launch myself at a werewolf. Seven of them to be exact. But I wasn't alone and I knew I was ready. It was all very clear now…this is what I'd been training for these past few weeks.

I shut my eyes for a brief moment, just long enough to center my core and fill it with the abundance of life energy in the forest surrounding us. I could feel the magic swirling and pooling within me, still a new sensation, but warm and comforting all the same. Now, I felt protected.

I opened my eyes as the filmy protective barrier around us fell back into the earth and seven pairs of eyes momentarily gleamed hungrily before launching themselves at us. I locked eyes with Naialah, nodded, and ran straight for the closest werewolf.

***

A month ago you wouldn't have the slightest idea that I am who I am today. I still have a hard time realizing that Paige Tailor is no longer the shy, quiet, blend into the background senior in high school anymore. Actually, let me back up a bit. I am still a senior in high school, (for one more month), and by all accounts, anyone at H.H. High would say, if asked about me, "Oh Paige. She's kind of quiet and keeps to herself. Really, she's a bit of a no one on campus. But she is pretty smart." And they would be giving you a completely accurate description of who I am. It's who I always thought I was. It's who I always thought I would be. A nobody. Someone who blended into the background and people hardly took notice of.

I believed that with one hundred percent certainty. Until it all changed. Until one day I woke up and the girl staring back at me in the bathroom mirror felt alien. Her eyes were still the same deep shade of green. Her brown hair was still the same long wild untamed curls. In fact, at first I couldn't tell you what it was about my reflection that felt so unlike me. Was it my outside appearance? Or maybe it was an internal change happening subtly where no one else could see?

Maybe, more simply, I was losing my mind.

I probably would have gone with the crazy theory if it hadn't been for the incident that happened later that day in science. It's the incident that catapulted everything. The incident that ultimately led me here, with Naialah, confronting werewolves and hunting down a murderer. 

Author

There were three things Jessica loved to do growing up; reading, writing and playing music. She discovered her love for writing at a young age, when she realized she could create anything she wanted with words. Jessica lives in Sacramento, CA with her husband, four children, a goldfish named Sparkle and their cat, Talula. When she isn't working on the next Paige Tailor novel, taking her children to one activity or another, or folding the never ending laundry of a six person family, Jessica enjoys playing her clarinet in the community band, reading while enjoying a cup of coffee or heading to the theater and catching a movie with her husband.

www.jessicamcquay.com

http://paigetailorseries.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/JessicaMcQuay

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-McQuay-Author-of-the-Paige-Tailor-Series/217414364984840
 

Thursday, December 13, 2012

River's Recruit Book Tour and Giveaway!



River's Recruit

Author: Charlotte Abel
ASIN:
B00A6JI9D0
Release Date:
November 12th 2012
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Series:
Sanctuary #1









Summary
Jonathan McKnight lost everything in Afghanistan. His left hand, his identical twin, his self-respect and his naive belief that good always triumphs over evil. Burdened by grief and guilt, he searches for redemption on a solo backpacking trip into the remote Sawatch Mountains of Colorado and discovers a secret tribe of shifters.

River, the beautiful young shifter that rescues Jonathan has been promised to a man she despises. A man that does not desire her and only wants to use her to achieve his own political goals. Jonathan is more than a romantic rival. He’s a threat to those goals. 

The only way to save Jonathan’s life is for River to take him as her recruit.   

As Jonathan learns more about the horrors of River’s cult-like society, he becomes even more determined to escape it, until he learns that River is responsible for everything he does and will be executed if he succeeds. 

Escape is not an option—unless Jonathan can persuade River to leave with him. And if she refuses? Well, then, he’ll just have to kidnap her.

Review

It really did surprise me from how different the setting of this book took place. Most books I read take place in a modern setting, in a city or town. This book feels like it's in an older time, in a rural setting. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed this book. From start to finish ‘River’s Recruit’ intrigued me. They're not werewolf shifters, but rather they have a way of life that is different from any other book. Almost like a cult. Main character River keeps telling Jonathan that it’s not a cult. (In some ways it’s a cult, in other ways it’s a way of life. Either way I don’t believe her.)

'River’s Recruit' takes place in Sawatch mountain, in Colorado. It's in a secluded area, where no one ever travels too. Another way of life hidden in those mountains sound so mysterious I loved learning about Sanctuary and the place where River lives in those mountains.

The plot is great. Jonathan, an outsider, come across River. He runs into River, who was being stalked by a Cougar, and he tries to get the cougar's attention. When the cougar suddenly attacks River, Jonathan tackles the animal and is attacked instead of her. Jonathan soon scares off the cougar. Or it decided to find a meal that wasn't going to fight back. Its gets amusing when River thought Jonathan had lost his hand to protect her, when it wasn't there to begin with. As a snow storm hits, River saves him by bringing him back to a place where it can be dangerous for anyone who isn’t from New Eden (a secret Tribe of Shifters). She takes that risk and brings him into her world as a recruit. (A recruit is a human who wants to leave the normal modern human world. They have to give up electronics, cars, anything modern, even certain different types of food. He has to go through a bunch of tests to see if he can become someone like River.)  She has to teach him the ways of her Tribe, such as what they are, how they live, what the rules of the places is. It must be hard on Jonathan though, to have to change his way of life so suddenly just to make sure he isn’t killed. Oh yeah, about that. If they find out he actually doesn't want to be a recruit, and is just trying to get home, he would be killed because he found out about River and how she lives in the mountains. Good plan, River. At least he’s brave and knows how to stand up for himself and River. A big twist happens and I got excited for this because I didn’t expect Jonathan to be that big of a deal, but he is, it. It left me shocked, and I liked that about this book. 'River’s Recruit' has two different point of views, River's and Jonathan's. The different views both contrast and compliment each other very well, showing how different their worlds are.

River is an 18-year-old woman of contrasts. She gives attitude to the people she doesn't like, but is shy to the people she does like. She doesn't want people she likes to be hurt for her mistakes. It's a relatable trait. Who would want someone to be hurt for something they did? She's like an Eve in the Garden of Eden, walking around naked with no shame. It's when she and Jonathan get close that she begins to feel modesty and the need to cover herself. If i had to explain her life, it's a place where women are below men like in olden times. They have no say in matters, and risk being killed or being turned into a servant or town whore if they make one small mistake. River had her mother killed because River was almost raped and her mother killed the man. She was then bought by her uncle. He's a kind man and wants whats best for River. She always thought that she would someday become her uncle concubine, and have his children (in her mind this is what was the right thing to do). She learns something from him that can turn her life upside down. River does all she can to follow the rules and make sure her family is safe.

Jonathan seems to be your typical macho guy. He didn't really care for his pre-army girlfriend, only wanted to get to third base (oral sex) with her. When it became clear that wasn't going to happen, he went into the army. His life changed when his twin brother died, and he came home. He blamed himself for his twin's death, even though he's told that he wasn't to blame. Meeting River changes his life by showing him how to love someone, and how not everything is what it seems in her world. Jonathan's military background gives him the knowledge how to stand up for himself. He knocked Eli in place quite a few times, showing off and such. He’s also a bit slow to take in information on the shifter world. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, since he is new to everything, but if your girlfriend is on the verge of dying, YOU BETTER OPEN YOUR EARS MORE.

If you had to describe Eli, it would have to be a brat. He whines and moans over the littlest thing. Also he thinks he’s all on top of the world just because he’s the grandson of a important person in New Eden. To me, I dislike him. He’s a brat and can’t do anything for himself. Doesn’t help that the life he lives in, women are the ones who do all the work and the men sit back and act all tough. I can also see why River hates him so much and doesn’t want to have anything to do with him.

The romance was slow, which is good because I don’t find fast romances all that great. The characters take the time to learn about each other, about their past and present. They care a lot about each other and would run away from the Tribe if they could. River's family stands in their way though, so their love is a secret.

Rating
4 out of 5 Howling Wolves



Author
Charlotte Abel was born and raised in Oklahoma where she met her soulmate, Pete. She chased him to Boulder, Colorado and finally convinced him they were meant to be together forever. They've raised three kids, two ferrets, three dogs and countless hamsters -- and are still happily married.


She's in love with "real" life and paranormal romance. When she's not reading or writing, Charlotte enjoys hiking, bicycling and primitive archery (although she's never shot at anything other than a target!)

The final book of The Channie Series, "Finding Valor," should be available by Christmas.

 




Giveaway
Your choice of either a necklace, Bookmark or Keychain and a e-book copy of River's Recruit.



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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Frost Fire Book Blitz and Giveaway!

 


  Frost Fire
Author: Olivia Rivers

ISBN: 9780615738369
Release Date: November 20th 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal,
Romance

Series:
Tortured Elements #1


PURCHASE LINKS





Summary
“Magic is just like love, Allai. It won’t wait for permission before it destroys you.”

Like sand in an hourglass, Allai’s future is dwindling away. She’s spent her entire life fighting the Mages who threaten humanity, and dreams of someday eradicating magic. But all it takes is an anonymous phone call for the truth to spill out: Allai is the one thing she despises most.

She’s a Mage.

Though ancient law mandates Allai’s death, she still has one last chance of survival. His name is Drake Rhaize, and he swears he can lead Allai to a sanctuary for Mages. Allai hasn’t seen Drake in years, but she remembers him as the Demon boy who used to hold her close and softly whisper that he’d keep her safe. But Drake has changed since then: He’s now suspected of murder, and has been out-casted for betraying his own kind.

While Allai doesn’t trust Drake, she has no choice but to put her life in his hands and hope he can get her to safety. Because Allai’s father has hired a pack of Demons to bring her back to him, dead or alive–and Demons never stop the hunt.

"Frost Fire" is a YA Paranormal Romance intended for ages 14+.




Excerpt
For a moment, all she felt was relief. Jareth didn’t seem to know that Drake had saved her life. And for some reason, she didn’t want all of the Sentinel knowing that. It somehow seemed… personal.
But then one of Jareth’s words slammed into her.
“Captured?” Allai repeated. She tried to keep her voice calm. Everyone in the Manor knew her history with Drake, but that didn’t mean they needed to know how much it confused or scared her.
“Yeah, Shieldak didn’t kill him.” Jareth paused and raised his eyebrows at her. “You really haven’t heard about this? Really? The guy tried to kill you, you know.”
“Believe me, I know,” Allai snapped. Then she said in a cooler tone, “It’s barely been a day since he was found. It’s not my fault that I didn’t get the news as fast as you did.”
It was a lie. If she had just gone into Shieldak’s office and asked about Drake, she would have known the outcome. But she hadn’t wanted to ask, because she had thought she’d just hear that Drake was dead. And Allai wasn’t sure how she would have reacted to that.
 Author

Olivia Rivers is a high school student, a literary agent intern, and an obsessive-compulsive reader. She has a slight obsession with Kootenai County in Idaho, and she’s pretty sure life will always be awesome as long as Irish accents exist. She lives with dysautonomia, a chronic medical condition affecting her nervous system. Portions of proceeds from her “Tortured Elements” series go toward supporting youth with dysautonomia.





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Friday, December 7, 2012

Phobe Pope and the Year of Four book blitz and Giveaway!


 

Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four
Author: Nya Jade
Release Date:
October 30th 2012
Published by:
Dreamwell Publishing

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Series:
Shapers #1







Summary
The students of Green Lane Academy roam their halls unaware that below their manicured campus exists a prestigious school of an entirely different kind . . .

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Pope has enrolled at the Campus Below: a spy academy for shape-shifters hidden deep beneath the grounds of a boarding school whose humans unknowingly protect it. There, thanks to a carefully planned schedule, she leads a double life: spy trainee Below and normal teenager Above.

As if two course loads, concealing a secret power she alone wields, and coping with her father’s recent death weren’t enough, Phoebe finds herself developing major feelings for actor and teen heartthrob Colten Chase, who attends the Campus Above and appears to be majoring in winning Phoebe’s heart. But when officials learn that Phoebe may be at the center of a startling prophecy, she becomes the target of shape-shifting assassins who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth.

Now Phoebe’s lessons about Shaper’s enemies and spycraft take on great importance as a menace stalks the campus, with Phoebe as its target. Meanwhile, what began as an unlikely relationship with Colten, quickly morphs into heartache when she suspects that something sinister lurks beneath this movie star’s glitter and fame. Suddenly, Phoebe’s caught in a mesh of lies, betrayals, and danger where she doesn’t know who to trust, and needs to rely on herself—and her secret power—to get to the truth and to stay alive.


AUTHOR BIO - Nya Jade
Nya Jade is a singer-songwriter and author based in San Francisco. Her music videos have aired on the VH1, BET, and MTV networks. USA Today hailed Nya as a “young female troubadour worth keeping your eyes and ears on,” in an entertainment feature on up-and-coming singer-songwriters. “Her cool singing voice recalls Sade,” said the LA Times.

Between writing and performing new music, Nya took a musical sabbatical to focus on writing a novel—an endeavor she found quite daunting, until she began looking at each chapter as a verse in a very long song. Phoebe Pope and the Year of Four is her first novel.

In her free time, Nya enjoys hanging out with family and friends, searching for amazing gluten-free desserts, and bargain hunting for her next pair of funky shoes.

Nya holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Sociology, both from Stanford University.

Author Links:

Excerpt:

PHOEBE POPE AND THE YEAR OF FOUR

A SHAPERS NOVEL

Copyright © 2012 by NYA JADE and published here with her permission.
 
One
Phoebe was too far away to sense whether the boy had one heart or two. Through the maze of trees with clattering leaves, she could see him moving with purposeful speed. He was headed toward her destination—a brownstone chapel perched at the top of a small hill. Not knowing the boy’s nature made Phoebe hesitate. Then came the sound of tower bells. Eight o’clock. There was no time to think of an alternate route. She was officially late for the Conversion.

A loud, echoing crack quickened Phoebe’s pace as lightning slashed the indigo sky above her. She had barely reached the base of the hill when rain began pounding down. Clutching the camera that hung from the strap around her neck, she sprinted the final stretch, arriving breathless.

Phoebe wiped the rain from her face, and then entered the chapel. Inside, light from moon-facing windows cast a misty glow across the sanctuary, the air redolent with the smoke of a blazing fireplace. She glanced around the heart of the nondenominational Green Lane Academy. It seemed so ordinary, so quiet, even peaceful. Rows of pews with velvet cushions ran the width of the room. She moved between them, taking care to remain in the shadows. An irregular shape in a dark corner caught her eye and Phoebe could just barely make out the outline of the boy. He knelt with his head between his hands, his body huddled against a pew. Praying.

Phoebe paused several feet away and waited. After a moment she felt energy seeping from the boy’s skin, raising the hairs on hers. Cold and electric, it meant one thing: the boy had only one heart. She couldn’t risk him seeing what she had come there to do. That meant waiting. Just then, something stirred behind her.

Giveaway:
Below is the code for a Rafflecopter that you may share on your post. The prize is one Kindle Fire HD, open internationally. The giveaway has an entry for blog following, and it ends on December 21st, 2012.




Thursday, December 6, 2012

Signal Red Baby Manga Review


Author: Ren Kitamkami
Artist:
Ren Kitamkami
Genra: Yaoi
Year: 2008
Original Publisher:
Libre Shuppan  
Volumes: 
 1 Volumes (Complete)
 Licensed (in English)
No
English Publisher







Summary
Shougo and Kazumi are cousins. They have been training since young in the world of Kabuki. Shougo’s father, Ikuomi, has always been cold towards him. Shougo’s uncle, Masahiro, is also on bad terms with Ikuomi. What happened in the past? Is that the reason for Ikuomi’s coldness towards Shougo? What will Kazumi do to protect Shougo from getting hurt?

Review
I was a bit disappointed with this manga. It was a manga I went looking for because I heard it was good. I didn’t expect to be so confused while reading it. I didn’t know which character was who. I thought Kabuki was a name of a person, until I learn it was a dance. It was just all over the place a real disappointment that I wouldn’t recommend for anyone. The only thing that was good about this manga. was the story behind one of the characters, who I believe is named Shougo, oh and the sex was great but I have no idea why they moved so fast into that when I didn’t even know that the characters felt the same.
I thought the plot was a bit to fast near the end. It was slow and great at first getting into the background story of a character. Then out of no where two characters confess their love to each other and did it. I understand the why but the how they fell in love with each other is beyond me. Oh I didn’t even bother reading the second story, I just skipped through it because I couldn’t make sense of what they were talking about. Kabuki is still unknown to me only that it’s maybe a dance and there is singing in it and the guys dress up like girls…or maybe they dress like guys but they look like girls to me. I just don’t think the mangaka put to much thought into describing what it was, or to make it easier for people to understand what it was in this yaoi manga.

Design




I thought the design of the characters were great. There was a lot of detail in the hair, face, clothes everything. I just had one major problem and that is a couple of the characters look the same. I couldn't tell who was who until there was another panel where it showed their clothes. I didn't like this and it shows that the mangaka didn't put a lot of effort into showing a different characters. It was a bit annoying and I was a bit glad that the manga ended at volume one.









Rating 
2 out of 5 Howling Wolves

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron Cover Reveal



Deeper We Fall
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron
ISBN: 9781481100922
Release Date:  January 12th 2013

 
 

Cover designed by Okay Creations.






Summary
Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to try and forget the night that ripped her life apart.

Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.

Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face.

Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible.

The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. She must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache.


Added Note
I'm excited to read this book, it looks so interesting. I'm already a big fan of this author from her series called  "The Noctalis Chronicles" Book Series gives a whole knew meaning to Supernatural. It's a great Read so I do Recommend this Series!
Nocturnal Nightmare Neither Nocturnal: The Beginning
AUTHOR



Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is. 






Author Links: