Friday, November 29, 2013

The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

 


 
Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.
 
Excerpt:
He shifted in his seat. “I just know sometimes things happen, things that can’t be explained. But you still deserve to be happy.”

I glanced over at him before looking down at my hands. I uncurled my fingers. “I am happy. I’m enrolling in grad school, working and saving the money I make at the store. It’s what I want.”

“But what about friends? What about fun?”

“My idea of fun is just different from yours, I guess. I don’t need to be with a lot of people to be happy.” I hoped he would pick up the double entendre of my answer.

Ethan sighed and turned his body to face mine. He reached up and lightly traced a finger down my cheek. A shiver ran through my body. I turned my face away and focused my attention on finishing my ice cream. There were people everywhere. I didn’t want anything that happened between me and Ethan to be the subject of town gossip.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Ethan said, unaffected. He reached down and picked up my left hand, interlacing his strong fingers with mine. “It seems like I’ve been trying to get you to go out with me forever.”

I stared down at our joined hands, too shocked to move. “Ethan, you’ve never had a lack of dates. I’d even say you’ve had more than your fair share.”

He ducked his head and laughed. “You think I’m a jerk, don’t you?”

I looked at him and smiled. “No. I don’t, actually. What you did today, for my grandparents… that was really great. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. It was no big deal.” He squeezed my hand and jumped down from the tailgate. “I’m going to take you home now, while you still think I’m so great.”

Like it? Check it out on Amazon!

 
 
About the Author:
Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.
 

Monday, November 25, 2013

Pwned by Shannen Crane Camp

Reagan West has a perfect life. She’s at the top of the high school food chain as co-captain of the cheerleading squad and she’s best friends with the most evil girl in Albany, Tawny Perez, which means she’s never on the receiving end of her wrath. The only trouble in Reagan’s perfect life comes from the constant threat of her dirty little secret leaking to her fellow classmates and casting her into a lifetime of ridicule.

Reagan West is a closet gamer and hates her role as the evil cheerleader.

But, as any well versed teenager knows, it’s better to suppress your own nerdy tendencies than to submit to a lifetime of being shoved into lockers, so Reagan bravely soldiers through life as a reluctant bully… until a boy from her guild moves to her school and becomes Tawny’s next target. The newcomer threatens to reveal Reagan’s nerdy little secret and force her to come to terms with who she truly is. Now Reagan has to decide if she’s going to defend her fellow geeks, or if she’ll continue to be a total troll.


Misty's Review:

Pwned. I still don't know what that means, but this was a delightful read with messages about bullying and standing up for yourself and others.

Raegan is a high school senior who hides her nerdy love of gaming behind her cool cheerleader persona. But when fellow guild member, Parker, moves to her town and the other cheerleaders decide to make him the target of their next prank, Raegan has some tough decisions to make. Should she go along with the crowd, or stop what is happening to her best online friend? The answer seems obvious, but knowing and doing are sometimes two different things. To complicate matters, Parker is kind of cute, well, really cute, and he sees something in the real life Raegan that makes her wonder why she's been hiding who she really is.

17379235Raegan shows the amount of character growth I expect in a YA protagonist, and I really liked that she had parents who expected her to live up to a standard of responsibility (absent in many YA reads). I also found much to admire in Parker's character--his bravery a clear contrast to Raegan's cowardice.

I really liked that Pwned offers a cute, clean, relevant story for teens and adults who may face similar problems, when so many young adult books these days are going for sensationalism to get readers. Camp proves you don't need violence, sex, and gore to develop a good story. I recommend this to readers of all ages who enjoy a cute romance with a moral.

And P.S. This cover is adorable.

Here is a link if you want to check it out on Amazon.

Monday, November 11, 2013

The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry

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Jolene Perry's THE SUMMER I FOUND YOU, about a teenage girl trying to cope with her new diagnosis of type one diabetes and a teenage male veteran who is learning how to embrace his new life after losing an arm, who come together by using each other as an escape, only to discover through love and struggle that your life is what you make of it.


Misty's Reviews:

I haven't been finishing a lot of books lately, but I love Jolene's books, so I let myself get lost for a few afternoons in this one.

Kate thought she knew what (who) she wanted, but apparently he doesn't want her anymore. Kate's longtime boyfriend has just broken up with her, and she is still dealing (not very well) with a new diagnosis of Diabetes. She feels out of control of her own life, and it sucks.

She meets Aiden, a guy who is going through the same thing. Wounded in Afghanistan, his life is no longer going in the direction he planned. When he meets Kate, it's just another complication in his screwed up life.

Somehow they each work it out and get back in control of their own business. I would have liked to see Kate and Aiden help each other more through their respective problems, as it seemed like they each worked out their own stuff by themselves. But there's a lot to be said for dealing with your own crap yourself and not depending on someone else to help you be happy. All in all, just a great coming of age book I loved reading.

Content: Non LDS standards (the characters have sex, but it is not described)

Descendant by Nicole Giles


This is quite possibly one of my all-time favorite book covers. Is it not beautiful? They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I totally do. I can't help it. I just like pretty things.

Today Six Mixed is part of the Book Blitz for Descendant by Nichole Giles, and though I am dying to, I have not read Descendant yet. But if you have read it, I'd love to know what you think. We'd all like to know! Leave a comment below and tell us what you thought.

In conjunction with the Book Blitz, Nicole is hosting a giveaway. If you'd like to enter, scroll to the form below. Nichole will add another $20 gift card to the giveaway list, and after 50 more, another one, and so on for every 50 entries thereafter. 

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed—or cursed—with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not just Abby’s life at stake.

B&N 

About the Author:
Nichole Giles had early career plans that included becoming an actress or a rockstar, but she decided instead to have a family and then become a writer.
She was born in Nevada, the oldest of seven—a number which increased to eleven with the addition of four step brothers—and has lived in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and South Texas. 
Her future aspirations include owning a home on a tropical island, even if it's just a vacation home. For now, she plans to travel to as many tropical locations as possible, scouting for her future paradise.
Currently, she lives with her husband, one of her two sons (the other is in college), two daughters, two golden retrievers, and one lucky bunny rabbit.
Writing is her passion, but she also loves to spend time with her family, travel to exotic destinations, drive in the rain with her convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing along.    
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Sitnalta by Alisse Goldenberg

I am privileged today to be the next stop on the blog tour for Alisse Goldenberg's novel Sitnalta.

Everyone in the land loves Princess Sitnalta of Colonodona. Everyone except her father, the monstrous King Supmylo, whose thirst for revenge and hideous cravings, have nearly destroyed the once peaceful kingdom. He cares only for power—the more the better—and he despises Sitnalta because she wasn’t born a boy. He wanted an heir, a prince, to grow his kingdom and fulfill his own father’s legacy. But now, his only choice is to join with a neighboring kingdom, and at the tender age of 15, Sitnalta is to be married to another king who is at least as old as her own father.

But Sitnalta has other ideas. Before her father can come for her, she sneaks out of her bedroom window, scales the castle walls, and enters the magical forest that surrounds her kingdom. There she meets Najort, a kind-hearted troll, who was tasked by a wizard decades earlier to protect a valuable secret—with his life, if necessary.

But King Supmylo has vowed that nothing will stop him from returning his daughter to Colonodona, and forcing her to go through with the royal wedding. With the help of friends from both kingdoms, Sitnalta and Najort flee ahead of the rabid king. For if they are captured, Supmylo will become so invincible, no one could stand against him

Christina's Review: This is not a genre I would normally pick up but I have to say I enjoyed reading it. It was interesting and intriguing. I continued on because I wanted to know how the story would end. . . to find out how everything would wrap up. The ending wasn't what I expected. The storyline was cute and full of fantasy like a magic coin and a troll. I liked that Sitnalta was a brave and headstrong girl. She stands up to her father and stands up for her friends. Also before you have your young ones read this there was some swearing in the book.
Alisse Lee Goldenberg is an author of Horror and Young Adult fantasy fiction having written The Strings of the Violin (Prizm Books) and Bath Salts a Zombie Novel (Severed Press). She has her Bachelors of Education and a Fine Arts degree, and has studied fantasy and folk lore since she was a child. Alisse lives in Toronto with her husband Brian, their triplets Joseph, Phillip, and Hailey, and their rambunctious Goldendoodle Sebastian.
You can follow her at www.alisseleegoldenberg.com
Website: www.alisseleegoldenberg.com
Blog: http://www.alisseleegoldenberg.com/ramblings.html
Facebook Author Page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alisse-Lee-Goldenberg/254397934598975

Monday, November 4, 2013

Kindle Fire Giveaway - Awesome!

Kindle HDX NOvember


This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HDX 7".
The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HDX (US Only - $229 Value)
  Or $229 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)
  Or $229 in Paypal Cash (International)
  NOVEMBER SPONSORS
  1. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
  2. Feed Your Reader
  3. Ripple Effect Romance Series
  4. Dark Motive's Books & More
  5. Fae Books
  6. Author Marianne Morea
  7. Buku-Buku Didi
  8. Author Camelia Miron Skiba
  9. Author Stacy Claflin
  10. Patchwork Press
  11. Author Louise Caiola
  12. Author Bella Street
  13. Author Bonnie Blythe
  14. Author Julia Crane
  15. The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl
  16. Author Kim Cresswell
  17. A Bookish Escape
  18. Author Talia Jager
  19. Mother Daughter Book Reviews
  20. Fiction Dreams
  21. Book Angel Booktopia
  22. Kelly's Lucky You
  23. Author Roxanne Crouse
  24. Author Rachelle Christensen
  25. Author Jennifer Laurens
  26. Hardback Book Hotties
  27. Lori's Reading Corner
  28. Author Misty Moncur
  29. MyLadyWeb: Women's History and Women Authors
  30. Author Elizabeth Isaacs
  31. Living, Learning and Loving Life
  32. Fairiechick's Fantasy Book Reader
  33. My Story That I Like Best
  34. LeahSay's Views
  35. Christine's Blog
  36. Candle Light Reads
  37. NESSAROX
  38. The Demon Librarian
  39. SMIBookClub
  40. Author T.L. Clarke
  41. Back Off My Books
  42. Michael SciFan
  43. Author Carole Brown
  44. Coffee and Characters
  45. No Thought 2 Small
  46. Stanley and Katrina, Pet Authors
  47. Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf
  48. Love Bites & Silk
  49. Kimber Leigh Writes
  50. Author Rae Z. Ryans
  51. Author Georgina Young-Ellis
  52. The Reporter and the Girl
  53. Fic Central
  54. Like a Broken Vessel
Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7". Ends 11/30/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.