Sunday 28 September 2014

Book Promo - Awakening

Synopsis:
Forget everything you ever thought to be true about our world. Angels are real. And they are fighting for control over the human race.

What would you do if you learned everything you knew about the world was wrong? Microbiology student Elena Michaels is about to find out. After a few chance encounters with Alexavier Edmunds, a strange but intriguing student on campus, Elena is on the run from an ancient organization of angel-like beings. Strange things are awakening within her, and there is only one with the answers—the Elder. But can she make it to him in time?

 
Author Bio:

Scott Wieczorek is a professional archaeologist working in the American Middle-Atlantic region. He has written numerous short stories and several full-length novels ranging from science fiction to paranormal mystery to horror. In addition, he writes reviews of books by Independent authors. Samples of his work are available on his blog at wieczorekfictblog.blogspot.com.
author photo: attached
 
 
 
Links:


Saturday 27 September 2014

FF (179)


Follow Friday is an opportunity to discover and follow other book related blogs! Want to join? Check it out at Parajunkee or Alison Can Read

This week's question feature is
Perusing Bookshelves

Book character(s) you’d like to see with their own Twitter page …
via A Great Read

My Answer: To be completely honest I don't really use Twitter much, in fact I am ashamed to admit that it rather confuses me. So I can't say I would read or follow anyone that did have their own page. But it's always good to get another look into a world you love, so really any of the characters I adore would be good. I can imagine Skulduggery Pleasant's twitter feed being quite funny. 

Happy Hopping and Blogging

Friday 26 September 2014

Cover Reveal - The Green Dagger


The Green Dagger (BlackMyst Trilogy) by Kelly Hess
Publisher: Booktrope
Expected Publication: December 2, 2014
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Green-Dagger
Tensions rise between Delvengard and Sorak as the Sorak queen demands the return of the Blade of Torrill. As Delvengard scrambles to locate the mythical weapon, many fear war is inevitable. Fritz, who secretly possesses the dagger, is tormented by its evil. Eager to take control of its power, he journeys in search of a mysterious being who may be able to help. The Green Dagger, Book Two of the BlackMyst Trilogy, continues the adventure, five years after the events of Book One, Eyes of the Enemy.
About the Author
KellyHessAuthorPhoto
Kelly Hess grew up with a love of reading science fiction and fantasy that inspired him to write his own fantasy trilogy. He lives in Vacaville, California with his wife and son, and is putting the final details on the last two books of his BlackMyst Trilogy: The Green Dagger and The Third Power.

Monday 22 September 2014

Book Promos - Heather Leigh

Red Nectar Synopisis:
Emily has powers that can get her tortured or even executed. The world she lives in is controlled by an overly polite government that demands its citizens to obey orders in exchange for protection from war and violence. Emily's mother has just died from a suspicious car accident, and she is thrust into an adventure of rescuing her grandmother with friends she does not remember meeting. As she finds her way, she discovers Andrew, the boy with eyes the color of the ocean. In the middle of their mission, they find romance and mutual attraction. Will Emily, Andrew and her friends save her grandmother? Or will they all be captured and executed as their families were before them. Find out in 'Red Nectar', a young adult novel of telepathy, danger, and romance.


Black Licorice Synopsis:This is a book for readers from ten years and up who are interested in adventure, paranormal activity, romance, and figuring out which Grimm fairy tale it is based upon. Use of telepathy, telekinesis, and mind control is presented through out the book. It can be read by itself, or as the second in a trilogy based around Emily and her friends in 'Red Nectar'. After the funeral of her mother, Emily discovers that the father she had been told was dead had actually been hidden away by the NOW regime for many years. With the help of Andrew and her friends from the NET resistance team, it is time to rescue him. The journey to find her father is interrupted by thoughtlessness, lack of direction, and an old witch. An unlikely source finally leads Emily to the NOW headquarters and the one who was dead to her for a childhood. Will her father recognize her? How will they escape? What other dangers will Emily, Andrew and friends be faced with? Find out in this book of loyalty to friends, family and love.
What Piper Peppertree Found Synopsis:
Perfect for 7-to-9 year-old animal lovers, this book features a tiny girl living with her tiny family in a pepper tree. It is the beginning of a series about the adventures of Piper, a girl whose bravery and caring nature far exceeds her size. A middle-grade chapter book, it is designed for good readers, or as a read out loud book to be shared by a parent or teacher. Get ready to read about life as a very little person in a very big tree!


Scout & Eliie Synopsis:Scout has an elephant living in his back yard named Ellie. She stands and walks and acts like a human, but has an elephant sized personality! Ellie is so much fun to be around, that trouble seems to follow her where ever she goes. Scout has a birthday coming up. His family is a circus. Every year, his circus family performs for his birthday party. This year, he wants his own party, one that is not a part of his family's circus. He does not know how to do this. Ellie is great at putting together a party. Scout asks Ellie for help with his birthday party. She says yes. What will happen at Scout's birthday party with Ellie leading it? How crazy will it get? Find out by reading 'Scout and Ellie' just how wild a birthday party thrown by an elephant can become.
Author Bio:
While working on my master's thesis in environmental economics, I found that I was more interested in writing a fictional story about a dragonfly than researching the sewage lagoon where the dragonfly would be living. My author dream manifested into reality with the publication of first book 'Hey Little Baby' through Simon and Schuster. The idea for that book came from watching my then five-month-old son discovering that the movement of his feet was his own doing. He was wearing booties with bells attached. Each time he shook his feet, a jingle sound came out. I could see his little fat face open to the realization that he was the one causing the sound, not some remote source with no explanation. The original text to the story poured into my head and I rushed for paper and pen.

After that, ideas and stories kept coming; from the published baby book to a young adult novel about telepathy in a dangerously polite world, 'Red Nectar'. It contains adventure, romance, and danger with fifteen-year-old Emily and her new love interest, Andrew, the boy with eyes the color of ocean waves. Recently I published my first non-fiction eBook, 'Are You An Intelligent Massage Therapist? Then You Need To Be Working At A Luxury Day Spa". This book provided me the opportunity to re-live the ten years spent in this enjoyable field and be able to assist other therapists in getting into this tight market. 'Scout and Ellie' is the culmination of too many versions and formats to remember. It started as a book about Scout and his many birthday adventures and has finally been pinned down into a middle grade chapter book about a boy and the elephant who lives in the back yard. She is wild and fun with a big personality, and Scout tries to keep up with her antics. I love the many genres that writing has to choose from.

During the school day hours, I walk our spoiled Australian Shepherd and then get to work on forming words into stories. Our cats let me know when it is break time by walking in front of the computer monitor and meowing loudly for attention. Afternoons are for hanging out with my two sons, cooking and all that household stuff. As we live near the beach in sunny San Diego, weekends are for surf (the boys--not me) and outdoor activities. Sounds like a wonderful life to me.

Sunday 21 September 2014

Book Review - Life After Theft

Title: Life After Theft
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books
Release Date: 27 Feb 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0007515974

Synopsis
Kimberlee Schaffer may be drop-dead gorgeous... but she also dropped dead last year. Now she needs Jeff's Help with her unfinished business, and she is not taking no for an answer.
When she was alive, Kimberlee wasn't just a mean girl; she was also a complete kleptomaniac. So if Jeff wants to avoid being haunted until graduation, he'll have to help her return everything she stole. But Jeff soon discovers it's much easier to steal something than it is to bring it back.


My Review
I am a big fan of Aprilynne Pike - I loved the Wings series (although I still need to read the final book!) So when I saw she had written some other stand alone novels I requested them at the library. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this, it wasn't like anything I would normally read but I decided to give it a go anyway.
I have to say, this is one of the most addictive books I have ever read but I am not sure why. I started to read it and was mildly intrigued but then found that I could not put it down, I spent all evening sitting with it and did nothing else. I almost managed to finish it in that one go but it got too late and I had to put it down before I fell asleep. Then finished it as soon as I could the next day.
Jeff moves to a new state, a new school and a new lifestyle. Used to growing up with little money and a simple life he is now in a Private School, with a nice house and living the high life. BUt he's not exactly pleased about it, and things get worse for him when he discovers that he is the only person who can see the ghost of Kimberlee Schaffer, the most popular girl in school who died the previous year. It turns out she has unfinished business, but as he is the first and only person to be able to see her, he now has to help her so she can 'move on'.
I liked Jeff, he has a great sense of humour and wit and is basically a good guy. Kimberlee is the epitome of the High School Queen Bee, witch with a capital B. Turns out she wasn't the nicest person in the world, girl had some serious issues, so Jeff's job is not going to be easy.
It's written with a fairly relaxed style but in a strange way also with a sense of urgency that makes you want to keep reading. Something about it just makes you have to keep going. It's a fairly simple writing style and the plot isn't overly complex but I really enjoyed it and think it would be a great read for someone wanting a quick enjoyable read with a bit of intrigue.

My Rating
    

Book Review - Night School: Resistance

Title: Resistance
Author: C.J. Daugherty
Series: Night School (Book 4)
Publisher: Atom
Release Date: 5 Jun 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0349001708

 Synopsis
After months on the run, Allie returns to Cimmeria Academy to find the school in turmoil. The atmosphere is thick with danger. Overshadowing it all is Nathaniel. He is close – very close – to getting everything he wants.
A secret civil war is tearing the British political elite apart. And Allie’s family is in the thick of it. Both sides want her. She knows Nathaniel will take her by any means necessary. But she is determined to fight him to the end.
Her friends are ready to stand by her – even to die for her. But if anything happens to them she won’t be able to live with herself.
The fightback starts here. Everything is at stake now. The winner takes all…


My Review
It's been a few months since I read the other books in this series but it's one of those books that has always stuck with me and I couldn't wait to find out what happens next. I was lucky enough to get the entire series for my birthday so I got stuck in as soon as I could with this one. There were a few characters and events that I had to remind myself about but overall everything came back to me. 
I love the feel of these books, all along I have said they look and feel like they should be fantasy or paranormal genre but they are not, they are contemporary with a mystery/crime twist but they are so well written that they are totally addictive.
Allie has been on the run, hiding out, trying to avoid the danger and threat of Nathaniel, but no matter where she goes or what she does he seems to find her. So she is called back to Cimmeria, it's time to face the music and come up with a real plan. But all of her friends and teachers are in danger as long as she is there. Can they come up with a plan to stop him before it's too late, and on top of that one of her most trusted teachers is a traitor - but which one? Not sure who to trust or where to go Allie has to make some tough decisions and once and for all risk her life. 
This book is one of the those books that once you start, it is very hard to put down again. I got totally absorbed in the story and had to know what would happen. I had so many unanswered questions and hoped this book would give me the answers, it does to a certain extent, but it also raises some more. I am sure there must be a Book 5 in the pipeline because this is definitely not over- the ending of this alone was enough to make me scream- how could she do that to me?!?
Allie has really developed over the series and is like a totally different character in many aspects but still definitely herself, I like the new attitude and fight in her, a fight for the good of others, and whilst she still makes a lot of mistakes she lives up to them.
I cannot get enough of this series and I would totally recommend it to anyone and everyone. Please write more C.J!

My Rating
     

Saturday 13 September 2014

Book Signing Promo - Alison Molyneux


Book Signing Event Saturday 4th October in Bedford Waterstones. Alison Molyneux, Author and Dan Mynard, Illustrator will be there to promote their two recently released books:
The Thud in the Wood
An A4 picture book for 4-6 year old children. A few brave creatures make the journey up the steep, steep path to the dark, old wood at the top of the faraway hill. Here they are greeted by Squink the squirrel who warns them of the Thud who lives in the wood. Will any of the creatures be brave enough to venture further into the wood? This wonderful picture book for young children is full of suspense. The illustrations by Dan Mynard are from original oil paintings.
StoryMeadow Books are written and published by Alison Molyneux an Early Years Teacher working in a nursery in Bedfordshire. The books contain traditional stories to share and enjoy at quiet times with 3-6 year old children. The illustrations are all created from original artwork by local artists.


Christopher and The Crab                       
This A4 picture book is suitable for children aged 4-7 years. Christopher loves his tumbledown house by the sea, but his greedy sister Clara always wishes for more. Then one day Christopher meets a magic crab and so begins a wonderful adventure. But will anything ever be the same again for Christopher and Clara? Wonderful original illustrations by Dan Mynard bring this picture book to life.

 









If you are interested in learning more about our picture books please email Alison Molyneux on storymeadowbooks@hotmail.com. Alison both writes her books and prepares them for print, if you are a local illustrator who would be interested in working with Alison to produce a picture book please get in touch. Also, if you have created a picture book and would like to self-publish, StoryMeadow Books can provide a formatting/self-publishing service.
Our books are available to buy direct from our website http://storymeadowbooks.wix.com/books and from Amazon. We also sell books in some local outlets in North Bedfordshire. The Cowper and Newton Museum in Olney http://www.cowperandnewtonmuseum.org.uk/ has a selection of our books for sale at present.

Friday 12 September 2014

FF (178)


Follow Friday is an opportunity to discover and follow other book related blogs! Want to join? Check it out at Parajunkee or Alison Can Read

This week's question feature is
A Great Read

Before blogging (dark times people!) how would you find out about new books or did you?Question provided by: The Pegster Reads 

My Answer: I would (and still do) go into bookshops and just browse, spending ages just looking round the shelves. I would ask my friends for recommendations. And my school librarian was always happy to share the latest releases and ideas for things I might like.

Happy Hopping and Blogging

Cover Reveal - The Soul Thief


the soul thief - front cover
The Soul Thief by Majanka Verstraete
Expected Release: November 11, 2014
Publisher: Booktrope
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
When Riley is injured in a car crash and sees a girl stealing a boy’s soul, she’s convinced she’s hallucinating. But when she sees the same girl at the hospital later, she knows she wasn’t dreaming. That’s when Riley learns her secret heritage and who she really is: a halfling Angel of Death.

Riley must come to terms with her new reality and supernatural abilities, but before she can do this, girls her age start dying in mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Riley to figure out why, what the innocent victims have in common, and what she can do to stop them.
The Soul Thief - full cover
majankaAbout the Author Majanka Verstraete begged her Mom to teach her how to read while she was still in kindergarten. By the time she finished fifth grade, she had read through the entire children’s section of her hometown library. She wrote her first story when she was seven years old, and hasn’t stopped writing since. With an imagination that never sleeps, and hundreds of possible book characters screaming for her attention, writing is more than a passion for her. She writes about all things supernatural for children of all ages. She’s tried to write contemporary novels before, but something paranormal always manages to crawl in. Majanka is currently studying for her Master of Laws degree, and hopes one day to be able to combine her passions for law and writing. When she’s not writing, reading or studying, she likes watching “The Vampire Diaries” and “Game of Thrones,” spending time with her friends, or playing “World of Warcraft.” http://majankaverstraete.com

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Book Review - The Dying of the Light


Title: The Dying of the Light
Author: Derek Landy
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant (Book 9)
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks
Release Date: 28 Aug 2014#
ISBN-13: 978-0007489251


Synopsis 
  The War of the Sanctuaries has been won, but it was not without its casualties. Following the loss of Valkyrie Cain, Skulduggery Pleasant must use any and all means to track down and stop Darquesse before she turns the world into a charred, lifeless cinder.
And so he draws together a team of soldiers, monster hunters, killers, criminals… and Valkyrie’s own murderous reflection.
The war may be over, but the final battle is about to begin. And not everyone gets out of here alive…    

My Review  
Contains Spoilers!!!  
If you have been following my blog for a while you will know that I am a massive Skulduggery Pleasant fan. I have been following this series for years, have met Derek Landy 5 times now, and have every single book by him signed. As you may have read last week, I was lucky enough to go to the launch party for this book in London which was incredible, so I was so excited to finally be able to read this last book.  
There were so many questions left unanswered, so many things left to figure out at the end of the 8th book, that this one had a lot to live up to.
 I can't believe this is the last book, it is all over, no more new Skulduggery. It seems weird, it's something I look forward to every year.
So here we are, on the brink of the end of the world. Valkyrie is gone, Darquesse is madly controlling those around her and spreading fear and disaster behind her. Stephanie is by Skulduggery's side, Tanith is still possessed and basically everything is in a mess.  

This book is 600 pages of awesomeness. The usual sarcastic humour is still there, the action packed adventure and jaw dropping moments.
The book has seperate stroylines running side by side through it, some told from Skulduggery's point of view, some from Darquesse, some Tanith and one told by 'Danny'. This was the most intriguing to me as he is a new character and it is told in a different perspective. Throughout I was wondering what was going on, which version of Valkyrie/Stephanie he is dealing with and basically how he got involved in it, and I have to say the mystery stayed unsolved for me until the very end. I never did manage to figure it out!
There are some truly epic moments in this book - in fact it is majorly epic but there are some moments when it is a bit slower and it makes you wonder what Derek is plotting.
I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with the end, it felt like a little bit of a deflation, I don't know - I think that maybe I was expecting so much that it was destined to fall flat slightly, but it was only slightly. Don't get me wrong, I still think that it is amazing but it didn't quite live up to my astronomically high expectations.
And besides there are more than enough parts to make up for it, so many heart pounding, breath-taking moments. And some truly 'Heck yeah' moments. 

This is of course a must read, if you have read this far you can't stop now. And if you haven't read this series, don't start here- go all the way back to the beginning and settle down for the adventure of a lifetime. 

I still can't believe this is the end. It feels like I am leaving my friends behind, but at least I still have them with me, and I can visit at any time.

My Rating
   

Monday 8 September 2014

Cover Reveal - Untaken

I'm excited to reveal the cover for young-adult, action-adventure, science-fiction Untaken, by J. E. Anckorn, which is scheduled for release October 16th, 2014. The stunning cover was created by the talented Amy Chitulescu.

Untaken, by Jen Anckorn - Cover 
About Untaken:

It turns out that a real alien invasion is nothing like the Sci-fi shows 14-year-old Gracie loves. Not when it’s your own family who are swallowed whole by those big silver ships. Not if it could be you next.

In her search for her family, Gracie meets Brandon, a high school dropout who would never have been caught dead hanging out with a dork like Gracie before the world ended. Gracie isn’t too crazy about Brandon either, but he has one thing she doesn’t: A plan.
Brandon’s uncle has a cabin up in Maine, and If Gracie and Brandon can survive long enough to get there they can hide out until the Space Men pack up their ships and leave.
Until the army guys come to rescue them, says Brandon. Brandon is big into army guys.

Gracie has to admit that Brandon’s Awesome Plan probably would have worked out great if wasn't for Jake.

They found 5-year-old Jake, laying half-dead under the remains of someone’s ranch house. He’s a good kid, even if he won’t-or can’t- talk.

But Jake has a secret, and when Gracie finds out what it is, the fragile new life they’ve started to forge looks set to break apart.

When the people you’ve been counting on to put the world back together start hunting you down, alien invaders are the least of your worries.

Add Untaken to your Goodreads 'to-be-read' list.

--

J.E. Anckorn, author, writing, 
About J. E. Anckorn:

J. E. Anckorn has been an artist and writer ever since she began to surreptitiously doodle on school supplies instead of learning about practical things, like osmosis and mathematics.

After barely surviving a freak mathematical osmosis disaster, she set out to travel the world, living in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong before returning to her native Britain- just in time to marry an American and leave for the U.S.A. She still failed to learn anything about osmosis, but did manage to cultivate an accent that is unintelligible to almost everyone. (It happened through a mysterious net movement of information from the outside environment into her brain. If only there was a word for that!)

This led to her development of a new language, based almost entirely on polite yet uncomprehending nods. In between these adventures, she has worked as a toy designer, copywriter, and freelance illustrator. She lives in Boston, with a small grumpy dog, and a large, slightly less grumpy husband.
Find J. E. Anckorn Online:
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Friday 5 September 2014

FF (177)


Follow Friday is an opportunity to discover and follow other book related blogs! Want to join? Check it out at Parajunkee or Alison Can Read

This week's question feature is
The YA Buzz

Are you also a writer and what genre or did you ever consider writing?  Question provided by: The Pegster Reads 

My Answer: I have done some writing - I have written a YA fantasy novel and 4 Picture books for little kids. I also wrote a Middle Grade fantasy years ago but that needs some updating/editing.

Would love to be a published author, so do write when I have the chance, although haven't done any for a while. Got a bit of writers block. But I am determined and know I can get back into the swing. But YA Fantasy seems to be my genre!

Happy Hopping and Blogging

 

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Book Review - Armageddon Outta Here

Title: Armageddon Outta Here
Author: Derek Landy
Series: Skulduggery Pleasant (book 8.5)
Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books
Release Date: 3 July 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0007559534

Synopsis
One AMAZING new novella.
Three GRIPPING new stories.
In the ULTIMATE story collection.
We all know that doors are for people with no imagination so smash the glass, climb through the window and enter the awesome world of Skulduggery Pleasant with this ultimate story collection.
For the first time, every Skulduggery Pleasant short story – plus The End of the World, the World Book Day novelette – is collected into one magnificent volume. But that's not all…
Written specially for this collection, there is an entirely new novella that will drag you into a nail-biting American horror story, Skulduggery-style, and three brand-spanking-new stories spanning the last 150 years. Join Gordon Edgley as he parties like it's 1985, watch Valkyrie Cain face a vampire in a fight to the death, and see the Dead Men as you've never seen them before. And then read the exclusive chapter from the final book…
Introduced by Derek, this is the hidden history of the skeleton who saves the world… and the girl who's destined to destroy it.


My Review
I got this when it first came out and got it signed by Derek at LFCC in July. But life has been crazy and I had a couple of other books I had to get through first so unfortunately this got put aside. But with the launch of Book 9 (The Dying of the Light - The FINAL book!) I knew I wanted to get stuck into this.
This is a collection of short stories - some are 4 or 5 pages and a couple of them are 20-40 pages. Some of them I had read before, such as the End of the World which came out on World Book Day a few years ago but I still re-read them and I loved them just as much.
I love collections like this, it gives you another side to the world and makes you feel more involved. My favourite story has to be the Halloween one with Gordon Edgley, he doesn't get to feature too much in the main series so it was nice to get a glimpse into his past and the story was great fun. I loved Skulduggery's sarcastic humour as usual.
For fans of the series this really is a must have, it's just as charming and breath taking as the main series and lets the world stay alive for that much longer.
It's just brilliant!

My Rating