Friday, November 1, 2013
Hey guys! Happy November! I've got something totally snazzy for y'all today. A cover reveal! I haven't done one of these in a long time but when I asked by this awesome author I couldn't say no! Want to know a little about the book? Read the synopsis below!
What. The. Heck. CRAZY right? Are you excited to read this now? Shall I tease your buttons off with a little excerpt? I think I shall. Because I can.
So that's the cover! What do you think? Love it? Excited for the book? Let me know and leave Rori some cover love in the comments below! And don't miss a chance to enter for an ARC of Elected!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And that's all for today folks! Thanks for stopping by! Happy November! XOXO,
In the year 2185, Aloy must masquerade as a boy to claim her country's presidential role and save her people.
Aloy’s father is the current Elected, the leader of the country, just as her grandfather and great-grandfather were before. Her older brother should fulfill the role, but he disappeared eighteen years ago. Without an Elected, East Country would fall into civil war. With no one else to take his place, Aloy’s parents cut her hair and told her that she could never be a girl again. To assume the role, she must conceal her gender at all costs. If discovered, she risks execution.
In two weeks, Aloy will turn eighteen and take her father’s place. She hopes to govern as he did, but she is inheriting a different country. The long concealed Technology Faction is boldly stepping out of the shadows and, as turmoil grows within East Country, cryptic threats arrive from beyond their borders. After generations of isolation, Aloy knows nothing about their only neighbor, Mid Country. And, East Country doesn’t have the resources to defend itself.
As she struggles to lead, Aloy maintains her cover by marrying a woman, Vienne, but battles with feelings for Griffin, the boy who knows her secret - the boy who is somehow connected to East Country's upheaval. When assassination attempts add to the turmoil, Aloy doesn’t know whom to trust. Aloy knows leadership requires sacrifice. She just didn't expect that the sacrifice might be her life.
Add it on GOODREADS
One blonde curl is wrapped lusciously around my pointer finger. I gaze down at it and then force my eyes upward to drink in the image of my face. Long blonde hair trails past my shoulders and onto my back. In the cracked mirror, my eyes squint, trying to capture this one fleeting picture of myself as a girl. This is what I could look like if I weren’t forced to masquerade as a boy.
Are you hooked yet? Well it's time to reveal the cover!! Scroll down the page!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rori Shay's debut novel, ELECTED, is book one of a young adult sci-fi trilogy, which challenges the notion of duty above desire. Rori is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Rori lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and two proficient hair shedders: Misch the cat and Gerry the 90-lbs black lab. Rori studied public relations and marketing at the University of Maryland and received an MBA from George Washington University. She enjoys travelling, running, reading, pumpkin-picking and snow-shoeing!
So that's the cover! What do you think? Love it? Excited for the book? Let me know and leave Rori some cover love in the comments below! And don't miss a chance to enter for an ARC of Elected!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And that's all for today folks! Thanks for stopping by! Happy November! XOXO,
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Monsters in Wonderland VS Monsters in the Human Realm…
Today we’re having a speed-debate
between Jeb and Morpheus over whose monster is the whole
package—cunning, powerful, creepy. We’ve grouped their 4 monster
choices into pairs per their intructions. Our players are seated
across one another at a small table, and each get three sentences of
back and forth to make their case. Morpheus won the coin toss
(although we suspect magic was afoot) so he’s first.
And… go!
*****
The Fideal VS The Creature from the
Black Lagoon:
Morpheus: *drags wing over shoulder
and rubs off a smudge* I’d just like to point out that these
cannot possibly be in the same category considering Jebediah’s
choice is a wax figure.
Jeb: It’s the only royalty-free pic I
could find, bug guts, and you just used your first sentence for
nothing.
Morpheus: *looks up from preening*
As did you.
Jeb: *holds up two fingers* My
creature can breathe in or out of water, lurks beneath the surface
virtually invisible, then forces his victim under to drown them.
Morpheus: *drops wing and pulls on
gloves* My fideal uses an alluring song and her dark sensuality
to draw moony-eyed lesser-minded human clods, such as yourself, into
the water of their own accord where she sucks the life from them.
Jeb: Black Lagoon dude is descended
from amphibious dinosaurs and was resourceful enough to survive the
ice age while still managing to have those full pouty lips any fideal
would envy. *grins*
Bridge Troll VS Medusa:
Morpheus: My monster can turn people to
stone by touching them.
Jeb: Mine just has to glance at them.
Morpheus: Yet mine can look in the
mirror without turning himself to stone.
Jeb: But why would something that ugly
want to look in the mirror? *coughs*
Morpheus: His dreadlocks are enchanted
with telepathic powers that brainwash his victims into being so
fearful of staying in place, they cross his bridge even when they
know it’s their death on the other side.
Jeb: Medusa has venomous snakes on her
head, so her bad hair day is fatal to anyone who gets within striking
range.
Hobyah VS The Monster Under the Bed:
Morpheus: My monster lives in
children’s closets—scratching walls and clanging hangers—existing
only within their wild imagination but growing stronger and more real
with each cumulative fear.
Jeb: *thumps table* Hmmm . . .
same for mine, except he affects adults and children alike, lives
beneath the bed, and goes bump in the night.
Morpheus and Jeb: *glaring at one
another* Next!
IT (Intra Terrestrial) VS Extra
Terrestrial
Morpheus: My creature comes from deep
within the bowels of the earth, reflecting in its ancient, agonized
eyes all of the wrongs your kind has wrought upon nature and her
gifts—showing what you truly are . . . parasites.
Jeb: *scowls* Not every human
takes our world for granted . . . ever hear of environmentalists?
Morpheus: If your kind had the ability
to live in harmony with their natural resources to begin with, the
earth would not be depleted and there would be no need for such
groups.
Jeb: *clenches jaw* Back to the
monster debate, mine has psychic abilities and makes mental and
physical probing a sick art form.
Morpheus: Mine can also intrude on the
mind, and has the ability to fill its victims with such dread and
remorse, they no longer feel worthy of life and often take their own.
Jeb: Mine comes from outer space with
the potential and technology to obliterate everything . . . world
anhilation as opposed to one human being equals my monster kicks your
monster’s ass.
*both guys stand, palms pressed to
the table between them, staring one another down*
*****
You be the judge! Let us know in the
comments who you think won the debate and why—or if you think it
was a stalemate. By casting your vote and entering the rafflecopter
below, you have a shot at winning this gorgeous book which was used
as a reference for the fairy monsters:
Also, be sure you’ve entered the
other rafflecopter for a chance to win one of 12 UNHINGED ARCs.
Tomorrow, Jenara and Alyssa talk about
their favorite Halloween movie and the impact it had on Alyssa’s
prom clothes.
Hope to see you there for stop number
nine!
---------ABOUT THE BOOK---------
by A. G. Howard
Release Date: January 7th, 2014
Pages: 400
Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.
That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.
As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.
If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.
A. G. Howard
A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.
When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.
Want to check out the creepily awesome trailer for Unhinged? View it HERE! Want to see the other snazzy stops on the tour? Check out the FULL TOUR SCHEDULE! Thanks to Rockstar Book Tours for hosting this fabulous event! And thank YOU for stopping by! Have a lovely Tuesday! Let me know if you run into any monsters this Halloween! XOXO,
Thursday, October 3, 2013
by Romily Bernard
Published: 9.24.13
Pages: 307
"Find Me." These are the words written on Tessa Waye's diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa's just been found...dead. Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target. Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick's deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step? Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare. But she's going to find this killer no matter what. Because it just got personal.
Let it be said, right here and now that I suck at anything computer savvy. I can do the basic HTML that I need for my blog, but beyond that, if it requires codes or etc, I am useless. So I was really interested with the hacking aspect of this book. It was actually quite interesting, and while some of it flew over my head, I thought it was kinda exciting to read about.
Wicket, our MC was fascinating. I'll be honest, I didn't get into her head from the very beginning. It took a little while for me to really connect with her. But once I started to get her, I sympathized and could really see and understand who she was as a character. All the rest of the cast was fabulous. Loved Griff, the cute boy who's also a computer nerd. Score! Dad, the guy you're afraid of more than anything. Lily, the sister who you live for. Lauren, the best friend who wasn't kept in secret! Aah, how refreshing. Love them all.
And then we have the mystery side of this book. Such a thriller! So well done! Romily kept me guessing. She sets up the plot and all these possibilities and I'd think I have it, and then NO, could it be this? Wait...maybe it's not...AAH. The real answer just crept up on me till I was staring at my kindle in shock, while at the same time, horrified and understanding at the same time. It was so obvious, yet I completely missed it. That's why I loved this so much. I couldn't predict anything.
All in all, I'm gonna have to go with a thumbs up. I was glued to my kindle, eager and itching in excitement and terror as I waiting to find out what would happen next. I totally recommend this if you are looking for a edge-of-your-seat novel! Besides, how could you resist the gorgeous cover?
Content: Moderate
[some language, innuendo, kisses]
Romily Bernard
I graduated from Georgia State University with a Literature degree. Since then, I’ve worked as a riding instructor, cell phone salesgirl, personal assistant, groom, exercise rider, accounting assistant, and, during a very dark time, customer service rep.So don’t let anyone tell you a BA degree will keep you unemployed.
Inky Question: What research did you have to do for the hacking aspect of the book?
Romily: I did a lot of Googling and asking around. Luckily, my husband works in IT so I could bounce ideas off of him. I've started keeping a folder of computer/hacking related news articles that I can go back through as I finish the last two books. I'm always on the lookout for cool new ideas.
Inky's Reaction: SEQUELS?!?! I had no idea! Eepster!
As part of this FABULOUS tour we've got a fabulous giveaway for you! Enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the rest of the tour! Thanks for stopping by! Have an awesome day!!! XOXO,
Monday, September 30, 2013
by Jennifer Brown
Published: 10.5.10
Pages: 432
Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.
The subjects presented in this novel are intense, that goes without saying. But the feelings presented, are a whole different ballgame. Val has been through a pretty tough situation. It's not pretty in her brain, that's for sure. And while it's not cheese and sprinkles, it's not dpression-land either. You are sucked into Val's brain from the beginning. You feel for her, sympathize, yearn like she does and want things to be good. Val's healing process is beautiful, and this book makes it wonderfully easy to share it with her.
I really don't know how to talk about this book you guys. The feelings and subjects presented are tough. But they are dealt with in a way that makes you think and feel about it in a good way. It's not a happy story in some aspects, but it's a learning story. One I highly recommend reading if you're looking for a fabulous gritty contemporary.
Content: [Discussion of difficult subjects. Light innuendo. Some language]
This is an oldie, but a goodie! Have youread it? Thoughts? XOXO.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
[Jessi] Hello loverlies! We’re here today to talk about our reviewing processes!
[Inky] Thanks so much to Lisseth from Read-A-Holicz for submitting this topic! Let’s get this party started!
The Reviewing Process
So Nator Twin, is there a specific way that you review books?
Well, for me, there definitely is. I have to take notes when I’m reading, otherwise I forget everything. When I keep track of my thoughts, I feel like I have more in depth and accurate reviews. Plus, I like to use quotes to back my claims!
And we all know how famous your quotes are for making me want to read or not a book. (If you didn’t, now you do).
(I didn’t know. Thank you for the enlightenment!) I used to read a book, then make up my post and write my review as soon as I finished. Then I started getting really bad at reviewing things as soon as I was done, letting them pile up until I had 4 or more reviews I still needed to write. As a result, my reviews got more and more vague! Then recently I adopted Ashley’s way of reviewing: To draft the post before I start reading the book so that all I have to do is type up my review when I’m done. It’s SO much easier!
Gotta love smart blogging methods! I should probably learn from you two but that probably won’t happen =]
Hee hee to each his own! I also like to keep at least 2 week’s worth of posts scheduled. I used to pretty much wait until the day before to type a review post, and it became so stressful to do everything last minute that I had to resort to scheduling. Then I know I’m good for a couple weeks and I can take my sweet time typing the next post. I feel much less pressure!
I like your process. Unfortunately I really can’t say that I have one. Ha. When it comes to reviews I’m really unpredictable. First I read the book. A very crucial element of this process, wouldn’t ya say? Since I don’t put quotes in my review I only take notes if I have issues or small things I want to remember. Because I include a content review I usually keep note of that as well.
I like to use the Evernote app on my kindle. It makes me feel snazzy and professional, when in reality..I’m not.
I love Evernote!
Once I’m done with the book I usually sit and try to figure out what I think about it. I’ll either add to my written notes or make a mental list. Then I visit Goodreads and give the book a rating and long with a quick one-liner review before going to the blog. It messes everything up if I don’t establish this base. Once I’m at the blog I open a new post and set up the title so if I have to come back later I can find it. It does double duty when it sits there bugging me in draft form.
This happens a lot.
Same here! I don’t like to wait too long because the draft annoys me.
As for writing up a post it really varies. Usually I start by adding any notes I’ve written down onto the post. Any thoughts/feelings or points I also want to address go there. This is a big help especially if I can’t write the review just then. As for formatting vs. actually writing the review, the order changes all the time. Story of my Blogger Life. In some cases I just have to write my thoughts out right then, and I format everything else later. Sometimes I start with “everything else” and then right my review. I really have no set guidelines. Generally though, I have found that doing “everything else” first keeps my brain in line and connected to the muses of Bloggerdom.
That’s a long process! Do you do any kind of scheduling, Nator Twinsies?
Scheduling wise, it goes up in the next available slot. I try to schedule at least a few days ahead. It all depends on how much is scheduled already. If I’m doing really well it’ll go up the next week. Two weeks is a blessing from the gods. Making my nator twin a heavenly being or something. What does this say about me? I don’t know. I’ll be honest, sometimes I even schedule it the day before.
That’s okay, I used to do everything the day before too. Yay for procrastination! *fist bump*
*fist bump* Please Note: I DO have a blogging calendar. I put all my blog tours on it so I can be ahead of the game, assuming all goes well. I don’t put reviews down like Jessi does but I DO use it. There, now you won’t think of me like I’m the most discombobulated blogger on the planet. Which I might be. This is seriously like a big “I’m Not Lame” campaign.
At least you keep track of something! You’re not discombobulated! (Your discombobulation is my combobulation ;D)
Haha so that’s how we do it! I think Jessi wins the “Most Organized Nator Award”. Yay Jessi. I really need to get my lazy butt into shape with this whole scheduling thing.
*takes a bow* I try! I was lazy for the first year of my blogging life and it just got too stressful to do everything last minute!
May I learn from your experience so I don’t have to go through with it. Hehe. Anyway, thanks for stopping by! Below you can find a lovely little overview of our entire systems. Jessi gets the idea credit. Go Jessi!
Overview
Inky’s Process:
- Read book
- Take notes
- Establish thoughts on Goodreads
- Create blog post
- (In post) Make a ist of thoughts/notes/feels to address
- Format post
- Write review
- Schedule to post on next open date
- Get excited I'm finished
- Start all over again
[Inky] Occasionally 6 & 7 like to act naughty and switch places for fun. It creates dramatic tension. *eyebrow wiggle*
You know, if you switched to Wordpress you could get the Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin and you wouldn't have to format your posts anymore ;p
*cough* Peer Pressure *cough*
Jessi’s Process:
- Draft review post, set up all info in UBB
- Read book
- Take notes while reading
- (In post) Outline main points I want to discuss as soon as I finish book
- Write full review when I have time
- Schedule 2 weeks in advance (hopefully)
- Write reviews in planner
- Add review to Goodreads (or write summary if it's not out for a while)
Let us know what your system is in the comments below! And don’t forget to submit a suggestion for what you’d like us to talk about!
Anything you'd like us to discuss? Submit a topic!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Innocent Darkness
byt Suzanne Lazaer
Published: 8.8.12
Pages: 408
Sixteen-year-old Noli Braddock's hoyden ways land her in an abusive reform school far from home. On mid-summer's eve she wishes to be anyplace but that dreadful school. A mysterious man from the Realm of Faerie rescues her and brings her to the Otherworld, only to reveal that she must be sacrificed, otherwise, the entire Otherworld civilization will perish.
I loved the idea of Steampunk meets Faeries. However in this case, I feel like the fey aspect overrode the Steampunk so much that they didn't work well together. The development of the Steampunk aspect was very little and almost seemed to be taken for granted. We never got to know the world. How it worked, how it runs, it was just..a world we were living in. And the fey part was even more so. There were these random words in there used regularly, such as hoyden. As the reader, I felt like I already had to know certain aspects and what things meant in regards to the fey before I read the book. Maybe these worlds didn't work because they were thrown together. Maybe for others it does work! But for me, I had too many questions and not enough were answered.
So while the lack of world building made it hard for me to fully immerse myself in the story, I think that the main problem I had was connecting with the characters. Any of them for that matter. Noli came through a bit strange, and hypocritical at times. She was stubborn one minute and almost blubbery the next, and frankly I found her quite childish. I really wanted to like her, and so it saddens me that I couldn't. The rest of the cast wasn't any different. Sure, they have interesting names and faces that have to interact with Noli, but I couldn't find anything to really endear me too them. The queen didn't seem to live up to somet of the things said about her, Kevign was very disturbing for my tastes, and the romantic interest fell flat. *sigh* These characters have so much potential and I'm sorry I couldn't connect with them.
The plot had a chance at redeeming this book. A very interesting conflict is raised in the beginning and for the first little bit I was honestly interested, but unfortunately like the rest of the book, it felt short. I must be getting pickier or soemthing. To me the way it played out felt dragged on and on till the end when we go out with a bibbidi-bobbidi-boo and Happily Ever After. It was great and all, but I needed to be able to feel like the HEA was justified. And in this case, I didn't get that.
So I'm unfortunatley left to conclude that this book didn't work for me. I'm sad to admit it, but that's the truth. I know this book has been enjoyed by quite a few people, so maybe this will be up your alley!
Content: Moderate
[kissing, a man has man perverted thoughts about women. characters are chaste, but sleep in bed together. it is known that some characters are not chaste.]
Thursday, September 26, 2013
I'm baaaaaaack!
What's that
you say?
Oh yes!
It's true
Inky has
indeed returned!
And with
her crazy
is tons
of bookish
fun stuff
that she
is so
super duper
excited to
share with
you and
your friends.
Oh your
beautiful faces
have I
indeed missed!
But let
thy heart
no longer
be depressed,
for it
is really
trule accurate.
I'M BACK!
P.S. Huh
somehow I
totally managed
to completely
change tenses...
Haha whatever.
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