Blog Tour: Ice Rose by Alison Neuman

Welcome to my stop on the Ice Rose Blog Tour

hosted by Virtual Book Tours.

Blurb:

An explosion at Christopher Morris' recording studio leaves his teenage daughter Elissa's life in turmoil with Christopher missing, and Elissa's mobility taken away; even worse, it exposes her parents' lives as secret agents. No longer able to fit into her old world, Elissa embarks on a journey far away from the rock star daughter and dancer existence she knew. Acceptance to Madisyn Academy takes her out of her comfort zone and into danger - into the relentless world of the Sunglass Man, a stalker and a link to her dad's mission.

At Madisyn Academy, Elissa trains to be a secret agent in spite of prejudicial issues over use of her wheel chair, and learns to trust her intuition and believe in her abilities. As an active agent, she completes challenges, falling for fellow student Benjamin along the way. With her new canine sidekick, Morocco, she exposes the danger of her dad's mission and fights to unlock the truth about the mysterious software called Ice Rose. Elissa soon finds herself picking up in her dad's place, needing to complete the mission in order to stop The Northern Elimination Retaliation Deployment (NERD) from taking power. She just hopes she does not lose Benjamin or her missing dad along the way.

Cindy's Review:

The plot of this book just hit really close to home. ;) Not that I'm a spy and a celebrity or anything. But yannoe, those daydreams. Haha. I really love love love, like lurve spy things. Like books, movies, dramas. CIA, M16, etc. Yeah. It's just me. Secret agents. No CSI though. Can't deal with blood. Like at all. Not that I faint or anything. But I just don't like gore stuff. Yeah. 

And I also daydream about celebrities. LOL. Not rock stars. Cuz I'm not in that era. Especially when the rock stars have like a family and children. Except Adam Levine. Maybe. I'm more in the kpop business. That's what I daydream about.

SEE? SO THIS BOOK? PERFECTO. Except.....it doesn't tell the story of a spy and a celebrity. Well. Not really. It tells the story of the spy and celebrity's daughter. I'll enjoy that too. 

When her father disappeared, Elissa is determined to find her father, believing he is not dead. It wasn't until now till she was let on the secret who her parents really are. Spies. Wanting to rescue to her father, Elissa decides to join the spy academy her parents also went to. Of course, there's competition. Elissa made some friends. She made some enemies. She found a crush. :DDDDD Yeah. Benjamin <3 He's sounds cute tho. And he's nice.

Oh yeah. The most important fact? Elisa's crippled. She's lost the ability to use her legs. That kinda sucks, but Benjamin still likes her, soooo.....yeah. Haha. 

Overall, this was a really fun read about Elissa saving her dad and all. I enjoy the romance scenes. ;D And I just love spies. So. So much. Gallagher girl all the way! 

I rate this an 8~

Author Bio:

Alison Neuman lives in Alberta, Canada where she is a freelance writer and lyricist. Nearing the end of her studies for the Bachelor of Applied Communications Degree program at Grant MacEwan College, she was inspired to complete the first draft of  Ice Rose. The pace of secret agent books and movies gave her an unlimited playground for  imagination. Music and performing are passions she was able to bring into her writing and build into her  characters. Alison’s writing has appeared in “MacEwan Today”, “Westword”, and the  “Edmonton Journal” along with three tracks  on the CD release Outside The Window. Cowriting the screenplay adaptation of the  book Whale Songwith author Cheryl Kaye Tardif exposed her to the world of screenwriting, which she hopes to continue to examine further in the future. Alison also has been writing shorter pieces of non-fiction, one entitled Establishing Roots, that earned a top ten ranking in the Edmonton Stories contest. This past spring she was a winner in The Expressions of Hunger Contest in the Emotional Poetry category. Her piece Undeniable Craving was on display in June and July in various artistic locations across the city of Edmonton.  She has completed a final edit of her memoir “Searching For Normal” and is currently writing her next young adult manuscript. When not writing creatively, Alison  is editing or writing for her business, Sandy Tree Communications.

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Book Review: Solstice High by Ardash Vartparonian

Welcome to my stop on the Solstice High Blog Tour

hosted by Virtual Author Book Tours.

Publisher: Strategic Book Group  (October 22, 2012)
Category: Urban Fantasy/Sci Fi/Young Adult
Tour Date: July- Early August, 2013
Available in: eBook and Print,  360  Pages

Blurb:

Matt, Rochelle, Daphne and Jonas are four students starting their senior year of high school, but suffer a freak-accident the very first day and start to realize that they are developing superhuman abilities. They quickly realize that the school principal, Mr. Devlin, has in fact more than just education on his agenda, and is using the school for his own purposes.

Not only must the four friends try to figure out what Devlin’s plans are, but when he will strike, and seeing as how they cannot turn to grown-ups for help without exposing themselves, must themselves grow-up in order to stop him. As well as learning to cope with these developing powers, the four teenagers must deal with the day-to-day muddles of being a teenager, such as volatile emotions, infatuations and family issues.

Cindy's Review:

At First Glance:

Well....I really thought this book would be a fun, hilarious read. Just judging from the teaser and all. It was funny at times, but this turns out to be more of an adventure. And I was also surprised to find some romance in it. Otherwise, it was the kind of book I expected it to be. A fun, high school read about powers. Haha.

The Characters:

Matt - Matt? Hmmm. Well, the first thing I learned about him was that he's gay. It's not meant to be insulting. But I mean, it's a pretty big ish? part of the story. The power he got was changing into an animal. Any, I believe.  Like a bat. Tiger. Etc. Once he does, he gets the animal's strength and other things. Overall, he"s a pretty cool guy. 

Rochelle - Rochelle is the queen bee of the school. Surprisingly, she hangs out with her group. Even if Matt is gay and all. And Daphne isn't the most popular girl. She does use quite a lot of cuss words but that's a modern trend right? Haha. At least in school it's modern. Especially when you're the queen bee. Rochelle's power is telekinesis. Which means she can make things move using only her mind. She can even fly and make herself float. 

Daphne - Daphne is the other girl of the group. She's my favorite character for some. Maybe it's her romance interest with Hunter. ;D Rochelle calls her the redhead girl. I feel like she's closer with Matt than the other two in the group. Daphne's power is the use of fire, light, etc. Something like that. She can burn people. Hunter's the opposite. He's ice. That just makes it more romantic. ;D 

Jonas - Jonas is like the school jock. If you know what I mean. If I'm not getting this from another book I recently read, I believe Jonas is the captain of the lacrosse team. But I maybe wrong. I think he's the swimming captain though. Jonas has the power to heal. So he can heal cuts, bleeding, etc. I think he can even bring back the dead. And one huge thing. He has a crush on Rochelle. Rochelle, of course, doesn't know at all. 

Mr. Devlin - The evil mastermind of the whole thing with superpowers and such. He sends his minions to kill the four of them.....and well. He's doesn't really act mean and all at school, but he is evil.

At the end of this book, there are many deaths. Don't worry, none of them are fist-wrenching, heart-stabbing deaths, so for those who doesn't like to cry, you probably won't cry.

Final Thoughts:

I think this was a nice adventure read. And I truly enjoyed the unexpected romance that appeared in there between Daphne and Hunter. <3 I want to say, kids can read it, since it's just so entertaining, but they can't. 

This book filled in a lot of things you expect from a book. Like you can say it's mature, because it does have some mature stuff in it, but it's not serious at all, like in a new adult book. Ugh. I can't even describe anything, because I'll confuse myself. 

Either way, you should give this one a try if you enjoy adventure, romantic YA books. ;) 

I rate this an 8~

Author Bio:

Ardash Vartparonian was born in London but raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the age of 18 he began his debut novel, Solstice High, and continued writing throughout his last year of school and first year of university, where he moved back to the UK to study English Literature at Edinburgh University. Now a fourth year student, Ardash enjoys going out with his friends, watching horror movies and reading fantasy book while trying to keep up with his university work. Find out more at http://sbpra.com/ardashvartparonian/

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Happy Reading~ 

Feature and Follow #21

Feature and Follow #20!

The hosts of this meme are Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. This week's features are Kelly Walker and Girl in the Woods.

Q: Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home)

A: In class. LOL. Especially in my history class where the teacher's the most boring. I would say I accomplish reading the most under a desk during class, besides at home. 

If you're a new follower, comment, and I'll be sure to follow you back~ ;)

The Forgotten Ones Book Blast

The Forgotten Ones (The Danaan Trilogy #1)

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.

What some reviewers are saying:

“This book is so amazing! It’s one of those that speaks so vividly in your mind that you can’t help but get lost in!”


“5 Stars and a fantastically beautiful read. I definitely recommend to all who love fantasy, romance, or are just looking for a book to escape into for a while.”


“Enter another type of world you never knew existed but secretly wished it did. I can’t wait for book 2! Keep em coming out like pure gold Laura ”

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Blog Tour: Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Arrow of the Mist Blog Tour

hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.

Blurb:

Terror strikes the Celtic inspired kingdom of Nemetona when barbed roots breach the veil of a forbidden land and poison woodsmen, including 15-year-old Lia’s beloved father. Lia and three others embark on a quest to the forbidden land of Brume to gather ingredients for the cure. But after her elder kinsman is attacked and poisoned, she and her cousin, Wynn, are forced to finish the quest on their own.

Lia relies on her powerful herbal wisdom and the memorized pages of her late grandmother’s Grimoire for guidance through a land of soul-hungry shades, trickster creatures, and uncovered truths about the origin of Brume and her family’s unexpected ties to it. The deeper they trek into the land, the stronger Lia’s untapped gift as a tree mage unfolds. When she discovers the enchanted root’s maker, it forces her to question everything about who she is and what is her destiny. Ultimately she must make a terrible choice: keep fighting to save her father and the people of the lands or join with the power behind the deadly roots to help nature start anew.

Cindy's Review:
At First Glance:
I don't really remember what I thought of the cover, but the synopsis sure sounded dazzling. It grabbed me in. ;D Since I'm a stickler for fantasy and medieval times. I assume the setting is medieval.....because there weren't any cars. ;D 

What I Liked:
I liked how there was many made up names, like Grimoire, Scalach, Straif, Brume, Draugyrd, and such. It gives a fantasy feeling. This whole plot about going into Brume. These dangerous quests. And wanting Lia's soul reminds me very much of 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison.

Another thing that caught my attention was the poems from the Grimoire. I like those dark, mysterious, eerily poems. Especially when it rhymes. ;D Arrow of the Mist was definitely a haunting read that kept me sitting long hours just to finish. ;)

Things That Could Change:
Okay. Although this book was given much of my favors and compliments, there are a few things I wish could have change. For those who know me, I'm just all about the romance. I do appreciate the Kelvin scene in the beginning and the end, but I wish that, in a way,  Lia had went on the quest with Kelvin instead of Wynn. 

I know this book is a YA Fantasy one, without much romance since love isn't the main point, but it wouldn't hurt adding that factor. It might catch a reader's eye more. ;) The author though, may have her reasons for choosing Wynn and Lia for the 'quest' instead. 

Final Thoughts:
Do you like fantasy books, and eerily stories and such? And poems? Well. It wouldn't hurt to try this book out~ ;D 

I rate this a 7.5~  

Book Trailer: 



Author Bio: 
Christina Mercer writes fiction for children and young adults. She earned a degree in Accounting from California State University at Sacramento and a Certificate in Herbal Studies from Clayton College of Natural Health. She took Writer’s Best in Show at the 2012 SCBWI CA North/Central Regional Conference and was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Contest. Christina resides in Northern California enjoying life with her husband, two sons, four dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees. 

You can find her at www.christinamercer.com
or working as Reviews Director at www.indie-visible.com

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Book Review: Star Crossed by Jennifer Echols

Star Crossed (Stargazer #1)
by Jennifer Echols
Release Date: February 26th, 2013
Publisher: Pocket Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ebook, 384 pages
Get a Copy:
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Goodreads Summary: Wendy Mann loves her job rescuing celebrities from public relations scrapes. She grew up with nothing, and now she’s drawn to glitz, glamour, and a lighthearted lifestyle. She speaks her mind, so she’s just the tough cookie to tell stars the truth about how other people see them, even when they don’t want to hear it. But after six years at the top of her game, Wendy crosses the line. A star she was sent to save rebels against her and nearly gets her fired. To salvage her job, she must rehabilitate the career of a singing starlet with a penchant for posting inappropriate photos of herself and arguing online with her famous ex. Problem is, the ex is represented by Wendy’s arch nemesis from college, the hot and haughty Daniel Blackstone. And both stars are scheduled for a collision course on national television, broadcast live from Las Vegas.

Daniel’s uneasy when he hears Wendy Mann from his firm’s most hated competitor has been brought in to revive the career of his client’s ex-girlfriend. Daniel must win at any cost. And if he has to seduce Wendy to smooth the way to their partnership, he’s willing to sacrifice himself for the cause. But Daniel doesn’t count on the scorching heat between them—and when they get to Vegas, all bets are off.

Cindy's Review:

At a Glance/The Cover:

Since everyone was raving about Jennifer Echols' books, I decided to give it a try. This book was the first one that came up, so I just decided to get it. No regrets. :D Isn't that a band. Haha. Moving on. 

My first impression was 'ugh, adult books. No' But then I found out they were surprisingly cute. Normally, I don't like to read about couples who had a job, a house, and all that. But in Star Crossed, it was the cool job they had that had brought together, so.....am I starting to change my mind?

I normally really dislike adult books. Because of all the erotica scenes and all. But Jennifer Echols managed to do a hot, spicy romance without a body interaction scene at all.  I must say....#impressed. 

The Characters/Summaries:

Wendy Mann - Being one of the narrator of the book, I must say, I really enjoyed reading about Wendy's work life. She seems that she had established some awesome relationships with her co-workers and they're really funny. Another thing I like about this book. I really enjoy some comedy romance. ;D 

Wendy also seems like a tough girl. She can stand up by herself, yet she still can fit a man in her life. Overall, gee. She's just so cute with Daniel. I can't even say cute, since they are way older than me. I just realized. They're my brother's age. Omfg. Btw, my brother is like 14 years older than me, so.....I'm not that old. LOL.

Daniel - Okay. This thing about me, I need guys to be hot and sexy and awesome like that just because they can. Daniel certainly isn't flawed. At all. But I didn't like him that much because of his sexiness and hotness. I really liked his personality. He's funny, charming, witty. Just what you expect from a celebrity helper person. 

Another reason I really like this book is the whole celebrity thing. I mean, despite trying not to be a crazy fangirl over celebrities.....can't help it. :D I just really love celebrity things. I don't even know why. Something to do with fame, drama, and romance just makes the best novel......but of course, that quiet summer getaway with a cute boy neighbor is also another great story line.

Final Thoughts:

Hehe. Read. Read. Read. Yeah. If you just love whatever I typed up there, have reading! Cuz I'll bet you'll just enjoy this book, just as much as I do. 

This is super random, but I just accidentally clicked some stuff and found an incognito tab thing. It's cool! No search history. KK. I'll play with that later. 

SO READ! I RECOMMEND THE AUTHOR ALTHOUGH I ONLY READ ONE OF HER BOOKS, SO CAN'T WAIT TO FIND MORE~ 

The Rating: (1-10): 9.2~ 

Happy Reading~ 

Blog Tour: Blind Sight by Ermilia

Welcome to my stop on the Blind Stop Blog Tour

hosted by Ermilia.

Blurb:

A blind girl drawing is abnormal even on the magical island of Edaion where leaves brush themselves into piles in the middle of the night. As an immigrant, Leocardo is not biased by accepted rules of magic and determines that Odette’s drawings are premonitions. Aniela grew up with magic and knows premonitions are impossible. She determines Odette is a medium channeling voiceless spirits.

In this volume: While Aniela tries to escape a lifestyle where obligations take priority over friendships, she befriends Odette, a blind girl with the ability to draw. Almost immediately, concerns and questions arise as Aniela suspects that Odette’s gift is far stronger than any seen before. In the middle of family turmoil and a complicated romantic relationship with Odette’s brother, Aniela faces the realization that helping her comatose friend means disobeying her mother, something she has never done before.

Cindy's Review:

Although I was told, I think, by the authors that it's better to read Leo's point of view first, then read Aniela's, I ended up reading Aniela's first. Although I don't really know why. 

The whole plot is basically about one girl and I'm surprised she isn't the narrator. It's about Odette. She's blind, as you can tell... and Aniela? How does Aniela fit in? Aniela became Odette's friend and helped through various stages in discovering Odette's gift. Aniela, is also the Princess of Ediaion. That's a pretty name right there.

I find Aniela pretty charming. She put a lot of emotions in her narrating and we even got to learn more about the kingdom and her everyday life. I like how there was family matters added to this pov and it wasn't just solely on Odette. She was a wonderful narrator and certainly entertained me, being easy flowing and all.

Blurb:

A blind girl drawing is abnormal even on the magical island of Edaion where leaves brush themselves into piles in the middle of the night. As an immigrant, Leocardo is not biased by accepted rules of magic and determines that Odette’s drawings are premonitions. Aniela grew up with magic and knows premonitions are impossible. She determines Odette is a medium channeling voiceless spirits.

In this volume: Snatched out of their life in Spain, Leocardo and his blind sister Odette find themselves on an island with no recollection of the trip. After foiled attempts to escape, Odette’s strange behavior gets worse. Even after learning the island has bestowed magic upon them both, Leocardo faces the possibility his sister is having a mental break down. Just as he thinks he is settled in, job and romantic life stable, Odette disappears.

Cindy's Review:

As others said, reading Leocardo's pov did give more facts and was more clear than Aniela. But Leocardo's version is basically revolved around Odette. Aniela did cross his mind and all, and in this volume, we'll get to discover more of Leocardo's feelings, which Aniela never seems to really get through. 

I like how there are two different povs in this book. It gives everything a clearer meaning and the feeling of meeting two characters and knowing their inner heart is amazing.

I really love dystopian genre, magic, medieval, etc. This would be the perfect book, but Blind Sight hasn't exactly grabbed hold of my attention and held on to it really hard. For those who know me, romance is a key part in my reading that takes my attention and twist until the end so I won't ever put down the book. 

I love Aniela and Leocardo isn't that bad, but their romance. Their sparkles and their spadazzles isn't exactly my kind of romance. I like a hot fiery, yet they hate each other kind. 

But overall, it was fun reading this original concept and plot twists of this wonderful magical world where anything can happen. ;D 

I rate this a 7~

Author Bios:

Eliabeth wrote her first series in second grade when her teacher told her she was not allowed to write chapter books. She's been a rebel ever since. Now, with coauthor Ermisenda Alvarez, she is challenging the accepted practices of the literary world. She has written Aniela's perspecitive of Blind Sight #1, the first book in a series that changes depending on whose perspective you're reading. So the question is, "whose eyes will you read through?"

Along with numerous solo works, Ermisenda began writing on role play sites at fourteen and completed her first crime novel at fifteen. Driven by the desire to evoke the kaleidoscope of emotions her favorite authors are able to, she kept writing. Growing up bilingual amongst her Spanish family in Australia, she found a love and deep appreciation for language and the power it wielded. 

Now she's working on a joint project with coauthor Eliabeth Hawthorne. Ermisenda has written Leocardo's perspective of Blind Sight #1, the first book in an urban fantasy series that changes depending on whose perspective you're reading. So the question is, "whose eyes will you read through?"

~~~

Writing with my lovely American, spending time with my flying Dutchman, and living with my Spanish family in the Australian culture

 

 This post is part of the Blind Sight Blog Tour. Blind Sight is an urban fantasy novel written in two volumes, each telling the story through a different character's perspective.

Hidden Book Blast

Welcome to my stop on the Hidden Book Blast

hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Leah Grant has given up on being normal. She’d settle for stopping the voices in her head, intrusive visions of the future, and better odds of making it to her seventeenth birthday.

That’s the thing about pretending to be human in a world where magic used to exist – at any moment, her cover could be blown and she’ll be burned to death like the rest of the witches.

Everything changes when she loses control of her powers and flees the orphanage she grew up in. She desperately wants to be invisible but finds her face plastered on every news channel as humans panic over the possible resurgence of her kind. And now the hunters won’t give up until they find her.Making friends for the first time in her life and falling in love with one of them drives her to discover why she is unlike any being she’s ever met – human or otherwise. The dangerous powers inside of her that would repel Nathan, her new, handsome reason for living, are priceless to some. The locked up forever kind of priceless. And to others, they are too dangerous to allow her to live.

Let’s hope she can stay hidden.

Excerpt:
A far second to oranges, the song I sang in the shower every night had a way of soothing me. More than anything, it made me tired enough to fall asleep. With Whitney gone, I didn’t have to whisper it.

The stars are out,

It’s time for bed.

Now close your eyes,

And rest your head.

May angels shield you with their wings,

As you dream your little angel dreams.

I didn’t recall composing that song, but apparently, I used to think I was good and perfect like the angels. I knew better now.

I stepped out of the shower and tugged a brush through my unruly brown tangles. I stared into the mirror over the sink as I started the song again. My skin screamed winter. I should be a warmer tan; I looked less creepy in the summer. Maybe that was why the girls had been digging into me so hard. I looked rather witchy. The unease that made them mock me was probably their souls warning them, urging them to notice I was different and dangerous.

At my worst, it feels like the fire that could easily shoot from my palm is raging inside of me. My heart picks up, more than when I’m scared. It pounds, I can’t hear. My blood dances, taunting me, begging me to hurt whoever’s hurt me. And I know that I can. I feel that I can.

But I don’t. I breathe and pray and let the magic cool.

Author Bio: 
M. Lathan lives in San Antonio with her husband and mini-schnauzer. She enjoys writing and has a B.S. in Psych and a Masters in Counseling. Her passion is a blend of her two interests – creating new worlds and stocking them with crazy people. She enjoys reading anything with interesting characters and writing in front of a window while asking rhetorical questions … like her idol Carrie Bradshaw.


One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card!!

So comment away~ 

Links: 
Website: mlathan.com
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