Title: The Vampires
Author: Rhiannon Frater
Source: eARC provided by author

Blurb: Episode 5: The Vampires

All is not well in the Socoli world. Vanora is on the cusp of adulthood and preparing to move way to attend college. Used to their sibling being their anchor to the mortal world, Roman and Alisha are already feeling adrift in their dark world. Meanwhile, the mysterious Armando, shrouded in all his secrets, draws ever closer to Vanora as her feelings for him deepen. Soon their small world will explode into chaos, leaving Vanora to wonder if all she believed to be true were lies.

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.
GoodReadsAmazon

Read Along Review and Discussion:
Episode 5 is an epic episode. And yes, I did read it at least 5 times. It’s meaty and everything has built up to it. Needless to say that the previous episodes, even the deaths in episodes 1 & 2 where the calm before the storm that Rhiannon unleashes in this one!
Armando made a splash in episode 3, gives a gift in episode 4, and completely manages to mess up in episode 5. But it’s not just Armando being a douche, it’s Roman, and Alisha, and all the other vampires. Trust me, things go to hell fast. So fast. If you think Armando is the bad guy (which you will know more about his intentions in this episode)wait until you meet his Master. Season 2 is going to be even more amazing now that he is on the stage. Look for it to come out in June.
Thank you Rhiannon for allowing to me to read and review this serial. I am loving it!
Reflections on this season: IDWMA is unlike anything I have ever read before, it’s highly addictive, fast paced and each episode is just the right size for a quick afternoon read. Rhiannon Frater writes great horror, she writes great action scenes and she is great at showing humans at their best and worst. IDWMA is no different. I am very much looking forward to Season 2.

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The post #IDWMA Episode 5 “The Vampires” appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends. First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools — keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them “hi” in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to WordPress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don’t have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

All features are chosen randomly to be the feature. They are not chosen by content or name.

Our Feature is Picture Me Reading

When did you start blogging?
I started blogging in July of last year. The reason I started was because my husband already had a Dr. Who blog and it looked like lots of fun to interact with other fans. I knew I wanted to blog but I wasn’t sure what about, my husband suggested combining my love of reading with my love of art and Picture Me Reading was born!

What is your favorite part of book blogging?
I like so many things about blogging it is hard to name just one. I love drawing the pictures for my reviews and coming up with new ways to illustrate how I felt about them. I also love meeting other bloggers and interacting with them, seeing their thoughts on books and reading!

What type of books do you mainly blog about?
I tend to focus a lot of science fiction, fantasy and YA books because I love reading those genres. I also love the classics and my all time favorite book is Jane Eyre. I also enjoy Graphic Novels and sometimes audiobooks.

What is your favorite book(s)?
My all time favorite book is Jane Eyre. As for books I have read recently I love Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Shadow and Bone, Masque of the Red Death and Eleanor & Park.

What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?
I love all the awesome people I have met through blogging! I have met some fabulous bloggers and read some absolutely amazing books.

This weeks Question:

Q: School is out! What is your favorite Summer Reading book??

Summer always reminds me of Nancy Drew, Babysitters Club…and just fun reading. I don’t think I can name just one. But, I would have to say I can’t really remember a good Summer Reading book that was assigned to me. I did enjoy reading Romeo & Juliet though one year, even though I couldn’t understand half of it.

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

The post Feature & Follow #149 appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

Book Blogging 101:

Ten Things a NEWBIE Book Blogger Should Know.

1. Nothing happens automatically. Authors will not automatically send you books as soon as you slap a review policy up on your site. Book Blogging takes time and in order for authors to find you, you need to get your book blog off the ground. So step 1 with any book blog is marketing and networking.
2. ARCs come in time, but don’t expect them. Do not assume you will get tons of ARCs just because you start your blog. The best way to get in on the ARC craze is to join netgalley.com
3. You should request books from the publishers. Authors get a few ARCs and finished copies, but they don’t get a ton of them and those will usually go to their author friends, family and their choice reviewers. A lot of the time if an author sends you a review copy they purchase them and then mail them to you. So, the easiest way to get a review copy is going through the publisher. Publishers will have special email addresses for requesting review copies on their webpages. Just do a search, you can usually find the email address on their CONTACT US page.
4. Media Mail is your friend. When mailing a book to a contest winner, a friend, or for a book exchange you can mail through MEDIA MAIL, this is a way to save money on postage.
5. Don’t take without asking. No matter how pretty that picture is on the internet that you found, if it does not say that it is available for use, please don’t use it. Always ask for permission. This also goes for content and writing. Never use anything that you don’t have permission to use!
6. Get Social. You have a blog — now join twitter, facebook, ning sites, publisher forums, if it has something to do with writing join up! Network, network, network.
7. Put your URL on everything. It should be in your facebook, twitter, ning profile. It should be in your signature of your emails. It should be at the end of every comment. It should be on everything!!!
8. Discover the Tools of the Trade. There are so many things out there to help you have the best blog ever. Just to name a few, Rafflecopter, Google Docs, TweetDeck, Goodreads. Ask other Bloggers for programs that they couldn’t live without. You would be surprised.
9. Follow Authors. Keep on top of your favorite author’s blogs and web sites, follow them on twitter, facebook etc. A lot of the time they make announcements this way and it is always good to share this with your readers.
10. Book blogging is a lot of work. Estimates from latest polls show an average of  1 – 2 hours daily, minimum, to run blogs like Parajunkee’s View it takes a minimum of 4 hours daily. If you don’t have the time, inclination or patience you might want to rethink your investment, or maybe team up with a group blog.

Book Blogger News

Another Awesome TV Show Scheduled
“ABC Studios has picked up a TV show based on poet Jason Mott‘s The Returned, months before Harlequin MIRA releases the novel. The show is scheduled for the “2013-2014 midseason” and the novel comes out in September.” SOURCE

Do you know SHIELD?
If you are anything like me, you’ve been waiting for the next Joss Whedon television project with bated breath. Well here it is. VIEW TRAILER

Author’s & Agents behaving Badly?
There were two scandalous incidents that happened last week. One was an Agent that just copied positive Kirkus and PW reviews into the comments of a bad review. The agent’s name was Bob Doforio and people were really quick to eviscerate him. Nothing like a bit of passive aggressive commenting to get the trolls / defenders of proper internet behavior all worked up. It was a stupid move and he later apologized. Right on, Bob. Best thing to do, don’t comment at all. SOURCE

Geoffrey Girard who has a novel coming out from Simon & Schuster called Cain’s Blood, took a review and “argued” the opposite point of it in a blog post. He mentioned that the reviewer only read 40 pages of the book and then gave it a negative review. Now if this would have happened “for real” the best thing this author should have done was ignore it…but it wasn’t real. The reviewer actually read 40%. That was just the first mistake the author made. He went on to say how awesome his book was, how original it was and how different it was from other YA novels. It was a rather tame post, but it called out a certain reviewer, even though he never mentioned her by name. She was very quick to jump into comments and argue her point. I don’t know what to think about the whole situation. Geoffrey later apologized in comments and said he didn’t mean any harm by it… SOURCE

Question of the week:

Contact them and ask them to remove it. Don’t get mad, they might not think they did anything wrong. A lot of people view “Policy” copy as usable info. Just let them know that they need to reword the information. I’ve had this happen to me too many times to quote, I’ve heard that in a forum someone actually listed my blog as a “good one to take policy copy” from. Just email them and let them know that it’s not right what they did, but don’t make a big deal about it. It is probably not a malicious theft, just an ignorant one.

Happy Thursday. Talk Less. Read More. Blog with Integrity.

The post Ten Tips for New Bloggers appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

What I am wondering is you feel about those authors that have been “blacklisted” for bad behavior? Are they automatic no reads, or do you feel that you can give people a second chance? What if the author just keeps doing the bad things, responding to negative reviews and is overall unapologetic?

I know the average reader who isn’t an avid part of this book community that we live in might not know or care about the antics of some authors, but many of us have watched the very public meltdowns on GR, Twitter, or Facebook. For those that don’t follow the drama it’s very easy for an author to go from unknown to infamous and blacklisted on GR. Readers who see the drama instantly shelve the authors’ work under “hellz-no”, “authors behaving badly”, “will never read” etc.
There is even a list on GoodReads for people who refuse to shelve the authors at all, it’s pretty extensive and if you go through the reviews for each book you can usually figure out why the author was added to the list.

Once an author insults reviewers, bloggers and readers I am very likely to not read their work. Yes, I know how hurtful those bad reviews are, but at the same time I don’t want to be attacked or slammed if I don’t like the book.

It’s just not worth it.

Recently, I read an article about Anne Rice posting a bad review on her FB page and her fans going and attacking the blogger. Is this the same thing? I’ve had authors send me links to bad reviews of theirs for a shoulder to cry on, and for support. Often times the bad reviews have me cringing and it’s not even my book they are ripping apart, but it was a book I loved, and I usually 100% do not agree with the review. But I never respond, because I am close to the author, and everyone knows it. It would look like my buddy put me up to it, and I would never risk their career over one or two bad reviews and neither would they.
Do authors with rabid fan bases turn you off? Especially if you have read their work and not liked it?

Do you feel like purchasing and reading a book from a badly behaving author a risk not work taking? Or do you think that everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance? Or do you just not care?

The post Blacklisted Authors: Will you read them? appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

Dishing Junk – The act of dispensing ideas of little value in a casual or silly manner.

Is this how some people view book bloggers?

Dishing Junk articles are satirical in nature, they are not meant to be taken seriously. Hattie Hate is a creation of Parajunkee and all images of Hattie Hate are property of this blog.

The post The Adventures of Evil Book Blogger Ep. 1 appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

Grayson Patch hasn’t been human since he was seventeen years old… and that was nineteen years ago. When he rose from the dead that night, a Zombie, he had no memory of his former life, a craving for raw flesh, and only one purpose: to find a cure. He wishes only to be human again and he is promised that it is possible. But first he must find the human that can help him before he begins to decompose… and trade her life for his. As he learns more about her, he just doesn’t know if he can do it. Can he? When the cost of being human again is to become a monster?

Cori Abbot isn’t scared of Grayson. Not when there are a million other things for her to worry about. Like being the new girl in a school that is a fraction the size of her old one. Or making new friends while battling her antisocial tendencies. And then there’s the big one: dealing with the recent and sudden death of her father. Yeah, there are bigger problems than the strange, withdrawn, and consistently angry guy who seems to hate her for no apparent reason. Imagine how surprised she is to realize that the ever hostile Grayson might actually be the one who understands her the best. (synopsis courtesy of Amazon)

The first few chapters of this book didn’t exactly wow me. The zombie premise seemed a little shaky and I was unsure if it would be a plot I could get behind. The protagonist, Grayson, was extremely moody and standoffish due to the fact that he was unhappy with his lot in life. He didn’t want to be a zombie and knowing that there was little chance of him ever being a human again didn’t help any. Of course if you read the synopsis, you understand that the other main character, Cori, is supposedly his ticket to being human. I had trouble connecting with her in the very beginning as well; she was moody and didn’t want to get close to anyone since she was still trying to deal with her father’s death. That I could understand, I’ve been there too. Some of her interactions with Grayson came off as a bit childish, which was irritating at times, and there were moments that the dialogue seemed a little awkward. At a certain point though, not too far in to the novel, the things I found myself disliking just seemed to fade away. It hit a stride and the story flowed along smoothly; so much so that I couldn’t put it down.

I thought the relationship between Grayson and Cori was incredibly sweet. Sure, it wasn’t all sunshine and kittens, especially in the beginning. It took Cori a while to break down his defenses, but she was so patient and never gave up on him. For Grayson’s part, he stepped out of his comfort zone and tried his best to fit in with Cori’s friends. It was incredibly difficult for him, to change his way of thinking after 19 years of being a zombie; for her it seemed like he would do just about anything.

I’ll be better, he thought. I can do better, try harder. When she nodded, he realized he’d said it out loud. But he couldn’t take it back. What had been meant as a silent promise was now a declaration. And really, that was okay because somehow he knew he would always try to be better for her. Maybe one day he would be able to leave her alone – inevitably the day would come when he would have to tell her what he’d become or leave her – but today was not that day. (Chapter 14, pg. 143 in my copy)

As I mentioned previously, I wasn’t sure if I would like this different spin on the typical zombie tale. I’m a fan of The Walking Dead, so mostly I associate zombies with decay and zero brain activity, except for their incessant drive to devour human flesh. Fatal definitely exceeded my expectations; I liked that the zombies were so human-like, at least until they hit the Age of Deterioration. It was something that happened at the end of their life and more closely resembled what we usually think of when we picture the undead. The way they kept themselves animated with drinking water (LOTS of water) was interesting as well.

The second book in the series, Lethal, is set to come out later this year. It seems interesting in that it appears to follow Cori’s friends, Peg and Aiken (who I completely neglected in my review, sorry!), through the same time period as book 1. It will be fascinating to see how their story played out, since we didn’t really didn’t see much interaction between the two characters previously. Just to give a little background, Peg is a girl who befriends Cori almost immediately and is always there for her. Aiken is a guy who arrives in town about the same time as Cori and seems to have a thing for her; appearances can certainly be deceiving though. There’s more to Aiken than meets the eye, but I’ll let you read Fatal and find out for yourself.

The beginning started out a little rough for me, but once the story got going I loved Fatal. The characters were likable and I appreciated the fact that Grayson and Cori’s relationship wasn’t rushed; they had their ups and downs, yet never gave up on each other. I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series has in store.

Recommendations:

If you’re in the mood for a YA paranormal romance with a zombie twist, then this book is right up your alley!

The post Fatal by T.A. Brock appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

Hot New Releases – Young Adult

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads Amazon

Hot New Releases – Adult

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

The post PJV News: Hot Books Releasing Today appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

YA Fanatasy Novel,
Breath by Jackie Morse Kessler .

Title: Breath
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Series: Riders of the Apocalypse #4
Type: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Publication: April 16th 2013 by Graphia
Source: Amazon Vine

Purchase GoodreadsAuthor

Review: What would happen if the Creator/Death was without hope?

The last book, but also a stand alone of of Jackie Morse Kressler’s Rider of the Apocalypse series, titled BREATH is Death’s story. Death has lost hope, he has lost the spark that keeps him going millennia after millennia and he is ready to end it all. With his death comes the death of the world. Death’s final hours intertwine with a boy named Xander Atwood, the boy with the chocolate, who was nice to Death at one point, so Death owes him a boon. Xander is just an average kid, with average problems but he finds himself, literally trying to talk Death off the ledge of his families apartment complex.

Breath is a tame ride, through the small dramas of life, but also the broad sweeping views of death. It covers every little juxtaposition of how life intersects with death and the meaning of it all. Some how, Kessler takes spirituality, creation theories and everyday life and intertwines it into a very enjoyable read without it being overbearing or inflated. I was blown away by her techniques, everything she covered within the novel and the final ending. In the end I laid the book down and said to myself, “What did I just read?“

Breath was different, it was thought provoking, the flow of the story was phenomenal and the characters were very real. Kessler writes tragedy really well, so much so that I found myself caught up within the problems of each one of the main characters.

I highly recommend checking out Jackie Morse Kessler’s Riders of the Apocalypse series if you haven’t done so yet.

Like I said earlier, this book could be a stand-alone, but I recommend that you read the first three before tackling Death’s story. Kessler breezes over some topics, which are covered in the first three books, she also uses the other three horseman’s POV throughout the story so you really have no time to establish connections with them in this story, unless you’ve previously learned about them in the series.

Death’s POV is also a bit abstract, but he is one of the Creators and Death, so I don’t see how we could understand him at all. I did enjoy Xander’s character, even though I found him disjointed. Everything is explained in the end in a very interesting ending, but as I was reading, I had a hard time following at times. Again, I mention the ending, which was a big surprise of sorts and did explain a lot, but it left a lot more questions then I would have liked. In fact, it called in to question everything…I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I would love to discuss the books with other people that have read them.

Recommendations: This is a rather tame Young Adult novel with darker themes but suitable for young teen audiences. There is drinking and heavy topics, like anorexia and suicide, but nothing that promotes these topics. The drinking wasn’t really discourage, but their were consequences. Fans of darker Young Adult authors like Julie Kagawa and Richelle Mead should enjoy.

Team Badges are available for your use. Please link back to Parajunkee’s View to be nice. Find more and grab codes here.

Enjoyed this Young Adult Fantasy? Check out these other similar titles:

• The Collector (Dante Walker, #1)  by Victoria Scott
• Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1) by Susan Ee

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

• Author Spotlight: The Queen’s Bastard by C.E. Murphy
• Romancing the Weekends: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
• Romancing the Weekends – Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens

The post Breath by Jackie Morse Kessler appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

Romancing the Weekends: Audiobook Review – While it Lasts by Abbi Glines

PJV Quickie: While It Lasts was a pleasant surprise for me; I’d read previous books by this author and the story was good but the editing made me crazy – crazy enough to swear off reading any more of her books.  Editing wasn’t a problem here, though, and I really enjoyed this story about finding love where you least expect it.

Review

Cage York has not had a lot of good things in his life, but now he has a chance to change that by going to junior college on a baseball scholarship.  His plan is to get noticed by a bigger college and hopefully make it to the pros.  He almost loses that scholarship when he makes the mistake of driving drunk.  His coach tells him he can work on a local farm for the summer, bailing hay and missing out on summertime with his friends, or he can lose his scholarship. Bailing hay it is then…  And even though her father has warned him off, as soon as he lays eyes on ‘farmer’s daughter’ Eva he knows she’s different from all those nameless, faceless girls he’s been sleeping with.  Something special.

Eva Brooks has been living life on ‘pause’.  When Josh, her childhood-sweetheart-turned-fiance, died in Afghanistan 18 months ago, her world crumbled.  She’s been living on her dad’s farm, stuck in limbo, still grieving, still wearing her engagement ring.  When the sexy ball player shows up to work on the farm, she’s not impressed – her initial impression is ‘drunk manwhore’.  She’s definitely not going to fall for his charms, no matter how sexy they are.  And when she feels jealous that her best friend is making a play for him? That’s just her watching out for her friend, nothing more…

~~~~~~~~~~

So. As I mentioned in my PJV Quickie, I’ve previously read two books by Abbi Glines: The Vincent Boys, and Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2).  I liked both of the stories, but the editing was so poor that I decided I wouldn’t be reading any more by this author.  I did not realize she signed with Simon Pulse (a division of Simon & Schuster) in the latter half of 2012, so when this audiobook was offered for review, I figured the editing would not be an issue any more, and I could not resist.  I have to say:  I loved it!

I already liked Cage from “Because of Low”, and he’s definitely a character who’s big enough to carry his own story.  He’s kind of selfish, doesn’t place much value on himself, and has been abandoned by those he’s loved so he has commitment issues as his way of self-preservation.  I’d say he’s a pretty broken hero, an anti-hero, if you will.  But I knew from “Because of Low” that underneath all that swagger and baggage he’s a pretty good guy, and I was delighted to see him shine in While it Lasts.

I’m not going to sugar-coat it: Eva is not my favorite type of heroine.  She’s devastated by the loss of her fiancee, then spends the next 18 months leaning on his twin brother Jeremy, who left college to take care of her, then moves right from Jeremy to Cage.   I would have liked to see her stand on her own two feet for a while.  She had her moments where she stood up to her father and others, but I would have liked to see her stand up for herself.

“While it Lasts” is chock-full of the New Adult angst that I love, and all the bad decisions and heartbreak that go along with it.  Cage and Eva’s romance moved a bit quickly, but it was sweet and sometimes hesitant, with a side dose of HOT!  I think I’ve documented here before my preference for condom use in sexually active fictional characters, and for the most part, “While it Lasts” delivers in that respect; although I was disappointed at one particular scene where it does not.  Condoms, people – they’re for more than just birth control!!!  (There was one particular scene where Cage brings Eva to his town and she gets a pretty good idea of how many women he’s actually slept with. It was funny, but at the same time kind of sad.)  /rant

I especially liked the way Ms. Glines began and ended “While it Lasts”.   It starts with a letter to Eva from Josh that just rips your heart out.  And hearing it read by the narrator – OMG so freakin’ sad.  Then, as Eva and Cage’s story unfolds, we learn a lot about not just Eva and Cage, but Eva’s relationship with Josh.  Ms. Glines picked the perfect way to end their story; I started “While it Lasts” with tear-filled eyes, and ended it with a smile.

As far as the audio recording, it took me a bit to warm up to the male narrator because he speaks kind of slowly (I guess it’s supposed to be a slow southern drawl?), but I got used to it and now that I’m reading the next book in the series, Just for Now, I’m still ‘hearing’ Cage’s voice as I read along.

Recommendations:

I wholeheartedly recommend While it Lasts to fans of the New Adult genre.

ETA: Not sure how long it will last (pun intended), but the audiobook right now is only $1.99 – check it out! (link is to kindle version, but the audiobook is also $1.99 right now)

Other books that you might like, similar to ‘While it Lasts’:

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
Slammed by Colleen Hoover

The post While it Lasts by Abbi Glines appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

Review:

Phenex, the angel of song, is a fallen who was banished to hell, along with his other fallen brothers. However, in order to maintain the balance between good and evil, Phenex and his band of brothers have been hired as mercenaries to protect the earth against demons. He takes up residence at an underworld kingdom ruled by the vampire, Justin. To earn his keep, Phenex has sworn to protect the kingdom and also plays at Justin’s club, which caters to vampires and a few humans. There he meets Sofia, who has sneaked into the club to find her friend, and is instantly attracted to her. Void of any emotion Phenex is surprised at his sudden interest in Sofia. He is given an opportunity to act on those feelings after Sofia is attacked by a vampire and he’s assigned as her bodyguard. However, though there is undeniable chemistry between them, the two struggle to find a way to find their happily ever after.

I loved Phenex and Sofia together: I liked that Phenex appreciated, and was even attracted to, the fiery Latina side of her. I have to admit that that is also what pulled me to Sofia. I loved that she was feisty and outspoken and really didn’t put up with crap. Then there’s Phenex; hot, sexy, and mouth watering delicious. What’s not to love about the two? And, my God, the chemistry…the chemistry could be felt with each new turn of a page. But, though I loved them together, I felt that the romance came on a bit strongly and way too fast. Admittedly, this was a 242 page book, but I’ve seen the timing of a romantic relationship done well in shorter books, although not often.

Another problem I had with the story was the lack of world building. Like I mentioned above, the author writes a great story, but I felt that there were certain things that could have been explained a little better. I would have loved to find out more about Phenex’s home, the underworld kingdom called Terra Noctem, as well as more about the Fallen. Also, after further research, it seems that this series is related to a separate book, Renegade Angel by Miss Castle. Apparently some characters found in this book have stories in the previous book and their roles/stories are a bit more clear after reading that one.

With that said, I truly enjoyed this book. My issues with it did not overshadow the story and I had no problem overlooking those small problems to enjoy the bigger picture. I thought the book was a light and fun read, and I enjoyed the funny moments thrown in, especially during Phenex and Gadreel’s interaction. I also appreciated the struggle to find a way to stay together because I think it makes their story feel a bit more real. It’s not something that’s cut and dry, it’s a tough decision and I loved that Sophia wasn’t instantly willing to give up her world to be with Phenex. Too often the mortal girl is willing to give up her entire life to be with her immortal lover, which I’m always annoyed by, so this is just another reason why I loved this couple together. Obviously I’m sad to see them go, but I can’t wait to pick up the second book in this series, The Demon’s Desire, which will be releasing sometime this year.

The post The Demon’s Song by Kendra Leigh Castle appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

PJV Quickie: Today’s Freebie Spotlight is Hunter’s Blood (Special Edition) by Marianne Morea. All in all, it was a promising (albeit short) first book in a paranormal romance. Honestly, I’m just glad I finally found a freebie that I actually want to recommend to people!

Revenge…it’s a way of life for psychic, Lily Saburi. Haunted since the brutal murder of her best friend and partner, she’s obsessed with retribution-a vigilante bent on striking a blow for humanity against the shadowed world of the supernatural. Prey turned predator she aims to even the score-one bullet at a time starting with the beast that changed her life forever. Prepared for Armageddon she’s in for the fight of her life. But when mortally wounded by a diseased and insane Were, Lily is rescued by a most unlikely savior-Were-hunter, Sean Leighton. Sexy and powerful, Leighton is charged with destroying anything infected with the deadly pathogen threatening the survival of his pack, and that includes Lily. But their immediate attraction leaves them both breathless and confused. As Lily grapples with truth about herself, Leighton is faced with the looming reality that he will most likely have to kill the woman he’s falling in love with. Only time will tell if they are destined to be together or if they’ll fall victim to the Hunter’s Blood. (synopsis courtesy of GoodReads)

I must have some sort of eye problem, because I completely missed the part where this is a novella, not a full length novel. I don’t know, maybe the page number should have tipped me off, or maybe the sentence right before the synopsis that used words like “short story” and “novella”. Don’t get me wrong; I love novellas, especially when they come in between main books in my favorite series. I’m just not sure it was a right choice for book #1, but I digress.

I was pleased to find that I could connect with the characters fairly well, considering there was only 176 pages in which to get to know them. Lily Saburi is our heroine, and the author wastes no time in plunging her into some action. Lily is out to avenge her best friend Terry, who was attacked and viciously killed by a werewolf. Terry isn’t completely gone though; for some reason she is stuck between life and death, and Lily is the only one who can see her, at least at first. I could feel the anguish and guilt that Lily suffered over her friend’s death, and her desperation to kill whoever had done it. Of course this made her hate pretty much all supernatural creatures, so it’s no surprise that she’s wary of Alpha werewolf Sean Leighton at first. I thought Sean was a very likable hero; he was handsome, patient, and kind, as well as protective of Lily. I love a strong, chivalrous hero.

“I just have to bide my time, and let diplomacy do its work, but I promise you, if forced, I will restore the power of the Alpha and the absolute rule that goes along with it to protect you. You are my life, and nothing and no one will stop me from having you at my side.” (Sean to Lily, Loc. 2122 on Amazon Kindle edition – sorry, no page numbers for some reason!)

That leads me to a problem I had with this book. Actually, it’s the problem I already mentioned. Because this was only a novella, time skipped by in months from chapter to chapter. One chapter they would just be getting to know each other, and then months pass in which we can’t see their relationship blossom. All of a sudden they were in love. Normally that would be a deal breaker for me, but since I saw the potential in the characters and the series it didn’t bother me as much as it has in the past. I still wish this would have been a full length novel. I feel it would have allowed more time to get to know Sean and Lily, and make their relationship seem more genuine. However, I think the author did an excellent job of telling this story and setting up the rest of the series with such a limited amount of pages.

I liked that there was a twist on the traditional werewolf tale, with the disease aspect. It threw additional conflict into the mix, threatening Sean and Lily’s bond and directing the entire story line. I liked how Lily wasn’t just an ordinary human also; she had psychic powers that added another interesting facet.

Overall, this was a nice setup for the Cursed By Blood Saga, and think it fulfilled its purpose of getting me interested in the series. I definitely plan on reading book 2, called Twice Cursed. The synopsis sounds amazing and it’s considerably longer at 318 pages! If you’re looking for a new Paranormal Romance series, I highly recommend checking out Hunter’s Blood.

The post Hunter’s Blood *Special Edition* by Marianne Morea appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends. First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools — keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them “hi” in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to WordPress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don’t have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

All features are chosen randomly to be the feature. They are not chosen by content or name.

This weeks Question:

Q: Happy Mother’s Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?

Mrs Bennet. I just like her because she is such a character and she has made the biggest impact. Her, or the Weasley mom. Mrs. Weasley is awesome.

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

The post Feature & Follow #148 appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

You make your own rules, you find what works for you and what doesn’t, but there are some things that can be frowned on when utilizing Twitter. Twitter etiquette so-to-speak. There is nothing set-in-stone, but if you find yourself on the wrong side of Twitter etiquette you might also find that you’ll lose a good bit of followers.

Here are Eight Twitter Do’s & Don’ts

I always like to use the analogy of a party. Twitter is a big party and you are a guest. You are not the guest of honor, you are just 1 of hundreds or thousands. There are cliques, there are special groups and there are spammers circling the mix. But, you can have fun at this party, a lot of fun.

1. Don’t be an Egg Head

No matter what, change the default twitter avi. An egg screams spam. Use anything but an egg. This would be like showing up a party naked.

2. Don’t Auto-Tweet During Tragedies

Do you have scheduled or auto-tweets enabled in a twitter program? My brother kindly pointed out to me that I looked like an ass when a few auto-tweets came through right when the Boston Marathon news broke. I promptly went and turned them off. This type of tweet would be like yelling, “hey check out my post” in the midst of an assembly remembering a tragedy.

@parajunkee Why “auto-tweets” can come back to haunt you: twitter.com/WesleySMuller/…

— Wesley S. Muller (@WesleySMuller) April 16, 2013

3. Don’t Ostracize Your Followers

I understand you have social or political beliefs, and I understand you might want to give your opinion on these social or political beliefs. There is nothing wrong with stating your opinion, just don’t insult people that believe or act the other way. Your followers are most likely varied in beliefs and backgrounds, tweeting out insulting statements is never a good idea. I remember someone I followed tweeted out something like, “Anyone that let’s the water run while brushing their teeth should be taken out and beaten.”

Now, I’m one to make sure I don’t waste water, but everyone has their down-time. I don’t want to be beaten. So I unfollowed this particular tweeter. They might have had a bad teeth-brushing moment…but it made me feel uncomfortable. Would you yell out that you hate a particular type of person at a party? When that “type” of person might be in attendance?

4. Don’t Engage with a Link

The point is to socialize first, promote later. First you have to establish that you are not just there to market, you are there to cement a community and then feed cool links into the mix. If you haven’t had any interaction with a certain twitter user, don’t just tweet them a link. No matter how much you want to sell your book to them. Even if they are following you. First contact should not be a “Hey buy my book, it is .99¢” Would you walk up to someone at a party and just hand them an advertisement? You might as well be standing on the corner handing out flyers.

5. Don’t Take It Personally

If someone doesn’t follow you, don’t take it personally. They may not even realize it. Just engage them in conversation, ask them a question. The more you chat them up the more likely they will realize they don’t follow you back. Don’t tweet them “Why aren’t you following me?” Unless of course you know them really well and think it is an appropriate response. On another note, if you try to tweet someone and realize they are blocking you…obviously they have issues with something you’ve done or said, or maybe how you’ve interacted with them. Again don’t take it personally and go on the attack. If you value that friendship, maybe send them an email with an apology. I wouldn’t demand any answers though, or try to tweet them through other accounts. That just screams stalker. Would you chase someone around a party demanding answers as to why they haven’t returned your phone call?

6. Don’t DM Promo Stuff

Don’t even think about DMing anyone about your latest giveaway, the fact that your book is now .99¢ or even that you’ll be hosting a fabulous new feature and could they please participate. Spam is still spam, even privately. Would you walk up to someone at a party and whisper in their ear “buy my book”?

7. Don’t Forget It’s Still Social

Twitter is a Social program. Be social. But, engage like you are attending a party. Would you walk into a party and declare that — “Hey, I just woke up and life sucks!” And then continue to just make inappropriate statements…you’ll be the person in the corner talking to yourself and everyone rolling their eyes.

8. Don’t’ Be Annoying

I read this article via MediaBistro that mention “The 10 Most Irritating Social Media Status Updates“  I thought it was hilarious because everyone does it. It looks like it is mostly targeting Facebook and some things are a little out there…really 36% of people think boasting about your child is annoying? It just goes to show you that people annoy people no matter what you do. What I did get out of the article is very critical though. Share what you think your followers want to know about…don’t harass your followers with just a monotony of lame updates that no one cares about. Don’t be that person at the party that keeps repeating themselves over and over again, “I like books, I like books, did I mention? I like books…!”

Book Blogger News

Ender’s Game Trailer
The first movie trailer for Ender’s Game was released on the 7th of May. View it here. There has been some grumpiness about Ben Kingsley’s facial tats, but I kind of think it’s stern and imposing. Grr grr…movie sensationalism at it’s finest. What did we expect?

BFYA Nominations are in!
ALA published their nominations for BEST FICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS. Congrats to a lot of books I have no idea about, but also to Ilsa J Bick, Gail Carriger, Robin LaFevers, Marie Lu, Tahereh Mafi and many more who so deserve these nominations and I actually have read… See the whole list here.

Tip of My Tongue
There is now a TIP OF MY TONGUE page on Reddit where you can find that book that you can’t quite remember…supposedly there are thousands of readers just waiting to NAME THAT BOOK! Considering there are a few other forums that do this same thing and a little thing called Twitter, this might be a little redundant. BTW, I read this book, it was science fiction. It was about a boy/girl that every year they switched sex. They were picked up by a space ship and then they came back another sex, so they lived their childhood as both a boy and a girl, until at their coming of age they are allowed to choose, Girl, Boy or Both. Right?? I can’t remember for the life of me the name of this book…and it was so bizarre I would love to reread it and review it here on the blog. Anyone know what book I’m talking about?

Question of the week:

I haven’t got many books to review from publishers yet but I was wondering how you’re supposed to contact the publisher the next time? Do you write request through publicity email or do you write to the person you got an answer the last time? Thanks – Anon

I would use the person that answered you the last time. They are probably the ones that handle requests, so putting them as your contact from now on is a good way to move forward. If you doubt that they are the one, email them and just ask.

Happy Thursday. Talk Less. Read More. Blog with Integrity.

The post Twitter Etiquette appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

I am going to forgo today’s usual features to tell you about a love affair I have with a certain book and a six year old boy. The second definition of love affair, of course, meaning an intense enthusiasm for something, stop looking at me funny, you dirty minded asshats.

I don’t even know how the book landed in my hands. My father had shaped my love of science fiction and I had a bizarre obsession with theoretical physics when I was about ten years old, because the only television we were allowed to watch was the hour of Star Trek Next Generation and maybe a few reruns of the original (thanks Dad). I thought I would be a rocket scientist, until I figured out I had to be good at math. But, because of this it led me to put down those Nancy Drew books and Baby-Sitter’s Club and start looking in my parent’s library. There were two sections. My Dad’s and my Moms. My Mom’s library held authors like Stephen King, my Dad’s, Author C. Clark. It took me about a year to read their library. It wasn’t big, my mom wasn’t into clutter and she quickly donated all but her favorites and my Dad went through so many books that it was a revolving door. And while I loved reading about Rama and the humans upon that starship, they were adults, with adult problems. For an eleven year old, adult problems seemed far off and hazy. Yet, the “baby” books, where their only problems were getting a life-guard to notice you, seemed trite and uninteresting.

I don’t know if I voiced my thoughts aloud, it is a shame I don’t remember how it came about, but suddenly I had ENDER’S GAME in my hand. The novel in today’s standards would probably be classified as a middle-grade novel, maybe young adult. I couldn’t imagine a young adult series being written in this fashion in today’s book market. Ender, the main character, is only six when the book begins, twelve when the first story ends. The series though, takes Ender into old age, it is quite different from any other series that I’ve read. Yet, while he is a six year old boy, he is tasked with saving the world, because of his vast intelligence and an almost detached sense of what needs to be done. He isn’t a normal six year-old, by anyone’s definition.

Ender, is by far, my favorite fictional character ever created. He is the buddy that I met in grammar school and still hold-on to in my adulthood. I don’t know why he reached out to me when I was younger and made such an impact. The story is good, but it is a hard one to read. Ender is persecuted throughout the whole book, he is detached and analytical, the adults force his hand to make these monstrous decisions. Don’t get me wrong, the novel is one of the best ever written, it is the recipient of the Nebula and Hugo Awards for best novel, which are the TOP awards for a science fiction novel. But, what does that mean to a child at the cusp of adolescence?

The Dragon Army in their unstoppable domination in the battle room has to be the most epic of storylines within the book. Nothing compared to Card’s descriptions of the children’s zero-G battles.

For me it meant a boy that never gave up, who’s life kind of sucked, even though it was so broad, but he still bullied through. He was violent and taciturn and a bit insufferable at times, but in the end, people looked up to him. It also reinforced ideas of regiment, schedules and tactics, something I didn’t really understand at the time, but shaped the ideas, which I think led me in certain directions through my teen years. It also taught me that adults aren’t always right and that good intentions sometimes go horribly wrong. That their rules might be there to protect, but they weren’t always meant for me. All from one book. A book I read over and over and over again. I read it every year, sometimes twice a year. Each time I would find something new, each time I would like a different character better.

A silly, military, science fiction book about a boy that kills an entire alien race. Who would have thought? I sometimes feel sheepish when I admit this book is still my favorite book after all this time. Especially now that the author is making a fool of himself with his vehemently anti-gay beliefs, but I still love his books. While others claim that book like Catcher in the Rye, The Grapes of Wrath and other works of literary art are their favorite modern American novel, I’ll always go back to ENDER’S GAME.

Now, though, it is being made into a movie. And, like every time one of my favorites makes it to the big screen I simultaneously squee and cringe as I think of the possibilities this movie has.

The trailer came out yesterday and it gave me chills. Asa Butterfield is ridiculously close to what I imagined Ender to be, if not a little older. Harrison Ford isn’t Graff, though, but his name alone gives the movie merit. Then there is Ben Kingsley in his role as Mazer Rackham. Rackham’s character is integral to the shaping of this whole movie, because I think the casting and the make-up of this character show the attempts of the movie-makers to stick true to the book, if not sensationalize it a bit.

Nothing is said about Rackhamn, his traits, or his description in the book, from what I can remeber. He is THE general from the Second Invasion, thought to be dead, but only going into a ship at near-light-speed to slow down his aging so he would be ready to train the general of the Third Invasion. It is stated in the book that he is half Maori, a tribe from New Zealand that is known for their elaborate tattoos. The fact that they depict this in the movie gives me a bit of hope that they’ll stick true to the book, or at least to the Enderverse, which has expanded so much past the book.

So there. That is my long and drawn out reasoning to why I am both terrified and ridiculously excited to see ENDER’S GAME the movie. Out of all the books that I’ve read, this has to be THE one. THG was big, but ENDER’S GAME is so much more, so much history. At least it wasn’t a made for TV mini-series like all my favorite King books became. Which were good, but nothing like what they COULD be.

What do you think? Are you a fan of the books? What is YOUR book?

Take a look at the trailer for Ender’s Game:

The post My Favorite Book is become a movie…an obsession story. appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

PJV Quickie: Broken Stone is the conclusion of author Kelly Walker’s YA fantasy trilogy “Souls of Stones”. This book manages to wrap up all the loose ends in a way that satisfies almost completely. Not that there isn’t anything left out, I’m just not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet.
Title: Broken Stone (Souls of Stones #3)
Author: Kelly Walker
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: ARC provided for review/beta reading
Publish Date: May 31st, 2013
GoodReadsAuthorPurchase Book 1

Blurb:
I fell in love with Cornerstone and these characters a few short months ago, and hanging with Emariya and Torain has been nothing but a blast. Each book takes the reader on an epic adventure. Broken Stone is my favorite out of the series. I loved every single minute I spent reading it.
Emariya’s journey has been nothing but ups and downs since we first met her. She is such a strong character, she face adversity head on. Even when she thinks all is lost she still continues to go on. I love that!
Kelly is able to weave an epic fantasy tale that lures me in and keeps me hooked. She did it not just with one but three books. Honestly, if she wanted to keep going and tell the rest of Riya’s and Torain’s tale I wouldn’t say no to reading it. Oh, and can I have a book about Torin too, while your at it Kelly? I’m kidding.
The back drop of the book is epic, each land that Riya visits is beautifully detailed but doesn’t bore the reader. Kelly doesn’t tell us about how many threads the rug has, she instead shows us how beautiful the rug is and moves on!
The action sequences are to die for, so riveting I was literally holding my breath throughout the book.
Torain is back! In the second book it almost felt like he had lost a little bit of his edge, but the darkly beautiful prince that I fell in love with was here. Writing an alpha type male meant for younger audiences can be hard, well at least for authors that try to do it responsibly, and Kelly definitely does that. He’s in charge, but he also knows how to choose his battles and listen. He’s an equal to Riya and that truly shows in this book. I am swooning of Torain still!
As for all of Riya’s enemies, no one and nothing is what it seems. And that is all I am saying about that part of the book.
The ending was truly satisfying in that it felt complete. Does that mean that I won’t wish, and hope for more. Obviously I do, but I am ok with the way things ended.
Broken Stone, and the Soul of Stones trilogy are books that will stay with me for a while. Thank you Kelly for the chance to read and review these works.

The post Broken Stone by Kelly Walker appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

Adult Dystopian Anthology,
 ’Til The World Ends 

Title:  ‘Til The World Ends
Author: Julie Kagawa , Ann Aguirre and Karen Duvall
Series: Blood of Eden .5
Type: Dystopian
Publication: January 29th 2013 by Harlequin Luna
Source: Amazon Vine

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Review: 

‘Til the World Ends was an Anthology with three novellas. The first novella was DAWN OF EDEN by Julie Kagawa, which is a prequel to her Blood of Eden novels. DAWN OF EDEN is sixty years before Allie’s story, and covers the onset of the Red Lung virus. The story opens in the midst of the pandemic, people are dying everywhere from Red Lung and a doctor and a few assistants are the only medical unit still open. They are there to basically care for the patients as they die. Kylie, who is one of the lucky 20% that survived the plague is holding on to the last remnants of normalcy by caring for all of her dying patients. Anything normal flies out of the window though, when Ben Archer drags his boss into her clinic. It looks as if he has been attacked by a wild animal. The Blood of Eden world begins to emerge as rabidism takes effect.

The characters of Kylie and Archer were a dynamic edition to the anthology. Kagawa creates head-strong female characters that punch first and ask questions later. She also has a way of developing tough-male heroes, with a softer, more brooding-emo side, which I really like. She delivered a great team with Kylie and Archer. There were a few plot points that I found confusing, I sometimes couldn’t figure out if Kylie was an actual doctor or if she was just a student, because she gave off a very young vibe, but other than that, I adored Dawn of Eden and liked the insight it gave me into the Blood of Eden world.

THISTLE AND THORN by Ann Aguirre, blew my socks off. I just have one question to ask Ann Aguirre…will we see more of this world?? It was rich and full and the characters Mari and Thorne were very engrossing. The story is set in a well established dystopian world, the world has been ravaged by chemicals and pollution and the government is city-states run by corporations. Mari and Thorne live outside of the corporations in what is called the Red Zone. This area is ruled over by crime-lords and people are in abject poverty on the brink of starvation or some form of violent end. Mari is a thief and her services are hired by the local crime-boss. She knows the job is a death trap, but she can’t turn down the guy, without getting killed out-right. She has to try. Things go wrong though, as expected, but what she didn’t expect was Thorne Goodman, one of the big-bosses muscle, to aid her in escaping the death sentence.

I loved Mari and Thorne and I want more! The story was action-packed, non-stop anxiety and richly woven with great world-building. This was my favorite story in the anthology.

SUN STORM by Karen Duvall was my least favorite out of the three novels. The story was about a well-established dystopian world that was ravished by sun storms. The solar flares affected some of the humans a little differently though, giving some of them certain powers that manifested right after the first barrage of solar flares. Sarah is one of the those people, she now has the ability to sense when one of the storms is about to hit and almost as a compulsion she has to go into the storm to absorb the radiation. Her father and mother were storm chasers before the world was ravaged and she uses their knowledge and gear to chase the sun storms and warn towns of the impending radiation storms. Sarah’s father was over-exposed to radiation and now, even though he is young is senile, so Sarah works at the hospital where he lives, which is where she meets Ian Matthews another person with abilities (they call them Kinetics) and together they have to defeat an FBI agent turned slaver, locate a clandestine government group that is utilizing Kinetics and then put an end to another devastating solar attack that just might end their world for good. It was a lot to pack within a little novella and I think that was where I lost my footing. It was just too much. Duvall had so much exposition, so many plot threads that the novel was not character driven in the least. Ian and Sarah were just thrown themselves together, they have a bit of drama, emotionally and then are professing undying love. Duvall had to choose between a heavy plot or character development and she chose plot. The plot was good though, it was high-impact and was a very interesting concept. I wish it would have been a full-length novel, with more time for the in-betweens and relationship development, then I think it would have been great. Duvall has great potential, she wove a good tale and delivering a dystopian love story in just 100 pages would give any veteran author a run-for-their-money. I think I might have to check out Duvall’s other series to get a better idea of her style.

Overall, great anthology and I recommend it for anyone who loves the dystopian genre. This one is of the adult variety, so it puts some distance from the normal Young Adult fare. Even though this is adult, I do think Young Adult fans of the authors will enjoy, there is nothing too graphic or sexually explicit to give  innocent readers that many reasons to blush.

Recommendations: If you are a fan of any of the authors, you’ll love this anthology. You do not have to have read Julie Kagawa’s Blood of Eden series to read this one, it is only set within the world, it has nothing to do with her young adult characters. Fans of Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax series, or her books as Ellen Connor should really enjoy.

If you like your Adult Dystopian with Romance, check out these similar titles:

• Nightfall (Dark Age Dawning #1) by Ellen Connor

• Ascension by Sable Grace

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Giveaway details at bottom of post.

Haven’t yet “met” this amazing author and her awesome series? Here is some info and places where you can find them all online!

About Amanda Hocking

Amanda Hocking is the USA Today bestselling author of the Trylle trilogy and six additional self-published novels. After selling over a million copies of her books, primarily in eBook format, she is widely considered the exemplar of self-publishing success in the digital age.

BLOG | WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | TRYLLE SERIES ON FB

About WAKE (Watersong #1)

Fall under the spell of Wake—the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking—and lose yourself to the Watersong.

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They’re the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone’s attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

About LULLABY (Watersong #2)

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she’s ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who’s devoted to helping her find her sister—and who’s immune to the girls’ dark powers.

While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life. Gemma’s powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new “sisters,” the harder it is to resist entering their magical world. It’s a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she’s plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs. Just as she’s drifting far away from her old life, Harper and Daniel find her…but no one can deny how much she’s changed. All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she’s become something else entirely—and will they still love her once they learn the truth?

Prepare to fall under the spell of Lullaby, the second book in the Watersong series from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

About TIDAL (Watersong #3)

Gemma and Harper Fisher are facing the fight of their lives.  Gemma has been cursed with extraordinary powers that have a terrifying dark side, but she’s finally found what she needs—a way to break the curse and become human again.  But finding the means to do it will be her greatest challenge yet.  And now Penn, Lexi and Thea—the gorgeous but deadly creatures who cursed her—are determined to kill her before she has a chance.  Making matters worse, Penn has her sights set on Daniel—the guy Harper loves—and Penn always gets what she wants.

As Gemma and Harper race to break the curse before it’s too late, they’re thrust deeper into a mythical world of immortal secrets.  They must delve into their enemies’ past to find the answers they need, even if it means being drawn deeper into their savagely beautiful world.  But one of the girls is not what she seems…and Gemma finds an unlikely ally as she struggles to save herself.  But will it be enough to break an ancient curse that no one has ever escaped alive?

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Other books in the Watersong Series…

FORGOTTEN LYRICS (Watersong #0.5) – GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

ELEGY (Watersong #4) – GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

… Places to learn more about the entire series - GOODREADS | BLOG | WEBSITE

The Giveaway

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The post Amanda Hocking Giveaway appeared first on Parajunkee's View.

First off, welcome to Parajunkee’s View, Winn.

Thanks for having me here. Your site’s really cool. You do a lot of stuff!

Thanks, it is a weird sort of obsession. But, this is about you…so would you like to tell Parajunkee readers a little bit about yourself?

Well, I’m … I don’t know. Normal? Nothing special? I mean, go to West High; I’m a Senior and I expect to graduate in a few months. That’s about it. What else would anyone want to know?

I wouldn’t say you are nothing special! I know you get accused of being a bit of a nerd, us readers can relate to this, but is it something you wish would go away? Or do you just go with it?

I just go with it. Being a nerd is fine. It just means I’m smart and for some, adding the glasses classifies me as that, but well … it’s fine. Really.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Wars, definitely.

What were you thinking when the teacher paired you and Mac together for that fateful assignment?

At first, I was kinda mad. I mean, her? For all the time I’ve known her, she hasn’t been the most … let’s say … into school. So then, I get paired with her and I could just feel my grade going down. I knew I’d have to do all the work, and we’d probably pick the easiest topic ever. I mean, I want to go to Stanford or Duke … I can’t just do the easy stuff.

What made you pursue the friendship with Mac, when she obviously was a “stand-off” kind of girl?

Have you seen her? Okay, that’s bad. I shouldn’t say that. Yeah, she’s … pretty. But it only took one meeting for me to realize we had a commonality—that we both liked the supernatural and that kinda made it stick.

Did you ever think that you be in the sort of situation that unfolded in the book, a situation of the supernatural variety?

No way. Not in a million years. I mean, who ever would have thought Mac Thorne had anything supernatural about her. She didn’t even use it. No magic. No cool stuff—at least not that I saw. So, yeah, i was a hundred percent surprised and well … also kinda excited.

Speaking of supernatural, what do you think of Mac’s parents? You think they’ll welcome you into the family?

Alina is awesome. She’s like the coolest mom around. And of course she can do magic. But, Lucas is … well, Lucas is scary. Most guys worry the dads are gonna just be mad at us and tell us not to hurt their daughter’s or they’ll come after us, but Lucas … well … he could do so much worse.

Who is your pick for the parent of the year, mom or dad?

Mom, totally.

And I hate to get all sour, but do you think you have a real future with Mac? You being human and she being, well a Changeling?
He shrugs.
I don’t know. I mean, yeah, i want to. I really do. I want her to just be human, but there’s another piece of me that worries there’s no way that can happen, because if I actually asked her to do it and she did, I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life. You know?

If you could spirit Mac away from this big decision she has to make and all the crazy pressure she is under, where would you take her?

Actually, I’d like her to take me somewhere. I have three months left and I want to do something no one else could ever do. I want to go somewhere else no human has ever gone. There have to be places that humans don’t know about—Mac either for that matter.

Finally, when she does make that decision, have any preferences for what she should choose?

You know … if I answer that, I’m afraid she’ll pick it just to pick it, so I’d rather not say.

Thanks for having me.

You are so welcome, Winn. I can’t wait to read more of you and Mac’s story.

Feel free to use on your blog. If you are feeling nice, link it back. See more team badges here.

If you haven’t read Book One in the 19th Year series…you are missing out.

Stick around for a giveaway…

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Gain an entry by commenting here.

Day After by Emi Gayle Blurb

Demon crypts. Vampire lairs. Glowing angels. Sexy sirens. The stuff of fiction.

Or so Winn Thomas always thought.

Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his Changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.

Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?

In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.

Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.

He intends to have her pick human.

Whether she can or not.

Day After by Emi Gayle Excerpt:

Demon crypts. Vampire lairs. Glowing angels. Sexy sirens. The stuff of fiction.

Or so Winn Thomas always thought.

Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his Changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.

Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?

In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.

Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.

He intends to have her pick human.

Whether she can or not.
Sitting in front of the twelve most powerful non-humans on the earth would have shaken a lesser guy. In my case, I’d almost thrown up. Twice.

‘Don’t worry,’ Mackenzie Thorne, my girlfriend, had said. ’’It’s just a formality.

She hadn’t known I’d have to go alone.

Only the intake and exhalation of air in the room made any sound. Eerie light flickered from the tips of candles mounted along dark, oak-paneled walls.

I refused to look anywhere but ahead of me. To the long, wooden, medieval-length table.

Waiting.

Watching.

Holding my own breath.

For a moment, it seemed the walls began to close in on me.

At almost midnight on the first day of the year, I prepared to accept a fate no other human had ever taken on, been given or even offered. In response, sweat pooled under my armpits as alternating cold and hot ran through me.

The scratch of wood against wood had heads turning. Mine included.

Nahir, the oldest of the twelve, rose from his chair. “Winford Richmond Thomas, please rise.” His voice had a gravelly, hoarse sound.

I did as requested, my knees pressing against each other.

Nahir moved closer to me, his grandfatherly, human form disappearing under protruding scales of deep green. His arms lengthened into dinosaur-like paws and hit the rock floor, making the room around us shake. Thick wings extended from his body, and a tail lashed out against the wall behind him, rattling the candles.

A dragon, in the color of tropical ocean water, stood before me, huffing air from horse-sized nostrils.

Oh. God. I’m going to die.

Not going to die. It’s part of the test. Remember, you have to see them all. Mac’s words flowed through my mind.

Keep breathing.

“Master Thomas.” Josie, a siren and one of the most beautiful women I’d ever met, rose, her long flowing gown matching the color of her reddish-gold hair. I couldn’t help but stare at her. “You’ve been asked by our current changeling, Miss Maya Mackenzie Thorne, to be her teacher. Have you willingly agreed to take on this duty?” As Josie talked, she stalked forward, shimmering, shifting, the already-pretty woman becoming deadly man-hunting female—according to the legends I’d read.

Vibes ebbed from her like the rocking tide. If she sang, throwing up would be the least of my worries. I’d be dead by sexual self-implosion.

With a rough cough, I gathered my wits. “Yes. I have accepted. Willingly.” Every nerve ending in my body urged me to go to Josie, to let her take me and do with me whatever she wanted. A groan built in my throat, tension straining my limbs, most particularly, my crotch. Not now! The need to shift what grew sent heat to my cheeks even as Mac’s words played through again. Force yourself not to react to any of them. They’ll think you’re stronger than you are since you’re only human.

Only human. Problem number one.

Book Trailer:

About Emi Gayle | Website

Emi Gayle just wants to be young again. She lives vicariously through her youthful characters, while simultaneously acting as chief-Mom to her teenaged son and searching for a way to keep her two daughters from ever reaching the dreaded teen years.

Ironically, those years were some of Emi’s favorite times. She met the man of her dreams at 14, was engaged to him at 19, married him at 20 and she’s still in love with him to this day. She’ll never forget what it was like to fall in love at such a young age — emotions she wants everyone to feel.

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Source: ARC provided for Review
Genre: Horror/PNR
GoodReadsRhiannon’s BlogAmazon

Blurb:
Episode 4: The Gift

With the arrival of the new vampires, Vanora’s life has once more been changed forever. The only mortal among the undead, she feels like an outsider in her own home. As her seventeenth birthday approaches, she struggles not only with her deepening feelings for Armando, but also her own burgeoning powers.

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.

Each episode will be between 10,000 and 20,000 words with new installments being published every 2 to 3 weeks.

Episode 1: Death Comes Home
Roman Socoli inadvertently releases a terrible evil when he has his Romanian ancestors entombed on his estate in Houston, Texas.

Episode 2: Death in the Shadows
Death has claimed a Socoli, but the family curse will not allow him to stay dead. Vanora and Alisha must battle the creature that stole their brother’s life while fearing the possible resurrection of Roman.

Episode 3: The Arrival of Armando DeLeon
A mysterious new vampire appears in the life of the Socolis. Is he friend or foe?

Lori’s thoughts:**spoilers ahead**
Each episode of this serial keeps building and building, and just when you think that the pressure can’t get any heavier, Rhiannon adds another layer onto it. That’s what happens in “The Gift”. Good things seem to happen for Vanora in this episode, but if you have read anything by Rhiannon, then you know that good things are also usually followed by ummm complete chaos. However, Vanora is such a strong character that I hope that she can weather whatever kind of storm that comes her way. Her storm is named Armando, and Armando is by far the most aggravating character I have ever had the chance to fall in love with. His actions in this episode once again, make me want to hit him, or kiss him. I can’t ever make up my mind with him.
The writing is superb. Every work that Rhiannon puts out entertains and wows me, so it’s no surprise that I enjoy this serial so much. The amount of emotion that she is able to put into such short pieces is astounding. Her growth as a writer is amazing to watch and each new thing she puts out only gets better.
I have fallen in love with these characters. Their struggle is one that I truly care about, and that to me, is the highest compliment I can pay an author.

This weeks discussion: Armando, again….
So I warned you about spoilers…the spoiler is that Armando plays a very huge role in the giving of this “Gift”. Needless to say it’s a very confusing time for Vanora, but also exciting. Armando’s intentions at this point still are not clear, and I think that his actions make everything just a bit murkier. What happens between “the Gift” and the present tense prolouges that makes Vanora so weary of him. Clearly, she has very deep feelings for Armando in the past (which is when this season is set). Well, I know…but I’m not going to tell you. :p
All we really do know is that Armando is not everything he seems to be.

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