Friday, September 28, 2012

Cover Reveal: "Release" by M.R. Merrick

Today I am excited to be a part of the cover release of fellow Canadian M.R. Merrick's latest novel, "Release", the third book in his "Protector" series, which will be released on December 10th, 2012! 


"After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems. 

Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates. 

Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna. 

One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight."

You can find M.R. Merrick at: 

What do you think of the cover? Besides loving the purple I'm totally intrigued! 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Author Interview: Megan Duncan

Today I am excited to have Megan Duncan, author of a few series that I really enjoyed (her "Chaos" series and her "Warm Delicacy" series), stop by the blog for an interview in celebration of her newest release "Chaos"! 


From Goodreads: "Is any shot at living, worth dying for? 

They thought they’d be safe, but a world ruled by chaos doesn’t die easily.

When Max turned on the radio transmissions assuring safety, they came. But, it wasn’t just survivors of the demon apocalypse that crawled their way into the abandoned military base. A myriad of beastly demons unlike any they’ve ever seen, came as well. Abby, and her companions, struggle to survive as the evil around them grows. Desperate to endure, and to defend their fellow survivors, Abby and a squad of fierce fighters, take on a dangerous mission that has deadly consequences."


CHAOS is the second book in your AGENTS OF EVIL series- did you find yourself having an easier time writing CHAOS or did you find it easier writing RELEASED? 

Surprisingly, Chaos was easier for me to write than Released. I spent a lot of time outlining my characters and the story, so I knew how everything was going to play out.

I also started doing visual outlines with Chaos, which helped me to really see the settings and characters as well as the creatures in this book. I've continued to use this technique cause I liked it so much.

Since Released was my very first self-pubed book, I put a lot of pressure on myself and I think that made it hard for me to connect with my muse. Since then I've learned to relax a bit, and let the story flow freely.

Is your AGENTS OF EVIL series planned to be a trilogy? 

The Agents of Evil series is definitely going to be a trilogy. Book 3 is already titled, Vengeance. I have also been mulling around the idea of a fourth book, or even a spin-off novella series.

What are some upcoming projects that you are working on? 

I've actually got quite a few upcoming projects. I tend to work on several things at once. I'm currently writing the third book in my vampire series (Devour, Warm Delicacy Series), and on the side I am writing my very first love story.

How did you come to the decision to self-publish? 

I came to the decision of being self-published about two years ago. I'd sent countless query letters, and have even been duped by fake publishing agencies before I realized that I didn't have to publish the traditional way. Knowing that I could have 100% creative control of my work and have the freedom to write what I wanted to made the decision of being an indie an easy one.

Being a self-published author what impact (if any) have book bloggers had on your career? 

I think Book Bloggers are a vital part of being an indie. Without bloggers I wouldn't have anywhere near the number of fans or the visibility. Bloggers are my heroes in the indie community. Not only do they help to bring an authors book to the readers, but they are also great friends and caring, supportive people. I wouldn't be where I am without them.

Do you read reviews? If so, how do you respond to negative (or not-so-nice) reviews?

At first I read every single review on each of my books. When they were good they made my day and I was the happiest girl on the planet, but when they weren't so good I took it hard. It's been a difficult journey for me to understand that people's opinion won't always be positive and I shouldn't take it to heart. I'm still working on not letting it hurt my feelings, and trying to remember that with each book I am only getting better and growing as a writer.

Any advice for aspiring authors? 

The best advice I can give is 'just do it'! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't follow your dreams.

Anything else you’d like to add? 

I would just like to thank everyone who has read my books, those who've written reviews, hosted me on their blogs or shared me on Facebook and Twitter. Each and every one of you make being a writer that much more wonderful. Your love and support make each word have so much more meaning in my writing. Thank you for taking a chance on a girl with a dream, and I pray that I can continue to entertain you with my stories.

Yay or Nay Quick Questions

Coffee? Definite YAY

Love triangles? When they are unexpected, absolutely YAY

Cliff hangers? Double YAY

Music while writing? Yay and Nay, sometimes music makes the words flow and sometimes it stops them

Endings that rip your heart out? Yay, nothing like a good heart wrenching to leave you pinning for the next book

Distractions while writing? Nay... although I feel like I am always getting distracted. I literally have to turn my phone off to get any writing done


About the author: 
Megan Duncan is a lover of all things paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi and anything just out of the ordinary. She is continually fighting her addiction to chocolate and living in her overactive imagination.
You can find Megan at: 
FacebookWebsiteTwitter

Friday, September 21, 2012

Cover Reveal: "Opal" by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Today I am excited to be a part of the cover reveal of "Opal", the third book in Jennifer L. Armentrout's (and one of my most favourite) series, the "Lux" series. 


"No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it." 



Follow this link to an ~~~ EPIC CONTEST ~~~ Announcement. You will want to bookmark this page! 

USA TODAY Bestselling author, Jennifer L. Armentrout, lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She also writes adult romance under the name J. Lynn.

Find Jennifer on: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website | Blog

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Cover Reveal: "Abandon' by Elana Johnson

Today I am excited to be a part of the cover reveal of Elana Johnson's "Abandon"- the third book in her "Possession" series. Those of you who follow the blog will know that I read read, reviewed and LOVED both "Possession" and "Surrender" and was ecstatic when I learned that the series had been picked up for a third book!

So without further aideu, the cover!


What are your thoughts? I'm intrigued about how the flower relates to the frozen butterfly and the caged hummingbird in the earlier books!

And the description!

seduced by power,
broken by control, 

and consumed by love...
 

Vi has made her choice between Jag and Zenn, and the Resistance may have suffered for it. But with the Thinkers as strong as ever, the rebels still have a job to do. Vi knows better than anyone that there's more at stake than a few broken hearts. 

But there is a traitor among them...and the choices he makes could lead to the total destruction of everything Vi has fought for. 

Vi, Jag, and Zenn must set their problems aside for the Resistance to have any hope of ending the Thinkers' reign. Their success means everything...and their failure means death."

Abandon" is set to be released in June of 2013- I don't know how I'll survive the long wait! ;)

And just to let you know... Elana is running a Pinterest contest for the cover. She wants to get 500 pins (or repins) over the next two days. If we can get that many, she'll pick someone who pinned the cover to win a $50 Amazon gift card. It's so easy to do this. All you have to do is click over to Elana’s blog for details.

*Special thanks to AToMR Tours for hosting this event! 

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

"The Athena Effect" Excerpt and GIVEAWAY

Today I am excited to have one of my most favourite self-published authors, Derrolyn Anderson (Best known for her "Mariana's Tales" series), on the blog sharing an excerpt of her new book, "The Athena Effect"! 

From Goodreads: "Country girl Cal has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Cal’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?"


EXCERPT 

She stepped out from the shadows, shrieking, “Stop it! You’re going to kill him!”

The three thugs looked up with shocked faces, “What the…”

The punching man stopped in mid-swing and charged at her. She tried to run back into the tree line, but was thrown to the ground by a flying tackle, and dragged by her ankles into the clearing. She kicked and fought, twisting and clawing at the turf, but she was unable to break free. Her hood slipped down and a mass of curly blonde hair spilled out.

“Let go of me!” she screamed, remembering the last time a killer tried to drag her away.

The man lunged on top of her, straddling her and pinning her arms to the ground over her head.

“Shut up bitch… Or I’ll shut you up,” he grunted from the exertion. The other two men stood looking down at her as she struggled futilely to get away.

“Here to save your boyfriend?” one of them asked, making the other one laugh.

“Help!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The man on top of her released one of her arms to slap her hard across the cheek, and it was all the opening she needed.

With a well-practiced grab, she drew her hunting knife from its sheath on her belt and pressed it to his side, ready to plunge it in. He looked down in horror and reeled back from the long blade, allowing her to push him over onto his back and spring to her feet in one swift move. She crouched above him, poised to plunge it into his belly.

“I swear I’ll gut him!” she yelled, her eyes flashing at the men who stood frozen. “Get back,” she growled through gritted teeth, trying her hardest to send them all an icy blue blast of fear.

It seemed to work, because the man lying on the ground called out, “Do what she says…” His eyes were wide in the moonlight, locked onto the gleaming silver blade.

“Back off,” she yelled again, watching the others as they slowly moved away. She kept the knife raised with both hands, shaking from the rush of adrenalin. A police siren wailed in the distance and the two men looked over their shoulders nervously.

“Take it easy Blondie,” the one on the ground said. “We were just leaving.”

Cal slowly backed away, keeping her knife at the ready. She glowed a fiery orange red, fully prepared to dive on him and stick it deep into his belly without hesitation. The man scrambled backwards, finally rising to join the others. He brushed himself off, trying to regain his dignity, and signaled for them to leave. She watched the three of them disappear back into the shadows they’d come from.

Satisfied that they were really going, she turned her attention to the beaten boy.

Cal had crawled to his knees and witnessed the whole scene, and he looked up with bleary eyes to see the girl standing over him, her golden hair reflecting the moonlight like the halo of a guardian angel. The police siren grew louder on the road beneath the hill, passing them by and fading away into the distance.

She bent down to offer him a hand, and he took it, focusing on the two raised scars that ran down the length of her forearm. She pulled him to his feet and he stood wavering, rubbing his sore jaw. It hurt to breathe, and he wondered if they had a broken rib.

He watched in a daze as she slipped her knife back into its sheath, pulling her oversized sweatshirt down to conceal it. She pushed her sleeves down over her arms and flipped the hood back up to cover her glowing mane of hair. It occurred to him that she might be a ghost.

“You need to get out of here before they come back,” she said.

“Where did you come from?” he choked out, looking back the way the men left. “Who are you?”

When he turned around she was gone.


About the Author: 
 Derrolyn Anderson is a visual artist and writer of young adult fiction. The creator of the four part "Marina's Tales" series, and "The Athena Effect". She's currently hard at work on her next book, "The Mackenzie Legacy".

And onto the giveaway! 

Not only is Derrolyn an amazing author but she is also an amazing beader! As Derrolyn writes, "I’ve made some jewelry inspired by my main character Caledonia’s ability to see auras – colorful emotions made visible.

Approximately 18’’ with a toggle closure, the necklace is a rainbow of gemstone chips, including : Citrine, Peridot, Green Adventurine, Malachite, Amazonite, Magnesite, Turquoise, Lapis, Howlite, Amethyst, Coral, Jasper. and Amber."

There will be 2 winners: 
-One winner (US/ Canada only) will receive one of these gorgeous necklaces AND an E-copy of "The Athena Effect"
-One (International only) will receive an E-copy of "The Athena Effect"
-one entry per person
-Giveaway ends September 25th, 2012

To enter fill out the rafflecopter below! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

"Pushing the Limits" by Katie McGarry

Release Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 384

From Goodreads: "I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty muchimpossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again."


While I oft SQUEE about books, it isn't often that I feel what could be considered legitimate emotions of a book (RE: not superficial emotions- such as "OMG HE IS SO SWOON-WORTHY!"- about a book) and I almost never have a physical reaction to a book (aside from a few teary moments here and there, again, usually superficial teary moments)- however, that was the case whatsoever when it came to this book. I cannot recall ever having been so emotionally involved in one before. At times while reading it I became concerned that I was joining Emerson in her psychotic break and because of all of the continuously changing emotions that I was experiencing while reading it I developed a stomachache. After finishing it I was legitimately emotionally spent- despite it fairly early when I finished this (around 4 PM), all I could do was veg out on the couch for the rest of the night as I was too tired to do anything otherwise.

This isn't your typical YA contemporary, something fun and lighthearted in the vein of Stephanie Perkins. It's raw, emotional, and heavy- I would go so far to say that it is not for the faint of heart (because as mentioned, I,  who has quite a strong stomach, even developed a stomachache from some of the scenes- some of which involved blood, others of which involved emotional and mental turmoil like you wouldn't believe).

Echo and Noah are quite literally unlike any characters I have ever read before- like the book both are so raw and emotional, but even more than that they are broken. Being as such they are potentially the most relateable characters I have ever encountered before, Echo who is quite literally trying to figure out where she belongs in life, not to mention piecing together her past, and Noah doing everything in his power to ensure that what little family he has sticks together. Furthermore, the secondary characters were bar none some of the most complex I have ever read of before- from Echo's mom and dad, to her stepmother, to Noah's brothers foster parents.

All in all, this is one of the most stunning debuts I have ever had the pleasure of reading before. I have no doubt that Katie has an amazing career ahead of her- I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in "Dare You To", a companion novel to this book told from Beth's POV.

Rating: 10/10

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

"Pushing the Limits" GIVEAWAY

Harlequin TEEN has been generous enough to supply a copy of "Pushing The Limits" for a giveaway here in the blog! 

Release Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 384

From Goodreads: "I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty muchimpossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again."



Giveaway Details: 

  • One entry per person 
  • US/ Canada Only 
  • Giveaway ends September 19, 2012

To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below 


You can purchase "Pushing the Limits" at: 

Sunday, September 2, 2012

On Hiatus

Hey y'all!

I've been debating with myself about it for a while now and I've finally reached a decision- I am going on a blogging hiatus*. There are a number of different factors leading up to this decision, one being that I start grad school (a masters in library and information science) in a mere two days (and according to my profs that I met the other day first semester is KILLER- my program is supposed to be three back-to-back semesters but apparently 2/3 of students have to take between 1-2 additional semesters because they can't handle the workload is so crazy that they need additional time to complete it O.o ), another being that I am tired burned out.

I think that Rachel over at Fiktshun summarized my feelings to a tee when she stated on her Annex:
"My brain is fried. Officially fried[...] Between work and real life stuff, I barely have the brain power to create a post on my main blog[...]." 

I literally have to force myself to sit down and write a review (at this point in time I am no longer writing reviews of "me" books, I am only writing reviews for books that I have received from the publisher/ author to read and review). I'm not quite sure how long this hiatus will be (right now I am just hoping for the month of September, but we will see depending on how school goes).

*I will still be posting the odd review here and there that I owe, like my review of "Pushing the Limits" by Katie McGarry and "Envy" by Elizabeth Miles.

That being said, you will still be able to find me over at Twitter and Facebook since both (Twitter especially) is my Kryptonite and it would quite literally take a zombie Apocalypse for me to quit Twitter (who am I kidding? I'd still probably Tweet- letting other survivors know of my location ;) ).

Anyways, I just thought that I'd let y'all know. Thanks so much for your support and I apologize to everyone I owe comments to! Please know that they don't go unappreciated!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

On My Wishlist



On My Wishlist is a great event that Book Chick City runs every Saturday. It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: "Crusher"
Author: Niall Leonard
Release Date: September 13, 2012
Publisher: Random House

From Goodreads: "To catch a killer,Finn Maguire may have to become one....

Everything changed the day Finn found his father in a pool of blood, bludgeoned to death. His dull, dreary life is turned upside downas he become's the prime suspect. How can he clear his name and find out who hated his dad enough to kill him?

Facing danger at every turn, uncovering dark family secrets and braving the seedy London underworld,Finn is about to discover that only the people you trust can really hurt you...."




Copyright © 2010 - Avery's Book Nook - is proudly powered by Blogger.

Blog background and header is property of Avery's Book Nook- any violators will be eaten by a hobgoblin.