**REVIEW** Absent by Katie Williams

Forever is a long time to be stuck in high school.

Seventeen-year-old Paige is dead, the victim of a freak fall from the roof during Physics class. Now she’s a ghost, permanently bound to the grounds of her high school. It isn't all bad, she can find out everyone’s secrets, which can be amusing—for a while.  But then Paige hears something that isn't amusing at all: the rumor spread by the most popular girl at school that her death wasn't an accident—that she supposedly jumped on purpose.  Paige is desperate to stop the gossip, but what can a ghost do?  Then Paige discovers something amazing. She can possess living people when they think of her, and she can make them do almost anything. Maybe, just maybe, she can get inside the girl who’s responsible for the stories. . . and have a little fun turning the tables while she’s at it.

Release Date:  May 21,2013

Published By:  Chronicle Books

Review Copy: Hardback, 184 pages

*publisher provided

Review

  This is a quick read at only 184 pages but that doesn't mean it was a bad read.  I found myself oddly drawn into the ghost world of Paige and all of the drama and circumstances that surrounded her end and her continued existence. Williams created a simple story that has subtle messages and lessons placed throughout.

  Everything that takes place is within the high school.  This made everything really easy to picture and clear as a bell.  There were a few memories that took place just off of the school grounds but they were simply moments that Paige remembered or wished to get back.  I actually loved the simplicity that this brought to the story most of the time but there were a few moments that I found myself wishing that the trapped friends could step off of their death grounds.

  Paige was really easy to like right from the start.  She isn't whiny or particularly strong but she is real(well as real as a ghost can be).  The situation she found herself in was particularly horrible and there wasn't a moment that I blamed her for trying to fix the rumour.  In doing this Paige discovers there is more to think about than what people are saying.  Yes she does mess things up a little and mess around with peoples lives but in doing so she kind of fixes things too.  Sometimes things don't turn out how you expected them to but they turn out how they are supposed to.

  Something else to really appreciate here is that the author doesn't pass judgment on how life continues after death.  She doesn't really flush out why the three students are stuck at the school, can't leave the grounds or how/if they will ever be able to leave.  Even though there are religious students that make speculations and their point on how they believe it works the author leaves everything open to interpretation.  Not to mention she touches on the subject of being afraid of being forgotten.

  Absent was an enjoyable read that I started and finished in a few hours.  Williams created likable characters that are in an undesirable situation and yet she kept things light.  There are many ways she could have changed the story but the way she wrote it she left behind complications.  This read was not much like originally anticipated but I am okay with that.  The things that were learned and suggested by the time the book was done were more important than a fun and fluffy read.

Quotes

  When we try to escape, the school takes us back to where we died.  Our death spots.

  Then I realize that I'm not holding her hand at all.  My hand is Usha's hand.  I'm holding her pencil.  I can feel the crimped wood of it, the keen edge of the paper under my other hand, the pebbly plastic of the chair beneath me, the firm tile of the floor resting under the souls of my shoes.

Me, I feel like the object that's been forgotten.  I feel like the act of forgetting.  When I felt this way before, I would go to Usha, who'd drag me out to her car, where she would play the right music (screamy) at the right volume (loud) and drive the right speed (fast).  We would fly down those roads.  Just fly.

~Blog Tour~ Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine **Sneak Peeks & GIVEAWAY**

Hi everyone!  Thanks for taking the time to pop by my blog and check out

my stop on the Ruby's Fire Blog Tour!!  I am excited to bring you a 

Sneak Peek <3

If everything about you changes, what remains?

Seventeen year-old Ruby, long-pledged to the much older Stiles from the Fireseed desert cult, escapes with only a change of clothes, a pouch of Oblivion Powder and her mute little brother, Thorn. Arriving at The Greening, a boarding school for orphaned teens, she can finally stop running. Or can she? The Greening is not what it seems. Students are rampaging out of control and as she cares for the secret Fireseed crop, she experiences frightening physical changes. She’s ashamed of her attraction to burly, hard-talking Blane, the resident bodyguard, and wonders why she can’t be happy with the gentler Armonk. She’s long considered her great beauty a liability, a thing she’s misused in order to survive. And how is she to stop her dependence on Oblivion to find a real beauty within, using her talent as a maker of salves, when she has nightmares of Stiles without it?

When George Axiom, wealthy mogul of Vegas-by-the-Sea offers a huge cash prize for the winner of a student contest, Ruby is hopeful she might collect the prize to rescue her family and friends from what she now knows is a dangerous cult. But when Stiles comes to reclaim her, and Thorn sickens after creating the most astonishing contest project of all, the world Ruby knows is changed forever. This romantic fantasy set in 2099 on earth has a crafty heroine in Ruby, and a swoonworthy cast, which will surely appeal to the YA and new adult audience.

Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine 

Series: Fireseed, #2 (however, can be read as a stand-alone)

Publication date:  June 26, 2013

Genre: YA Sci-Fi 

Buy it: Amazon (Illustrated Paperback)~Amazon Kindle

Sneak Peeks into three of Ruby’s

 Big Problems in Ruby’s Fire:

By Catherine Stine

Ruby’s first big problem!

Tonight the moon is a blood orange that oozed over the horizon even before the setting sun.  All day I dreaded its rise, because tonight is my initiation into the Founders’ Ceremony.

Three girls every month.

I see the man who will lead me away with him from the Fireseed alter to our gazebo. He’s the head of the Initiation committee. Stiles. He has a bristly beard and a back like a dried, curled up beetle. His eyes are sunken yet glinting out with an oily sheen as if he’s peering into my private pool of emotions. He’s hideously old—forty-one—a full twenty-four years older than me. I won’t survive his spongy lips on mine, or his bony arms pinning me down.

But I didn’t come unarmed.

Ruby’s Second Big Problem:

I pull out my homemade vial of Oblivion Powder. Visions of Depot Man’s leer and Stile’s greedy stare still plague my mind. The other elders too; how they pinched and tickled me on their way by, how they gave me secret, unwelcome winks. And now, the handsome bullies here who used their clubs and fists on Armonk; what might they do to me next? I shake a generous dose onto the top of my hand, and snuffle it in. Inhale hard until the pile is gone.

Immediately, its treacherous medicine streaks into my nerves, soothing them to a mindless lull. Oblivion. I’ll need it to survive this mean place, is my last thought before I wilt down to the cot.

Ruby’s Third Big Problem:

Blane and I are assigned to scout the far western quadrant. This field is twice the square footage of my old compound that housed hundreds, and more oblong. I follow Blane as he parts the Fireseed leaves, their profuse growth forcing us to bushwhack our way through. More than a few times I have to remind him not to crush the plants underfoot in his emphatic push forward. He grumbles at this, yet seems almost chummy when he says, “Impressive show with that elixir you gave Armonk. What did you put in there, Cult Girl? A witch potion?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Name’s Ruby, by the way.”

He pulls back a thorny section of plant so I can pass. “So, it’s true you take drugs.”

“No!”

“Someone saw you. Do you like getting high?”

    “I take nothing to get high, or for entertainment either.” This much is true. “What vice do you have?” I add, in an echo of Bea’s sentiment from the other night.

He laughs as he presses forward, crushing more Fireseed saplings. “Being too good at playing bodyguard.”

“What’s that mean?” That he’s more violent than I’ve already witnessed?

“It means I take my job very seriously.” He raises his brows in a way that chills me.

***

I hope you are inspired to read on and find out how Ruby solves these thorny problems.

Catherine Stine

About the Author

Catherine Stine writes YA, New Adult and middle grade fiction. Her YA futuristic thriller, Fireseed One, illustrated by the author won finalist spots in both YA and Science Fiction in the 2013 USA Book News International Book Awards. It was also granted a 2013 Bronze Wishing Shelf Book Award and a 2013 Indie Reader Approved notable stamp. Her YA Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book. Middle grade novels include A Girl’s Best Friend. 

Fireseed One sequel, Ruby’s Fire is earning advance praise from reviewers and authors:“Ruby's Fire, returns to the sun-scorched earth of Fireseed One. In this long-awaited sequel, Stine delivers a thrilling adventure led by a new and exciting cast of characters. Ruby, Armonk, Thorn and Blane are memorable, and the romance is really well handled. Favorite quote: " It feels wrong to lean on Armonk right now with Blane staring at me, a hungry, lonely look in his eye. It’s as if he’s never been hugged, never been fed, never been loved..." ”  -YAs the Word
More and more, Catherine enjoys writing speculative tales where her imagination has wild and free reign. She has taught creative writing workshops at the Philadelphia Writing Conference, Missouri University Summer Abroad, The New School and in her own ongoing NYC writing workshop. She loves her readers, and enjoys blogging.

Find Her:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway!

This giveaway is part of the tour and I would like to thank

the author for setting this up!  GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**REVIEW** Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls. Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.

Release Date: October 16th 2012

Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Review Copy:  Hardcover, 368 pages

*purchased

Trailer

Review

  Holy!  I just have to say did that seriously just happen?!  Admittedly I did have a problem with the first few chapters getting into the book but really it is setting up a solid background and I believe maybe just a little more than that.  Once I got through them I was completely pulled in by the strong characters and wondrous world that Albin created because they are truly worth every moment that I spent reading.  Actually it was worth more because once I got through the first few chapters I just could not put it down.

  Wonderful and unique, the world created within Crewel is like nothing I have ever picked up before and I can't imagine anything like it coming after.  A dystopian where the world we live in is monitored and regulated by the people that can end you faster than they can create you.  Time, people and everything else that exists is represented by its own shimmering and colourful lines that are woven together to create and taken away to destroy.  It's terrifying that the people of this world live with a false sense of security and don't really know how fine the lines that they walk and live are. Developed well and executed perfectly Albin has created a world I am hopelessly addicted to and yet have a healthy dose of fear of.

  Adelice was a wonderful and well fleshed out character.  She is a fierce and determined girl that will not be broken.  Not that there wasn't moments that I wouldn't have blamed her for giving in but instead she would become more defiant.  She started out showing what she believed was wrong openly but when it became destructive she started thinking a little differently.  By no means did this girl compromise who she really was or forget exactly where she came from and she wasn't willing to forget no matter what privileges were put in front of her.  Adelice also wasn't a character to recklessly endanger herself or others to gain what she wanted, this girl thought thing through. 

  The romance is something else to appreciate because really it didn't take away from the story itself but it was enough to have me wanting things to turn out okay.  I'm not sure if some would consider there to be a love triangle but seeing she only kissed Erik I don't consider it a triangle by any means. Jost was really the love interest and I understood why.  He understood Adelice, wanted her to continue as herself but to survive.  I loved him for so many reasons but the biggest one was how he treated Adelice but his good looks helped for sure.  If you want to count Erik then I am totally Team Jost.  Admittedly he is funny but it always seemed like he may have some other agenda.

  It's not hard to love this book.  Albin's writing is absolutely superb and the voice that she has given Adelice is spectacular.  Not to mention all of the amazing world building that I spoke of earlier.  This is a gem in the current sea of dystopian novels and it will hold its own with its unique story without a doubt.  The end completely blew my mind and I am left all but begging for more!  If you are one of the lucky ones with an ARC of Altered have I told you lately that I love you?!  Don't pass this one by especially if you happen to be a fan of the dystopian genre.

Quotes

I want to refuse the food and the fancy room with its luxurious furnishings.  I want to crawl into a hole and starve slowly, but if I do I won't be in a position to protect Aime or to find out where my mother is, so I turn away instead.

"Something like that."  Enora grins, and I feel trust growing roots in my belly.  Despite my best attempts to remain weary and detached, I like Enora.  Maybe this is how they'll break me- by giving me a friend.

Jost's lips crush into mine, and I reach out without thinking and pull him closer against me.  My hand tangles in his hair, and the web shimmers around us.  The rest of the world is perfectly still, but we are in motion, crumbling into one another.

Sizzling Summer Giveaway!! ++ Character Interview with Ronnie from The Spiral Arm by Erin Danzer

I am super excited to have a chance to be a part of this awesome event!! I am 

hosting an Author that is new to me but after reading the book description and 

the fun character interview, I am so glad I got paired up with her!!! 

  Fifteen-year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Lambert wants to get out from under her older brother’s shadow. When Ronnie gets a tattoo and then is struck by lightning, she suddenly finds herself able to see and hear things in shadows that don’t appear to others. Then Ronnie meets Gavin Clearwater, the hot new guy in all of her classes and finds out he can see and hear the same things she can.

  Gavin tells her about the Spiral Defenders, a group of warriors that travels through space and time to defend the planets of the Spiral. After meeting the Commander of the Spiral Defenders and realizing his intentions might not be pure, Ronnie struggles between following her destiny to become a Spiral Defender and trying to regain the life she had before being struck by lightning.

Release Date:

Published By: 

Buy It:

Amazon~ Amazon UK.

Character Interview

Today I have an interview with Into the Spiral’s leading lady, Ronnie Lambert. 

Welcome, Ronnie!

  Starting high school is a huge step towards becoming an adult. What was one thing you were most looking forward to?

  Well, I would have to say I was looking forward to being my own person. When I got my tattoo, I made up a little motto for myself: my body, my mind, my life. I felt like I was finally becoming someone other than my brother’s little sister. I also had my eye on a certain guy and hoped to make him my boyfriend. *blushes* I definitely did not expect to have everything waylaid.

  What did you first think of Gavin? What changed your mind about him?

  At first I thought he was totally annoying. He was THERE—everywhere I went! But then he saved my life a couple times and I began to realize he wasn’t really the jerk I thought he was.

  What did you think when Gavin told you about Kalearnia and becoming a Spiral Defender?

  My first thought was that he was a little crazy. But then, he showed me that he was telling the truth and I had to believe him—after everything that had already happened to me, it was too crazy not to believe. I think I’m nervous about becoming a Spiral Defender, especially the part about going to live on another planet. And the last revelation Gavin made that still has my head spinning.

  Ooh? What did he say?

  I really can’t say. It would spoil the book!

  Okay, last question before we’ll do a speed round. Now you said you’d hoped to get a boyfriend. Is Gavin the guy you’d hoped to get?

  *blushes* No. The guy I’d hoped to get was Shawn, one of my best friends who I’d been crushing on forever. We did go out on one date, but things fell apart when he found me and Gavin together—not that anything happened! *laughs* Shawn and I managed to make up, but there’s no future for us anymore.

Speed Round

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate!

Tea or coffee? Coffee, unless it’s iced tea with a lot of sugar

Books or movies? Books

Tattoos or piercings? *grins* Tattoos

Summer or Winter? Summer

About the Author

  Erin Danzer wrote her first book at 10-years-old for a Young Authors competition, where she was awarded an Honorable Mention and discovered a passion for the written word. She’s written several novels and short stories since that spark ignited. Into the Spiral is the first of a four book series. In addition to her novels, Erin writes a monthly short story serial, The Cassandra Serafin Chronicles, posting alternately on her blog and in Literary Lunes bi-monthly online magazine. Erin resides in Racine, Wisconsin, with her husband, two children, and their cat.

Find Her: 

Website~Facebook ~Twitter~Pintrest~Goodreads

Giveaway

1- Kindle Fire With NA Titles               1- Kindle Fire With YA Titles

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~TOUR STOP REVIEW & GIVEAWAY~~ The Last Dance by Kiki Hamilton

Thank you so much for stopping by for my spot on this tour!!!
For the rest of the tour click HERE

  Two people couldn't be more opposite...

  Kellen Peterson, the gorgeous star quarterback of the Griffin High football team, seems to have it all. Until the night of the Homecoming game, when Kellen gets tackled and suffers a traumatic brain injury - an injury that changes his life - including his ability to walk, talk and throw a football.

  Ivy Ly is a senior and counting down the days until she can escape to college. Though her parents have big plans for her to be a doctor, Ivy is afraid to tell them she'd rather pursue music as a career.

  Ivy's best friend, Mira, is obsessed with Kellen. When Ivy is asked to tutor the injured football player upon his return to school, she thinks it's the perfect opportunity for Mira to get to know him better - but sparks fly - in more ways than one...

Release Date:  February 14, 2013 

Published By:  Fair Wind Books

Review Copy:  Paperback, 268 pages

*from Author for tour & honest review

Buy It:

Amazon~Barnes & Noble

Review

  I am not like the many people out there that have read something by Kiki Hamilton before but that is not saying that I haven't seriously wanted to.  When the sign ups for this tour came up in my mailbox I could not have been more excited.  The chance to read a contemporary novel from an author I have heard amazing things about was extremely exciting and I have to tell you that I'm glad I made it here and have a chance to finally be one of the ones that get to spread the love for this author.  Not to mention the book is a YA contemporary, something that I am hooked on at the moment!

  When it comes to reading something that is written in multiple points of view it has to be done right and I love getting the glimpse into more than one characters head.  The Last Dance was a great example of how it should be done because Ivy and Kellen made a wonderful dual view team.  They came from such opposite worlds with such different opinions and mindsets that when they converged it created the wit, emotion and feel that I enjoy in a contemporary read.  There is some predictability but at the same time you are often left wondering how everything went so wrong.  Personally I enjoyed the atmosphere and the circumstances that were created in order to bring these two polar opposites together and the struggles they had to go through to get what they wanted.

  Ivy was very driven to succeed, the thing was that I was never sure if it was for her or her parents.  Regardless there was no doubt in my mind that this girl was brilliant but kind of faded into the background.  Despite all that she was comfortable with how her life was for the most part, the only thing she wanted was to go to school for music but knew it was something that her parents would never allow.  The other thing that shocked me was that she wasn't really boy crazy or that interested because most girls in their senior year hope for at least something with a boy but not Ivy.  Things change for her though and she starts to hope for things that may never be possible.

  Kellen aka "Q" was really something and I think I enjoyed his character most of all.  The biggest lessons learned came from him as he had his dream taken away.  He was cocky, moody and under it all sweet.  He had to work hard to recover but it was far from rainbows and butterflies, no it was a long hard crappy road.  The girl he thought liked him for him...didn't and for a bit people he thought were his friends treated him differently, which I can't imagine being easy.  I would be lying if I told you he didn't pity himself and the situation for awhile but who wouldn't?  In the end though I love the growth and change that Kellen went through and honestly he was a better person in the end for it.

  I really did enjoy The Last Dance.  Kiki Hamilton really wrote a story that had true emotions and a bigger picture that is easy to get into.  A tale of two teens that couldn't be any more different outwardly but have felt the same pressure on the inside but find a common ground when they least expect it.  Pick this up as a lazy summer day read, kick back and enjoy.  However it would work anytime of year but seeing it summer now, now is the perfect time to pick it up!

Quotes

  Apparently, the tackle where I'd gotten sacked-gotten my 'bell rung' as Ollie had put it-had injured my brain and two arteries had started to bleed.  They call it a closed head injury.  That's why I had suck a killer headache at the dance.  My brain was bleeding. -Kellen

  Mira knew I was not a fan of football.  In my opinion it was a stupid game where the main goal seemed to be to try and hurt the other player.  I knew about Q's condition because that was all Mira and anybody else had talked about for days after the game. -Ivy

  I glanced at Ivy out of the corners of my eyes again.  She didn't look any happier about the situation then I did.  Basically, she was there to wipe my butt because I was too messed up to do it myself.  I got the feeling shed summed me up and filed me away before I'd even had a chance to open my mouth and slur my words.

  God-what did I do to deserve this? -Kellen

  "Did I say that?" I asked, all innocent-like.  I tilted my head to match his, bravely staring him down, even though I could feel my cheeks radiating heat.  I do think, however, the 'prove it' part was convincingly implied.  His barely-veiled disbelief melted into something else: surprise. -Ivy

About the Author  

  Kiki Hamilton is the author of THE FAERIE RING fantasy series and the YA contemporary novel, THE LAST DANCE. She believes in magic and the idea of hidden worlds co-existing with our own. Kiki lives near Seattle, though she dreams of living in London one day. Visit her website at:  www.kikihamilton.com

Find Kiki:

 GoodReads~Facebook~Twitter


Giveaway

This is a tour wide giveaway and thanks go to Book Nerd Tours
& Kiki Hamilton for providing it!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**REVIEW** The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan

  After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

  In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

  And Grayson has gone missing.

  No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

  Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

Release Date:  May 13, 2013

Published By: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Review Copy:  Hardcover, 352 pages

*Provided by Publisher

Review

  Talk about beautiful writing with a wonderful story.  Page Morgan has taken Gargoyles to a level I would never have even considered in a million years.  Let me tell you 1899 Paris with a Gothic twist and some serious Gargoyle lore makes for one heck of a read.  Summing it down to just Gargoyles and humans though is like saying getting a new book is so yesterday.  No, The Beautiful and the Cursed is humans, Gargoyles, demons, angels and so much more.

  Talk about perfect setting!  When it comes to historical fiction it can go either way with me because really it's all in how the author writes everything. When it came down to it the Abby was absolutely stunning in its darkness (or at least I found it was) and no place could have been better suited than Paris.  Truthfully I was completely pulled in by not only the setting but the Gargoyle lore that I had never even heard of before.  What I loved best about the lore was that Morgan didn't beautify the Gargoyles and make them into something they weren't.  The thing with them is that it really depends on person to person how you preceive them: beautiful in their grotesque ways or just plain grotesque.  I personally have always found them beautiful in their own way.   Everything was such a unique and interesting contrast that it was hard not to fall right into the story.  

  Something that I appreciate in so many reads is multiple POV's and strong characters, The Beautiful and the Cursed brought both of these elements to the table.  Ingrid and her sister Gabby were the main focus fir the different points of view but you do get a little from their missing brother Grayson and Luc.  Ingrid was most definitely a determined character and I loved that she wasn't willing to give up, not to mention her ability to accept things.  Not that she didn't question things but she had an open mind and let herself be open to different possibilities.  Her only real shortfall for me was the ups and downs with her feelings.  To a point it's the time period and the fact she comes from the proper upbringing in England but in Paris it was really a completely different ball game and though she embraced it for some things others.  With Gabby I found I wasn't as attached to her but she really did grow throughout the book and I was liking her a lot more by the end.  To start she came off a little self pitying but by the end she was coming into her own and with a new attitude and outlook.

  Due to much of the novel being focused on Ingrid and Gabby the romance falls completely on them.  There is one that is somewhat of a love triangle and one that was far from it.  Ingrid had Luc and Vander but I was never really sure of her attraction to Vander.  That isn't saying that it wasn't clear that her liked her but most of the time I found myself unsure if she felt the same about him.  With Luc despite him being a Gargoyle you knew there was an attraction and though he tried to deny it and chalk it up to Ingrid being his charge, you knew there was so much more.  Admittedly there is some issues and roadblocks but I hate to think that Ingrid will settle.  The romance between Gabby and Nolan was my favourite.  The age gap between the two was a little startling to start because Gabby was so young but back then it really wasn't that uncommon.  Their banter and gradual work up to something more that is still not fully developed really captured me.

  If you are looking for something different this book is seriously for you.  Page Morgan has me hooked on so many different levels it is hard to pin point exactly what I enjoyed the most.  You get a lore that as far as I know has not been really explored yet and a well paced story that will make you not want to put it down.  Did I mention yet that I found Morgan's writing beautiful yet?  Well it is and for a debut novel I could not have asked for anything more!  I highly recommend this book for everyone looking for so something different and if the historical fiction part of it scares you off a little bit, don't let it and you won't regret it.

Quotes

  Ingrid stood outside the gate, her stomach in a knot.  Why would anyone put gargoyles on a church?  The stones creature were hideous enough to cause the small hairs on her arms to prickle.  She turned her eyes away. -Ingrid

  Many of them had lived out their lives and expired of old age, maybe believing their sin had been forgotten or forgiven.  If he'd been lucky at all in life, Luc figured it was to have died young. -Luc

"They serve God, obey his commands, deliver his messages, and bring judgment, but God ranks them below humans.  From what we've learned from the Dispossessed, it's inspired a kind of resentment among the Order.  They do what they must for God's precious humans, but don't go above and beyond." -Vander on Angels

Ingrid froze as he grazed his fingers through her hair, scattering a few pins to the floor.  Then he gripped the back of her head, his tangled fingers tugging at her hair, and Ingrid thought she could finally read something in the way he looked at her: a longing so tangible that it made her ache. -Ingrid

** BLOG TOUR ~ REVIEW** Something Great by M. Clarke

She didn’t know what she was missing…until he found her.

Maxwell Knight was positively trouble, dangerously good-looking, and seductively charming. He was everything Jeanella didn’t need in her life. Only Maxwell didn’t see it that way. His pursuit was relentless, making her even more determined to push him away.

Fresh out of college, life was simple and plain for Jeanella Mefferd. Every part of her life was smooth sailing; her friends, her job, and even the guy she’d started dating. Then one night, while at dinner, she spotted someone who made her feel things she’d never felt before—dangerous, heart pounding and breathless heat. Thinking she would never see him again, she brushed it off, but when she started to run into him unexpectedly, all she could think of was how he made her feel with his sweet flirtations. Everything about Maxwell Knight screamed trouble, especially when she found out he was her new boss’s son. Now, heading to a New York fashion show, would she be able to focus on her career instead of Maxwell, who had been scheduled to attend with her? As much as she tried to forget their encounters, his good looks, smooth words and determination to win her over gravitated her toward him. The next thing she knew, her mind was utterly consumed by him. Would she be willing to ignore all the dangerous signs and jump into his arms? Or would she miss out on the chance of finding something great?

Release Date: July 24, 2013

Review Copy: ARC, Mobi.

Buy It:

Amazon~Amazon UK~B&N~Smashwords

Trailer

Review

  Being recommended this by a blogger I trust(Brittany from Spare Time Book Blog) I knew I was going to enjoy it but had no idea to what extent.  This book had me almost in tears with its beautiful and mushy words and then broke my heart into pieces, making me want to scream and cry all at the same time.  It's like a melody that fills you, pulls you in and yet there is an undertone, a hint of sadness and struggle.  But it's beautiful in its complexity and has beautiful notes that pull it all together to make it something wonderful and captivating.

  When starting this read I was prepared for a NA and I was not disappointed.  Clarke created a realistic setting that housed characters that were easy to relate to and fall for.  The writing flowed perfectly, with a pacing that pulled you along with no room to get board or wander.  The fact that things got a little more interesting/complicated with the workplace situation kind of made me laugh because heck you knew that Max was going ti win the war.  

  I genuinely have a large amount of love for Jenna.  She wasn't perfect but she was so real, what girl doesn't try and guard her heart at some point.  Thing is that she seemed to always guard her heart and played everything safe, not wanting to risk her heart.  That is kind of what made her easier to relate to was her hesitation and the fact that she analyzed things, not just jumping in without a second thought.  But being young only happens once and Jenna grows, learns that sometimes the safest bet isn't the best best bet.  Her growth was gradual, realistic but with all honesty I loved ever step she took.  Jenna is definitely a top five fav for contemporary females.

  To start Max came off as your typical cocky bad boy.  He was the embodiment sexy and he knew how to get what he wanted but there was so much more to him it seems.  Everyone needs a Max and I know it's hard to believe but I a, serious.  This guy ended up being sweet, considerate and a complete gentleman.  Though I did find myself a little irritated at times because you knew he was keeping secrets and you knew they were the kind that could change it all, I had to take a step back and realize there was a reason for it.    

   Jenna and Max had a great chemistry with nothing that was forced or rushed, though some people may feel their attraction was a little quick.  Realistically if you think about it attraction is something that you either have or you don't it's everything that comes after that you have to work for and Jenna and Max had to fight for what they had.  There was no insta love but there was insta attraction and put in Jenna's shoes heck I would be the same damn way.  I will admit fully that I may have melted into a a puddle a few times just thinking about him.  Max is for sure sexuality put into a nice suit and Jenna the girl that preferred the safe road instead of the rough road was seriously in for a treat. 

  With the end of this read cleaning things up wonderfully for Jenna and Max but kind of trailing off with Matthew and Becky (Jenna's BFF) I can't help but hope the next book I read will be on those two!  M. Clarke (aka Mary Ting) has blown me away with her debt in New Adult and I look forward to reading more of it in the future! Sexy, emotional and addictive only grazes the surface of this novel. With vivid characters, exploding chemistry and perfect pacing I could not put this one down!  If you are a fan of the NA craze that has been gaining speed I highly recommend picking up Something Great! 

About the Author

M. Clarke aka Mary Ting resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Find Her:

Author Facbook~Books on Facebook~Twitter~ Blog

**REVIEW & GIVEAWAY** INK by Amanda Sun

  On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

  Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

  Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Release Date:  June 25, 2013

Published By:  Harlequin Teen

Review Copy:  Paperback, 377 pages

**Purchased

Review

  Amanda Sun has seriously captured my attention.  I had heard that it may be initially a little hard to get the swing of because of the Japanese phrases throughout I found myself rather intrigued with them and further pulled in.  The writing was just as stunning as the cover was.  I would have to say that the fact I even had some of the Japanese sayings down as I finished reading speaks wonders on how well it was incorporated into the book.

  The setting was absolutely spectacular and written with breath taking details at times.  It wasn't constantly over done which becomes tiresome in a read but when something needed to stand out it did with perfect ease and no dramatic change to the writing.  I freely admit that I don't know much about Japan and its culture but in reading this I can tell you now what I do know is dying to be expanded upon and even looking some things up brought beautiful pictures and new respect for the author that dove into this world/setting.   When the cherry blossoms bloomed I could honestly see their beauty clear as day and I swear I never wanted to leave.

  When it came to Katie the main character you could tell there was a lot put into her.  This is a girl that has lost the world she knew and has been thrust forward into a very unfamiliar setting.  She didn't just automatically adjust but she tried to make the best of it at times.  I loved her attitude, though I was mildly worried with he stalking for awhile.  However Katie is persistent and just wasn't willing to give up on finding the answers she so badly sought.  Though she got herself into some really bad situations because she just wouldn't let go or listen, the book would have been a boring read without the excitement.

  Guys you will love this...  There is NO love triangle!  The plot does focus quite heavily on the romance between Yuu and Katie but there is a reason the are so tied up in each other.  I really wasn't sure about Yuu to start either, there was always so much to hide with him but Katie thought there was more.  Turns out she was right and although he could be cold and calculating he did it out of necessity not want.  I think I may have swooned a little over him a couple of times but there is definitely worry when it comes to him too.   Being a Kami seems to have some dangerous disadvantages that seem to want to grab ahold of  him and well it's definitely not rainbows and butterflies.  I guess I should mention that there is another guy that appears from time to time that does try to catch Katie's attention: Juu.  But he is never really any competition or a love interest.

  There is so much to love about this read and I soaked up every moment of it.  The Japanese culture, setting and information on the Kami is so very addictive that I can honestly say I will be headed right to the store the second the next book releases...in a year...  Such a long wait but there is no doubt in my mind that Amanda's spectacular writing will be worth every moment of the wait.  In the mean time I may have to look into the Kami a little myself because I am so damn interested in finding out more.  Do not hesitate to pick this one up, especially if you are looking for something fresh and intriguing.  Amanda has outdone herself with outstanding writing, a beautifully setting and characters that pull you in.

Quotes

I felt heat rise up my neck.  Yuki had not warned me he was so, well pretty.  Okay, gorgeous.  I almost expected sparkles and rainbows to burst out of the walls anime-style, except his lips were turned in a smirk, and the way he crumpled against the wall exuded a smug superiority.

God he was beautiful.  Dangerous things usually are.  What the heck was I playing around with?

He sighed.  "The ink wants something from you.  I don't know what it is, believe me.  You're some kind of ink magnet or something.  It's getting really hard to control my drawings, to--to control myself."

"Warui," he whispered in apology, and I knew then that I couldn't live without him, even when he was infuriating.  Which was pretty much all the time.

Giveaway

So I posted this over on my weekly Report and will be putting it up with my 

#YEAHYA post at the end of this week but hey I am just trying to make it easier

for you guys to enter!! GOOD LUCK & if you want to see the copies that are up 

for grabs (like the picture) look on the Weekly Report and you will see it and a few

extra details!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway