3 Giveaway! Hades by Alexandra Ardornetto

Thanks to Zeighost Media I have a copy of the exciting sequel to Halo by Alexandra Ardonetto, Hades to giveaway. Check out the book's summary:

"Heaven Help Her. 

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier?s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can?t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth?s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well."

                 

See Alexandra Adornetto on tour this Fall: http://www.facebook.com/penfataletour

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandraAdornetto 

Macmillan page for the book & author: http://us.macmillan.com/hades

Giveaway Rules:

You must fill out the form below. I love comments but it won't enter you to win the giveaway

You must be at least 13 years old to enter

Giveaway is for US/CA addresses only

Please check out giveaway/contest rules page

Giveaway ends Sept 10, 2011
If you can't view the form, click here

3 Humpday Giveaway August 31, 2011

Every Wednesday I'm going to be giving away a gently used copy of one the books listed below. I'll be adding to the lists periodically so be sure to check back every week. This giveaway is for US and Canadian addresses only. Please fill out the form below. Giveaway will end on every Tuesday @ 9 pm central.

Last week's winner is:

Heather (ham1299)

YA

Werelove: Dark Conspiracy by Lakisha Spletzer (autographed)

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

The Ancillary's Mark by Daniel A. Cohen

Logic of Demons: The Quest For Nadine's Soul by H.A. Goodman (Hardcover)

Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson (arc)

Karma by Cathy Ostlere (arc)

The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen (arc)

Ada by R.A. Mcdonald

A Girl Named Willow Krimble by Giuseppe Bianco (autographed)

Lure by Deborah Kerbel

Shadowland (Hardcover)  by Alyson Noel

Paranormal

Schloss Valkuriz by Felicia N. Cheung

A Rose For My Mother by Nancy Lee Canfield (autographed)

With Love, Now and Forever by RaeAnne Hadley

Blood of a Werewolf by T. Lynne Tolles (autographed)

Blood Moon by T. Lynne Tolles (autographed)

Always the Vampire by Nancy Haddock

Wizards by John Booth

Dracula In Love (Hardcover)

Love Sucks by Lauren Hammond

Everything else (Chick-Lit, HF, Romance)

Dining With Joy by Rachel Hauck

A Wife for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Conner McNees

My Jane Austen Summer by Cindy Jones

Nerdy Thirty by Wendy Townley

Sunset Bridge by Emilie Richards

This Time for Keeps by Jenna Mills

Calling the Shots by Ellen Hartman

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson

The Summer We Came to Life by Deborah Cloyed

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

*I use random.org to select the winners. I will contact winners by email. If your name is selected please make sure to check your spam. If you don't respond within 48 hours, you forfeit your prize.

4 Dael and the Painted People

Title: Dael and the Painted People
Author: Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher: Earthshaker Books
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
paperback, 168 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9790357-6-0
Genre: YA
available @ Amazon | B&N

Summary:
A prehistoric adventure, this is the third of the Zan-Gah young adult books. When Dael, guilty and tormented, came to live with the tribe of the painted people, he longed for peace and restoration; but without knowing it, he made a powerful enemy. Luckily, Dael had friends-including a troop of crows-and his own mystical powers. The disturbed and violent hero learns from the Children of the Earth, and from his submissive wife, a new way of life that is peaceful and generous. Dael and the Painted People is a story of conflict, healing, hate, and love by the winner of the Eric Hoffer Award, a finalist for the ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award, and the Mom's Choice Gold Seal for Excellence in a family-friendly book series.


Dael and the Painted People by Allan Richard Shickman is the third book in the Zan-Gah series. The main character in this novel is Dael, Zan-Gah's twin brother. Dael has been through a lot. He was kidnapped by the wasp people as a child and tortured. He also lost his wife and child during childbirth. Dael is left emotionally scarred. He is full of hate and bitterness. As a result of his actions he must leave his home with the Ba-Coro. He takes with him, Sparrow, a young woman who can't speak. Together they make their way in search of the painted people.


Allan Shickman has not gone easy on Dael. Dael has been through a lot in his life. He is full of anger and bitterness. All that he loved he now despises. In the past two books I've felt sorry for Dael. His character is  very rough around the edges. Dael's put up a lot of walls that keep people out and make him hard to like. In this book some of the walls come down. I really liked how the author showed a different side of Dael and the inner struggles that take place inside of him. I was surprised that Dael took Sparrow with him. Sparrow can't speak and is meek. She didn't seem the sort of companion Dael would have chosen to go with him on his journey. I really liked seeing her character develop throughout this story. In a way her name suits her personality. Like a sparrow she is small and delicate but she's also strong and resourceful. 


The story line in this book is really good. Even though this is Dael's story, I was really glad that Shickman didn't leave out the characters from the previous books.  Dael's journey in this book is really symbolic to the inner healing that takes place inside Dael. Every step he takes toward the Painted People, he takes a step away from his harrowing past. I really like that the Painted People are a complete contradiction to how Dael has lived his life. The Painted People are very friendly, accepting and generous. They accept Dael and Sparrow with no questions asked and make them part of their tribe. However trouble seems to follow Dael where ever he goes. He quickly makes an enemy of Shunar, the tribe's shaman. Shunar will stop at nothing until he can get rid of Dael. The altercation between the two characters really tests Dael's resolve. 


This is a wonderful series set in prehistoric times. Allan Richard Shickman does a wonderful job writing about the hardships and challenges of living in this time period. The characters are wonderfully developed. 
Dael and the Painted People is a story about forgiveness, strength, and restoration. It is an emotionally charged adventure that is overwhelmingly brilliant. This is one of those series that kids as well as their parents enjoy reading. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and highly recommend this series. 

My rating:

To find out more about this author, visit:

www.zan-gah.com

www.zan-gah.net

Other books by Allan Richard Shickman:

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country

*I received this book from the publisher for review purposes only. This in no way influence my opinion.

7 Teaser Tuesday August 30, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from The Predicteds by Christine Seifert.
My hand is on the doorknob when I hear it: Mrs McClain's voice is plain, calm, and strangely indifferent, like she's talking about her bunions. 'He's got a gun,' she says. 'Nobody move.' ~pg 6


That's my teaser for this week, what's yours?

4 Jane Austen Ruined My Life

Title: Jane Austen Ruined My Life
Author: Beth Pattillo
Publisher: Guidepost Books
Publication Date: Feburary 3, 2009
paperback, 270 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-8249-4771-2
genre: contemporary fiction, chick lit
available @Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Summary:
English professor Emma Grant has always done everything just the way her minister father told her she should -- a respectable marriage, a teaching job at a good college, and plans for the requisite two children. Life was prodigiously good, as her favorite author Jane Austen might say, until the day Emma finds her husband in bed with another woman. Suddenly, all her romantic notions a la Austen are exposed for the foolish dreams they are.


Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo caught my attention mainly because of the title. I also love the cover to this book.  I had to find out how a beloved author who has been dead for some time could ruin anyone's life.  
Emma Grant believed in happy endings once upon a time. However recent circumstances have forced her to rethink her beliefs. Her marriage has fallen apart and she was recently fired from her job. The only thing that keeps her going is revenge. Revenge against Jane Austen. Emma seeks to expose Jane for the fraud she is. When Emma gets wind of the possible existence of letters written by Jane Austen and kept secret from the rest of the world she knows this is her ticket to getting her life back on track. Emma boards a plane to England to bring Jane Austen down.
I really like the story line to this book. It's fun and fast paced. This book is full of great characters. I especially like Mrs. Parrot. She belongs to a secret society called The Formidables. The Formitables were created by Jane Austen's sister Cassandra. They are in possession of some of Jane's letters that Cassandra didn't want to destroy but she also didn't want the letters to be publicized either. Mrs. Parrot entices Emma to come to England to view these letters. However Mrs. Parrot does not give them up so easily. She sends Emma on sort of a scavenger hunt that not only teaches Emma a few things about Jane Austen but also helps Emma realize a few things about herself.
Emma is a great character that I'm sure many people can relate to. She's been hurt and doesn't know how to trust anyone. While in England she runs into her former BFF, Adam. Emma and Adam had a falling out before she got married and haven't spoken in ten years. Adam is a dream. He's handsome, bookish, always carries a handkerchief and makes tea rather well. Emma and Adam try to rebuild their friendship but some obstacles stand in their way.
I really enjoyed this book. I like everything from the storyline to the characters. It is a fun adventure about self discovery, learning to trust, and finding your own happy ending. I especially like the ending. I won't give anything away but I will say I didn't expect it. I thought Beth Pattillo did a fantastic job. I wish the Jane Austen letters had been real though. It would have been great to find out more about the mysterious Jane Austen. Pattillo did a great job channeling her inner Austen. 

My rating:

To Find out more about the author visit her:

website | blog | facebook | twitter

*My thanks to Beth Pattillo and Guidepost Books for providing me with a copy for review purposes. This in no way influenced my opinion.

1 What's Your Status? August 27, 2011

Zakiya from Butterfly Feet Walking on Life has a fantastic meme. In this meme you post your status of the books your reading this week, books you finished this week, books you're going to read next, and books you plan on buying this week. You can also post what reviews and memes you participated in for the week. Marla from Starting the Next Chapter will be hosting for the month of August.


I didn't have a lot of reading time this week but I did manage to finish one book. Hopefully next week will be better.

What I finished last week:

The Rift Walker: Vampire Empire 

Book Two by Clay Griffith &

Susan Griffith

What I'm currently reading:

The Predicteds by Christine Seifert

What's next on my tbr list:

Definitely Not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos

The Covering by Miss Cheyenne Mitchell

The Little Bride by Anna Solomon

Giveaways:

August Giveaways Around the Blogging World

Humpday Giveaway 

Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

This is my status, what's yours? 

0 Veiled Rose

Title: Veiled Rose: Tales of Goldstone Wood #2
Author: Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: July 1, 2011
paperback, 384 pages
ISBN: 0764207822 (ISBN-13: 9780764207822)
Genre: YA, Fantasy
available @ Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Summary:

Rose Red trusts no one with her secret. She hides in the forest, her face veiled in rags, shunning the company of all save her old father and her nanny goat. Her life is bleak and lonely.

Until she meets a privileged young man sent to spend his summer in the mountains. Leo, a lonely lad, befriends Rose Red, and together they begin hunting for the Mountain Monster which, rumor says, stalks these lands.

But the hunt which began as a game holds greater risk than Leo supposes. Rose Red can scarcely guess at the consequences should he insist on continuing his search. Dare she trust him with her secret? Or tell him what dwells at the top of the mountain in the cave only she can find?

Above all, when Leo asks Rose Red to leave the mountain and follow him to the low country, dare she agree and risk the wrath of a Monster that is all too real?

Last year I had the privilege of reviewing the first book in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series, Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. I fell in-love with the fantasy world Stengl created. When the second book in the series, Veiled Rose, was released I knew right away that I wanted to read it.
Veiled Rose is an epic fantasy where dragons are feared, beauty is praised and things are not what they appear to be. This story is centered around two main characters. Leo made an appearance in Heartless. In this book we learn all about Leo's history from the time that he's a boy. He's a precocious lad ready to take on the world despite his fears. While visiting his cousin for the summer he vows to slay the monster that lives in the mountains. While traipsing through the woods he meets a young girl, Rose Red.  Rose Red is covered from head to toe. She is a mystery. However these two become fast friends and share many adventures together. 
I liked learning more about Leo. In Veiled Rose Stengl gives more of an insight into his character. I felt that I understood his motivations a lot more in this novel. Leo has some really good qualities but he also has some really annoying qualities as well. I like the relationship between Leo and Rose a lot. It seemed that the only time his character was authentic was when he was with her. Rose was the one who wore the physical veil but Leo is the one hiding behind a metaphorical veil. I really liked the mystery behind Rose Red. Her appearance is a complete mystery. Her only friends are a goat, the man she calls father and her imaginary prince until she meets Leo. You can tell from the beginning that Rose Red is no ordinary girl. She possesses    strength, courage and inner beauty.
 Rose Red is plagued my nightmares. She dreams of a mysterious man that claims to be her friend. He desires just one kiss from her. He uses everything in his power to persuade her. He is the protagonist in this novel and is cunningly evil. As he sets out to get what he wants, he destroys everything in his path. Stengl has created a truly deplorable character. Evil is just a game to him.

The story line in this novel is good. It has a religious undertone with many poignant themes. The adventure that Rose Red and Leo have to embark on help shape their characters. I love seeing the character growth with these two characters. Veiled Rose is a fast paced, well written novel. It had me hooked from beginning to end. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

My rating:

Find out more about this author by checking out:

blog | facebook 

Other Books by Anne Elisabeth Stengl:

Heartless

Veiled Rose

Moonblood (coming April 2012)

*I received this book from the publisher for review purposes only. This in no way influenced my opinion. 

1 Wake Unto Me

Title: Wake Unto Me  
Author: Lisa Cach
Publisher: Speak
Publication Date: March 31, 2011
paperback, 304 pages
ISBN 978-0-14-241436-1
genre: YA, paranormal romance
available @ Amazon | B&N | Book Depository    


Summary: A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school. 
There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School. 
And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.


Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach came highly recommended on twitter by Savannah from Books With Bite. Since I'm a fan of paranormal, I thought this book might be a good fit for me. This story is centered around an unusual girl named Caitlyn Monahan.  She has been plagued with nightmares for years. No one seems to get her. Caitlyn is offered a scholarship at a prestigious school in France, the Chateau de la Fortune. From almost the moment that she steps foot in France strange things start to happen to her. A mystery that crosses time starts to unfold. 
I really like the setting of this book. Who wouldn't want to go to France and live in a castle? It also gives off an aire of mystery and a sense of history as well. The castle is turned into a boarding school. Caitlyn is also surrounded by an interesting group of people. Some of her fellow classmates are even royalty. The headmistress is very mysterious as well.
Lisa Cach did a great job with the paranormal element of Wake Unto Me. I found myself quite often wondering what was real. One of the things I liked most about this book is that it takes place not only in the present day but also in the past.  There is quite a bit of mystery that not only surrounds the Chateau de la Fortune but also some of the castle's past residents. I liked the historical element in this novel. I found it very interesting and intriguing. It has a great deal of mystery but at times it is a bit predictable. I'm not sure if there is going to be a sequel or not. Lisa Cach definitely left the possibility open.

My rating:

To find out more about Lisa Cach and her novels, please visit: website | facebook | twitter

4 The Map of Time review

Title: The Map of Time
Author: Felix J. Palma
Publisher: Atria
Publication Date: June 28, 2011
Hardcover, 611 pages
ISBN: 1439167397 ISBN-13: 9781439167397
Genre: Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, YA
available  @ Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

Summary: A Map of Time by Felix J. Palma. Set in Victorian London with characters real and imagined, The Map of Time is a page-turner that boasts a triple play of intertwined plots in which a skeptical H.G. Wells is called upon to investigage purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including Dracula and The Time Machine, from being wiped from existence. What happens if we change history? 


There is a quote by Albert Einstein at the beginning of this novel that says "The distinction between past, present and future is an illusion but a very persistent one." I don't think the author, Felix J. Palma, could have found  a more perfect quote to fit The Map of Time. The threads of time are so intrinsically woven its' hard to separate what is real and what is an illusion in this novel.


This novel takes place in London during the reign of Queen Victoria. This is an interesting time period because so much progress in the area of science was being made. Society was more acceptable to new discoveries. Also it was a frightening time because the infamous Jack the Ripper was making his presence known throughout England. Andrew Herrington loses his lover, Marie Jeanette, to the abominable crimes of Jack the Ripper. Andrew is distraught over his loss. The only thing he wants out of life is to see Marie Jeanette again. His cousin Charles discovers a way that might be possible but first they must seek out the one person who started it all, H.G. Wells. This begins the adventure that takes readers into the past, present and future.

The Map of Time is broken up into three parts. There are many interesting characters and several  story lines that  intertwine together. However all three parts and all the characters seem to center around the author of The Time Machine, H.G. Wells. Wells's book about time traveling is well known. He seems to be an authority on the subject of time traveling. Many people seek him out to answer questions about time traveling. His book, The Time Machine  has opened up the door for time traveling to be accepted into society. I really liked reading about H. G. Wells. I think that Felix J. Palma did an excellent job mixing fact with fiction. After I finished reading this book I did a little research on H. G. Wells because I wanted to know how much liberty the author took when writing this novel. Felix. J. Palma put so much detail of Wells's life that it was hard to differentiate between fact and fiction at times. There are also many characters in this novel that readers might be familiar with such as, The Elephant Man, Bram Stoker, and Henry James.

This book had its ups and downs for me. There are some parts of this novel that I absolutely loved. There were parts of this book that I found rather boring. I had to push through those parts and I'm glad that I did. Palma addresses some interesting questions in this novel such as "How much personal responsibility do we have concerning the future of our world?" "If we know what will happen in the future, should we try and change it or just let things fall to fate?" There are also many themes in this book that deal with division among  the classes and science versus religion. This is definitely an interesting book and I'm glad that I read it. This book takes a dark tone at times and is a bit gruesome at others. It is fascinating to read about this time period. There are times that I found myself saying "whoa, what?" The Map of Time has adventure, mystery and humor. If you like historical fiction with a sci-fi twist, you should definitely read this book.

My rating:

 Find out more about this author by checking out his:

website | blog 

*This book was provided to me by the publisher for review purposes. This in no way influenced my opinion.