Release Day Party: Peace by A.D. Koboah!

Today is the release day party for Peace, a contemporary fiction novel by author A.D. Koboah! Come celebrate with us as we’re hosting the book blurb and a giveaway!

Peace

Title: Peace
Author: A.D. Koboah
Genre: Contemporary Urban Fiction

Peace Osei is young, beautiful – and addicted to heroin; the only thing that can keep painful past memories at bay. But when a face from her past re-enters her life demanding answers to questions she is not ready to face, it threatens to send Peace swimming deeper into self-destructive waters. Having spent so long drifting away from the real world, can Peace find the strength to face the past and banish her demons?

Amazon | Website | Author Website


Author Bio

A.D. Koboah was born in London and completed an English Literature degree in 2000. Peace is her second novel. Her first novel, Dark Genesis, is a Paranormal Romance that was inspired by the concept of dehumanisation. She is currently working on a screenplay and will begin the sequel to Dark Genesis shortly.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

Title: Poltergeeks
Author: Sean Cummings
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Expected publication date: October 2nd 2012

GoodReads/Author/B&N

About the book:

15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection.

In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Review:

"Poltergeeks" is a fast, fun, and easy to read story.

At the beginning, I wasn't too keen on Julie. She really irritated me. She was whiny and impulsive. But the more I read, the less I noticed the little nuisances in her character and was able to enjoy the story more.

The story has a fast pace and doesn't dwell on just one part of the story too long which didn't make it boring for me. Also, the explanations of the paranormal events happening are simple and straight to the point, unless Betty is giving them that is. This makes them easy to follow and understand.

There's a few curse words in the story, but what teenager doesn't use them nowadays? Plus, they were used sparingly.

Overall, I think the book is great for younger teens or to enjoy in a moment of boredom.

My Rating


*I received this ebook free from the publisher, Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*I am not affiliated to B&N.

Tour: "Peace" by A.D. Koboah: Guest Post

Welcome to my stop in the "Peace", a contemporary urban novel, by A.D. Koboah blog tour. Today I'll feature a character profile guest post by the author and an excerpt of the book. I hope everyone enjoys it!

Peace Character Profile

Hi everyone.

Today I’m doing a character profile on my protagonist, Peace, a young woman who is using heroin to keep painful past memories at bay.

I was asked in an interview the other day who I could picture playing Peace in a film and I couldn’t answer the question. This is because the dominant image that I kept in my mind whenever I thought about this character is of her moving through a crowd of people but her image is always blurred. I deliberately kept this ghost-like image in my mind as this character is someone who is living on the margins of society, so is invisible to the world at large. Also her dependence on heroin is causing her to all but disappear.

Tormented by traumatic memories, she sees heroin as her angel of mercy and exists for the brief moments when she can escape the past, and her present, by setting herself adrift on a brown wave that carries her out to sea where nothing can reach her. But each time she does, she drifts further and further away from herself.

Her character is fractured and split as she struggles with her demons and to maintain some semblance of control over a drug that has her bound. This splintered aspect of her character is mirrored by the narrative which is told in the first person, but jumps between the past and the present, giving the narrative a disjointed aspect which echoes
the character’s frame of mind.

So after describing someone who is clearly tormented, you may wonder why I chose to call her Peace. It was actually a deliberate decision as she has been spending all her time running away from her past, and herself, but the only way she will actually be able to get the peace she is chasing is by facing up to herself and her demons. As for whether or not she does... you’ll have to find out for yourself :-)

I hope you all have a good day.

ADK x

About the book:

Title: Peace
Author: A.D. Koboah
Genre: Contemporary Urban Fiction

Peace Osei is young, beautiful – and addicted to heroin; the only thing that can keep painful past memories at bay. But when a face from her past re-enters her life demanding answers to questions she is not ready to face, it threatens to send Peace swimming deeper into self-destructive waters. Having spent so long drifting away from the real world, can Peace find the strength to face the past and banish her demons?



Add it on: GoodReads
Author's Website
Buy it at Amazon

Author Bio

A.D. Koboah was born in London and completed an English Literature degree in 2000. Peace is her second novel. Her first novel, Dark Genesis, is a Paranormal Romance that was inspired by the concept of dehumanisation. She is currently working on a screenplay and will begin the sequel to Dark Genesis shortly.

Book Excerpt

Chapter 1
I quickened my steps to try and shake off the grinding pain in my stomach. But that only made it worse, forcing me to slow down and come to a stop by the side of the bridge whilst everyone else swept on past. It was rush hour so nobody noticed me, a small figure dressed in black trembling against the icy metal railing under dense grey clouds that threatened to unleash rain on the city below. Unable to move or think straight I let my eyes drift over the raging waters of the River Thames, which stretched out like a rippling black sheet for miles before me. And as I stared at the dark angry water, it seemed to come alive, taking on the appearance of an enormous creature stirring restlessly beneath me. The sound of the waves crashing against the bank now sounded like an unearthly heart beating slow and steady against the soft sigh of the January wind.

I wondered then what it would feel like to plunge into the midst of the creature beneath me. Would the seconds spent in the air before I hit the water feel like an eternity, or would they disappear in a flash? Would any of the people sweeping past me even notice or stop long enough to care? And once the dark, icy water closed over my head, how long would I spend struggling before I gave in to its eternal embrace?
Thankfully, the icy wind was all I felt against me, the biting cold eventually jolting me out of my morbid reverie and back to reality. Noticing a bus roll past and come to rest at the bus stop nearby, I released my death grip on the railing and ran toward it, only just managing to board it before it moved on.

Once aboard the packed bus I inched my way through the knot of people on the lower deck, up the stairs onto the top deck and chose a seat next to the window as the bus lurched forward. Leaning back in my seat, I delicately fingered three soft plastic packages in my right coat pocket and letting myself relax – ever so slightly – I watched the city streets dance by.

Dusk had crept up on us by this time and the glow of the streetlights beating back the invading darkness gave the bustling streets a festive air as office blocks emptied of their daytime inhabitants. I sat enchanted by the people that swept past, most of them in heavy winter coats walking briskly in either ones or twos toward tube stations or to join the larger groups that had gathered around bus stops in what was a mass exodus away from the city streets. Some people I saw walked with a grimace as the bitter cold whipped their faces. Their mouths were drawn into thin hard lines and their vacant eyes told me that the stresses of the day had followed them out of the office and would be with them long into the evening. Others strode energetically down the streets, jauntily ducking out of the way of their fellow pedestrians as they fled to the comforts of home. They even managed a smile as they waited for buses that were often too full to welcome them aboard. I also saw groups of young men and women around my age that appeared oblivious to the punishing cold as they meandered down the streets, laughing carelessly about something or other that had amused them. I kept my eyes on those groups of blissfully young untroubled types who were a representation of something that had long ago ceased to exist for me, and watched until they were either too far away to see or had disappeared into one of the many pubs and bars that dotted the city landscape.

The bus soon sped away from those people and the city streets, away from the London Eye which stood over the near-black river, holding up its glowing blue capsules like an offering of jewels to the twilight sky. Away from the grand office buildings with their lit windows looking like Christmas tree lights in the distance, and as the bus drew further and further away from the city streets and became emptier with each stop, we were slowly taken away from one world and into another.
No impressive-looking office buildings were to be seen providing the background for an opulent world in this new landscape. And whilst the world I had left behind had statues and monuments as a tribute to their heroes and significant events of their history, we saw no more of these as the bus left behind the wealthy city streets and wound into the urban jungle.

Neglect instead wove an ugly thread along the littered streets of this new world and the only thing that distinguished each unremarkable building from its neighbour was the graffiti that screamed at the passer-by from every exposed concrete surface. It seemed as though every time the bus turned a corner it was met by a sprawling estate or a high-rise block of flats that loomed menacingly on the horizon, dominating the landscape and casting an oppressive shadow over the world beneath. I was carried deep into this new world and got off the bus to the familiar sight of a small group of drunks that had congregated by that bus stop. They were always there, dishevelled, noisy and oblivious to the unease or open contempt that their presence evoked in those around them. In my eyes they were an example of people who had given up on life; kindred spirits that had taken enough of life’s knocks, had handed in the towel and surrendered. People who had made the conscious decision a long time ago to stop striving for the better things in life such as that better job or better relationship. They had instead chosen to find that something better at the end of a bottle – or in their case, the many empty cans of beer that littered the bus stop.

I left them behind and made the short walk into the heart of the urban jungle under a sky that had already deepened to an inky black as night descended, bringing with it a hive of activity as people either left the streets or ventured from their homes to explore it. Cars roared past and I heard the sound of a police siren, the piercing wail sounding like a bird of prey shrieking in the distance before it died away. I passed off-licences, corner shops, and takeaway shops which were now beacons of light in the darkness, drawing people in. I took comfort in the kaleidoscope of colourful faces that passed mine; from white, Asian, Latin American, Chinese and every shade of black; starting with soft golden browns and travelling down the spectrum to the richest blue-black skin tones.

Some people I passed were clearly not at ease in this world and they trod carefully through it with their heads down, trying not to make eye contact with those around them in an effort to get from A to B unnoticed. But for others the world around them had become a part of their identity and was as much an essential part of them as the blood coursing through their veins. Whether they were obvious predators or people that had simply fallen in love with the urban jungle, the hold that this world had on them was a powerful one and it kept them coming back again and again to dance to the rhythms of its dangerous beat.

I made it onto my road without having to stop and give in to the pain which was clutching and twisting my lower abdomen and fled past rows of identical Victorian houses towards the bright red door of a converted house which had become a lighthouse, lighting the way home in the growing storm of my need. Once I let myself into the house and stepped onto the worn dark brown carpet in the gloomy hallway, I was able to release a deep sigh before I closed the door shut quietly behind me. I slunk past a door on my left, which led to a one-bedroom flat, and up the stairs onto the first floor which had been converted into two bed-sits with a shared kitchen and bathroom. The tremor in my hand was more intense when I put the key into the lock of my bed-sit and swung the door open to the glare of the television set which I had left on in my haste to leave earlier on in the day. Safely in my sanctuary, I wasted no time in shrugging off my coat whilst fragments of news that nobody ever wanted to see or hear accosted me from the television screen. It was a news bulletin about another missing or dead child, and a photograph of that child wearing a school uniform that they would probably never have the chance to wear again. I watched the television sadly, affected by the sweet innocent smile that the child’s parents must have longed to see again in the flesh before I snapped the television off and plunged the room into an expectant silence.

Carefully taking out the tiny bag from my coat pocket, I reached for the lighter and roll of foil on my chest of drawers, catching sight of a tall, slim, pretty young woman peering at me from the mirror against the wall.

I avoided her as much as was physically possible, but she still managed to sneak up on me when I was least expecting it and forced me to acknowledge her as I did now.
I watched as she put a hand up to her face which had a strong hint of Ghanaian lineage in the mahogany brown skin, a small, flat, broad nose, full sensuous lips and thick, jet-black natural hair that had been pulled tightly away from her face. Although this face had undergone minor changes over the years, the eyes – my eyes – were the only feature that had changed beyond recognition and looked as if they had seen far too much in their twenty-three years on this earth. It was the clear, deep anguish in those eyes that led me here and made me tear myself away from the mirror back to the lighter and the two small pieces of foil that I tore off the roll. Rolling up one of the pieces, I put it in my mouth and let it hang off my lip like a cigarette then tore open the bag and emptied the brown powder onto the other scrap of foil. Using slow deliberate movements which defied the urgency that was speaking to me from my every pore, I used the lighter to melt the powder into a golden-brown ball and tilted the foil to make the brown ball run down to the other end whilst chasing it with the foil roll in my mouth.
Inhaling the heavenly smoke through my mouth, I chased and chased until all my burdens floated up and out of the room.

All my life it seemed as if I had chased one thing or another; acceptance, love, chasing dream after dream. Whenever I got close enough to those dreams I realised that they were nothing but phantoms. Insubstantial ghosts that quickly dispersed, leaving behind mists of failure, disillusionment and despair.

When it hits, when that first wave hits and I am swept away from everything, swept far, far away from the shore to a place where I can see nothing, hear nothing and feel nothing, I sometimes see his face. His face in all its exquisite beauty often overwhelms me, inducing tears before disappearing as quickly as it comes, leaving me far out to sea with no sight or sound of land until finally, it finds me... peace.

Teaser Tuesday #6

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! ...............

Title: Ember
Author: Jessica Sorensen
Series: Death Collectors #1
Publisher: Borrowed Hearts Publishing
Pub. Date: August 29th 2012

The teasers:

"I wiggle my foot, trying to slip it out of my boot. His hands move higher up my leg, just below my knee. My fingertips scrape the brick as they dig down to hold onto the edge."

GoodReads/Author's Blog/Amazon

About the book:

What if you knew when someone was going to die?

For seventeen-year-old Ember, life is death. With a simple touch, she knows when someone will die. It’s her curse and the reason she secludes herself from the world. The only person who knows her secret is her best friend Raven.

Then she meets Asher Morgan. He’s gorgeous, mysterious, and is the only person Ember can't sense death from. So when he pushes into her life, she doesn’t mind.

But when unexplained deaths start to haunt her town, Ember starts questioning why she can’t sense Asher's death and what he may be hiding.

Review: "The White Forest" by Adam McOmber

Title: The White Forest
Author: Adam McOmber
Publisher: Touchstone
Expected Publication: September 11th, 2012

● GoodReads
● Author
● Amazon
● B&N
● Twitter

Synopsis:

In the bestselling tradition of The Night Circus and Sarah Waters’s The Little Stranger, Adam McOmber’s hauntingly original debut novel follows a young woman in Victorian England whose peculiar abilities help her infiltrate a mysterious secret society.

Young Jane Silverlake lives with her father at a crumbling family estate on the edge of Hampstead Heath. Jane has a secret—an unexplainable gift that allows her to see the souls of manmade objects—and this talent isolates her from the outside world. Her greatest joy is wandering the wild heath with her neighbors, Madeline and Nathan. But as the friends come of age, their idyll is shattered by the feelings both girls develop for Nathan, and by Nathan’s interest in a cult led by Ariston Day, a charismatic mystic popular with London's elite. Day encourages his followers to explore dream manipulation, with the goal of discovering a new virtual reality, a place he calls the Empyrean.

A year later, Nathan has vanished, and the famed Inspector Vidocq arrives in London to untangle the events that led up to Nathan’s disappearance. As a sinister truth emerges, Jane realizes she must discover the origins of her talent and use it to find Nathan herself, before it’s too late.

Adam McOmber, whose short story collection This New and Poisonous Air earned glowing praise for its evocative prose, here reveals a gift for fantastical twists and dark turns that literary fans will relish.

Review:

"The White Forest” it’s a dark and mysterious tale, but I had a love-hate relationship with this book. On one hand, I loved McOmber's enthralling writing style, but on the other I really disliked what seemed to be his main storytelling device in this story, flashbacks.

This might seem like a weird comparison, but if you are a fan, and are slightly addicted, to Asian dramas, like I am, you might notice a big similarity between this book and those; the flashbacks. I don't like flashbacks. Actually, it would be more appropriate to say I don't like the misuse and/or abuse of flashbacks and this book did just that. There were so many of those, and although I could follow what was happening, it was sort of frustrating to finally get into the story only to be pulled back out of it because another one reared it’s head. I honestly didn’t think anything would ever beat Korean dramas in the flashback department, but this did.

The story was also slow paced and it felt even slower because of all the flashbacks. But when Jane lived in her here and now the story and mystery behind Nathan’s disappearance was actually thrilling and engaging and I was able to enjoy it. The flashbacks do finally tone down and any references to the past that are made it’s done through stories they get out of people in their search for the truth of , both, Nathan’s vanishing and Jane’s existence.

I liked Jane, she was a dark character who was drawn to whom she thought was a bright one. But in the end, I thought she was actually the brightest of them all, even if she didn’t realize it.

I had a hard time rating this, and to be honest, I was ready to rate it 2 stars. But the ending of the book is really good and I got caught up in the flow of the story. The ending is sort of bittersweet. It left me with feelings of longing and nostalgia, even when I thought the ending was perfect for the story and it wouldn’t have had it any other way.

My rating

*I received a digital ARC copy from the publisher through Edelweiss. Thanks for the opportunity.
* I received no compensation for this review.

Cover Reveal: "The Demon Royale" by Jill Cooper

Today I'm participating in the cover reveal of The Demon Royale, Book 2 of "The Dreamer Slayer Series", by Jill Cooper.

About the book!

The only thing worse than dying, is running away…

Since becoming employed by a supernatural protection agency, Natalie Johnson’s life has been more interesting than ever. While most teens are working on their summer tans, Natalie works on slaughtering the undead lurking just outside her town’s borders.

The workload takes more than just a toll on her love life, it dampens her spirit and her health, as the town is plagued by a mysterious murderer intent on stealing the residents’ souls. Natalie’s investigation is hampered by her declining health and the sicker she gets, the more inadequate she feels.

Guilt over her inability to act, weighs heavily on Natalie’s shoulders during a time when her strength is needed more than ever. As some of those closest to her begin to lose faith, she must make the hardest stand yet to save the soul of the one person she can always count on:

The Slayer.

The book will be released on October 10, 2012.

Add the book: GoodReads
Follow: Twitter @jillybug
Like: Facebook
Author's Website
Official Website
You can get Book 1, The Dream Slayer, in Amazon.

Check out the Book Trailer!


Cover Reveal Blitz organized by SupaGurl Tours!

Cover Feature: "Perception" by Lee Strauss

Welcome to my stop in the "Perception" Tour. I also have included a review of the book!

Title: Perception
Author: Lee Strauss
Series: Perception #1
Publisher: ESB Publishing
Published: September 12, 2012

About the book:

Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.

Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

PERCEPTION is a ( SF/mystery/romance) Young Adult novel that takes place in the not too distant future in a world changed by climate extremes, natural disasters and impending wars, and where scientific breakthroughs cause class divisions—both financially and philosophically. It explores the clash between faith and science and how differences can separate us as enemies or ally us together. And in some cases, even in the midst of betrayal and personal crisis, there’s room to fall in love.

This is the first book in a planned three book series.

Review:

This book was a nice, quick and enjoyable read. I liked that, although the writing wasn't complicated, the story still managed to pull me in and keep me interested. I really wanted to know what would happen next and who else would be involved in the whole mystery, which was brought on by her brother's disappearance.

I liked Zoey. She was stubborn. Sometimes fearless, and although she believed what her society had hammered into her brain her whole life, she started to open up to other possibilities. But she was also very impulsive and sometimes came off as selfish. She even calls herself that. There's also a mystery surrounding her, which was hinted at a few times before the cat is let out of the bag.

But I have to say my favorite character was Noah. He was one resourceful guy, quite understanding, protective without being overprotective or stalker-ish. Well, not always, but when he did become overprotective it was for a good reason. Really! I also liked that the story changed to his PoV halfway through it. It gave me a better understanding of this character.

I thought the romance bloomed a little too quickly, but to be honest that didn't really bother me and it didn't hinder my reading progress. I tend to be picky and rant about that sort of thing. The reason for this might have been that although, yes there was love and kisses, it didn't take over the whole book nor was the plot forgotten in favor of it.

I had no real problems with the story...until the end... When I was reading those last pages, I was really expecting something bigger after all I went through with those characters. And after someone's appearance where they were which made me go "Ooooh!". But instead, I literally went: "Wait, what? Did that really just happen the way it happened?" It was a bit disappointing, but I reminded myself that there will be a second book, so it was sort of okay that everything happened like it did.

I can't wait for second book and all the other adventures and misadventures which await Zoe and Noah.

My Rating:3.5/5

Add it: GoodReads
Buy it at: Smashwords or Amazon
Check out Mkay's review on her blog!

Preview: Chapter One

PART ONE
ZOE

Chapter 1
I balanced on my surfboard, right thigh burning and salt water stinging my eyes, while the best wave of the early morning carried me like a goddess on a pedestal to shore. My older brother Liam and I shared a friendly competition, and it gave me a certain, blissful satisfaction to catch the same wave and to get to shore first.
“Beat ya!” I shouted over the noise of the crashing surf.
Seagulls flocked and circled over us, squawking loudly, adding to the cacophony.
The sun glistened off Liam’s damp blond curls as he shook them out. His eyes sparkled as his lips tugged up into a grin. “I let you win.”
“Did not!” I smacked him playfully on the arm. “One more ride?”
Liam unzipped his wetsuit letting the top half fall down past his waist. He was in fine form, and I understood why all the girls raved about him. He was responsible for a long list of broken hearts.
“I gotta get going,” he said, lifting his board.
I fell into stride beside him, my feet sinking into the cold, wet sand. “So soon?”
He nodded, the glint leaving his eyes. My lips tightened into a frown “You’re taking off with Jackson again?”
Jackson was my boyfriend but lately he’d been spending more time with my brother than he had with me. It was starting to tick me off.
Liam stared straight ahead. “Lab stuff.”
“What are you working on?” I rushed to keep up with my brother’s long, strong strides. He flicked his head, tossing the hair out of his eyes but didn’t answer.
“Come on,” I knocked into him sideways. “Tell me!”
“It’s just stuff.”
“Just stuff? Like what? Top CIA stuff? I know you’re smart but I think the government has been doing a good job without your help.”
I meant it as a joke, but Liam huffed. “It’s just stuff, okay? So leave it.”
I stopped short shocked that he’d snapped at me.
He turned around and exhaled, “Zoe, I’m sorry.”
“Fine. If you can’t tell me, you can’t tell me.”
We resumed our trek along the beach, and I pushed back my frustration. Liam used to include me in everything. It was always him and me against everyone else. Him and me against Alison and Paul, aka our mom and dad. Him and me against the surf. We were a team. When did we start keeping secrets from each other? Rather, when did he start keeping secrets from me?
I re-adjusted my board under my arm. Maybe I could get Jackson to unzip his lips. Especially if I helped him. He could be easily persuaded if I poured on the charm. I hated to go behind my brother’s back for information, but something about all this--this, whatever it was that Liam was doing--made me uneasy. I couldn’t pinpoint why, it just did.
We reached our home, a massive glass box with two floors of windows facing the Pacific Ocean. It was built after the San Andreas Fault shifted and triggered the Big Quake that, along with the subsequent tsunami, wiped out ten miles of shoreline.
A nearby white-stucco storage shed housed all our water toys. We stopped there to hang up our wetsuits to dry.
“Thanks for surfing with me today.” Liam said, smiling at me, back to his jovial self. “I know it was a sacrifice for you to get up so early.”
I smiled in return. “No problem. It was fun.” Surfing with Liam was one of my most favorite things to do.
“You’re back for dinner?” I asked.
Liam didn’t know it, but once he left, I’d be spending the rest of the day preparing for his surprise birthday party. He’d turned twenty-one yesterday and had celebrated at a bar with his friends. I couldn’t go because I was underage, and it irked me that Jackson went and that he and Liam had once again shared a significant moment without me. I took consolation in the fact that Alison and Paul gave me free reign to plan this party. My heart beat with excitement, and I couldn’t wait to see his face when he got home and found the house full of his friends.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” he answered.
I bit my cheek to keep my voice even. “Good.We’ll see you, then.”
Our property tiered twice before connecting with the sandy beach. Three glass doors slid open disappearing into the corner and creating a wall-less view of the stone patio that encased an eternity pool. Its waters slipped over the far edge into a waterfall that was collected again on the second tier.
Liam strode into the house, through the living room and down the hall to his bedroom at the back, his wet shorts dripping on the glossy white tiles.
I tightened the towel around my waist and climbed the open-slat staircase to my room.
As I passed the maid, Saundra something, her brown face blanched. She stumbled slightly before grabbing the rail and catching herself.
“Excuse me,” she said softly at my astonished look.
The woman really didn’t look well, and I was thankful for my enhanced immunization. I was glad I didn’t have to worry about diseases brought in from the outside.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She nodded weakly, and proceeded to clean the rails. I’d requested extra staff to get the house ready for Liam’s party.
A trill of anticipation reclaimed my thoughts. I couldn’t wait for tonight.
The door beside my bathroom opened into a second room, a walk-in closet big enough to house another bedroom set. Racks of clothes and shoes lined the walls, a well-lit mirror station was located near the sky light and a cushioned leather bench was placed in the middle for sitting. I stood in my closet and stared at the rows of sundresses, blouses and shorts.
What to wear?
I settled on a lace blouse and cotton shorts, then went to take a luxurious shower, rinsing the sea water out of my long, blond hair. I leaned into the built-in seat that was designed specifically for my body height and shape. Laser lights mapped my head and twenty-eight silicon fingers reached out to massage my scalp while shampooing and conditioning my hair. Most days I had to watch or I’d doze off, but today I was excited. I commanded the water to turn off as soon as the rinse was done.
When I was dressed and my hair combed out and tied back, I slipped my platinum Communication Ring onto my left middle finger. I tapped it which produced a holographic image of my phone apps on my palm. I touched the clock icon and holographic digital numbers appeared in the air.
Ten already? Where did the time go? That was the thing with summer holidays; every hour ran languidly into the next.
I imagined the cook and her crew were busy preparing for the party in the kitchen. I’d requested fresh sea food and simulated roast, fresh fruit and vegetables, an assortment of fancy chocolates and baked items plus a three-tiered, surfer-themed birthday cake.
I skipped down the stairs to check on the progress, but in my hurry to the kitchen, I slammed into a body.
“Sorry,” a male voice said.
I stepped back agitated. I recognized the dark-haired boy wearing the white tunic my mother made the male staff wear. He was the maid’s son and I guessed he was part of the extra staff. He held a wet mop in his hand, and I figured he’d been cleaning up Liam’s spotty water trail.
He stepped politely out of the way, but the expression on his face was stoic. Even though he was clearly from the outside and the help, I still expected some small sign that what he saw when he viewed me was pleasing. A twinkle in the eye, a slight upturning of the lips. These were the responses I got from all the boys. The straight ones, anyway.
He wasn't especially attractive but I didn't see people with his appearance very often. He had eyes the color of imported coffee beans and skin like caramel candy. His nose was wide and his jaw-line sharp. I was suddenly intrigued by him and surprised myself by thinking he looked exotic.
“Excuse me, what was your name again?” I asked.
“Noah.”
Right. I remembered now. I waited for him to say something, but he stayed quiet.
Footsteps echoed from the hall above. My parents spoke together, their muffled voices floating across the high ceilings.
“Do other maids send their sons to do their work?” Alison's voice had a brassy tone that carried through the cavernous space.
I felt a flare of red creep up my neck when I realized Alison was talking about Noah. My eyes darted to his, but he kept his averted.
“He does a good job,” Paul responded. “That's the main thing. Besides you know they need the money.”
“So we're charity now?”
“What's wrong with a little charity? Besides, they're not just anybody.”
“I don't care. I still don't trust him.”
I was mortified. My feet felt cemented to the floor and I didn’t know what to say. Anything would come off as trite since nothing I could say could undo what Noah had heard.
“Did you know the Pikes have a household robot now?” Alison, again. “Apparently it’s very efficient, and at least Mary doesn’t have to worry about things going missing.”
Noah’s jaw tightened and he turned his back to me. He attacked Liam’s dried and dusty water spots aggressively and soon had disappeared around the corner.
“Zoe?” Alison click-clacked down the wooden stairs. She wore a pale yellow pant suit and high heels even though it was Saturday. She was in-between careers now, having spent the last fifteen years in law. She barely looked thirty years old and with lots of time ahead of her, she could do anything. Probably several things.
“Mom! You have to keep your voice down. How many times do I have to tell you your voice travels in this glass box?
“Oh.” She looked mildly shaken. “No matter. Is everything coming together to your satisfaction?”
“I’m just checking in on things now.”
“Your father and I are meeting people for lunch. What time is the party again?”
I blew a frustrated breath. She could at least pretend she cared enough to remember details I’d told her a dozen times already.
“Seven.”
“Right. We’ll see you at seven.”
Things proceeded throughout the day as planned and I was pleased with my ability to pull off an event like this on my own.
The decorators showed up at 1:00 as promised.
The band arrived to set up at 3:00.
I got dressed at 4:30, having bought a thigh-length mini-dress that sparkled with tiny crystals just for the occasion.
My hair and makeup girl arrived at 5:00.
I tapped my ring and called Jackson at 5:30.
“Where are you?” I said to the three-inch holographic image of him that popped up above my palm. “You said you’d help.”
“Sorry, Zo. Got tied up at home.”
“Are you okay? You don’t sound so good.”
It was odd. No one in Sol City ever got really sick, but it wasn’t unheard of to get run down if you pushed yourself too hard. Jackson had been working a lot lately.
“I didn’t sleep well last night. Uh, spent most of the day in bed.”
I felt a little panicky. “You’re still coming, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I’ll be there soon.”
Alison and Paul arrived at 6:30 along with all of mine and Liam’s friends.
I hushed everyone at 6:55, giving instructions on when to shout “Surprise!”
It was all a wasted effort.
Liam never showed.

About the author

Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for mature YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at her website .



Thanks to the author, Lee Strauss, for providing me with a free copy of the book for reviewing purposes.

Review: "Perception" by Lee Strauss

Title: Perception
Author: Lee Strauss
Series: Perception #1
Publisher: ESB Publishing
Published: September 12, 2012

About the book:

Seventeen year old Zoe Vanderveen is a GAP—a genetically altered person. She lives in the security of a walled city on prime water-front property along side other equally beautiful people with extended life spans.

Her brother Liam is missing.

Noah Brody is a natural who lives on the outside. He leads protests against the GAPs and detests the widening chasm they’ve created between those who have and those who don’t. He doesn’t like girls like Zoe and he has good reason not to like her specifically.

Zoe’s carefree life takes a traumatic turn. She’s in trouble and it turns out that Noah, the last guy on earth she should trust, is the only one who can help her.

PERCEPTION is a ( SF/mystery/romance) Young Adult novel that takes place in the not too distant future in a world changed by climate extremes, natural disasters and impending wars, and where scientific breakthroughs cause class divisions—both financially and philosophically. It explores the clash between faith and science and how differences can separate us as enemies or ally us together. And in some cases, even in the midst of betrayal and personal crisis, there’s room to fall in love.

This is the first book in a planned three book series.

Review:

This book was a nice, quick and enjoyable read. I liked that, although the writing wasn't complicated, the story still managed to pull me in and keep me interested. I really wanted to know what would happen next and who else would be involved in the whole mystery, which was brought on by her brother's disappearance.

I liked Zoey. She was stubborn. Sometimes fearless, and although she believed what her society had hammered into her brain her whole life, she started to open up to other possibilities. But she was also very impulsive and sometimes came off as selfish. She even calls herself that. There's also a mystery surrounding her, which was hinted at a few times before the cat is let out of the bag.

But I have to say my favorite character was Noah. He was one resourceful guy, quite understanding, protective without being overprotective or stalker-ish. Well, not always, but when he did become overprotective it was for a good reason. Really! I also liked that the story changed to his PoV halfway through it. It gave me a better understanding of this character.

I thought the romance bloomed a little too quickly, but to be honest that didn't really bother me and it didn't hinder my reading progress. I tend to be picky and rant about that sort of thing. The reason for this might have been that although, yes there was love and kisses, it didn't take over the whole book nor was the plot forgotten in favor of it.

I had no real problems with the story...until the end... When I was reading those last pages, I was really expecting something bigger after all I went through with those characters. And after someone's appearance where they were which made me go "Ooooh!". But instead, I literally went: "Wait, what? Did that really just happen the way it happened?" It was a bit disappointing, but I reminded myself that there will be a second book, so it was sort of okay that everything happened like it did.

I can't wait for second book and all the other adventures and misadventures which await Zoe and Noah.

My Rating:3.5/5

Add it: GoodReads
Buy it at: Smashwords or Amazon
Check out Mkay's review on her blog!

About the author

Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for mature YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss. To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page. To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at her website .


Thanks to the author, Lee Strauss, for providing me with a free copy of the book for reviewing purposes.

Mini Promo Blitz!: "Weaving Magic"

Title: Weaving Magic
Author: Mindy Hardwick
Genre: YA Romance
Date Published: April 27, 2012

Synopsis:

Synopsis: He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the one Shantel and Christopher perform together. Sixteen- year- old Christopher fights to stay sober while fifteen-year-old Shantel struggles in the aftermath of her mother’s death and seeks refuge in a fantasy world. But the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried and soon, the two are headed toward a deadly magic trick. Can Shantel and Christopher move beyond magical illusions to find love?

● Add it on: GoodReads
● Author
● Author's Blog
● FaceBook
● Follow the author: Twitter
● Buy it at: B&N or Amazon

About the author

Mindy Hardwick enjoys writing tales of romance for teens and adults. Her books for young adults include Weaving Magic and Stained Glass Summer. Mindy gets many of her ideas from the poetry workshop she facilitates at a juvenile detention center. Some of the real life teen poems can be found at www.denneypoetry.com

Mindy is included on the Washington State Arts Commission Teaching Artist Roster, and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She is a member of SCBWI. Currently, Mindy is hard at work on her next romance for teens which is a spin-off Holiday story from Stained Glass Summer.


WEAVING MAGIC EXCERPT

Everything would be okay, I told myself. Christopher was my boyfriend. I trusted him. I crunched inside the wicker basket and curled my legs underneath me. I wiped my sweating palms onto my black slacks. The audience stopped calling for an encore. They were so silent I wasn’t sure anyone was still out there.

I’d barely gotten my balance before the first sword barreled into the basket with a lot more force than we’d practiced. Startled, I realized Christopher was keyed up from the magic show performance. He was overestimating the force he was putting behind the swords.

I tried to figure out how to tell him to slow down. I couldn’t very well call out to him or the audience would hear.

Before I could it figure out, the second sword zoomed past me and into the basket. The two swords crossed over my head, and I rearranged myself so I could crouch lower. As I shifted, a third sword whizzed by my left arm and peeled off a small layer of my skin. I saw the blood before I felt the searing pain.

WEAVING MAGIC EXCERPT—LONG

“Gotcha, Superstar,” Christopher said as he stood up beside me. He wrapped his arms around me the way he’d done in the bakery.

“Umpfh.” Seemed the only word I could manage.

“Shantel,” Christopher murmured.

“Mmmm.” I enjoyed the way my name sounded on his lips.

Slowly, he began to rub small circles on my back before he reached up, and cupped my chin. Lifting my face, Christopher lowered his mouth to mine and time seemed to stop. Softly at first, we moved our lips, and then, hesitantly, I parted my mine just a bit. Christopher’s tongue quickly moved inside my mouth and swirled gently. Christopher pressed his hands against my lower back and drew me closer to him.

Thinking fast about what the romance heroines did, I moved my fingers softly into his hair. The kiss deepened, and Christopher’s hands moved slowly down my sides, and then up under my shirt. I knew I should tell him to stop. We were alone in my bedroom. Dad could comehome at any minute. But a part of me didn’t want him to stop. I wanted him to keep going. I wanted to see what happened.

Christopher’s fingers played with the edges of my bra. “Want to take it off?” he murmured.

In a bit of a haze, I stepped away from Christopher. I lowered my hands to the edges of my t-shirt and then froze. What was I doing? Everything was moving so fast. So fast, I could barely think. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw myself in the mirror. My face was flushed. My shirt was askew, and I looked like I was terrified.

This wasn’t how I was supposed to look. I was supposed to look like I was enjoying it. I looked like a fright show was happening.

I stepped away from Christopher and straightened my shirt. I combed my fingers throughmy hair and ran my tongue over my lips. But, I couldn’t look at him. I was so confused. I wanted him to keep going. I wanted to see what it would be like to be with him. But it all seemed so out of control. And out of control was scary. When people got out of control, bad things happened. “Maybe later?” I muttered.

“Okay.” Christopher adjusted his shirt. Without looking at me he said, “I should probably get going.”

“Sure,” I mumbled. My stomach cramped. Why did he want to leave now? We could have hung out like Drew and I. We could have talked about physics. But he wanted to leave. Did that mean I just blew my chance with him? Why didn’t I let it go just a bit further? I was sure Christopher thought I was a baby for stopping. I was fifteen. Old enough not to get freaked out by a little kiss in my bedroom. I wanted to rush over to him, throw off my shirt, and tell him I’d made a mistake. Instead, I followed Christopher down the stairs and attempted to breathe.

This tour was organized by Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours

Release Day Party: Mana!

We’re celebrating the release day party for Mana, a YA Fantasy novel by author Asher Tensei today. On top of that, we’re also hosting a giveaway for 2 eBook copies of Mana!

To celebrate the release, the author is hosting a giveaway for a Kindle Fire on his blog. Go here to participate! http://ashertensei.com/giveaway/

About the book:

Title: Mana
Author: Asher Tensei
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: September 7th 2012

Eurich is thrown into a seemingly ill-fated destiny. After learning of his legendary magic, he is convinced that he alone must stop an impending doom, but nothing is ever as it seems. His best friends Jason and Raine try their best to help him save the world, but help isn’t what he needs —he needs a way across the barrier.

Despite this fate thrust upon him, Eurich knows what is coming. The world is headed toward Chaos due to a weakening barrier between Earth and a world that has been hidden for millennia.

Our world is about to take a sharp turn for the worse. Extra moons are rising in the sky, and panic is at an all-time high. Worst of all, there are no explanations.

Add Mana on: Goodreads
Visit the author’s website
Follow the author on Twitter @AsherTensei
Get a little taste of the book: Chapter One

Check out the book trailer!


About The Author

Although Asher Tensei is relatively young, he has already traveled the world as he has been a military brat since the age of four. He has always wanted to share his creative writing, and it was in Germany that he realized people also really enjoyed reading his stories. Mana was composed shortly after and it instantly got the support of a small but enthused local readership. Few could believe that Asher had written a full length novel during his fifteen minute breaks while working at Burger King. He is very passionate about the fantasy genre and graciously gives thanks to the one series that made him realize that writing high concept YA fantasy was something he wanted to do--The Twilight Saga. He maintains, and frequently updates, his site http://ashertensei.com/.


Giveaway We’re hosting a giveaway for 2 eBook copies of Mana. The giveaway is international. To participate, please fill in the Rafflecopter widget below. Winners will be contacted through email.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. It showcases upcoming releases that you are just dying to sink your teeth into.

This week I'll be featuring:

Title: Poison Princess
Author: Kresley Cole
Series: The Arcana Chronicles #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Expected Pub. Date: October 2, 2012

GoodReads/Author's website/Amazon/B&N

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Evie Greene thought her horrific apocalyptic hallucinations were a sign that she was slowly losing her mind. But when her visions come true, decimating the world around her and killing everyone she loves, Evie is forced to accept that she was seeing the future.

Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she turns to wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate, the gorgeous and dangerous Jackson Deveaux for help. As Jackson and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have got the same call and discover that Evie is not the only one with special powers. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and as the battle between good and evil intensifies, it is not always clear who is on which side…

What are you waiting for?

I'm not affiliated with any program

The Anti- Trailer?

So, when my friend asked me if "#Stormdancer" had a trailer and I answered "Not that I know of", I really didn't expect to see what she linked me to afterwards. This is hilarious and in true Jay Kristoff fashion. I really enjoyed it!


Source: Mister Kristoff's blog

Title: Stormdancer
Author: Jay Kristoff
Series: The Lotus War #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

● GoodReads
● Author
● Twitter
● Amazon
● B&N

Synopsis:

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger—a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Stormdancer was released in Australia/NZ on September 3rd and will be released in the UK on September 13th and in the US on September 18th.

Check out my review here.

Shelf Candy Saturday #7: "The Midwife of Venice"

This is a meme where the designer, photographer and/or illustrator of a favorite cover is featured is hosted by A Night's Dream of Books. I loved the idea since I always want to read a book when the cover is gorgeous. Bad habit, I know!
---------------------------
This week I'm going to be featuring different versions of the cover of a historical fiction novel, The Midwife of Venice by Roberta Rich.

US Cover


UK Cover


Bulgarian Cover


This one, and variations of it, are used in a few editions.

The version of the ebook I have (one with a US cover) gives credit to Jaya Micelo for the cover design, but I didn't find any results with that name. Instead Google kept suggesting Jaya Miceli. It also credits the landscape image to Roy Rainford.

About the book:

A rollicking, fast-paced historical novel set against the richness and squalor of sixteenth-century Venice and Malta.

Hannah ha-Levi, a midwife in the Jewish ghetto, is known throughout Venice for her skill in midwifery. When a Christian count appears at Hannah's door imploring her to attend his labouring wife who is near death, Hannah's compassion is tested. Not only is it illegal for Jews to render medical treatment to Christians, it's also punishable by torture ... and death. But Hannah cannot turn down the money. With such a handsome sum, she can save her own husband, Isaac, who was captured at sea and taken to Malta as a slave of the Knights of St. John. Aided by her "birthing spoons" — rudimentary forceps she invented to help with difficult births — will Hannah be able to save mother and child? And if she can, will she also be able to save herself?

Woven through Hannah's travails is the story of Isaac's life as a captive slave in Malta. Fearing that his wife has perished in the plague, he pins his hopes of returning home to Hannah on his talent for writing love letters that melt even the hardest of hearts.

What I like about the cover:

I love how literal the cover is. There is a woman and a view of Venice, which in some of the covers is set as background. I wish I could choose just one favorite among them, but the different takes are all gorgeous.