ARC Review: "Midnight City" by J. Barton Mitchell

Title: Midnight City
Series: Conquered Earth #1
Author: J. Barton Mitchell
Publication Date: October 30th, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

About the book:

Earth has been conquered. An extraterrestrial race known as The Assembly has abducted the adult population, leaving the planet’s youth to fend for themselves. In this treacherous landscape, Holt, a bounty hunter, is transporting his prisoner Mira when they discover Zoey, a young girl with powerful abilities who could be the key to stopping The Assembly. As they make their way to the cavernous metropolis of Midnight City, the trio must contend with freedom fighters, mutants, otherworldly artifacts, pirates, feuding alien armies, and perhaps most perilous of all: Holt and Mira’s growing attraction to each other.

Goodreads ● Amazon ● Barnes & Noble ● Book Depository
Author's Website ● Twitter: jbartonmitchell

My Thoughts:

Review: "Ironskin" by Tina Connolly

Title: Ironskin
Author: Tina Connolly
Series: Ironskin #1
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication date: October 2nd, 2012

About the book:

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It's the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a “delicate situation”—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn't expect to fall for the girl's father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her scars and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things are true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of a new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

Goodreads ● Author's Website ● Twitter: @tinaconnolly
My thoughts:

Release Day Party: The Bone Knife by Intisar Khanani

We’re celebrating the release day party of The Bone Knife today. The Bone Knife is a YA Fantasy Short Story by author Intisar Khanani, who you can find on Thorn the Novel

We’re hosting a giveaway for a $20 Amazon Gift Card, spread across all blogs participating. Scroll down to participate!

Title: The Bone Knife
Author: Intisar Khanani
Genre: YA Fantasy, Short Story

Blurb:

Rae knows how to look out for family. Born with a deformed foot, she feigns indifference to the pity and insults that come her way. Wary of all things beautiful, Rae instantly distrusts their latest visitor: an appallingly attractive faerie. Further, his presence imperils the secret her sister guards. But when the local townspeople show up demanding his blood, Rae must find a way to protect both her sister’s secret and their guest. Even if that means risking herself.

About the author:

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters.

Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. Her approach to writing reflects her lifelong love for stories from different cultures. Her next project is a companion trilogy to her debut novel Thorn, with Rae as her new heroine.

Find Intisar

Website ● GoodReads ● Facebook ● Twitter: @IntisarKhanani

GiveawayWe’re hosting a giveaway for a $20 Amazon Gift Card. This giveaway is international! Fill in the Rafflecopter form to participate.
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Tours Stops Coming Soon!

These are the upcoming tour stops on my blog for what's left of October and for the month of November.

October

October 29th

Organized by Enchanted Book Tours


November

November 2nd

Organized by Supagurl Book Tours

November 4th

Organized by Supagurl Book Tours

November 7th:

Organized by Enchanted Book Tours

November 9th

Organized by Reading Addiction Blog Tours

ARC Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Lost Prince
Series: The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1
Author: Julie Kagawa
Expected Publication Date: October 23rd 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

About the book:

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Goodreads ● Amazon ● B&N ● Author's Website

Teaser Tuesday #7: Devil's Bargain by Rachel Caine

...............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 I chose...

Mega Promo Blitz: Emily's Trial by Natalie Wright

Click on banner to see all stops

Title: Emily's Trial
Series: Akasha Chronicals #2
Author: Natalie Wright
Date published: October 2012
Genres: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Book Description:

Emily's journey began two years ago when she became a modern Celtic Priestess. Armed with a magic dagger and the powerful golden torc, she was entrusted with sacred magic and ancient wisdom.

But even a Priestess can know desire, feel temptation, and yearn for love. Will passion entice Emily to use the sacred magic in a forbidden way? Can new love take root in a world of nightmares? And will her friendships survive Emily’s Trial?

The Journey Continues . . .

Tour: Elementals by Shauna Granger

Click the banner for the full tour schedule
Organized by YA Bound

Title: Earth
Series: Elemental #1
Author: Shauna Granger
Release Date: 05/01/11
Paperback/e-book

Goodreads ● Amazon

About the book:

Shayna and her two best friends have the abilities to manipulate and control the four elements, earth, air, water and fire. While learning to hone their growing powers, they discover a new and malicious presence in their sleepy beach town. Someone is performing blood magic and threatens to expose their small magical community. So far only small animals have been slaughtered, but then the nightmares start.

Shayna suffers nightmares of being chased and sacrificed only to wake up bloodied and bruised. She thinks her magical blood is the ultimate target for the final blood rite. When an innocent girl, Tracy, is kidnapped Shayna knows it's only a ploy to draw her out; she can't let someone die because of her.

Review: "Nightshade" by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade
Author: Andrea Cremer
Series: Nightshade #1
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Published Date: October 19, 2010

GoodReads ● Author ● Amazon

Synopsis:
"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything - including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?"

My thoughts:

Review: Transcend by Christine Fonseca

About "Transcend":

Author: Christine Fonseca
Publication: 18th September 2012
Publisher: Compass Press
Genre: Historical Romance

All seventeen-year-old composer Ien Montgomery desires is an escape from his family's rigid expectations for his life; someone to inspire his music. When he meets a beautiful violin-prodigy, Kiera McDougal, his life music takes on new life. With her, he imagines a future outside of his parents’ control. That is, until a horrible accident tears them apart.

Sent to die in a sanatorium, Ien’s obsession for Kiera grows unbearable. Tortured by thoughts he can’t escape and the truth of his monstrous disfigurement, he flees, desperate to exact revenge on the people that ruined his life – his parents. But, vengeance is empty. Betrayed by those closest to him, Ien discovers that the price for his happiness may be his sanity.

Set amidst the landscape of New York's Gilded Age, and inspired by Phantom of the Opera, TRANSCEND exposes the fine line between love and madness.

Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
SPECIAL EDITION- Signed and numbered Hardback available for preorder NOW (ships in Decemeber) – for a limited time only, and only form the author.

My thoughts:

Song of the Day

ALi- "Carry On" from the "Faith" (Korean Drama) OST

Shelf Candy Saturday #8: Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey

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!
---------------------------

Title: Kushiel's Chosen
Author: Jacqueline Carey
Series: Phèdre's Trilogy #2, Kushiel's Universe #2, Kushiel's Legacy #2
Publisher: Tor Books
Published Date: April 6th 2002
Pages: 700 (Hardcover)

Synopsis:

"In the novel, the journey of famed anguissette, Phèdre nó Delaunay brings her all the way to Caerdicca Unitas, chasing after the path of the infamous traitor of Terre d'Ange, Melisande Shahrizai. Even still, the curse of her one true friend, Hyacinthe, haunts her. She has a long way to go if she will ever have the chance to free him from the curse that should have been hers. It is all she can do to keep madness at bay and try to stay one step ahead of Melisande." - Wikipedia


Cover Artist: John Jude Palencar

"John Jude Palencar (born 1957 in Fairview Park, Ohio) is a fantasy, science fiction, and horror artist. Over 100 book covers have been adorned by his art, including all four covers of the Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini. He graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1980." -Wikipedia

Biography ◉ Website



I just love the cover of this book. It's beautiful and not like the usual covers I lust after. The cover is also tied to the story, since that's a back view of the the protagonist, Phèdre. And I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly, but there's a dress like the one she's wearing mentioned in the story.

Cover Reveal: Centaur Legacy!

About the book

Camille and Drake are on the run, bound for the mythical pasture of Thessaly. They search for the family heirloom that will keep them safe from Zandra while trying to unlock the secrets of her mother’s past. As their journey progresses from the rolling hills of Ireland to the snow covered forests of South Dakota, they find Zandra is no longer the only danger pursuing them.

Camille's Centaur lineage puts their future at risk; they don't know who to trust or where to hide. Camille’s family is quick to come to her aid but even they are ill prepared for their ancestor’s Centaur Legacy.

Help comes from an unexpected benefactor in an unwelcomed way. Drake has to choose between being the man he wants to be and the Centaur warrior Camille needs him to be.

"Centaur Legacy" will be released on November 15th, 2012 and it's Book 2 in the Touched Series!

About the author

Nancy was born in Sioux City Iowa, left the cold of the Midwest in 1991 and only returns to see family in the summer time. She spent ten years traveling the world as a US Marine and settled in rural SC with her husband and two children.

She enjoys reading all types of Paranormal and Young Adult literature.

Find Nancy on the Web:

Goodreads | Blog | Twitter

Dream Slayer Weekend with Jill Cooper‏!

This coming weekend (October 12th through Sunday October 14th!) "The Dream Slayer", Book one in the series, will be free on Amazon!!

About the book:

When your dreams come true, sometimes you get more than you bargained for...

Natalie Johnson has always dreamed she’s someone else; calm, beautiful, in control. A chosen warrior with a maniacal arch nemesis and a dreamy boyfriend, the type that can make your knees melt and your heart quiver.

Real life is much different. She’s tormented by a bully and endures the sharp tongue of her father, but finds solace in her dreams.

When her bully ends up dead, de ja vu from a dream hits her hard as everything around her begins to fall apart.

Whatever killed Sarah in her dreams is now in reality, hunting her from the shadows. And it wants her dead.

Somehow as the lines between reality and nightmare blur, Natalie must discover hidden strength to pull her friends and family back from the brink of madness.

And as if that wasn't enough, the author will also be giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card. For a chance to win just go HERE!

Blog Tour! Transcend Tour by Christine Fonseca

About "Transcend":

Publication: 18th September 2012
Publisher: Compass Press
Genre: Historical Romance

All seventeen-year-old composer Ien Montgomery desires is an escape from his family's rigid expectations for his life; someone to inspire his music. When he meets a beautiful violin-prodigy, Kiera McDougal, his life music takes on new life. With her, he imagines a future outside of his parents’ control. That is, until a horrible accident tears them apart.

Sent to die in a sanatorium, Ien’s obsession for Kiera grows unbearable. Tortured by thoughts he can’t escape and the truth of his monstrous disfigurement, he flees, desperate to exact revenge on the people that ruined his life – his parents. But, vengeance is empty. Betrayed by those closest to him, Ien discovers that the price for his happiness may be his sanity.

Set amidst the landscape of New York's Gilded Age, and inspired by Phantom of the Opera, TRANSCEND exposes the fine line between love and madness.

Timeless Trailer Reveal & Giveaway at author's blog!

Timeless is the final installment of the Transcend Time Saga. The book will be released on November 20, 2012. And if you go by Michelle Madow's Blog you might get a chance at winning a paperback signed proof of Timeless.

Add it on Goodreads.