Blog Tour - Review: Ordained by Devon Ashley

I'm excited to participate in Devon Ashley's blog tour to promote book one in the Immortal Archives series, Ordained. Below is my review of the book, but be sure to head on over to Devon's blog where she is having giveaways for paperbacks, ebooks and signed bookmarks.

Title: Ordained 
Author: Devon Ashley
Genre: YA Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Devon Ashley (Mar 19 2011)
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords


Goodreads Synopsis
Normally, the school creates the hunters - not the monsters.

Abby Sorrensten likes to play rough. Ripping the horns off the foreheads of demons, manipulating lightning and setting things on fire with the flick of your wrist can give you a serious rush. So she probably wasn’t the best choice for the Order’s experimental training program. Thirteen years of isolation, lack of affection and a bruised and broken body from horrendous training sessions creates more than just an exceptional fighter, it creates an evil within - an evil responsible for several deaths the night she left.

Two hundred years later Abby resurfaces as the very thing the Order trained her to kill: a vampire. A mythical demon has set his sights on the school and only the ordained hunter has the powers to face it. Unbeknownst to the Order, Abby’s their precious ordained one and their only chance for survival. As much as she would love to leave them hanging, she’s not willing to risk the life of Emily, a fellow friend and hunter also fed up with the organization.

But for Abby, locking herself away in a fortress with angry descendents of those she killed causes suspicions and tensions to run high. Abby must learn the demon’s weaknesses for battle before the Order learns hers.


REVIEW

The Order trains hunters to kill vampires, but they are aware of a demon (Eraticus) that kills hunters for their auras on their 25th birthdays, as that is when their auras become the strongest. The only thing is, the Order never warned any of the hunters of their fate nor taught them how to defend themselves against anything other than vampires. So when Emily Davis survives the demon, they think that she's their only hope of fighting off another demon (Morphus) that is headed their way despite the fact that Emily doesn't carry the mark of the ordained huntress on her body.

Emily met Abby Sorrensten on her 25th birthday when she was fighting off Eraticus. Abby helped her, which is why she survived. Abby is a huntress who was turned into a vampire by her guardian, Noel. However, Noel and Abby are pure blood vampires, not the mutated versions that the Order trains hunters to kill. Still, the Order is not aware that Noel and Abby are vampires. Although they are fearful of having Abby around because of what happened when she was originally being trained as a huntress, the Order calls her and Noel in to help with the Morphus situation.

During Abby's time at the school, she basically had no family, and because of that, the Order figured they could push her farther than any of the other hunters. She was basically tortured for 13 years. Forced to fight while broken and bruised. I tell you, when I initially read this book -- I read it twice -- I had tears in my eyes while reading about what Nathaniel, her advisor, did to her when she was 6 years old. Of course, that continued throughout her years at the school.

I really, really enjoyed Ordained. It was well written, intense, exciting and I really liked the characters. There were some sarcastic, funny comments that I loved. I actually wished that there had been more of that but it was mainly used to lighten the mood from time to time. And although the book isn't a romance, there is a tad bit of romance in it between Noel and Abby which I liked. There were some heartbreaking moments too.

Besides Emily and Abby's friendship, I rather liked the friendship that developed between Abby and Valerie, another huntress at the school who is clairvoyant. Despite Abby not making friends easily, there is a sort of bond between them. They are alike in some ways.

The only issue that I had with the book was that on occasion I would go from one paragraph to the next and it would be a separate scenario. A different time or place or person's story with no obvious break. So the flow was off for me in those cases, but it didn't happen often. Otherwise, the story flowed well.

I'm really glad that I signed up to participate in this blog tour for Ordained because otherwise, I might not have gotten around to reading it as soon as I have. There is so much to learn about Abby Sorrensten throughout the book. Her past unravels little by little. And although there is no cliffhanger ending, it does end in a way that leaves you wondering about some things. So I'm really looking forward to reading the next book.

Find Devon Ashley Online
Blog | Goodreads | Facebook

Shout Out: Wraith by Laura Eno

A little while back I read and really enjoyed Laura Eno's book Immortal Desires, so I am excited to let everyone know about her latest book Wraith which is book two in her Sci/Fi Space Opera novella series, The Carriena Oracles.

Wraith, Book Two of the Carriena Oracles

Blurb:
Someone wants them dead. Another wants them captured. No one can be trusted. Secrets, lies, and revelations await Raven and Mikael as their search for Mikael's missing friend leads them to Wraith, a mysterious moon owned by Jeffrey Hamilton, cybernetics genius and Ben's creator. How much of the Oracle's technology does Hamilton possess and where did it come from?
Raven's nightmares from the past threaten her sanity, while Mikael's guilt slowly consumes him. Ben's in more danger than anyone as they race to find the answers to uncertain questions—questions which could lead to death for them all.

Available for only .99!

AmazonUS

AmazonUK

Nook

Smashwords

As a bonus you can download the first book, Raven, for free today only! Click here and enter the code PU65D to download your copy in multiple formats, including PDF.

Find Laura Eno Online 
Website - Blog - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

UtopYA Con: Where all the cool kids go to meet their favorite female authors.

It’s time to get excited and to get to Nashville for the first ever UtopYA Con, which is the convention for female, paranormal/fantasy young adult authors and readers who love them.  It will be held at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville, TN on July 6-8, 2012. Would you like to come? You’re already excited I know, but wait until I tell you who’s coming (and this is just a few)… Myra McEntire (Hourglass and Timepiece), Angeline Kace (Descended by Blood), Amy Bartol (The Premonition Series), Tammy Blackwell (Timber Wolves), Tiffany King (Saving Angels), Abbi Glines (The Vincent Boys), Ella James (Stained), Jessica Sorenson (Fallen Star), and so many more! You can find the full list at the UtopYA Con website.

Here’s what a few of them are saying about going to UtopYA Con:

Raine Thomas (Daughters of Saraquel)-  “"The world's been waiting for a conference like UtopYA. It's unique and in a class of its own. If you enjoy YA fantasy and paranormal stories, you can't miss this event!”

Chelsea Fine (Sophie and Carter)- “"Don't miss out on UtopYa Con 2012: Bringing your YA books to life!"

Brina Courtney (Cryptid Tales)- “If you’re a true YA fan, you’ll be there,  mixing it up with all of us.”

But it’s not just for fans, it’s for authors too. Learn the tricks of the trade from people who are there, doing it successfully already. There are sessions and panels for both readers and writers alike.

So how about it? You wanna go? Well obviously you do, but here’s the question… ARE YOU GOING?

Here’s where you can find out more about tickets.

Now, so maybe you’re awesome, but you can’t go, and you’re bummed obviously. Well you still want to participate right? Here’s your chance, from now until June 29^th, 2012 you can vote for your favorite books to win UtopYA Con awards, hosted by CMT’s Katie Cook. Pretty sweet right? I know, I think so too.

Anyway because we had so many blogs help us to promote this unique event we decided to do some fun giveaways provided by some of our authors at UtopYA Con and some other authors.

Good luck and we’ll see you at UtopYA Con!

Review: Call of the Sea by Rebecca Hart

Title: Call of the Sea
Author: Rebecca Hart
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance 
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing (Jun 21st, 2012)
Get it: B&N | InkSpell

Goodreads Synopsis
Elysandra Winters has always yearned for a life of adventure on the rolling seas and is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill her dream. When her Privateer father continually refuses to allow his only daughter to sail, Ellie defies him, disguises herself as a boy, and goes in search of a captain who will give her a chance to prove her worth.

Thanks to the cursed selkie blood coursing through his veins, Daniel O'Rourke needs the sea to survive. After giving up on his humanity and spending three years in seal form, he decides to give his human side another chance. Daniel goes in search of a job and a sense of normalcy, earning himself a position aboard Captain Winter’s ship, The Siren's Call. However, his new captain’s first assignment has nothing at all to do with sailing, and everything to do with his headstrong young daughter.

Years later, when the leader of a band of bloodthirsty pirates murders Captain Winters, Daniel and Elysandra’s lives come crashing back together with the force of a hurricane. Both experts in deception, they must find a way to trust each other if they are to have any hope of hunting down the captain’s killer.


REVIEW

At the age of ten, Daniel's father kicks him out after the death of his mother. After three years on his own, he spies Captain Winters' returning home from a stint at sea to celebrate his daughter Ellie's tenth birthday. That only saddens Daniel, wishing that he's had a loving father like Ellie's. So Daniel decides to shed his sealskin and ask Captain Winters for a job on his ship.

Ellie has always wanted to be a privateer like her father. And although Michael Winters knows how his daughter yearn to be at sea, she is just too young. When Daniel saves Ellie, Michael realizes that he's a selkie, and instead of taking him with him on his next trip, he gives Daniel the tasks of looking out for Ellie while he's gone. But after five years, Ellie's had enough and takes matters into her own hands.

This books has some awesome characters in it. I loved the interaction between Ellie and Daniel, Daniel and Captain Winters, Ellie and her mother Amelia, and Ellie and Nelson, a sailor on Captain Harris' ship whom she meets when she runs away. Nelson realizes that Ellie (going by the name of Ellis) is not a boy like she pretends to be, and he befriends her, keeps her secret, and protects her.

From the moment that Daniel saw Ellie that first day, he loved her, but he never told her. Not until ten years later after Captain Winters is killed. But he's afraid of telling Ellie his secret for fear she won't accept him if she knew. Not only is Daniel hiding things from Ellie, so was her father. And Daniel doesn't want to taint Ellie's memory of her father by having her find out.

One thing that I really would have liked to read more about was Daniel's selkie side, and there were a few errors, but nothing that was too distracting. Plus, I really, really would have liked to read more about Daniel and Ellie, so I'm hoping that there is a sequel in the works.

Call of the Sea is swashbuckling adventure on the high seas. There is action, mystery, betrayal, adventure and romance. Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. There were nail biting moments, funny moments, and sad moments that had me in tears. I definitely recommend it!

** I received an eARC copy of the book from InkSpell Publishing for review.**

Find Rebecca Hart Online
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Promised Land

I previously mentioned that I was cast as an extra in the movie Promised Land. Well, I ended up working a total of five days on the movie, one of which was Saturday June 2nd, and that was also the last day of filming. It was so great to see a number of the people that I'd worked with on other movies, be they other extras or crew members. Not to mention all the new people that I met.

The first scene that I was scheduled for was a diner scene. It was to be a two day shoot, ended up being just one. There was actually three different diner scenes filmed that day. However, I was only included in two of them. At one point I was told to sit in a booth that was right next to the booth that Matt Damon was to sit in, and the assistant director looked at me (and the guy who was told to sit with me) and said that we were too young and to bring in the old guys. LOL I guess I could take that as a compliment, but I really would have loved to have stayed there. Overall it was great because Matt Damon spoke to me, albeit briefly. We aren't supposed to talk to the actors unless they talk to us first. :) 

The second scene that I did was a town hall scene. That was to be a five day shoot but ended up being three days. Monday and Tuesday was one town hall scene while Wednesday - Friday was to be a second scene. So for the first couple of days I was seated three or four people away from Hal Holbrook. I was so thrilled to get to see Hal work. Actor Tim Guinee was also in that scene, and he had to run off the bleachers passed me a number of times. It took me a couple times to even realize that he was supposed to be doing that in order for me to know to move out of his way. LOL  On Wednesday, which ended up being the last day for the Town Hall filming, all the extras were given a bandana with Promised Land on it. Might be strange of me, but I framed it and hung it on the wall. :D

New Dream Site - Beta

If you love books, I'm sure you are aware of Dream for their book giveaways. Well, I received an email from Vish Chap (@idre_am), a co-founder of Dream, letting me know about their new site which is currently in an invite-only beta testing phase. You will need a password to access the new site while in its beta version, and I've been asked to share that password for those of you interesting in checking it out and giving it a try. The new version will be heavily focused on book critic reviews.

So, feel free to check it out!

Visit: http://idre.am/newbooks
Password: discover_books

Review: First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Title: First Drop of Crimson
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Avon (Feb 9 2010)
Get it: Amazon | B&N  

NOTE:  Story is for mature readers due to some sexual content.

Goodreads Synopsis
The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows - her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield - and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness - and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who craves a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human - even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the demon nightmare together...

Because once the first drop of crimson falls, they will both be lost.


REVIEW

Denise MacGregor has an immense fear of the paranormal after the murder of her husband by zombies over a year ago in a war between vampires and zombies.  Despite that, her best friend Cat is a half-vampire, and Cat's husband Bones is a vampire. When some members of Denise's family die, she's confronted by the demon that killed them. Raum brands her arms and gives her an ultimatum; she must find her ancestor Nathanial who had backed out of a bargain with him or she will turn into a demon just like him. The only person she feels that she can call for help is Spade, a master vampire she'd met when her husband died.

Let me start out by saying that this is the first book by Jeaniene Frost that I've read, and I wish I would have started sooner! I loved this book. It had everything that I could have asked for in a paranormal romance. It had its suspenseful moments, funny moments, sad moments and sexy moments. I'm raring to read the next book in the series.

Although Denise is scared of Spade because of her past, she feels a connection with him that she feels guilty about. And Spade lost someone in his past as well and has promised himself he will never fall in love with a human again, but his attraction to Denise is stronger than anything he's ever felt before. Spade is fully committed to helping Denise find Nathanial, whatever it takes.

Spade inadvertently learns something about Denise that can help him locate Nathanial but also puts Denise in extreme danger. I won't say what that is, but I found that to be a very interesting twist in a vampire story. There was just so much that I really enjoyed about the story that I didn't want to put the book down.

Because this was the first book of Jeaniene Frost's that I'd read, I wasn't aware that this book, although book one of a series, is a spin-off of her Night Huntress series. So there were some small things about various characters, like Cat and Bones, that I didn't understand right away. I felt a tad bit confused or lost because of it at times, but none of that was integral to the story though. So I definitely recommend reading the Night Huntress series first, if possible.

I am really looking forward to reading more of Jeaniene's work. I just feel that First Drop of Crimson was so well written that it sucked me right into the story.

Find Jeaniene Frost Online
Website | Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Sarah's Books & Life - 1 Year Blogoversary

Sarah over at Books & Life is celebrating the one year anniversary of her blog with a giveaway. There are two book and swag prize packs up for grabs, so be sure to check it out!