I diverted the conversation to music because I couldn't take more sex talk; I was on the verge of vibrating, and if the sparks popped any brighter between us, we'd burn his apartment down.
Copyright 2014 by Ann Aguirre
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly post that contains a teaser, or excerpt, from a book that I am currently reading. This week's Teaser Tuesday post features I WANT IT THAT WAY by Ann Aguirre which was released in August of 2014.
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ORENDA Ruth Silver 232 Pages Publisher: Patchwork Press Release Date: April 12, 2014 Rating: 1 STAR Join forces with a parallel universe. Looking at the cover for ORENDA, and reading the synopsis, made me think that this was a book I would really enjoy; however, almost everything about this story was just wrong. ORENDA moved extremely quickly, which meant that Ruth Silver was unable to set up either of the worlds. Everything in Orenda is supposed to be opposite from what is in the real world. This idea intrigued me, and I would have really loved to see the drastic differences, but was unable to do so. Because the novel moved so fast, it was also easy to get confused as to what character was speaking or who was doing what unless it was clearly stated.
The characters were severely underdeveloped. I saw no change in them from the beginning of the novel to the end. I enjoy being able to tell when a character has grown and learned from all of the experiences he/she has gone though, but Silver did not provide this. There was also no difference from the initial characters and their doppelgangers. Everybody seemed to act and speak the same way, so at times it was hard to differentiate between them. Silver had a wonderful idea for ORENDA; unfortunately, it just was not executed to the full extent that it should have been. I did encounter a few passages that were humorous, but it was not enough to save the novel. The cover for ORENDA is absolutely beautiful, it is what first drew me to the book, but it is very misleading. It gives me the impression that Lil can see Orenda through the river/pond she is looking in, or perhaps even use the body of water to travel to the world, but neither of these possibilities are true. Silver has authored several novels, and I am open to the idea of giving another a try. She seems to have good concepts, and I would like to see whether or not she is able to carry them out fully in a different novel. Cora Carmack is one of my favorite New Adult authors, and I am so excited to be able to share the cover for her new New Adult Paranormal Romance book, INSPIRE that comes out December 15, 2014! It is absolutely beautiful! But enough of me gushing over it, y'all can see it for yourself now! About INSPIRE:
Kalliope lives with one purpose. To inspire. As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real. Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal. Her presence may inspire genius. But it breeds madness, too. About Cora Carmack: Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Links: Website Author Goodreads INSPIRE Goodreads Cover reveal organized by Ink Slinger PR Undertow (Undertow #1) by K.R. Conway Release Date: 10/18/13 Summary from Goodreads: Luckless Eila is unknowingly the last of her kind: Rare. Gifted. Breakable. Stunning Raef is her kind's historic enemy: Soulless. Lethal. Lost. A legendary death 160 years before would set their lives to collide, forcing a beautiful killer to become a savior, a simple wallflower to become a warrior, and ruthless destiny to become a death sentence. SUMMARY: High school senior Eila Walker knows that good luck skips over her like an Easter Bunny on Speed. So when she inherits her grandmother's million-dollar Cape Cod home, she is downright shocked. And yeah, her new town isn't perfect: the cheerleaders are heinous clones, the local undertow can kill ya, and her Great Grams was supposedly fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is hopeful her luckless days are in the past . . . until history decides to repeat itself. A self-proclaimed loner and previous-social reject, Eila thinks she's hit the jackpot when drool-worthy Raef O’Reilly becomes her friendly, yet weirdly protective shadow. But being hauled beneath the waves by an unnatural undertow slams the brakes on bliss – especially when Raef storms to her aid with coal-black eyes and iron-like strength. Eila, entirely freaked, demands an explanation and Raef comes clean, revealing that neither of them are average humans but rather the genetic remnants of an angelic pissing-match gone wrong. Eila supposedly can channel the power of human souls, while Raef is quite adept at stealing them. Even worse, the legend about her ancestor isn't such a myth, since Eila’s grandmother was one kick-ass warrior until her lightning-like power backfired. A power that is written all over Eila's DNA. Now sought by Raef’s own family for her destructive ability, Eila must trust him to watch her back. But when a quest for information goes terribly wrong, Eila is suddenly left with only two options: become a weapon for the enemy or follow in her Gram’s fearless footsteps to save those she loves. Unfortunately she needs a willing enemy to ignite her suicidal energy and the only one she trusts has been guarding her butt and scorching her lips. Add to Goodreads Buy Links: Amazon Guest Post Are your books pure fiction or are some aspects inspired by your own life or someone close to you? The series is based on a REAL version of Cape Cod. In fact, one of the characters owns an ice cream shop named The Milk Way. While “The Milk Way” is fictitious, it is 100% based on Four Seas Ice Cream in Centerville (a REAL town, were fictional Eila lives). Four Seas knows they are in the book and they host book signings. Other things in the book that are real to Cape Cod (so you can basically visit here and do all the things that Eila and her crew do) are: 1. Eila’s house – The home the main character inherits, and thus sets off the chain of events for UNDERTOW, does exist in the historic area of Centerville, not far from Four Seas Ice Cream. It used to be owned by a friend of mine and we hung out in it all the time when we were young. She now resides in Hong Kong as a pilot, so we catch up on Facebook and she gives me more secrets about how the house was built. FYI – don’t go knocking on the door, because someone else owns the house now. 2. Barnstable High School – Totally real and totally cool public high school that does some crazy thing. The students and faculty know they are in the novels (and even decided to begin building their own book trailer based on the series), so they allow me to come in and walk the halls as needed to make sure I stay true to the story. And yes – it is so huge that I need a GPS to find my way out. 2000+ students go there. Their award winning theater department became part of a major TV network series known as High Drama a few years ago. American Idol contestant Siobhan Magnus was a student there. 3. The Jeep Subculture – Again, totally real. On Cape Cod, Wranglers are the most beloved vehicles of all. Most families have one, and if you drive one, other Wrangler drivers will wave to you when you pass each other – like Harley riders do. And yes – you can drive them out onto some of the beaches (MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHICH ONES!) 4. Witch Balls, The Crimson Moon, and Eila’s Bracelet – All real. Witch Balls are made at any one of our beautiful, glass-blowing shops (and yes – you can watch them actually blow glass, which is so cool). The Crimson Moon was based on The Lavender Moon, which is no longer in business. It was owned by a real coven of witches and when you would go in there, you could buy healing stones, herbs, crystals, oils, etc. Don’t worry – Dalca didn’t work at the real version! Eila’s bracelet is a staple of Cape Cod and there are several variations, though the original is simply called a Cape Cod Bracelet. They come in various sizes, so having a two-year-old with one is not unusual. The ball screws the bangle together, which means that sucker ain’t coming off, so don’t get it caught on anything or your arm may go with it. 5. Town Neck, the Bonfire party, and the infamous bridge – All real, though I did take a few creative liberties. So, Town Neck beach is part of the town of Sandwich. It has the boardwalk, just as described, and the long beach at the end, AND, yes, the river. Kids can jump from the bridge (yup, I’ve done it too, and IT IS FREEZING). However, you cannot drive a car out on Town Neck and you are not supposed to bonfire there – all those things can be done on SANDY NECK or NAUSET (where Raef hunts), so I kinda sorta blended the two beaches. 6. Barnstable Harbor and the Ferry – Totally true and yes, you can sit and people watch. You can also catch a Cape Cod Baseball League game in the nearby field. The Cape Cod League is famous because so many players get called up to the Majors. About the Author
I have been a journalist for 15 years and serve on the Board of Directors for the Cape Cod Writers Center. I also drive a 16-ton school bus because I am ENTIRELY NUTS. In addition to working jobs that should come with a warning label , I hold a BA in Psychos (Forensic Psych), torment the tourists about Jaws, and occasionally jump from the Town Neck bridge in an attempt to reclaim my youth. I live on Cape Cod with two smallish humans who apparently are my kids, my fishing-obsessed husband, two canines (adept at both flatulence and snoring), and a cage-defiant lovebird that sleeps in a miniature tent. Nope - that's not a type-o. The bird is quite the indoor camper. Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook Since 1982, the American Library Association has been making the public aware of the side effects that result from banning books. September 21-27, 2014, is an entire week dedicated to raising awareness and educating people about banned books. Books that some of us read every day and don't give a second thought about, books that are very important to our society, books that have the ability to speak for someone who cannot speak for themselves. This is what is being banned across America. I was very surprised when I looked up lists of banned/challenged books, and honestly, I was angry. I realize that some of the books on the list include mature content, but there are kids and young adults LIVING mature content every day of their lives. A lot of these young people feel completely alone, but if they had access to a book that deals with the same events that they are going through, it could very possibly help them. In Ellen Hopkins' RUMBLE, Matt's brother, Luke, commits suicide because nobody in his school can accept that he is gay and they bully him constantly. Matt's school is trying to ban the book THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, but Matt makes a really good point. Charlie, the main character in PERKS, could have spoken for Luke when nobody else did. Books have the power to speak for people who need it. Who are we to take this away? For more information on banned/challenged books, visit the American Library Association's website.
Now on to the GIVEAWAY! I am participating in I Am A Reader and BookHounds' Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop! The winner will get to choose any TWO books as long as they are listed as banned/challenged. The American Library Association's website has lists if you need to check!
Don't forget to visit all of the other blogs that are participating in this giveaway hop! The Ghost of You
by Amanda Burckhard Release Date: 12/30/14 Swoon Romance Summary from Goodreads: Emmy has everything she’s ever wanted: a hot boyfriend she adores, great friends, a promising future, and even a well-connected family. But one night rips it all away. A car accident shatters her world, claiming the lives of her twin brother and her best friend. In the wake of the accident, her friends drift away, her family falls apart, and her boyfriend cheats. The grief is more than she can handle, so she finds escape at the bottom of a bottle of painkillers. Taking the pills makes her brother alive again, if only in her head. Seeing and talking to her brother as if he were still alive is the only thing that keeps her going. Until Logan King moves to town. Logan sees past the mask of pristine popularity she wears in public and he’s the only one who can tell she hasn’t moved on. His uncanny ability to read her forces her to open up and she starts to fall for him, no matter how unwilling she is to admit it. But Emmy isn’t the only one keeping secrets and when a close brush with death sparks events that bring everything to light, Emmy will have to decide what’s more important: learning how to forgive and move on, or holding onto the pills and the ghost of her past. Add to Goodreads About the Author Amanda Burckhard grew up exploring bat caves and hunting for dinosaur bones in the Black Hills of South Dakota. When she wasn’t crossing paths with mountain lions, she was making up stories and devouring books at the library. Although, she still does that. Amanda loves to travel and cross out things on her adrenaline packed bucket list. Some of the things she's been able to cross out include see an active volcano erupt, ride a gondola in Venice, and pet a tiger. She currently lives in North Sioux City, South Dakota and works as a microbiologist by day. Some of her obsessions include comic book movies, hot chocolate, sushi, sunshine, and Doctor Who. Author Links: Website * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook A WHISPERED DARKNESS Vanessa Barger 300 Pages Publisher: Month9Books, LLC Release Date: August 26th, 2014 Rating: 4 STARS When Claire Mallory's father leaves, her mom moves them to a new town and into a dilapidated Victorian house. The old house creaks and whistles, and smells...well, like it's been abandoned for years. But as the nights grow longer and the shadows take on substance, Claire wonders if the strange sounds and occurrences might be more than the house showing its age. Just as things start to pick up in Claire's love life, her mother becomes possessed. In an attempt to save her mother and their new home, Claire enlists the help of two boys, each of whom is interested in Claire for very different reasons. As she chooses one boy over the other, something dangerous is unleashed, and the spirits make their move. They aren't content to moan and scream inside Claire's house, or even control her mom. They want a taste of freedom, and they'll use Claire to get it. But is Claire strong enough to fight off the evil spirits, or will they claim her and her mom before it's all over? I have been really into paranormal books lately, and so far, A WHISPERED DARKNESS has been my favorite. The events which took place were very believable, and that intensified the creepiness factor. Every time I pick up a paranormal novel, I am worried that it will be hokey; however, the haunting of Claire's new home seemed absolutely real. At times I would be so into the book, that if Claire said that the temperature in the room dropped, I would start to feel goose bumps crawl up my arms. There were instances when I had to glance over my shoulder, because I was afraid somebody was watching me. Vanessa Barger did a simply phenomenal job at being descriptive without overbearing the reader. Whether she was describing the characters, a setting, or ghosts haunting people, the story flowed so smoothly and I was able to visualize everything easily.
All of the characters were crafted well to me, except for Bryan. He seemed like a slightly unnecessary character that was randomly thrown in at times to create more tension. Bryan ended up bogging the story down, and when he would appear, things just felt very awkward and forced. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy all of the other characters. Claire handled situations maturely, Haven was just wonderful, and Claire's younger brother Grant was absolutely perfect. The possession of Claire's mother was written so well. As time went on, there were subtle changes in her mother, from the way her hair was fixed to her handwriting, and it was interesting to see somebody slowly being taken over by a paranormal being. Overall, the novel was paced very well. There was never a time when things felt like they were going too slow, and the only part that felt rushed was the ending. I was not very satisfied with the way things were resolved, but it was an ending I could live with. Though A WHISPERED DARKNESS is certainly not a comedy, Barger did include some comedic lines dispersed throughout the book to keep things from getting too dark and gloomy. The wonderful author herself provided me with an e-book, but I enjoyed it so much that I plan on purchasing a print copy of it! I can see myself making it a tradition of reading this novel every time that Halloween comes around, or any time that I am simply in the mood for a creeptastic tale. If you are looking for a good, spooky read, then A WHISPERED DARKNESS by Vanessa Barger is one that you will definitely not want to miss. Teaser Tuesday is a weekly post that contains a teaser, or excerpt, from a book that I am currently reading. This week's Teaser Tuesday post features ORENDA by Ruth Silver which was released in April of 2014. Swallowing the last of her water, the mug slipped out of her hands and fell onto the floor. "Bray?"
Feel the fear, but do not let anyone see it. I thought I would start sharing what books make their way into my life! Book Haul will be a new weekly post on Sarurdays showing what books I acquired that week and how they came into my possession! All of the books I got this week I actually won!
Which of these have you read and enjoyed (or not enjoyed)? |