The Cassandra Clare Book Signing!

It is no secret that I absolutely love Cassandra's books. All hail Cassandra Clare! So when I heard she was coming to Portland Oregon, come hell or high water, I knew was going to be there.

It was a cozy little event. It was just me and about 400 (give or take) of my closest friends sitting (and standing) in front a small stage set up in the middle of a mall. From the time we arrived to get our wristbands we were there for seven full filled hours. It was worth every minute. Cassandra took questions from the enthusiastic audience and she was very gracious and entertaining in her answers.

As a favor to all of you who plan on attending a Cassandra Clare signing I will tell you this. By the time we got to the signing table I felt like I was in a whirlwind. We were ushered through the signing line very quickly. She had two assistants, one took the book from me, slid it in front of her, she signed it, then her other assistant took it from her and handed it to me. Then the next book was in front of her. In all I had about ten seconds to interact with her. So be prepared. Don't lolly gag or worry about pictures, unless your bionic, because you have to be fast.  Maybe in a different environment she would be able to give each person more time to chat, but that was not really possible at the time I went through.

In all, I still had blast. I got to spend the day with a special friend, made a new friend, and I got to listen to an author I have long admired.

I just read on Twitter that Cassandra has outlined another trilogy for the Shadowhunters. It will take place in 1903! She's calling in TLH. She also said there will be another trilogy that takes place after The Dark Artifices!

Cover Reveal...Awakened, by ME!

Here she is in all her glory. If I knew where to find a cool GIF with exploding fireworks this is where it would be. I can't believe I finally get to share this with you. I've been sitting on this since August!

I give you Awakened, book one in The Legends Of Elyndia series.

This masterpiece was created by the talented Regina Wamba at Mae I Design. To see more of her covers click on her button in my side bar.

Summary~
Can fighting for the right side be the wrong thing to do?

Draven, the tyrant ruler of Elyndia for the last one thousand years, searches for the one who can fulfill his prophecy.

The Paladins, an elite band of warriors sworn to protect their way of life at all cost, search for the one with the ability to bring their world crumbling down.

An innocent girl, tormented by demons only she can see, lives on the brink of insanity and longs for a life of peace.

When seventeen-year-old Jade Rosenberg reads from an antique book, she has no idea she just read an incantation awaking her inherited power. But when opposing—and equally terrifying—groups invade her home, she learns she is descended from an enchanted realm and a member of a powerful race thought to have been hunted to extinction. 

Ripped from her world, Jade is forced to seek refuge from those who want her dead. She is given one of two options and the time has come for her to make a choice: assassinate their sworn enemy…

Or sacrifice her soul.



I cannot believe I actually get to share this with all of you. I have been working on Awakened for over two years. Words cannot express how it feels to almost be finished.

Awakened will be available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and in paper back.
Release day is April 25th.

Add it to Goodreads. 

Release Day Blitz... Flame by Mari Arden

Today I am very excited to be a part of the book blitz for Flame. A Fireborn novel by Mari Arden. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Flame and I absolutely loved it.

Some secrets change your life forever. 
Have you ever felt invisible? I do. Everyday. I can't get close to anyone, and people can't get close to me. Everytime I feel a friendship beginning, something inevitably happens, and I become invisible again. Unseen. Ignored. It's been a part of me for so long that it's hard to imagine anything different. 
Then the Saguinox arrive, and my life is forever altered. People are fascinated by these beautiful creatures who look and talk like us. They're alluring. Seductive. Intoxicating. And two of them are going to my school. Rhys is everything I shouldn't want, but his eyes are like something from a memory. I can't help but be intrigued. He's the only one who can really see me. 
Some secrets you're better off not knowing. 
I had been found on a cold winter night with nothing but a blanket, and ashes covering my skin. My mother saved me from death, and took me in with love. But she couldn't save herself. I didn't think heroes were real anymore until the day Kaiden saved me. I couldn't believe in miracles until the day he revealed I was the miracle they had all been hoping for. Deep inside I always knew my past mattered.
I just didn't know my life would depend on it.

 I'm Mari Arden (Mari rhymes with safari). Teacher by day, author by night. When I'm not living my double life I like to hike and try foods from all over the world. Up until recently, I used to be scared of dogs. Even puppies. True story. Now I'm just afraid of anything with more than six legs. I write to soothe my soul and to, hopefully, entertain YOU. 

Adventurous? Come join my double life!

Here is my glowing review~

Mari Arden has a fresh voice and does a fantastic job brining this entertaining story to life. Her characters live in a world far from ordinary where an alien race has made themselves known to Earth and are generously welcomed into today’s society.

Kenna is a likable character with a mysterious past that we learn right along with her. Though she spends most of her time alone and is easily ignored, Kenna is not one to sit around and take pity on herself.

Then enters Rhys. Rhys is attractive, intriguing and it is not long before Kenna is paying attention to him. He keeps to himself at first, but when we get into the meat of the plot his true character is revealed and he really stands out.

Flame is an enjoyable read and moves along at a steady pace. Combined with a solid plot and well-developed characters I recommend the read. 

You can find Mari online in these places~

Mari's blog

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

You can purchase Flame here~

Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Happy book birthday Mari!

Cover Reveal...Hell's Hallow

It is my pleasure to bring to you the beautiful cover for Hell's Hallow, by Summer Stone. After reading the summary and seeing this fabulous cover I am very excited to read this. How about you?

Summary~

When Seraphina was younger, she healed her best friend's injured hand. Terrified by the inexplicable cure, the girl shunned her. From that day on, Seraphina found herself without friends, a freak and an oddity. And so she obeyed her mother’s rule to refrain from using her innate ability, heeded her mother's warning that its use could land her in the local mental health facility alongside her aunt and grandmother.

But when sixteen-year-old Seraphina finds a mysterious, wounded boy hiding in the hollow in the woods behind her house, she can't hold out against the overpowering urge to help him. She is drawn to him each night, and as they come to know one another, their irresistible attraction blooms.

She longs to uncover his secrets — where he comes from and why he's hiding and how he came to be so wounded — and to share her own, though she knows it's forbidden. And while her healing touch seems to be helping him, it's hurting her. When the symptoms of psychosis — experienced by the women in her bloodline who used their powers — begin to plague Seraphina, she is faced with the unbearable choice of saving her sanity or the boy she’s come to love.

Publication date:  March 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17370950-hell-s-hollow

AUTHOR BIO

Summer Stone loves immersing herself in the worlds that live inside her mind. When she's in the real world, she likes kicking back on the beach, exploring new places, reading (of course) and eating rich, gooey chocolate. She loves spending time with her husband and kids, which she does as much as she can. Summer writes young adult and women's fiction, both supernatural and contemporary, realistic and looks forward to sharing her novels with you!

Author Links:

Website: http://summerstonebooks.blogspot.ca/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SummerStoneBks

Just Finished Reading...Defiance

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

From Goodreads
Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan--the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same one who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but a fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.
At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

My thoughts~ This book almost ended up on my shelf based on the cover alone. It is one of my all time faves. But for some reason I never got around to buying it. The copy I read for this review was from the library.

C.J. Redwine weaves a tale of intrigue, loyalty and love. Her talents as a writer are highlighted in her ability to craft beautiful passages. 

Rachel quickly became a favorite character of mine. She is independent in a world that doesn't allow it and is willing to risk it all for those she cares about. 

I have to admit, it did slow down for me at the middle and didn't pick back up until closer to the end. But character likability, original ideas and quality writing made it worth sticking with. I will definitely read book two.