New To My Shelf

These are the latest editions to my ever growing TBR shelf.

First up, the long awaited Cress. Cinder was one of my top three favorite reads in 2012 and I love this series.

Next up is No Substitute For Maturity, by friend and mentor Carolyn Rose. Carolyn's books are the perfect blend of mystery, smart wit, and humor. I cannot wait to dive in.

Then last but not least, The Giver by Lois Lowry. I have heard nothing but fantastic things about this Newberry medal winning book, and I wanted to read it before the movie comes out. I found it at indie book shop, Cover To Cover Books, in my hometown, and I snagged it.

What is new to your shelf?

Kristin Cashore, Oh How I Love You, Let Me Count the Ways.

I have also have Graceling as an audio book. 

Post overview…Read Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue. Read them all right now.

Incase you could not tell from the title of this post, I admire Kristin immensely. I admire her dedication to her craft and her ability to create such powerful stories. If I could write half as good as her I would die a happy woman.

 I’m embarrassed to admit, but Bitterblue has been sitting on my shelf since the day it was published in 2012, and I just now read it. Then once I started reading this fabulous tale I really took my time. I just did not want it to end! I could go on and on about how much I loved Bitterblue, but I want to talk about the series as a whole.

The strongest element of all of these stories is the world building. I’m not just talking about how many countries and mountain ranges are placed on a map, I’m talking about everything within the world. From the land, to politics, unusual animals, common beliefs, clothing, and everything in between, she thought of it. If you are a writer in the process of learning about world building, these books are a must for you.

All of these books have a perfect balance of action and romance. I would not say these are a “romance” by any means, but in every story there is enough of a love interest to keep you wanting more.

Let’s not forget about the notable characters. Every single character is unique and unforgettable. The writing style makes it so easy to feel for them. As a writer it is a good reminder that not all of your characters have to be the good guy for us to care about them. There were many times some of the characters did some pretty frustrating things, yet they were not frustrating characters. I should warn you though, she does not hold back when it comes to doing bad things to them, or killing them off if needed.

Kristin has a very unique writing style. Her scenes are pretty short and to the point. They move along at a fast pace, but are not choppy. That takes skill people. She can get her point across, with all the necessary visual descriptions needed, in half the time as many authors. That may seem easy because she does it  flawlessly, but let me tell you that it takes talent to write like that.

Overall, if you are a fan of fantasy, you need to read these books. From the plot to the characters they are unique in everyway. And take you time, these books are best if consumed slowly.

Dracian Legacy Blog Tour

Today I am very proud to be a part of the Dracian Legacy blog tour.

Dracian Legacy is published by Reuts Publishing
Exptected Release date is Feb. 25th

One thing I love about blog tours is getting to know the author a little and reading what makes them do the things they do. For today I devised a quick This or That...lets see what Priya has to say when asked these earth shattering questions.

This or That

Dean Winchester or Sam Winchester -- Lol... without a doubt: Dean Winchester!

Weapon of choice for impending zombie attack: gun or machete --- Machete.

A trip the past or a trip to the future -- Future! Definitely the future! 

Damon Salvatore or Stephen Salvatore -- Damon Salvatore!

Beach or Snowy Mountain -- Snowy Mountain, especially after a snow fall!

Are you are a plotter or a pantser -- Complete Panster. But I'm trying to get better at it, by plotting the story!

Skittles or Chocolate -- Skittles, unless we're talking white chocolate, then white chocolate :).

Hot Chocolate or coffee -- Neither! I don't like hot drinks.

Zombie or unicorn -- Zombieeeessss all the way. I blame 'The Walking Dead' for this addiction!

Thank you so much Kriston for having me on your blog! 

And thank you for stopping by, Priya!

At seventeen, Ren Pernell knows the meaning of tragedy.
But then, a year after losing her parents, Axel Knight walks through the door and changes everything. Strange creatures start to appear, her best friend suddenly finds her irresistible, and an undeniable, unexplainable bond with Axel threatens to drive her insane. She knows he’s the key. There’s something he’s not sharing, and she’s determined to find out.
Demanding answers, she finally learns the truth: everything she ever believed is an illusion. Caught in a centuries-old blood feud between races she never knew existed, Ren discovers her true destiny. She’s the chosen one, the Echo, preordained to end the bloodshed.
There’s just one catch--in order to save those she loves and a homeland she’s never seen, she’ll have to die.
With the clock running out, she’ll have to navigate a new world of betrayal, lies and deceit. If she can forgive, finding love even in the darkest places, she just might be able to escape the prophecy. But how much is she willing to sacrifice for a cause she didn’t know she was part of? And what will it take for her to be free?

Add to Goodreads!

Cover Reveal...Guarding Angel

Today I am excited to bring the cover of Guarding Angel to you. After reading the summary I got very excited about this book. 

Guarding Angel by S. L. Saboviec
(Fallen Redemption #1)
Publication date: April 28th 2014
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Guardian angel Enael can’t seem to keep her human Wards in check. They’re the ones who choose their paths before reincarnating—-she’s just there to help make sure they stay on track. But it’s not as easy as it might look.

When she meets and falls in love with charismatic Kaspen, a fellow Guardian, Enael’s feelings about Heaven, Hell, demons, and the life she’s known are turned upside down. Worse still, angel-turned-demon Yasva, Kaspen’s former love, still holds him in her clutches. Even as Yasva works toward obtaining complete control of Earth, she taunts and haunts Kaspen’s and Enael’s lives.

Now Enael is forced to face her past (which is centuries long and bursting with secrets), her present (which is terribly unfulfilling and full of questions), and her future (which becomes more uncertain as time passes). Armed with a newfound love and fear of losing it all, she must figure out how to save the world—-and the angel she loves. Which side will win? Who will Kaspen choose? Will Heaven and Earth continue to exist, or will everything go to Hell?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20452254-guarding-angel?ac=1

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Isn't it gorgeous! I think the cover is beautiful.

AUTHOR BIO

S. L. Saboviec grew up in a small town in Iowa but now lives in the suburbs of Toronto with her Canadian husband and expatriate cat. Books that captured her imagination include Isaac Asimov’s The Gods Themselves, Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series, Sylvia Browne’s The Other Side and Back, and Stephanie Meyers’ The Host. You can find her tweeting random nonsense on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/saboviec), pinning all the awesome fantasy and book pins on Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/saboviec), and opining about the latest book she read on her blog (http://saboviec.wordpress.com).

Who Says Vampires Are Dead?

This high quality image is a picture of an old
magazine I have kept because I am a
nerd and obsessed with Damon.

Trends come and trends go, so are we supposed to stop reading what we love?

I will admit, I LOOOOOVED Twilight when I first read the books and I still love them to this day. At the time there were vampires everywhere we looked. We had Vampire Academy, The Vampire Diaries, Marked, and many many more.

Since then, vampires have gone to the wayside. When submitting to an agent, if the word vampire pops up in a query it is the kiss of death. “You missed the trend, we can’t sell that.” Ya…whatever.

So does that mean, as a whole, we no longer care about the undead and paranormal? Well not according to television. Just this year we got two brand new vampire shows: Dracula, and The Vampires Diaries spinoff, The Originals.  (All of which I love. Helloooo Marcel.) HBO’s Trueblood and Syfy’s Being Human are as popular as ever, and the werewolf series Bitten is gaining traction with every episode.  

I would also like to point out, apart from Being Human, all of the above-mentioned television shows are based on books.

So answer me this…have we stopped reading vampire books because we are sick of them? Or is it because so few are getting published these days?  

Immagica Book Blitz and Giveaway

Title: Immagica

Author: K. A. Last

Genre: YA Fantasy/Adventure

Date of Publication: January 26, 2014

Book blurb:

Immagica…

Where anything is possible.

Enter at your own risk.

The night before her fifteenth birthday, Rosaline Clayton uncovers a deep family secret. She receives an amulet from her deranged father, and he tells her she must find the book in order to save him. Rosaline is used to her dad not making any sense, so she dismisses their conversation as another of his crazy rants.

When Rosaline’s brother, Elliot, drags her to their nana’s attic to explore, they find the old leather-bound book tucked away in a chest. It sucks them into its pages, transporting them to a magical world. Along the way, Rosaline and Elliot are separated, and the only thing she wants is to find her brother and go home.

The creatures of Immagica have other ideas. After years of war, their land lies in ruin. Using the amulet’s power, they want Rosaline to defeat the dragon and restore Immagica to its former glory. But Rosaline is bound to Immagica in ways she doesn’t understand, and when she discovers the truth about her family, she must follow her heart to save them all.

About the author:

K. A. Last was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, and moved to Sydney with her parents and older brother when she was eight. Artistic and creative by nature, she studied Graphic Design and graduated with an Advanced Diploma. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she concentrated on her career before settling into family life. Blessed with a vivid imagination, she began writing to let off creative steam, and fell in love with it. K. A. Last is currently studying her Bachelor of Arts at Charles Sturt University, with a major in English, and minors in Children’s Literature, Art History, and Visual Culture. She resides in a peaceful, leafy suburb north of Sydney with her husband, their two children, a rabbit named Twitch, and a guinea pig called Squeak.

Author web links:

Website: www.kalastbooks.com.au

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KALastBooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KALastBooks

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/KALast 

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/kalast

I chose to be a part if this blitz because the book intrigued me. It is sounds like something I would like and I look forward to reading it. Make sure to enter the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Power Of The Retweet

Fancy, isn't it?

The Power of the Retweet

The retweet is a funny thing. You like what someone says, you think your internet peeps will like it too, and with a single click…voila, you have now shared the ever important message and moved onto the next. Most likely you will never think of that tweet again.

But sometimes, if seen by the right person at the right time, those simple little 140 characters can be life changing. Here is a rundown about one of those instances for me. Do not ask me how I remember all of this. I just have an uncanny ability to retain useless information.

It all started a couple of years ago when I read a particular retweet about a book review and followed the link. It took me to a really great book blog, Down The Rabbit Hole.  “What the…this is awesome.” At that time I was a newbie blogger and I never knew a person could get a custom blog header and the goodies that come along with it. After looking at all the beauty and creativity that went into that design, I noticed the button in the side bar for Pure Imagination Blog Design. “Jackpot!”

 I must stop and point out that Lori designed this very blog and I love it. If it were not for that retweet I would not have this design. (If I knew where to find a cool Gif, this is where I would insert somebody clapping and crying tears of joy.) Now this leads me to my next find.

One of the great things about Lori’s site is her portfolio. As I scoured the pages I came across Great Imaginations blog and a particular bit of information caught my eye, a page titled Editing Services. As an aspiring writer, in need of an editor, I clicked on the page. After a few interactions we decided that we could work together and it as been bliss ever since. (For my part anyway. It’s a heck of a lot of work on her part.) Now little does Kara know, she is pretty much the gateway to the rest of the people that helped bring Awakened to life.

From Kara, I found fellow author Tish Thawer. She is a fantastic author that writes about vampires and other paranormal things. I started following Tish on Facebook and have since become a fan of her Rose trilogy. Soon after following Tish she had a cover reveal for her most recent release and I loved it. Tish is always so generous with her information and when asked she let me know who her cover designer was, Regina at Mae I design.

I then contacted Regina and she designed my most fabulous cover for Awakened. If you need a designer, I suggest you contact her. She’s busy so don’t wait until the last minute. One thing that Regina does is helping promote the authors she has worked with. One day she mentioned that a client needed help with their cover reveal. It was for author, and now friend, Mari Arden.

After interacting with Mari I became a beta reader for her debut novel, Flame. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the installment. Now Mari was a little farther along in her writing journey than I was and I was in need of a formatter. She graciously let me know whom she used and gave me his contact information. That is when I found Jessie Gordon. Jessie is affordable, did a professional job, and I can recommend his services.

But it does not stop there…let’s go back to Kara.

After I got my final edit I needed a proofreader. Kara led me to Mickey Reed Editing. Mickey and I connected well and thanks to her I was able to publish a polished novel free of ugly errors and typos. As a reader and/or writer you know how important that is. I also recommend working with her.

Once I had a complete novel I needed to let people know about it. So once again, back to Kara. She suggested that I contact Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours and check out her promotional services.  Giselle is well organized and very efficient. I have worked with her as a both a client and a tour host.

So there we have it. That is how one simple tweet led me to where I am today. As you can see sometimes a tweet is just a tweet, and sometimes it can take you down a rabbit hole.