Cover Reveal - True North: Finding Us by Allie Juliette Mousseau

I wanted to share the cover for book two in the series that I'm working on editing. Check out book #1 in the series here - True North: Finding Home

True North: Finding Us
(True North #2 - Jules & Nate)

by Allie Juliette Mousseau

Tentative Release Date: May 14, 2014

Synopsis:

Nathaniel Morrisey thought he had a handle on his affections for the one woman he ever cared about, Julia North, who happened to be his boss’s daughter and best friend’s little sister. But Jules is about to blow that calm self-control he's had a tight grip on all to hell. 

Nate's desire to protect Jules—especially from himself—and the overwhelming emotions he feels for her, have waged a war inside of him; having been abandoned and abused as a child, how could he ever love and treat a woman like Julia North the way she deserved?

Julia North knows Nathaniel Morrisey is the only one for her, but with a past like a dark shadow, Nate's as turbulent as the wild horses he rides.

Will Jules be strong enough to hold on unconditionally, or will she decide it’s finally time to let go?

*This book is intended for mature audiences (18+) due to sexual content and strong language.

About the Author

Allie Juliette Mousseau writes sexy, emotionally charged New Adult Romance in a variety of genres and temperatures.
She writes from passionate and angsty; fun and light to intense and epic. She incorporates a lot of romance, tension, and hot and sexy spice. Always a HEA and stand alone - even in a series.

Her alter-ego:
Alana Jewel Mousseau creates captivating YA worlds through the magic of ink. She writes brave but "human" main characters, imaginative plots and complex worlds; from High Octane action to exploring the deepest emotions - you won't want to put down your book!

She can always be found writing, playing in puddles with her children, hiking with her husband, or adventuring somewhere in the world. Her favorite place to write is outdoors, but when the weather gets too chilly she'll be inside at her desk looking at the mountain view from her home office in Montana where she lives with her loving husband, children, and 85 pound golden retriever, who likes to sleep on her feet while she writes.

With a free spirit, Allie loves to travel and has spent three years sparking her imagination while travelling the U.S. and Canada in an RV with her family. She looks forward in continuing her journey to see the world, while finishing her degree in Literature

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Excerpt & Giveaway - Day Human Prince by B. Kristin McMichael

Title: Day Human Prince
Series: The Day Human Trilogy #1

Author: B. Kristin McMichael
Release Date: April, 2014
Published by: Lexia Press

Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult

Summary from Goodreads: Devin Alexander grew up as the only day human in a world surrounded by night humans who drank blood, sometimes his blood. He spent his life training toward one goal: the protection of one of those blood drinkers, Arianna Grace. But what is he supposed to do when the blue-eyed girl of the legends doesn’t need him anymore? What does his life mean then? How is a guy supposed to move on when the girl he has yearned over for a decade has chosen someone else?

Before he can even start to figure out his new life without Arianna, Devin has to deal with another problem. He needs to take care of some unfinished business with a night human he has known for less than a month, but with whom he is magically bound.

Vanessa McKinny has promised that she knows a way to undo the spell she placed on Devin to save his life. Devin would do anything to break the bond to be free of her, even if it means traveling to the sidhe village, a place inhabited by a race of night humans that has not had a day human visitor in more than a hundred years. If he doesn’t want to get stuck, he must work with Nessa to find a way to break the bond. Only then can Devin have time to get back to finding his new goal in life, unless he discovers that his path lies with the sidhe.

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“What’s wrong?” she asked. She looked over his shoulder and quickly around the room, but didn’t see anything.

“We need to dance our way out of here,” Devin replied quietly, while still spinning them in circles. “Just follow my lead.”

Nessa wanted to ask more, but Devin dipped her down suddenly with one hand. Pulling her back up, his fist pressed against her back, now holding an arrow he grabbed from an assassination attempt. No one saw the invisible arrow, but Devin still held onto it. After a few more quick spins that didn’t allow Nessa to ask more questions, yet brought them five feet closer to the exit, Devin caught a second arrow from a different assassin. The first assassin was still waiting. Even the assassins didn’t see their own arrows. As they were within ten feet of leaving, Nessa finally protested.

“Devin, what is going on?” she asked, a bit winded from dancing.

‘Not now. I’m trying to save your life,’ Devin answered silently. Nessa’s eyes went big. She obviously hadn’t considered the danger to her life. ‘Now duck,’ he ordered.

Nessa instantly bent down and pretended to adjust her dresses hem. Devin held out his empty hand to help her stand back up. She smiled and stood, though there was still hesitation in her eyes. She couldn’t see the arrows in his hand. Devin smiled back, and she relaxed a little. Nessa slipped her hands back to his shoulders, and Devin took the lead again, pulling her toward the exit on the opposite side of the room from their table.

‘Dinner, dance, and then done?’ Devin asked, reiterating that they were done. He didn’t expect any kind of protest, but he had to be sure that they fulfilled the role they were supposed to play.

About the Author

Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in Biology working as a scientist. In her free time she is hard at work on multiple novels; as each day passes, she has more ideas for both current and future novels.

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Review & Giveaway - Orenda by Ruth Silver

Title: Orenda

Author: Ruth Silver
Release Date: April 27th, 2014

Pages: 264

Goodreads Rating: 4.33 Stars

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

My Content Rating: PG (Nothing more than brief kissing)

Summary from Goodreads: Join forces with a parallel universe. Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can't exist, but a small clue may be proof that it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her younger sister in danger, Lil crosses dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for. A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages. Orenda is the first novel in the Orenda series.

Orenda is a unique new fantasy novel, set in a parallel universe.  The descriptions describes it well, so I'm just going to get right down to my review.

The negatives:

• Not enough character development.  While I enjoyed this book, I never quite connected with the characters for some reason.  In the beginning, we have a good friendship that's developed between Lil and her best friend Bray that seems like it might develop into something more.  I think I might have been able to root for that, if it had been developed, but instead we're told (by another character) that Bray is in love with her (we never get this from Bray's POV though) and Lil insists she's not interested and falls for another guy.  Supposedly.  I just didn't feel much of a connection between them, so when something pulls them apart later, I couldn't bring myself to care all that much.  All of the other characters felt pretty secondary and I just didn't connect with any of them.  I think the book needed to be longer to really develop these characters.
• Somewhat anticlimactic. It seemed like every time I expected something really exciting to happen, things somehow fizzled out. Specifically, whenever anyone confronted with the villain in the story - I would expect some sort of big showdown and they would just end up sort of talking a bit and then she would let them go.  Huh.  I guess she had her reasons, but it was sort of anticlimactic.

What I loved:

• Orenda.  I really enjoyed discovering Orenda itself. It was an interesting parallel universe that was similar to earth in a lot of ways, but involved magic.  I enjoyed the mystery of discovering what this place was, who the people were that lived there and what the similarities and differences between the two worlds were.  Lil found that she had special powers in Orenda (in fact, everyone has a power of some sort).  I also appreciated that what happened in Orenda was tied in to Lil's life on earth at the end.

This was an interesting fantasy story that will most likely appeal to younger YA readers. I do think it could have used a bit more development, but it was an enjoyable read. I give it 3/5 stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***

    

Signed Copy

About the Author

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of ABERRANT, a young adult dystopian adventure series published by Patchwork Press and Lazy Day Publishing, in 2013. Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005. While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required, because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager. Upcoming works include Royal Reaper, a young adult series about grim reapers, due for release June 3rd, 2014. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

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Excerpt & Giveway - Five: Out of the Pit by Holli Anderson

I enjoyed the first book in this series (check out my review here) and thought I'd feature the next book in the series!

Title: Five - Out of the Pit
Series: Five #2

Author: Holli Anderson
Release Date: March 31, 2014
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press

Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult

Summary from Goodreads: The Five find their way to Moab, Utah where, before they’re even settled in, evil finds them.

As Paige fights to keep from succumbing to the pull of an Incubus that has her marked as his next conquest, Johnathan seeks to find a way to rid her of a curse she willingly accepted in order to save him.

A surprising revelation initiates a long-awaited, yet unexpected, reunion for Alec who discovers a new magical talent he possesses.

The FIVE, along with their mentor, Joe, must figure out what was meant by the last words of a Demon as it was sent back to the Netherworld—a promise of Gathering darkness—and stop the evil before it’s unleashed on the small town of Moab. And, the world.

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He was big. He towered over me by at least a foot. A piece of greasy hair fell over his eyes as he lunged for me at the same time as I grabbed for my summoning necklace—that wasn’t there. I’d left it on the bathroom counter. I wasn’t prepared as he tackled me to the ground. I landed hard, with the grease ball on top of me. My breath came whooshing out and the pressure in my chest incapacitated me. I couldn’t breathe. Panic overtook me for a moment before I realized the breath had just been knocked out of me and my respirations would return shortly. The Big Greasy Giant laying atop me didn’t help the breathing problem.

As I lay there in the dirt, a rock jutting into my back below my backpack, I worked hard to inhale. I turned my head toward Halli. I wasn’t sure what had happened to her, I just saw two of the men crouched over her limp body, blood flowing from a large cut on her forehead. I struggled to push my assailant off me. He held me down while another of the goons grabbed my arms. Grease Ball put his face right up to mine and said, “Stay put little lady . . . or don’t. ‘S always more fun if ya don’t. Don’t even think about usin’ yer voodoo on me. One little spark and yer friend over there gets her throat slit.”

About the Author

Holli Anderson has a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing—which has nothing to do with writing, except maybe by adding some pretty descriptive injury and vomit scenes to her books. She discovered her joy of writing during a very trying period in her life when escaping into make-believe saved her. She enjoys reading any book she gets her hands on, but has a particular love for anything fantasy. 

Along with her husband, Steve, and their four sons, she lives in Grantsville, Utah—the same small town in which she grew up. 

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BEA, here I come!! Need tips? Check here!!

It's official!  My flight is booked, my tickets are purchased - I'm heading to BEA this year!  (Including the BEA Bloggers Conference!).  

So, are you going too?  Let me know because I REALLY want to meet all of you! I cannot wait!!

Being a newbie BEA attender, I've been desperate to find all the advice I can get.  So, for my own knowledge, I decided to put together a list of links to people's advice posts.  That way I can read and re-read and read again.  Since I was going to the trouble to make this list for myself, I thought I'd share it with all of you as well.  You can find the list on my 
BEA 2014 Tips Page!

I'm updating this list regularly as I find more and more people who are posting their awesome advice.  Trust me, there's lots of info here, and I've learned something new from just about every post.  So, if you're heading to BEA and you'd like a few tips, check it out!

See you there!

Review & Giveaway - Dark Light of Day and Fiery Edge of Steel by Jill Archer

Title: Dark Light of Day

Series: Noon Onyx #1

Author: Jill Archer

Genre: Fantasy

Published: September, 2012

Pages: 384

Goodreads Rating: 3.53 Stars

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Content Rating: NA (Some sex)

Summary: Noon Onyx has been accepted into the prestigious St. Lucifer’s Law School where her mother hopes she’ll be trained as a Maegester. But Noon doesn’t want to control demons, set fires, or destroy things. She wants to become a Mederi so she can grow gardens and heal people.

Noon's best friend, Peter Aster, is an Angel spellcaster who thinks he has the answer to Noon's predicament - an ancient, mysterious, lost spell that can turn Noon into the Mederi she always wanted to be. Only one person stands in the way of Noon's dream - Ari Carmine, a fellow classmate who seems fascinated by Noon's fiery side. 

Dark Light of Day is a unique fantasy novel that takes place after Armageddon - after the demons won.  The world is now run by demons, and humans with no powers (or Hyrkes, as they're called in this book) are meant to adore them.

Of course, someone has to keep those demons in line, and that's the job of the Maegesters, humans with a drop of demon blood who posses waning powers - which gives them the ability to destroy demons. Typically, men are born with waning powers and women are born with waxing powers (which give the ability to heal). But Noon and her twin brother are anomalies - their powers were somehow switched at birth. Or at least that's the way Noon sees it. She wants nothing to do with her powers at all, and hopes desperately that her best friend (who also happens to be an Angel - a human who uses spells to do magic) will find the spell that can reverse her magic and turn her into the healer she's always wanted to be. But, in the meantime, she has to survive Maegester training.

The negatives:

• Some slow spots.  While this book was definitely interesting, I wasn't compelled to keep reading like I am with some books. Because there was so much complicated worldbuilding (which is a good thing!), it made the beginning of the story feel a bit slow at times.
• A few inconsistencies.  I did notice a few inconsistencies that stuck out to me, but they were all relatively minor.  For instance, Noon says that she was raised as a Hyrke and went to Hyrke schools, etc. but then she says it's been a long time since she's talked to a Hyrke when she first meets Ari and she doesn't seem to know how to act. Also, I couldn't figure out how Noon would have been able to get through her whole life up till that point pretending to be a Hyrke since Maegesters could sense waning magic and she had lived around Maegesters and Mederi her whole life. There were a few other things too, but nothing that ruined the book for me.

What I loved:

• The worldbuilding.  Like I said, LOTS of worldbuilding in this book.  Archer created a universe that is very unique, with a complex society made up of demons, Hyrkes, Angels, Maegesters and Mederi (along with a few other types of people!).  I thought it was a very clever imagining of what the world might be like if Lucifer and his demons won out in the final battle.  (This version is much tamer than what you might think!)  
• The reluctant heroine.  Noon doesn't see her powers as a gift. Maegesters are pretty much universally respected, but they're also feared. Noon fears herself - she fears what she might become. And she has no desire to kill, which is what she will be expected to do once she becomes a Maegester. It isn't until she meets Ari, who insists that the fact that she was born with waning powers wasn't a mistake, that she starts to see any possible good in her powers.
• Ari.  Ari is powerful, dangerous (at least to demons) and sexy, but he can also sometimes be sweet and sensitive. He appreciates Noon for who she is and doesn't want her to change - he loves her fiery side, but he also adores that she has a tender heart. I was definitely rooting for Ari and Noon throughout this book!  Oh, and I also loved Noon's Hyrke friends, Ivy and Fitz too!!
• The suspense.  I was never quite sure what was going to happen with the reversal spell.  Throughout the entire book, I was never sure if Noon was going to go through with it if they found it or if it would work if they found it. Right down to the very end of the book, I still wasn't sure what was going to happen!

I recommend Dark Light of Day to fantasy (or urban fantasy) lovers who enjoy stories involving demons. I give it 4/5 stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***

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Title: Fiery Edge of Steel

Series: Noon Onyx #2

Author: Jill Archer

Genre: Fantasy

Published: May, 2013

Pages: 336

Goodreads Rating: 3.69Stars

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Content Rating: NA (One brief sex scene)

Summary: Noon Onyx is the first woman in memory to wield waning magic. Her unique abilities, paired with a lack of control and reluctance to kill, have branded her as an outsider from her peers. Only her powerful lover, Ari Carmine, and a roguish and mysterious Angel, Rafe Sinclair, support her unconventional ways.

When Noon is shipped off to a remote outpost to investigate several unusual disappearances, it seems Luck is not on her side. But when the outpost settlers claim that an ancient and evil foe has stepped out of legend to commit the crimes, Noon realizes that she could be facing something much worse than she ever imagined…

***NOTE: This review may contain spoilers for the first book in this series, Dark Light of Day (review above).***

In Fiery Edge of Steel, Noon is starting to become more comfortable with her powers, but she's still reluctant to use them to kill.  But, when she's sent off to the middle of nowhere on a field assignment, she finds that she has to learn to focus her powers - or die. 

The negatives:

• Slow start.  The first half of this book was a bit uneventful.  Besides the part where Noon tries to choose her Guardian Angel (which I really enjoyed), not much really happens until the group is well on its way to The Shallows.  However, the ending picks up A LOT and definitely gets exciting, which makes up somewhat for the slower start.

What I loved:

• The characters.  Pretty much everything I loved about the characters in the first book still applied in book #2.  But in this book, we had the added characters of Rafe and Fara.  Noon assumed the worst about both of these characters at the beginning, but they proved themselves as the book went on - I loved getting to know both of them and hope that they are both still part of future books!
• The Shallows mystery.  I was incredibly intrigued by the mystery of what was happening in The Shallows. Archer did a great job of pulling us into the mystery and making us wonder what might happen next!
• The ending.  Like I said, the ending to this book was definitely action-packed. And something happens at the end that completely rocks Noon's world in a way that she did not see coming!  I can't wait to read the next book to find out what will happen next!

So, Fiery Edge of Steel was a great follow-up to Dark Light of Day. I will definitely be following this series! 4/5 stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***

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About the Author

Jill Archer writes dark, genre-bending fantasy from rural Maryland. Her novels include Dark Light of Day, Fiery Edge of Steel, and White Heart of Justice. She loves cats, coffee, books, movies, day tripping, and outdoor adventuring.

Author Links:

   
Discussion Questions

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BONUS: FUN PROMO TWEETS AND TWITTER CONTEST! :-D

Anyone who tweets one of these will be entered to win ANY fantasy book of their choice from Book Depository (so long as Book Depository ships to your address) (up to $10.00). Contest ends on June 3, 2014. One tweet/entry per person.

“Lucem in tenebras ferimus. Into the darkness, we bring light.” @archer_jill #DARKLIGHTOFDAY

“When traveling into the unknown, sometimes the biggest danger is the one you bring with you…” @archer_jill #FIERYEDGEOFSTEEL

“One out of every two hunters who follow the Old Trail will not return.” @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Finally! I’m looking forward to seeing Noon embrace her fiery magic. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Ari Carmine is smokin’ hot. I wanna see if Noon can forgive him for that nasty surprise at the end of B2. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

I heard a rumor that Rafe Sinclair makes a wish and I wanna know if it’s granted. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Nocturo. Tall dark handsome. Heard his scalpel’s put to good use. Is he gonna threaten Brunus w it again? @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

I love the characters, but I’m really just in it for the monsters and magic. Bring on the ice demons! @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Armageddon is over. The demons won. But it’s not as dark as all that. Parts of it are romantic and sweet. @archer_jill #NOONONYXSERIES