Darkness Becomes Her Giveaway

The wonderful ladies that are hosting Killian McRae's Book Blog Tour, Once Upon a Twilight, have a contest on their site for Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton.

Summary: (from Kelly Keaton's website) Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very…different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Stop by Once Upon a Twilight and check it out. You have the chance to not only win a signed copy of the book, but also some pretty swag and other books as well. Here's the link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2011/02/book-tour-darkness-becomes-her-grand.html

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

If you haven't the first book in this series, Vampire Academy, or any of the others, then this review will contain spoilers. Proceed with caution!

Last Sacrifice
Vampire Academy 6
Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 594 pgs
Genre: YA
Release Date: December 7th 2010
Review Source: Purchased

In this last book of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series she takes you on a wild ride of political standings, betrayal, lies, and murder that leaves you guessing until the very end. Nothing is ever easy when you're a guardian for a vampire princess.

Last Sacrifice picks up right where Spirit Bound left off, with Rose Hathaway locked up for the Queens murder and no way to prove her innocence. But with the help of her father, Lissa, Christian, Adrian, Eddie, and even Dimitri, she's broken out of jail and taken away. Her friends want to help prove that she was framed, but Rose has some plans of her own once she's safely away from court. She has to find the second remaining Dragomir heir, the sibling that could give Lissa her political vote.

But things never really seem to go according to plan, and each new chapter brings you deeper into challenges that await our beloved characters. Rose is a take charge kind of girl and a fun narrator for these books. Her snarkiness and kick butt attitude are perfect for her and help alleviate some of the tension of the serious situations that they get into.

With each new clue or secret uncovered, I couldn't help wondering what else could possibly happen next. Just when they thought they had it all figured out, something else came up to add even more questions. But, in the end, I feel like things came to a pretty great conclusion. If I hadn't have known that there was a spin off series, though, I will admit that I probably would have been upset about some of the holes left about certain characters.

I am sad to see this series come to an end, but can't wait to follow the journey of some of the other characters within the Vampire Academy world. Richelle knows how to tell a story and I have no doubt that Bloodlines will be just as entertaining and addicting as the VA series.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

There's always been something so fascinating about the world of faeries. And in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely, I found myself intrigued and beguiled by the world she had created. It's not all happy and innocent fun amongst these fey.

Aislinn has always been able to see faeries, just as her mother and grandmother could. She was always taught to remain oblivious to them, to follow certain rules and she would be just fine. That worked just fine, until one certain faery took notice of her and decided to make her his.

Keenan was the king of the Summer Court and had been searching for his queen for centuries. With his powers bound by the Winter Queen, his mother, he couldn't fully protect his fey until his queen was by his side. And he believed Aislinn was the answer.

Melissa Marr weaved an absolutely wonderful tale between Aislinn's world and that of the faery courts. I've never really be one for books on faeries, but this one pulled me in from the very beginning. There was so much at stake, not only for Keenan and his Summer fey, but also for Aislinn and her grandmother and best friend, Seth.

Even though I was cheering on Aislinn for wanting to make her own choices, I also found myself feeling horrible for Keenan and the position he was in. More than anything he wanted to be the king he was meant to be and to have his queen, his love, by his side. There's so much more story left for these characters and I for one can't wait to find out what else happens.

You can check out Melissa's website out for more information on her books: http://www.melissa-marr.com/ or you can follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/melissa_marr.

Vanish by Sophie Jordan Cover revealed

So, the cover for the second book in Sophie Jordan's Firelight series has been revealed and it's absolutely beautiful!

Summary: To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.


Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?


In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

I fell in love with the first book, the story that Sophie wove was absolutely enchanting and I've been chomping at the bit to read Vanish. Seeing the cover has me even more excited to get my hands on it. There's just something about those draki eyes...

Guest Post from Laura Kreitzer

Since today is the release of Laura Kreitzer's novel Phantom Universe, she wrote a guest post for bloggers to put out on human trafficking. I'd like to thank Laura for putting this together and look forward to hearing more from her. Here we go:

Hello Literary-Folk!

My name is Laura Kreitzer, and I’m the author of the Timeless Series and the Summer Chronicles. This week I would like to alert everyone on a colossal crisis that’s gone unnoticed in the world: human trafficking. That’s why I’ve asked hundreds of blogs to be involved with spreading the word on this issue that’s become close to my heart.

As an author, and someone whose life is put in the spotlight, I keep most people at a distance. Only a handful of my friends know the whole me and the events from my past. But this week I’d like to share with you a part of myself that the outside world doesn’t see (and a part of me I don’t like to share). I was emotionally abused for five years by someone I thought loved me, my mind beaten into submission. Though the turmoil I went through doesn’t penetrate as deep as someone forced into slavery on the worldwide market for human trafficking, I can sadly relate in some ways: imprisoned, my life dictated down to what I wore, ate, where I went, whom I spoke to, where I worked, when I slept, bending to his every whim. He did not sway, even when I cried through some of the more traumatic things he had me do. I was a slave in my own home. In my desperation for freedom, I held out a gun and asked him to just end my suffering. I was desperate.

I can’t even imagine how many women (and men) in the world are in a similar situation. What’s even worse, I had it mild compared to the children that are sold for labor or sex. Surprisingly, the good ol’ U.S.A. is reported to be the host to two million slaves. Did you know this? Because I certainly did not; not until I was preparing to write my newest novel: Phantom Universe. The main character, Summer Waverly, was stolen as a child and sold as a slave to the captain of a modern-day pirate ship. From a loved child who only knew “time-out” as punishment, to being whipped into silence was something I knew nothing about. So I researched deeply into human trafficking and the psychological effects of torture of various types that one would endure in these circumstances. I felt shaken at my findings and knew I had to tell Summer’s story. (Read a sneak peek here.)

A storm began to brew in my mind; transforming, morphing, twisting, and expanding into this massive, black cloud. I had to bring this tragic atrocity to the forefront. My own emotional experiences, mixed with the research I did on human trafficking, made me feel an intense connection with Summer, and to all women who’ve been through this kind of brutality. The cloud ruptured and rained all over my computer one day. It took one month to write Phantom Universe, the first in the Summer Chronicles. I was so consumed by the story that I wrote nearly nonstop, only breaking for necessary tasks like eating, showering, and occasionally—very occasionally—sleeping.

Though the book I’ve written would be classified as Science Fiction, or as I’d like to call it, Dystopian, the emotions and psychological aspects are not Science Fiction—they're real. Reviewers have said many amazing things about Summer, this character who is so real in my mind and who I cried along with as the words poured from my soul onto my screen.

“I admired Summer's strength and ability to adapt,” says CiCi’s Theories. “I felt tied to her emotions,” Jennifer Murgia, author or Angel Star admits. And Tahlia Newland, author of Lethal Inheritance, remarks, “Summer is strong and smart in mind [. . .]”

Through her overwhelmingly horrendous past, Summer goes on more than just a physical journey in Phantom Universe, she goes on a psychological one as well; growing beyond her mute state to persevere and survive in a new world beyond the whip she’s so frightened of.

Now that the release date is here, I’m excited and terrified to share this story with everyone. I’m emotionally tied in every way to the words I’ve written, because they’re more than words. More than just a story on a page. Beyond the fictional aspects, there’s a real issue that needs to be addressed: human trafficking must be stopped. We shouldn’t sit idly by while this continues to plague us. Our world’s children—our nation’s children—are being affected. It’s time we take action!

Earlier this month Phantom Universe hit Barnes and Noble’s top 100 Best Selling list. I’ve decided to donate 10% of my sales from Phantom Universe, until the end of February, to the DNA Foundation.

“DNA hopes to help abolish modern day slavery, deter perpetrators, and free the many innocent and exploited victims. We are committed to forcing sex slavery out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Freedom is a basic human right and slavery is one of the greatest threats to that freedom. No one has the right to enslave another person.”

—From DNA Foundation’s Website

I ask that you spread the word to everyone you know. Look around on the DNA Foundation website and find a way to get involved in ending human trafficking. Take action today. Everyone has a voice—you have a voice. Will you have the courage to use it?

Phantom Universe by Laura Kreitzer

Phantom Universe was definitely not like anything I had been expecting... it was so much better! It's a series completely different from her Timeless series, but just as engaging and sweet. Laura Kreitzer took a topic not so easily talked about anymore and created a story and character that will have people engrossed all the way through. Once I got started I couldn't stop reading this incredibly thought out story.

Summer Waverly is a girl who has been raised as a slave on a modern day pirate ship since she was four years old. Beaten and tortured into silence, Summer has found a way to communicate with those around her without speaking and has learned to survive in a not so nice world.

Things change, though, when a group of people come looking for Summer, tearing down the ship she's been on nearly her entire life in search of her. And how she finds herself 200 years in the future, she has no idea. But Summer finds herself in a situation where she learns to trust those around her, even Canadian Leaguer Gage Appleton.

Certain chapters were more difficult to get through than others when explaining the experiences that Summer went through as a slave, but I think that proves just how good of a story teller Laura is. She didn't shy away from the scary topics and really put us in Summer's shoes. Whether it was experiecing the harsh realities of her world, or fighting through her fears of retribution if she made a sound, Summer was a strong consistent character that I loved reading about.

The romance between she and Gage was sweet and loving, so adorable. I found myself wanting to read more about them whenever they got to be together. Forget about the mysteries piling up, I want more of the lovey dovey, gooeyness that our military man provided.

My only complaint was that the story had to end. I wanted to read more and learn about the cast of characters that Summer had come to consider friends and family. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, but we have the next book in the series, Forsaken Harbor, to look forward to in July.

So, if you're looking for a little bit of everything: mystery, science-fiction, dystopia, romance; I highly recommend Phantom Universe.

Breaking Point by Jess Bowen

Breaking Point is Jess Bowen's debut novel, and what a debut it is. She gives us a little bit of everything: love, intrigue, action, fantasy, mystery. This was such a fun story to read and is the first book of her Order of the Elements series.

For Phoebe and Ethan, their lives have been almost perfect. They had great friends, wonderful parents, fulfilling lives and were preparing for college in the fall when it all changed. Just before their nineteenth birthday's they learned a secret their parent's had been hiding from them. They were really from the Realm of Magic and were Master's of their elements.

Their new realities leave them reeling, but they find themselves adjusting to their surroundings and friends. Who they are and what they can do is just as big a mystery to them as it is to everyone else.

So much takes place throughout this first book that I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but I will say that it is worth the wait. Phoebe and Ethan are great characters, both trying to adjust to their new circumstances and they make some amazing friends along their journey. Dorian, one of the other Master's of his element, helps train them and finds himself falling for the lovely Phoebe.

Jess shows the best sides of her characters, but also pushes them to their breaking point, showing just what they are made of. Her imagination and ability to weave a story made this just right. I wanted to take my time in getting this review out because I really enjoyed this book, even with the massive cliffhanger at the end (hint hint to anyone who doesn't enjoy cliffhangers and would rather wait for the next book). I'm impatiently waiting for the second book in the series after that and I know Jess will do what is right for her characters.


So, if you're looking for a fun read with lots of sweet moments and adventure, then I definitely recommend this book. You check out more about the author and the books on her website at: http://www.theorderoftheelements.com/ or you can follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/authorjessbowen.

Breathless Reads Tour

Be sure to check out the Breathless Reads Tour with these author's. Oh, and Ally Condie is hosting a contest on her site in honor of the tour. Stop by her site and check it out: http://www.allysoncondie.com/2011/02/contest-more-tour-info/

Soul Stalker by Laura Kreitzer

If you haven't read Shadow of the Sun, this review may contain spoilers. Proceed with caution.


There are some series where the first book seems to be the best. The others are okay, but for some reason just don't seem to measure up to what first drew you in. In this instance, that is not the case. In fact, I think Laura Kreitzer will have a difficult time topping the first two books in the Timeless series.

Soul Stalker picks up right where Shadow of the Sun left off; with Gabriella showing up at Joseph's door in need of help. Now that she's decided to find the angels that completely changed her world, she needs some help doing tracking them down.

With Gabriella though, things don't always go according to plan, and with the help of Joseph and another FBI agent, she discovers even more about this new world she's been thrust into. New characters are introduced and a show down with the Soul Stalker is imminent, this book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Now, I will admit that at first I was a little disappointed that we weren't going to see more of Andrew. I fell in love with him in Shadow of the Sun and his innocence about modern society. But, as Laura developed Joseph's character and his connection with Gabriella, I realized how much I loved his place in this as well. He adds a little bit of comic relief for her when things have gotten intense and wants to help protect her just as much as the angels do. Plus, the anticipation for Andrew and Gabriella's reunion makes it that much sweeter.

Laura also gives us a little bit more about the angel's background, their history, and how their connections effect one another. Questions are answered, but even more are left lingering and Gabriella's journey is only just beginning. With Abyss, the third book in the Timeless series, coming out next month, I can hardly wait to see what happens next.