Book Review: Of Shadow and Stone

Of Shadow & Stone by Michelle Muto

Gargoyles were created centuries ago to protect mankind, but something went horribly wrong. Now only the sentinel—a mortal chosen to control the stone beasts—stands between them and their human prey.

When the latest sentinel is killed, Kate Mercer is destined to take his place. But Kate has enough going on in her life—like a skyrocketing film career, a delusional ex-boyfriend, and a crazed stalker who will stop at nothing to get to her. But the powers that be have decided, and Kate is transported to Shadow Wood, a mysterious castle that serves as a sanctuary for the supernatural. Although beautiful, Shadow Wood is no safe place for a mere mortal. Yet Kate is drawn not only to the gargoyles but also to Ian McGuire, a charming novelist who might be in the greatest danger of all.

As Kate decides whether to accept the most perilous role of her life, she discovers there are more secrets than answers within the castle’s walls. Her survival and Ian’s depend on her ability to master the gargoyles before time runs out. Is fate really cast in stone? 

Paperback, 291 pages

Expected publication: February 24th 2015 by Skyscape

Review

What if you had a calling? . . .

What if you lack inspiration? . . .

What if supernaturals were real? . . .

Kate is at the highest point of her career even with a few adding weight that she trying to shake off. Maybe a change in scenery would be good for her.

Ian the author is seeking inspiration for his next book, Shadow Wood would just provide the right inspiration

Together these two will discover something they knew thought of and they might ignite a romance between one another.

I give this an 4.5 Cat's Tails Up, I really really like this book's originality, there wasn't just one supernaturals surrounding the book and it wasn't strictly surrounding the supernaturals and it also had a normality in the book as well. 

 

MEOW . . . MEOW . . . MEOW

WOW this was laid out so differently than any other books I've read, I mean we got the obsessive cheating ex-boyfriend, an author looking for inspiration, a actress trying to figure out what her dreams mean and then we got the supernaturals at Shadow Wood. 

Let's talk about the actress Kate Mercer, she is thriving in her acting career but then she is also having vivid dreams that takes her to another place that she is highly convince is a dream until one of her dreams meets Ian the author. Then she wondered if this place she's been appearing while she sleep is real . . .

Ian the author looking for inspiration might just find what he's looking for in Shadow Wood, the inspiration, the new additions to his books, the supernatural(s), and possibly just might fall in love. While Ian is a guest at Shadow Wood, he will soon learn that the guests are not just ordinary mortal guests.

Let's talk about the obsessive cheating ex-boyfriend Michael that Kate used to date, she dumps him when he is caught cheating and the only reason why a man or another actor would cheat on someone is because they aren't "getting it" and to gain more fame. Now Michael played that whole "I'm sorry, it was a mistake, I was stupid" and blah blah.

Let's talk about Shadow Wood,

 

There's a lot of things lurking around at Shadow Wood, things you don't want to be outside alone. What I like about this was that aspiring ideas that most people get while they visit a castle and who wouldn't be inspire by something from castles.

I love that theres not just one supernatural being, I mean you probably would think that it was just about gargoyles based on the cover but the cover is just one aspect of what the book contains.

The little twists that were in this book was really great but I want to know about Declan, he's mysterious but the book kind of left things a little open for a sequel because unless I miss the "in between the lines" I don't know if Kate took the job of being sentential. 

There was taste of the supernatural and normal life mixed together that made it original to me from everything else I have read. I hope that Michelle will consider writing an second book!

Book Review: Hot Blooded

Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles #2) 

by Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié

What do you run from?

Katelyn had only been in Wolf Springs a short time before she was bitten by a werewolf. And now she carries that creature's curse in her veins.

But she's not alone. Wolf Springs is home to a hidden family of werewolves, the Fenners - who swear none of them bit her. Apparently there's a monster on the loose - something wild and uncontrollable.

And to make matters worse, Katelyn's struggling to resist her own animal urges. Especially around Trick and Justin. Should she follow her heart - or her instincts? 
 

Paperback, 436 pages

Published December 6th 2012 by Reynolds & Jones (first published December 1st 2012)

Review

Katelyn's life is about to change . . . Forever. 

Stuck between a rouge, a dementia alpha, and her own insecurity. Can Katelyn really abide by the laws of the pack or will she be force to become an outsider, a rouge just to have her freedom once again.

Torn being human and wolf, katelyn must find the balance while a pack merely falls apart and family turn on one another

It's the matter of life and death to keep the werewolves a secret but the question remains
WHO BIT KATELYN? 

I give this a 2.5 Cat's Tails Up, the matter of the fact it I really didn't care for this one and it lacks an clear direction, overall it was missing components of what made the first book exciting and readable. 

MEOW . . . MEOW . . . MEOW

Okay this wasn't all that exciting in the second book, it had no thrill or sense of "danger" that was built up in the first book. Actually the majority of this book was quiet boring, it seems all over the place as well for the characters. I also got no sense of how the werewolves laws are followed even though the book does included a list of the law but still you don't see much of an enforcement.

I'm really not liking Justin all that much since he's not willing to stand against the alpha because Mr. Fenner is losing his mind and losing sense of reality which just may put the whole pack in danger. For Katelyn she is just kind of stuck in the middle of it all and basically lost just about everything who she is or who she was before she got bit by a werewolf.

I didn't like the fact that there were a lack of interaction between Katelyn and Cordelia, I also can't really understand why Cordelia was "disowned" by her own family, her own father but I'm guessing it has to do with his dementia taking over. I know that Cordelia didn't bit Katelyn but then it's the matter of finding out who did. Cordelia have had it rough and it would have really been nice to see what was going on in her world/mind when her father disowned her. 

I don't get why trick was absent from this book and I would have thought that there's be some love triangle between katelyn, Justin and trick. That how the first book kind of set it up but I have a clear suspicious that Justin and/or trick had something to do with katelyn being bit. I don't know why I have that sense but I do. There's just so many thing that were left out, barely mention that I would hope the thrid book ties it all back up again. 

Meeting Amanda Hocking

Today I went to my local bookstore for an author signing! Usually when it comes to an Author event I tend to travel to Minnesota for that event but this time it was right at home!

Amanda Hocking the author of numerous series, includes the Watersong series, the Trylle series and her newest series The Kanin Chronicles. Now I have only read the Trylle series and I love them!



Amanda was doing a short midwest event promotion for Frostfire the first book in the Kanin Chronicles.

What is Frostfire about? 

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

The book was released on January 6th, 2015

My bookstore was also selling her 3 in 1 book of the Trylle series, I hadn't known that it was out yet and I had planned to buy it because come on, the cover was very beautiful as well as Frostfire. In case you don't know I have a things for really pretty covers and I will purchase those pretties because I want to. As my blog subheader says "You Can Never Have Too Many Books" and I stay true to that statement.


Amanda signed everyone's books and not much to my surprises, I had the most books I carried 5 books with me to the store in my trusty bag and I purchase the Trylle 3 in 1 and Frostfire. So all of those books are signed. I also love signed books, they make my books that much more special and if I had a shelf for all of my signed books I would place them right on that special shelf.

Ironically I have no idea that I was sort of matching with some of the covers or the new ones anyways. Bryn from Frostfire, she is wearing a long red jacket and the 3 in 1 Trylle was the color red, along with red flowers on the bottom of the book as well as Wendy holding a red flower.

Trust me this was not planned, just pure coincidence




Now she had a Q and A, clearly I had some of my own as well listening to the other readers.

 

1. Going back to 2010 when you decided to click publish on your book through amazon, would you have believe if someone told you on that day you would make X amount of dollars.
Amanda's A: No and she was really just looking for a way to make a few bucks and really only thought she would only make a few hundreds bucks.

2. Would you consider writing an Oliver (Loki and Wendy's son) story when he was of age?
She have consider it and play with some ideas but it will have to be a wait and see. 

3. What advice would you give to other writers?
Amanda: Do your research, researching helps a lot when writing a book. Always be ready to having to revise revise and revise your book.  

4. Did you have a say in the cover for the Kanin series?
Amanda: she told her publicist what she was looking for and she was able to pick the cover model and then saw some samples of what the cover would look like.
I also quipped that Pinterest can be really helpful when trying to say what your ideas are and she agrees.

5. Have you ever met Andrea Creamer another midwest native? Have you read any of her books?
Amanda: She have and she also met Andrea as well, Amanda herself have read Nightshade and wolfsbane but somewhere in the midst of life she lost track of time to read the rest of the Nightshade series.

6. What was the last book you read?
Pieces of You by Claudia Grey (If I heard that right)

Thank you Amanda for actually coming to my local city, I'm usually the one traveling to go meet authors and thanks for signing the books (all 7 books) and the swag are pretty neat, I'm just really curious on the rabbit. And Thanks for answering some of my questions as well the other fans/readers.

Also congrats on tying the knot!

Kitty Blitz: Lucidity

It's the Final book to The Raven Chronicles Trilogy, the one that we all been waiting for . . . 

It's officially here! Lucidity the second and final book of the Raven Chronicles by Stephanie Thomas, as you know an author can have their ups and downs with their books. Sadly Stephanie's plan with the Raven Chronicles had some downs so after figuring out how to end the series, basically rewrite book two which would then lead to the final book 2 of the Raven Chronicles.

Lucidity (The Raven Chronicles #2) by Stephanie Thomas

Beatrice never thought she’d find herself in the middle of Aura, the city of her sworn enemy, the Dreamcatchers. Nor did she never think she’d abandon everything she’d ever known and everyone she’d ever loved to blindly follow Echo, the Dreamcatcher Prince. Gabe would never forgive her, if he lives, and nor will any of the Seers. 

Upon arriving, Beatrice is quickly thrown into the Dreamcatcher Queen’s self-serving plot to save Aura from a disastrous plague, and Bea’s anticipated return to the City is becoming less likely every day she is held captive and subjected to the epidemic.

Her Visions are the key to the cure, but when her Seer friends show up in Aura as well, Beatrice must learn to balance her precarious friendship and loyalty to both her people and the promise she made to help Echo’s people. 

As Beatrice navigates these new people and customs, she learns that there are more than just the Seers, Dreamcatchers and Citizens left in the world…and whomever is out there wants to eliminate all of their competition — including her.

Release date February 7th, 2015
Ebook 

Where you can purchase Lucidity

Amazon

I'm currently reading the ARC right now and it really blowing me away with just how indepth this book really is and I can see why there's is so much considering its the final book. I can't wait to write the review.
In case you haven't see my reviews of her other books, here you go!
 
Luminosity 
The Keeper 

About Stephanie Thomas

Stephanie Thomas has been writing ever since she could put letters together to form words. When she was a small child, she would present her mother and father with self-made newspapers filled up with make believe stories and pictures. Her love for writing followed her all throughout her schooling, where she entered and won writing contests of all sorts. Stephanie decided to become an English teacher and completed her B.A. at The Pennsylvania State University. While teaching, she later went on to get her Master’s in writing from The Johns Hopkins University. She completed her very first manuscript during her graduate studies, and by the end of the program, she had completed two more. Stephanie is quick to tell anyone that she’s a born and raised Philadelphian, and her heart will always belong there. She moved to Baltimore with her husband, and they’ve been living there for the last five years with their doggie, Sailor.

Where you can fine Stephanie
Website
Goodreads  
Twitter 
Facebook Author Page
The Raven Chronicles Facebook Page

Hide & Seek: Lion's Share

Does anyone know how much of a Rachel Vincent fan I am? YEP, she is one of my very first authors that made my heart soars for a werecat novel. I actually did an goodread search for something with werecats or cats into it and her werecats (Faythe's story) was the first option and I also realize that I had read her YA Soul Screamers until I found her werecats novels and consumed the entire series in one week. 

Now I'm so exciting to be taking part of revealing her newest addition to the werecat's world nearly 5 years after Alpha came out in 2010. Even Rachel didn't think there would be more to that world that jump started her writing gig.

Lion’s Share (Wildcats #1) by Rachel Vincent

Abby Wade has a dangerous secret.

Two months ago, she disobeyed an order, but instead of kicking her out of the Pride, Jace offered her a job. Since then, she’s been battling a completely inappropriate crush on the young, hot Alpha. But when accepting his job offer seems like the only way to keep her skeletons safely in their closet, Abby doesn’t hesitate.

Jace Hammond has a big problem.
A rogue is slaughtering humans in his territory, and he must eliminate the threat before the entire shifter species is exposed. There could not be a worse time for Abby to accept a job he only offered as a boost to her confidence. Abby is smart, beautiful, and resilient—more than enough to distract any man from the mission. Unfortunately, she may just be the worst enforcer ever to hold the title.
As they hunt the killer, Abby’s secret becomes a threat to Jace’s authority and to her own life. But the real danger is the grip she has on his twice-shy heart.

Publication date: February 23rd 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23507277-lion-s-share?ac=1

How about a little Giveaway provided by Rachel herself 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AUTHOR BIO:

Rachel Vincent is the author of the Shifters series and the Unbound series for adults, as well as the Soul Screamers series for teens.

Rachel's next young adult book is THE STARS NEVER RISE, coming from Delacorte in June of 2015, and her new series for adults will debut with MENAGERIE, coming from Mira books in the fall of 2015

Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who's been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy--but social media is a close second.

Author Links:

http://rachelvincent.com/

https://www.facebook.com/rachelkvincent

https://twitter.com/rachelkvincent

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/415967.Rachel_Vincent

Hide & SeekL Nowhere But Here

West Side Story meets Sons of Anarchy?? Yes, please!

Katie McGarry's newest novel, NOWHERE BUT HERE, has a cover and we are thrilled to get to help reveal it to you today. The first novel in her upcoming The Thunder Road Series, NOWHERE BUT HERE is a young adult contemporary romance that will keep you turning the pages long into the night. We have no doubt that when you get done, you're going to wish you were on a motorcycle and had your own cut of leather across your back! Follow along today as pieces of the cover are revealed, and then stop by the HarlequinTeen Page to see the full cover at 7pm EST! And that's not all, of course! We have a few Behind-The-Scenes pictures from the photo shoot itself for you to enjoy as well! Check out the Behind-The-Scenes pictures and then scroll down for our puzzle piece!

 

 

And here's the fifth piece to the cover for you!

 

Don't miss all of the puzzle piece reveals throughout the day!

 

11am EST

Buttermybooks Romance Obsessed Book Blog Sundays in Bed with Books Emilie's Book World Live Read and Breathe Bound In Ink Book Blog Books and Swoons 2 Greek Girls Reading BookCatPin Bumbles and Fairy-Tales Bows & Bullets Reviews Mama's Dirty Little Reads Winter Reads Total Book Geek Romance and Fantasy for Cosmopolitan Girls

12pm EST

Once Upon a Twilight Amaterasu Reads Bittersweet Reads The Breakfast Blog Books Need TLC Bookishly Britt The Racy Lit Reader Sultry Steamy Reading Watcha Reading StarAngels Reviews Bookworm Misfit flirty fiction blog Addicted Readers I Dare You To Read Little Bookworm Reviews

1pm EST

The Book Belles Read It Write Now Little Read Riding Hood Ficwishes Cesya MaRae Cuono, Author Soulmates Talk About Books Kimmy Loves to Read BCS Reviews Adventures in Writing Kissed by Ink Book Nerd Addict Jess Time To Read All in a Book Book Vigilante Reviews Indy Book Fairy

2pm EST

Prisoners of Print Bittersweet Enchantment BookHounds YA Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews All Night Books Reading Over Sleeping WOrkS of FiCTioN Lovin' Los Libros A Thousand Lives Lived Bookish Things & More Avid Reader Musings Girl meets Books Reviews by Tammy and Kim Nose Stuck in a Book pageturnersblog

3pm EST

Ogitchida Kwe's Book Blog Jenuine Cupcakes Eat, Sleep, and Read Mystical Lit Lounge BFF Book Blog We're Jumpin' Books Lovely Reads TSK TSK What to Read Chapter by Chapter Pages to Explore Deszy könyvajánlója Becky on Books SassyCat's Books Review Worn Down Glories Ripley Loves to Read

4pm EST

Booklovers For Life Contagious Reads Got Books? Books to Breathe 21st Century Once Upon A Times Lost in Ever After The Phantom Paragrapher The Eater of Books! Jackie's Book World Ceresbooksworld Renee Entress's Blog Milky Way of Books Gaga Over Books Step Into Fiction Lost in Literature

5pm EST

Divergent Gryffindor Bibliophile Mystery Undercover Book Reviews Stephanie Witter naughty Book Eden Wonderful Monster Book Blog Beppe DM Books Blog Scandalous Book Blog Book Angel Booktopia Gemma reads too much for it to be normal book blog Book Babes Unite Sara In Bookland The Fairest of All Book Reviews Red Hot + Blue Reads Cosying Up With Books

6pm EST

So Bookalicious Musings of the Book-a-holic Fairies, inc. Kindle and Me Mundie Moms The Shadow Realm Confessions of a Y.A. and N.A. Book Addict Stay Bookish Library of a Book Witch The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club Tumbleweed Book Reviews The Cover Contessa In My Secret -Book- World Book Boyfriend Reviews Corrie the Book Crazed Girl Mary Had a Little Book Blog

7pm EST

Readers Live A Thousand Lives Typical Distractions The Book Hookup Southern Belle Book Blog When Books Defy Gravity Holly's Red Hot Reviews Book Marauder Greyland Reviews Ellesea Loves Reading Megpie93's Book Blog Seeing Night Reviews BookCrushin Tyhada Reads StuckInBooks Waiting For Wentworth Chapters Pages Words Beletristas Mommas Secret Book Obsession Vera is Reading

NOWHERE BUT HERE Synopsis:  

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible  

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. 

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. 

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Add it to your Goodreads Now!

Preorder NOWHERE BUT HERE

Amazon ** Kobo ** BAM ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads ** Pinterest ** Tumbler ** Instagram

 

Kitty Blitz: The Clones Chronicles

Until a month ago, eighteen-year-old Ven had never set foot outside the windowless warehouse where she was created. An Imitation of Raven Rogen, Ven spent her days confined in the lab, studying videos of her Authentic, all so she could step into Raven’s life at a moment’s notice.

Now, Ven lives in Raven’s penthouse apartment, kisses Raven’s boyfriend, and obeys every order from Raven’s dad, Titus Rogen—the very man who created her. But Ven has a secret plan. She doesn’t want Raven’s life. She wants her own.

In the action-packed sequel of Imitation, Ven wages a dangerous war against Titus. First she’ll free herself, then she’ll free every last Imitation. . . .

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1wXxNHZ

Haven't started the Clone Chronicles yet?  Start it out with Imitation!

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face. Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has never needed Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?

Fans of Cinder, The Selection and Sara Shepard’s Lying Game series will love Imitation, a thrilling, action-packed novel sure to keep readers guessing until the very last page.

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1AO8UlO

PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY

Want to win a paperback copy of Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand along with Clone Chronicles swag?  Sign up for her mailing list at http://mad.ly/signups/106230/join.  One lucky subscriber will be chosen on 2/7/15 to win the prize!

About Heather Hildenbrand

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She’s only slightly socially awkward as a result.) Since 2011, she’s published more than eight YA & NA novels including the bestselling Dirty Blood series. She splits her time between coastal Virginia and the island of Guam and loves having a mobile career and outrageous lifestyle of living in two places. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs.

Heather is also a publishing and success coach bent on equipping and educating artists who call themselves authors. She loves teaching fellow writers how to create the same freedom-based lifestyle she enjoys. For more information visit www.phoenixauthorink.com and find out how to create your own Outrageous Life.

She is represented by Rebecca Friedman. You can find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherhildenbrand.com.

Or find her here:                    

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Other titles by Heather Hildenbrand:

Imitation, book 1 in the Clone Chronicles

Dirty Blood (book 1, the Dirty Blood series)

Amazon Kobo B&N

Cold Blood (book 2, Dirty Blood series)

Amazon Kobo B&N

Blood Bond (book 3, Dirty Blood series)

Amazon Kobo B&N

Blood Rule, (book 4, Dirty Blood series)

Amazon Kobo B&N

Whisper

Amazon Kobo B&N

Across the Galaxy

Amazon Kobo B&N

DreamKiller: The Complete Saga (a novella)

Amazon   Kobo   B&N

A Risk Worth Taking

Amazon B&N

The Indie Author Guide: A Self-Publisher’s Toolbox

Amazon B&N