Current Giveaways!

Check Back Later Please.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Entwined by Heather Dixon


Synopsis:
Confined to their dreary castle while mourning their mother's death, Princess Azalea and her 11 sisters join The Keeper, who is trapped in a magic passageway, in a nightly dance that soon becomes nightmarish.

Review:
    I actually forgot what this book was about, I remembered getting it for a steal as it was featured as a 99 cent e-book and at the time I had been dying for it. Like many of my TBR books though it got lost in the ever growing mountain that quickly has taken space in my library corner.
    I was actually spinning through my Kindle looking at covers and just trying to get a feel for a book that grabbed my attention and kept me hooked just from that. It is an odd sort of feeling when you can’t decide what to read; almost like that craving I have spoken of before.
   I was going to read the few hours before it got dark and then clean since it was my day off and my fiancĂ© had to work.  I was hooked from the very first paragraph, and as the hours ticked away and daylight faded I lost myself in the world Heather Dixon.
    Anyone who follows my blog knows I am a sucker for fairy tales and their re-makes. So I was delighted to come to the realization that it was an adaption of the twelve dancing princess’s fairy tale.
    This story is told from the view point of the eldest as she takes care of her younger sisters after a promise was made on silver to their mother who the very same night died giving birth to the youngest of the sisters.
     It was easy to relate with Azalea as I was the eldest of my siblings and while I didn’t have a magic promise that bound me I still took care of them and raised them.
    One of the best things of this story is that each sister had their own personality, one that the author did well in keeping to and not letting them fade into the background. It actually felt like a family.
   I enjoyed the love interest’s that came into play and found myself rooting for the happily ever after ending I am normally against.
Favorite Charachter: Bramble, she had some serious spunk that you can't help but enjoy.
Rating: 5 Ravens!

reviewed by:

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Synopsis:
The world has fallen in love with Nick Gautier and the Dark-Hunters. Now Nick’s saga continues in the next eagerly anticipated volume...

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That’s the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn’t the average teenager. He’s a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him.

He’s learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive such a difficulty? But that isn’t the primary skill he has to master. Survival is.

And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known.

Or he’ll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he’ll lose everyone he cares about.

Even himself


Review:

I literally finished this in one day. I started it mid shift last night about one a.m. (Sh! Don’t tell the boss lol) and finished it about 5 am the next day…if you couldn’t tell I work the last shift so my days are actually most people’s nights.



One of my favorite things about this series is that I get to see Nick  growing up as a kid, reading the Dark Hunter series he has always been a favorite supporting character mainly for his sas so I was ecstatic to get to understand more about him.

I also like that with each new book the covers resemble one another in some shape or form.

Just like the other books of the series, there is that love interest that can win out in the end or ultimately doom a man. I do like the fact that women are to be feared in the series.  There is also a lot of action packed into the pages of a great book.

I love the twists that were thrown into the mix, I enjoy being kept on my toes and guessing as it is hard to throw me for a loop given the amount I read and there is only so many plot twists you can think up after all.

Some of the things I didn’t like…Nick got hurt…a lot in this book. For protectors Kody and Caleb suck…they would be fired if they were my body guard demon/warrior guys. It seemed like Nick had just gotten out of the hospital before he was thrown back into it.

It seemed sort of preachy for a book and while I agreed with almost everything that felt preachy I am still a little upset about It due to the fact that I am a firm believer that everyone is entitled to their opinion and it is their life to screw up.

The ending.  Just that last paragraph had me upset because of the cliff hanger and the fact that it might take some time for the next book to come out, where I will be waiting anxiously once more to get my hands on. Genius on the author’s part but it doesn’t make it suck any less.

One of the best things about this book was the mother’s. They are exactly as the mother’s I see in everyday life. They can annoy and frustrate the ever living day lights out of you but you can’t help but love them.

From gamer quotes of star wars to star trek this book has a little bit of everything with just the right amount as to not overdo it.
Rating: 5 Ravens!
Reviewed by:

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Synopsis:
It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Review:
Any time I am out and about in town, since I live in the boonies it feels like. Literally our little space has only two stop lights, and I am a city kid getting married to a country boy, I get a book…or two or three. It is an addiction really and one I am more than happy to continue getting a fix off of. Anyways, this weeks… or rather last week’s book was Embrace by Jessica Shirvington and I picked it up mainly because of the cover and the fact that it had a little sticker thingy that said it was one of the first anticipated YA books.
I really loved the design of the book. You open up the book (Mine was a hardback) and there is smoke and black feathers and they are etched onto the hard back of the book. It was one of those oooh’s that I mentioned to one of the girls I work with.
As with most things this new fad seems to have taken up with angels, fallen and not so much fallen so it didn’t surprise me that Embrace was one of those books.
I was actually really disappointed with this book, for something that was claimed to be one of the most anticipated I felt it didn’t live up to the hype. The story just seemed to drag on and on for me. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, main or supporting and when I usually fly through books I believe this one actually took me a week to finish.
What I did like about the book was the quotes that titled each chapter. Most of them were biblical and actually fit well with the whole theme of the book and were beautifully chosen.
Another fact that was brought to my attention via someone I let borrow the book was that some of the myth around the Grigori was changed in this book to the point that she wouldn’t finish it because of how miffed she got.
Anyone else who read it notice that Violet, our leading lady’s last name was Eden? I kind of snickered at that considering it is an angel story…

Quotes:
1."Let there be light, yada yada yada...but consider this: how could light be needed if darkness not preceded it?"

2. "Remember, all passions start from love or hate. But beware- you never know whetehr they will end with delight or sorrow."

3."You know that when I hate you, it is because I love you to a point of passion that unhinges my soul " - Julie De Lespinasse


Rating: 2 Ravens
Reviewed by:

Friday, March 16, 2012

Nocturne by Syrie James



Synopsis:
When Nicole Whitcomb's car runs off a Colorado mountain road during a blinding snowstorm, she is saved from death by a handsome, fascinating, and enigmatic stranger.Snowbound with him for days in his beautiful home high in the Rockies, she finds herself powerfully attracted to him. But there are things about him that mystify her, filling her with apprehension.Who is Michael Tyler? Why does he live alone in such a secluded spot and guard his private life so carefully? What secret--or secrets--is he hiding?Nicole has secrets of her own and a past she is running from--but Michael understands her better than anyone she has ever known. Soon, she is falling as deeply in love with him as he is with her--a profoundly meaningful experience that is destined to change their lives forever.As the sexual tension between them builds, however, the clues mount up. When Nicole learns her host's terrifying secret, there is nowhere for her to run but into the blizzard raging outside, and Michael may be the only one who can save her life
Review:
I will be honest, I was not sure what to expect when I picked up this book. Honestly I won it in a giveaway that I didn't even remember entering so I really had no clue what the book was even about.
Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be a vampire love story.
I really enjoyed the book even though I had a hard time getting into it. A fact I was going to blame partially on the fact that as of lately I have just had an urge to write on one/all of my ongoing projects. (I currently have three)
So lets get started.
Cover work, it is definitely eye catching and in all honesty has a somewhat snow white feel to it. A red rose bleeding against the purity of freshly fallen snow in a forest. It was probably what drew me into picking the book out of the numbers in my TBR pile.

Characters', Our leading male role goes by the name of Michael Tyler. A writer who is a complete mystery given he values his privacy. An obvious point as he lives in the middle of nowhere. He is a little gruff in the beginning. Having to hide your identity will do that to ya.
But as our Leading lady Nicole starts to wear him down you start to see the softer side of him. The side that makes you fall in love with him and cheer the two on.

Speaking of Nicole she has had some trouble with her profession, as a nurse there was an incident that left her traumatized and afraid at even just the site of blood. Lucky her that she gets to meet her favorite author quite by accident.

The two start to experience a love story that could have been right out of the pages of one of Michaels romance novels that he writes.

I will say that my favorite part by far was the ending. I kept thinking, surely they won't do it. It is going to be exactly like all the other love stories. I will tell you this, it is nothing like any of the other love stories but I won't spoil it for you. I will leave the surprise for you guys!

Rating:Three Raven's (Not to bad! =3)

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Please Excuse Our Mess!!

So, I haven't been the best in the blogger community. Alot has been going on, what with ulcers and then the tornado's and now new management for work. But ladies and gents who have not deserted me, I thank you for your time!
I have had the blog in mind though. Pretty soon I will be introducing a new Reviewer, I am actually really excited even though I have had to poke and prod her to get to do it. Lol, I have known her since middle school so it isn't a random add.

Also, I am going to try out a new weekly thing where I pick my favorite quote of the week from one of the books I have either read or stumbled upon. I am also gonna do a Coveted Cover of the Week.

I am trying to figure out what picture I want to do for rating's instead of just doing stars like I am. So that may be changing as well.

But I just wanted to let you know that if the blog looks a little messed up the next time you visit it is because I am not the most tech savvy where it comes to this sort of thing so I am sorry in advance and thank you once again.

-Sincerely.
WonderlandReviews

The Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter



Synopsis:
Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive-but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he'd thought was forever beyond his reach…until now.

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris's arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally-or tear them apart?

Review:
I actually got this book by surprise.
I subscribe to a monthly book club, one of many, that sends me books for a discounted price since I am a member and as I tore open the package eager to see what this month had in store for my ever growing library I am not afraid to say that I let out a little fan girl squeel, surprising everyone around me, including my In-laws.
My father in-law is a truck driver so I only get to see him one week out of the month and as we are a close knit family he hasn't truly grasped that books are like jewlrey to me, I turn to mush about them and nothing can get me more excited then recieving a well waited for book as a surprise.

I have been a fan of this series since book one. And as I have read each of the warriors stories, watched each of them fall in love I must say that I was intrigued for the Lord of Promiscuity and how his story would pan out. Ecspecially because it seemed like they were giving teaser's all through out other Demon Lord's tales and as the anticipation built I couldn't help but salivate for what I knew was to come.

Lets start out with the new Owner of the demon of Wrath a miss Sienna, once a hunter and one who was at one time Paris's captor, and who is also at the time a ghost. Yes, it is one of those tales. But she is trapped in a castle and at Cronus's beck and call, for a reason you shall soon know.
I will say that I like how they made it possible for you to see/touch a ghost. A fact revealed by the Demon of Narcissim, Viola.

Paris isn't that lovable guy either, in an obssesive effort to find and rescue his woman he is making a blood trail and destroying every thing in his path until he finds her.

We also get to see Galen's side and obssesion with poor little Legion. Ashlyn who is about ready to bust, litterally as she is at her due dates door, is kidnapped and held for ransom.

How does this steamy tale end? Well my dear reader's you will have to find out for yourself because like any of Gena Showalter's books it is a must read that will keep you glued to the pages as you swoon with their matches and get angry on the charachters behalves.

Rating:
4.5 Stars!

Favorite charrie:
Viola, she made me laugh alot because of her demon.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

(ARC) Zero by Tom Leveen


Synopsis:
For aspiring artist Amanda Walsh, who only half-jokingly goes by the nickname Zero, the summer before college was supposed to be fun—plain and simple. Hanging out with her best friend Jenn, going to clubs, painting, and counting down the days until her escape. But when must-have scholarship money doesn't materialize, and she has a falling out with Jenn that can only be described as majorly awkward, and Zero's parents relationship goes from tense to relentless fighting, her prospects start looking as bleak and surreal as a painting by her idol Salvador Dali. Will life truly imitate art? Will her new, unexpected relationship with a punk skater boy who seems too good to be real and support from the unlikeliest of sources show Zero that she's so much more than a name.
Review:
What to say about this book. It is hard to know where to start simply because I loved every aspect of this book.
I got this book by applying to be an Ambuzzador and luckily my application was accepted. I will say they couldn't have picked a better book for me then Zero.
Appearance wise I thought "Finally! A love story for the punks. It isn't a fairy tale Ken and Barbie one." Being what society often classifies as ' punk' since I have piercing's, listen to loud music and at one point have had my hair every color of the rainbow and then some, I found it extremely easy to relate to this book. I know when I learned that Zero was the book it would be my job to help promote I set up camp by my mail box as I eagerly awaited the post man.

Zero also brought up a lot of memories of my past, as a child of divorce I will say the author nailed it perfectly when discussing the feeling of dread that settles over you like a dark cloud when you find yourself caught in the middle of one of your parents epic show downs. How hard the simple things you once found joy turn into and how hard an escape is.
Zero touched base with each topic, substance abuse, sex, teen angst, rock and roll, homosexuality, art and the drama of your teen years.
It really is a must have book that is highly entertaining and gives a different look into a darker side of some teenagers lives. I know it is circulating around my work place because of how highly I have raved about it.
There is one thing I know everyone will love and that is the ending. But, you will find no spoilers here, you will just have to crack the book open and find out for yourself why the ending was the best part.

Quotes:
"Mike: I will bear you many children. We can start now. Let me just clear off the table."

Favorite Charachter: Hobbit, because he could be fun without going over board and he knew when to get serious.

Rating:
5 Stars!

Monday, March 5, 2012

(Blog Tour) Rook (Allie's War, #1) by J.C. Andrijeski



Synopsis:
Twenty-eight-year-old San Francisco native, Allie Taylor, at least thought she was human. Against a gritty and original backdrop of a modern-day Earth populated by a second race of beings, Allie finds out she's a member of an enslaved yet deeply powerful race, whose members believe her to be their most venerated leader, come to end the reign of humanity. With her guide, Revik, a mysterious and deadly seer who acts as her bodyguard and teacher, Allie will come to grips with who she really is, or end up a slave like the rest of her kind...or worse, betray the very people she always thought of as her own

Review:
This book is the type of book where you are brought right into the story and unable to let go from the very beggining. I know I was hooked right from the start and considering I was one of the states hit hard with the string of Tornado's this week, it was a good thing.
Rook, had enough fast paced car chases, hiding out, conspiracy's and complex story lines that it kept my thoughts well away from the destruction and the sense of helplessness that settled in.
The charachters were rich and complex, with so much depth it was almost as if I knew them in real life.
I enjoyed a very well thought out villian and the relationship between Allie and Revik was written with enough chemistry I am enjoying the show.
So, if you are a fan of the type of story where two races, The Seer's, who are enslaved, and the Humans with enough action to keep your heart pounding then this deffinetly is the book for you.

Rating:
4 Stars!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

(Blog Tour) Evershade by Alexia Purdy Interview+Review


Synopsis:
A dark twist on Faeries. For Shade, a chance meeting with a powerful Teleen faery warrior who wields electrical currents and blue fires along his skin- has her , joining him on a treacherous mission for the good Seelie Faerie Court across the land of Faerie. Magic and malice abound and nothing is what it really seems to be.

The evil Unseelie Queen and her treacherous allies are round every corner as Shade makes her way across the breathtaking landscapes of the world of Faerie, which exists alongside the mundane human world. Shade discovers her own uncharted magic and meets some of the most powerful warriors in Faerie while battling evil dryads, conniving Teleen guards and challenges on her life with every step in a world where nothing can be taken for granted

Review:
Evershade was a slow starter for me. I was not entirely sure I would enjoy it actually which really saddened my given all of the great reviews I have noticed popping up on it.

Thankfully it picked up as I forced myself to continue on with it.

It becomes one of those tales that you find yourself glued to as you tune out your every day life in order to find out what happened to Shade.

I absolutely loved the cover. In fact that was what initially drew me to the story, it was an added bonus when I found out that it was a Fey story. Not everyone can pull of stories of the Fey, especially with all the folk tale and lore that surround them, I have read plenty a tale where they didn't stick with the Fey culture but used the Fey name all the same. Let me tell you that really irked me.

The action starts pretty soon in the book so you are not left wondering when things will pick up. But even from the beginning it is obvious that Shade isn't normal. Then again I know more then one person who has those little voices inside her head. ^-^ They just refuse to listen.

About this author:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">


Living in Las Vegas, NV! Trying to fit in the writing in between taking care of my four kids and working as an RN. I read more than I write but enjoy both extremely. I can only write while listening to music and late at night works best. Paranormal Urban fantasy and Poetry are my specialities and extreme loves! My debut novel Ever Shade: A Dark Faerie Tale Series will Launch Feb 29th, 2012 with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing.

Interview:
1.Why write about fairy's?
I love fairy/faery/fae/fey folklore. It is expansive and can be found in almost any culture and background. It is diversified in a way that can be turned into so many different stories. It is almost like mythology. I love this kind of stuff, I have read many stories in this genre since I can remember. I highly reccommend delving into it, it isn't just princess fairy tales, there is the darker aspects of the folklore that can be just as scary as any horror story.

2. Did you have a sound track or specific songs you found yourself listening to more while writing?
Ever Shade definitely had a soundtrack. I listened to a lot of Evanescence, Smashing Pumpkins, Ingrid Michaelson, Linkin Park and a ton of contemperary classical/instrumental music. I need music to write, no other way to do it. I have to say my absolute favorite song for Ever Shade was Breathe No More by Evanescence

3. What does it feel like to be published?
It feels amazing. The blood, sweat and tears feel worth it, no better feeling. To have an awesome publisher to back you up, like Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly publishing tops the cake for sure, they rock!

4. How did you find the time to write and raise 4 kids while working as an RN?
I am quite sleep deprived. I write after they go to bed, I write during nap times, luckily the long hours at work mean I don't have to be there more than 2-3 days/week so that helps. I keep a notebook to write in when I can't have my computer. Make time, there is always no time so just make it.

5. If you were one of the fey would you be Seelie or Unseelie?
I would actually want to be Unseelie, they seem to have more fun at wrecking the place.

6. Which character did you find it hardest to write for? Which did you find easiest?
Hardest to write was definitely Shade, she is a mature teen but has vulnerabilities that sometimes I relate to and sometimes i don't. She is similar to me in ways and so many ways, she is not. Kind of hard to really pinpoint what it is. I found Soap easier to write than anyone, he was witty, funny, mysterious and somewhat, sinister. I love writing male characters, they seem to flow naturally for me. Go figure, I grew up with being the only girl and a severe tomboy. I also have 3 boys and one girl so it kind of goes on and on with dealing with the boys. Though my daughter is pretty easy going and incredibly girly, so not like me.

7. How did you come up with your title?
Actually I was brainstorming with my publisher about a new title to catch the eye of a reader. The book was previously self-published briefly and named Interim Blue. I did come up with tying the books together with a word or a phrase and "Ever" kept popping into my head. "A Dark Faerie Tale" seemed to be the real tie in too for the series. Shade of course was my main character. The title together seemed to explain what the theme of the series was very nicely.

8. What advice do you have for aspiring authors who suffer from writers block?
Writer's block is the devil!!! I highly suggest turning on some music, and just writing. Writing exercises can help lube up the wheels in your head and get it going. It doens't have to make sense or be serious. Just write. It also helps to take time off and re-evaluate where you want your story to go. I do sometimes write chapters out of order if I know that a certain scene is going to happen. This helps me weave it together by doing the part I do know first.

9. What was the scariest part of actually getting your book out there?
I definitely have to say, sometimes I am scared of what people out there will think of it. Does it suck? Is it boring? Do they think I'm whacked for writing about Faeries and magic? In the end you really have to suck it up, take the reviews with a grain of salt and just keep writing. You do get over the initial fear of putting your work out there.

10. Any last words you would like to leave with our readers?
Be Intense, it's the only way to live. And if you like intense, definitely check out all the books my publisher is putting out, these are amazingly original and as intense as it gets! Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing has it covered!

My Links:
My blog/website:
http://alexiapurdy.blogspot.com/
Face book Profile:
https://www.facebook.com/alexia.purdy
Facebook Fan pages:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexia-Purdy/141367132649647
https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Dark-Faerie-Tale-Series-by-Alexia-Purdy/306272299403583
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reign-of-Blood-series/294556733940025
Twitter:
@AlexiaPurdy
https://twitter.com/#!/AlexiaPurdy

Goodreads Profile:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5038699.Alexia_Purdy

Alexia Purdy

Disclaimer


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of numerous Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by the Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*