Showing posts with label 2012/12. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012/12. Show all posts

Friday, April 5, 2013

Tour Review: The Blind Cupid by Karyn Gerrard (Giveaway)

Title: The Blind Cupid
Series: The Blind Cupid #1, The Edge
Author: Karyn Gerrard
Genre: Erotic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Format: PDF, 31 Pages
ISBN: 9781613334355
Release Date: December 12, 2012
Source: Tour Host {FMB Book Tours}
Rating: 3/5

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): Was Cupid blind?

Summary: Anne Sommer, a spinster firmly on the shelf, does the unthinkable. She hires a man to give her pleasure for one night. Anne wants the erotic memories to keep her company in the lonely years ahead. She did not expect the young man who showed up at her door to move her in ways she never imagined.

Desmond Glover gives pleasure---for a price. An orphan whose childhood was mired in scandal and poverty, Desmond has learned to close off his emotions with regard to his occupation. He did not count on a lonely spinster to awaken his hidden passion.

Not only do the years separate them, but their social standings. Can Anne and Desmond cross such a chasm and find mutual desire---or love?

Short Review:

I really liked The Blind Cupid. When it looked like Anne and Desmond weren't going to work out, I was chanting over and over, "They have to be together, they have to be together." They story was actually pretty sweet, and I couldn't help but love Desmond. I really liked his show a vulnerability at points, it showed that he wasn't as unfeeling as he lets on. I can't wait to read the next books in this series.

About this Author:

Living in a small town in a corner of Ontario, Canada, I wile away my spare time writing and reading romance. As long as I can avoid being hit by a runaway moose here in this wilderness paradise, I assume everything is golden. Originally from the east coast of Canada.

I've been happily married for a long time to my own hero. His encouragement keeps me moving forward.

Author Links: Website | Author Facebook | Facebook LIKE Page | Twitter |


GIVEAWAY:

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Monday, April 1, 2013

Tour Review: Her Heart's Secret Wish by Juliana Haygert (Giveaway)

Title: Her Heart's Secret Wish
Author: Juliana Haygert
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Format: PDF, 51 Pages
ASIN: B00AM549X2
Release Date: December 10, 2012
Source: Tour Host {FMB Book Tours}
Rating:

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): With a renowned reputation as a player, she had everything figured out, until he came into the game and changed the rules.

Summary: Twenty-year-old college student, Natasha is the life of every party and the reason behind many celebrations. The easiest girl on campus has all guys at her feet and more than a few in her bed.

Having entered the academic world by chance, Professor Jason Stone is surprised to find one of his young students a huge temptation. The infamous Natasha has caught his attention. But is there more to her than meets the eye?

As their unexpected friendship grows, so does their attraction to each other. When Jason’s Christmas plans are canceled and he ends up at the same party as Natasha, sparks flare, destroying the safe zone around them. Will they figure out how to break through their self-imposed barriers to be together, or lose one another forever?

Short Review:

I really enjoyed this book, and it had a very satisfying conclusion. Sometimes with short stories like Her Heart's Secret Wish, I'm left kind of hanging by the end, but I didn't feel that way with this book.

About this Author:

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links:

http://www.julianahaygert.com/
http://www.julianahaygert.com/blognews/
https://www.facebook.com/juhaygert
https://twitter.com/Juliana_Haygert
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6609948.Juliana_Haygert
http://pinterest.com/julianahaygert/



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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Tour Review: The Princess and The Prepper by Barbara Elsborg (Giveaway)

Title:The Princess and the Prepper 
Series: Prepper Romance #2, Evans Point Series #2
Author: Barbara Elsborg
Genre: Erotic Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00ARKLYS0
Release Date: December 20, 2012
Source: Tour Host {FMB Book Tours}
Rating:

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Lili knows she shouldn’t accept a lift from a stranger, but as usual, she leaps from one disaster to another. The consequence is being stuck in the middle of a snowy nowhere wearing next to nothing, and this time, being unprepared looks likely to kill her.

Grant lives in an isolated cabin for a reason. He’s prepared for almost every eventuality. The last thing he wants is some needy person interfering with his ordered life. When he gets into bed with a woman he rescued from certain death—just to warm her up, of course—Grant discovers something else he’s not prepared for. His heart opening.

A match made in heaven, until secrets come knocking. Lili is not just a simple woman in need of shelter, and unless she can survive dealing with her background, it doesn’t seem possible the happiness that’s fallen out of a blizzard can heal Grant’s own past.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Barbara Elsborg lives in West Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Vulcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.

After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.

Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.

Author Links: Website | Blog |


GIVEAWAY:
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Tour Review: Sometimes Never by Cheryl McIntyre

Title: Sometimes Never
Series: Sometimes Never #1
Author: Cheryl McIntyre
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Cheryl McIntyre
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00AQHUV1A
Release Date: December 18, 2012
Source: Author {Cheryl McIntyre}
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Hope didn't have the best role model when it came to relationships. She’s content with her current no-strings-attached extracurricular activity with the lead singer of her band. She’s never believed in love and commitment.

Mason starts his eighth school in five years anticipating nothing more than the usual—boring classes, fighting more than making friends, and girls happily willing to succumb to his easy smile. He’s never put much stock into love at first sight—until he sees her.

Regardless of their painful pasts, Hope and Mason discover that sometimes never can become forever.

Short Review:

Sometimes Never is a highly emotional book that will have your emotions all over the map. Real life and controversial topics are handled and written very well. Both Hope and Mason have their issues and you would think that because of that their relationship is doomed from the start. How can two messed up people make something work, right? But they make it work, and it's a beautiful story.

About this Author:

Cheryl McIntyre is the author of Sometimes Never, Blackbird (a Sometimes Never novella), and the
paranormal romance Dark Calling.

Author Links:

https://www.facebook.com/CherylMcIntyreauthor
https://twitter.com/CherylHMcIntyre
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6431156.Cheryl_McIntyre







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Monday, March 25, 2013

Tour Review: Ascent of Blood by Elizabeth Marx (Giveaway)

Title: Ascent of Blood
Series: Red Veil #1
Author: Elizabeth Marx
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Vampires
Publisher: Elizabeth Marx
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00AMI7PNA
Release Date: December 10, 2012
Source: Tour Host {FMB Book Tours}
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): Sometimes, love is conceived in the mind of a man long before it is ever realized.

Summary: 1990, Cardiff, Wales. Vampire prince, Sebastian Pearce, has waited six-hundred years for the right human mate. His own beloved mother was a mortal capable of carrying immortal offspring. While vampires no longer require live donors for sustenance, Mother Nature has played a cruel trick on them making breeders a rare commodity. As numbers in Sebastian’s Imperial House continue to dwindle, his virgin bride eludes him. That is, until he happens upon a young woman searching for information about a sacred vampire text, the Book of Descent. Sebastian’s desire for her is more potent than anything he’s felt for another woman, but Everleigh Marbut isn’t innocent. She’s an American with a mind of her own, and worst of all, she’s already carrying an immortal being. As Sebastian and Everleigh fight their attraction to each other, they don’t realize they’re being lured into a battle pitting medieval myth against the power of modern science to recreate life until it’s too late.

The destiny of his lineage, and the bond forged between them, now rests in their acceptance of each other as they are.

Short Review:

Ascent of Blood takes place 600 years after the events in Descent of Blood. The Old World meets the New World when Sebastian Pearce meets Everleigh Marbut. As I'm sure you've guessed, once such different mind views clash, hilarity ensues. And because nothing is ever easy, once Sebastian realizes who Everleigh is to him, it's made more difficult by the fact that she's pregnant with another vampire's baby. I'm in love with this series, and I can't wait for the next book!

About this Author:

Windy City writer, Elizabeth Marx, brings cosmopolitan life alive in her fiction—a blend of romance, fast-paced Chicago living, and a sprinkle of magical realism. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. She grew up in the city, has traveled extensively, and still says there’s no town like Chi-Town.

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Friday, March 1, 2013

Tour Review: Wounded by Jasinda Wilder (Giveaway)

Title: Wounded
Author: Jasinda Wilder
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Setting Location: United States // Iraq
Publisher:
Format: PDF, 130 Pages
ASIN: B00APLND3A
Release Date: December 16, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Good Choice Reading Book Tours}
Rating:

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): ~NONE~ 

Summary: War has taken everything from me. My family. My home. My innocence. In a country blasted by war and wracked by economic hardship, a young orphan girl like me has very few options when it comes to survival. Thus, I do what I must to live, to eat, and I try very hard to not consider the cost to my soul. My heart is empty, and my existence brutal.

The one impossibility in my life is love.

And then I meet HIM.


War is hell. It takes a chunk out of a man's very soul to do the kinds of things war demands of you. You live with fear, you live with guilt, and you live with nightmares. If you haven't been through it, there's no understanding it. War leaves no room for love, no room for tenderness or softness. You gotta be hard, closed off, and ready to fight every moment of every day. Lose focus for a split second, and you're dead.

Now the only thing that can save me is HER.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Jasinda Wilder is a Michigan native with a penchant for titillating tales about sexy men and strong women. When she's not writing, she's probably shopping, baking, or reading.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.jasindawilder.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521173.Jasinda_Wilder
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasinda.wilder
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JasindaWilder


GIVEAWAY: 
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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Review: Full Moon Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

Title: Full Moon Kisses
Series: Full Moon #3
Author: Ellen Schreiber
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Werewolves
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, Harper Collins
Format: Hardcover, 215 Pages
ISBN: 9780061986536
Release Date: December 26, 2012
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Hardcover

Tagline(s): Beware of the full moon. A werewolf wants to take you into his world. Forever.

Summary: Celeste and Brandon know that Nash in werewolf form is bad news. But a new prediction from psychic Dr. Meadows has Celeste wondering: Which of them wants to turn her into a werewolf?

Still on Celeste's and Brandon's minds is the "cure" from Brandon's father. Brandon must face one dilemma he hadn't anticipated—if his dad's serum really does work, is he willing to give up being a werewolf for good? Is Celeste willing to give up her heroic werewolf boyfriend? And when Nash finds out there's a cure, will he try to take it from Brandon as they continue to deal with their rivalry, their competing affections for Celeste, and their struggles with their werewolf identities?

Then things grow still more complicated when a gang of sketchy guys from a neigh-boring town comes to Legend's Run just before the big Werewolf Festival. What, or whom, are they looking for?

The third installment in the sumptuous series about werewolves and the popular girl who loves one is full of danger, mystery, and undeniably romantic full moon kisses.

Review:

In the previous book, Magic of the Moonlight, Nash was turned into a werewolf. Now Legend's Run has two werewolves in town. Nash is desperate for a cure--so desperate that he asks Celeste to go with him to see Dr. Meadows. While Nash receives the answer he was seeking, Celeste is given yet another warning: Beware of the full moon. A werewolf want to take you into his world. Forever.

Every ten years, Legend's run hosts a Werewolf Festival and while everyone is excitedly anticipating the Fest, Brandon, Celeste, and Nash have real werewolf problems to agonize over. Brandon is being pressured by his father to take the cure, but he's not 100% sure he wants to. Nash wants a cure so badly that he's becoming reckless in his search for it. And Celeste has Dr. Meadows's warning hanging over her head and fears she'll be turned against her will into a werewolf. To make matters worse, there seems to be a pack of werewolves from a neighboring town that has come to Legend's Run for more than visiting the Werewolf Festival.

Full Moon Kisses is the final book in the Full Moon series. I have really enjoyed reading this series, and I'm kind of disappointed to see it ending after only three books. There is so much more that could be added to the story. And by the end I felt that there were some loose ends that weren't tied up. While the beginning and middle of the book were great with all the romance, hope, fear and danger, the conclusion felt kind of anti-climatic. There have been many series finales that had blown me away, but the ending to the Full Moon series just had me thinking, "Well, okay then, that's it."

So I'd say that readers will either love or hate Full Moon Kisses. I'm not going to say that it will be loved, because there were parts that I loved and parts that I didn't. And while, in the end, I ended up loving Full Moon Kisses, readers may not. It's a love/hate relationship with this one. Full Moon Kisses, by itself, is a great book, but as a series finale, it was just okay.

About this Author:

Before I took pen to paper, I was an actress. I attended a local university majoring in theatre and spent a summer in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where I learned about the “Old Bard” from amazingly talented teachers.

When I returned from London, I relocated to Chicago where I lived for five years. There, I graduated from the Second City Training Center and performed improv, Shakespeare, comedies and dramas--I even sang and danced on a cruise boat--without falling in Lake Michigan! A classmate of mine from Second City and I created and performed a two woman show for a year before I braved it alone doing stand-up comedy. It was during this time I began to write an adult novel about a rock star--I had always enjoyed writing...

Fast forward a couple of years along with a move home where I was performing “stand-up” at comedy clubs in the area. On a plane to LA to decide my fate-- “to move to LA or not to move to LA” that is the question, my big bro, Mark, coincidentally with the same last name as mine (author of PRINCES IN EXILE, DREAMS OF THE SOLO TRAPEZE and STARCROSSED) handed me a young adult book he found at the library he thought I’d like to read during the flight.

As I read the book, I thought, ‘I can do this!’

I returned from LA, and instead of moving there, I wrote my story about the rock star as a young adult novel and called it JOHNNY LIGHTNING.
Mark, my writing mentor, edited JL for me. He was kind enough to send the manuscript to his publisher in Belgium--Facet--and they published it! In Dutch!

I was now on a new life path!

In 2001 HarperCollins made me an offer I couldn’t refuse! Not only was HarperCollins going to publish TEENAGE MERMAID, but it was in a language I could read and book stores I could walk into! HarperCollins also bought VAMPIRE KISSES and COMEDY GIRL.

It was a dream come true!

Since beginning my new life path, VAMPIRE KISSES, TEENAGE MERMAID, and MY MOTHER, THE CLOWN have been published by Facet in Belgium and JOHNNY LIGHTNING has been published in Germany by Ravensburger.

Then my fabulous editor at HarperCollins asked me for a sequel to VAMPIRE KISSES!
HarperCollins published VAMPIRE KISSES 2--KISSING COFFINS and now the soon to be released VAMPIRE KISSES 3--VAMPIREVILLE. I am currently writing VAMPIRE KISSES 4!

When I'm not writing about the love affair between vampire obsessed, goth girl Raven and my favorite mysterious dark-eyed hottie, Alexander Sterling, I enjoy working on my other novels, shopping for Hello Kitty items, and attempting to gain control of the remote from my boyfriend.


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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Tour Review: Ocean Kills by Jade Hart

Title: Oceans Kills
Series: Ocean Breeze #1
Author: Jade Hart
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Urban Fantasy Fiction
Publisher: CreateSpace
Format: PDF, 406 Pages
ISBN: 9781481205450
Release Date: December 22, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Bewitching Book Tours}
Rating:

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Around the world, murderers and rapists pick off the innocent. Killing loved ones, separating families, and ruining lives.

As an eight-year-old girl, Ocean witnessed her family’s massacre and something altered inside her. Twisting her genetic code… unlocking an ability to teleport.

Ocean Breeze was never destined to be normal, especially having been named after air-freshener. She’s a shadow, a ghost—a dark saviour of the innocent. Armed with a switchblade in her bra, and a box-cutter in her pocket, she hunts the filth of the world.

Callan Bliss is a Sydney police officer whose skill-set is far above that of a normal cop. All his fellow officers see is a hard worker who loves to catch perpetrators and surf, but that’s because they don’t know about his past. When Callan arrests a suspicious-looking prostitute, he comes face-to-face with a self-confessed vigilante, and suddenly, his secrets aren’t so easy to keep silent.

Ocean hates the police with a passion, and has no intention of being held captive by a cop, even if he is sexy as hell. Teleporting from under his nose, Ocean hunts her next target—a man responsible for the largest sex ring in South Africa—and now he’s about to die. But she doesn’t count on Callan giving chase, nor the body-quaking lust that consumes them. However, Ocean's dark hobbies take precedence over what her heart wants—her thirst for murdering is killing her too, and not even Callan can save her.

Review:

DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES OVER THE WEEKEND, MY REVIEW WILL BE UP LATER TODAY.

About this Author:

Jade Hart is a self-confessed book worm who is happiest glued to a lap-top with an eternal battery life, and typing up stories running rampant in her head.

Her three favorite things are:

1. Unlimited books on an Ebook Reader
2. Cracking the sugar on a creme brulee
3. Travelling

Jade currently resides in Middle-Earth, but has lived in Australia, England, and Hong Kong.

She writes New Adult 'smexy' fiction.

Author Links:

www.dreamwritepublish.blogspot.com
www.falling4fiction.blogspot.com
Twitter: @jadehart8 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JadeHartAuthorPage
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6544592.Jade_Hart

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Tour Review: Winter Eve by Lia Davis (Giveaway)

Title: Winter Eve
Series: Ashwood Falls, Prequel
Author(s): Lia Davis
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Shapeshifters
Publisher: Fated Desires Publishing
Format: PDF, 96 Pages
ISBN: 9781623220167
Release Date: December 18, 2012
Source: Tour Host {FMB Book Tours}
Rating: 

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Danica Welsh was born to be the leopard pack healer. An accident involving a drug induced youth left her badly burned and scared—emotionally and physically. Without the ability to heal by touch, she secludes herself to the edge of town, away from Ashwood Falls’ overly concerned citizens. All hope of mating and family become a distance dream. When she finally starts to accepts the long, lonely existence ahead of her, a stranger crashes into her life, and her heart.

After Nevan Mathews’ fiancée died three ago, he submerged himself into his work, cutting off all reminders of a life he dreamed of with the woman he loved. He lets his step-mother talk him into taking the first vacation in five years to visit for the holidays. But an accident delays his travel plans, sending him to Danica’s doorstep and raises a need he thought he would never feel again. Can they tear down the walls around their hearts and submit to the passion before another claims Dani for his own?

Warning: Contains a shifter who's scars run deeper than skin, a human who has the heart of a shifter, and a snow storm that's sure to have them both reaching for warmth.

Short Review:

I am a HUGE fan of romances involving shapeshifters, of any kind really. So I really enjoyed reading Winter Eve, which is the prequel to Lia Davis's Ashwood Falls series. I loved the characters and the world, this prequel does a great job frameworking the series. I can't wait to read the first book, Tiger's Claim.

About this Author:

Lia Davis is a mother to two young adults and two very special kitties, a wife to her soul mate, a paranormal romance author, graphic designer, and co-owner to Fated Desires Publishing, LLC. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers. But it’s her home and she loves it!

An accounting major, Lia has always been a dreamer with a very activity imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing and designing are stress relievers that allow her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs.

Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.

Author Links:

www.authorliadavis.com
https://www.facebook.com/lia.davis.52?ref=tn_tnmn
https://twitter.com/novelsbylia
www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829989.Lia_Davis
https://plus.google.com/u/0/113669377336737086387/posts
http://www.amazon.com/Lia-Davis/e/B007Z0BH7S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1


GIVEAWAY:
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Friday, January 11, 2013

Tour Review: Someone to Love by Addison Moore

Title: Someone to Love
Author(s): Addison Moore
Genre: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Addison Moore
Format: PDF, 175 Pages
ASIN: B00ARJECBM
Release Date: December 21, 2012
Source: Author {Addison Moore}
Rating: 

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): What happens when two people who don’t believe in love, happen to fall madly into the most beautiful relationship they could ever imagine? A train wreck.

Summary: When twenty-year-old Kendall Jordan transfers clear across country to Garrison University, the last thing she’s looking for is a one-night stand. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what, gorgeous, Cruise Elton offers.

Kendall has long since come to realize that love is an illusion that never lasts, and Cruise couldn’t agree more—but something deep inside her wants him all for herself. So, Kendall devises a seat of the pants plan to “play the player” and proposes that Cruise tutor her in becoming a female version of himself, Garrison University’s own playboy.

Real feelings begin to emerge, and neither Kendall nor Cruise know how to classify them. Everything they once thought they knew is redefined as they discover, in one another, Someone to Love.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Addison Moore is the author of young adult fiction and romance. She has worked as therapist on a locked psychiatric unit for almost a decade. She is the mother of four wonderful children. She resides on the West Coast with her family and two dogs where she eats too much chocolate and stays up way too late. When she's not writing, she's reading.  

Author Links:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4096668.Addison_Moore http://addisonmoorewrites.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/Addison_Moore
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/175-8197444-6857923?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Addison+Moore


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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Manga Review: The Deathberry Returns 2 by Tite Kubo

Title: The Deathberry Returns 2
Series: BLEACH #53 
Manga-ka: Tite Kubo
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Graphic Novels, Teen Ages 13+
Publisher: Viz Media, Shonen Jump Manga, Shueisha Inc.
Format: Paperback, 216 Pages
ISBN-13: 9781421543048
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Paperback

Tagline(s):
The fact that I am so young
                   So immature
                   Seems unforgivable to
                   The decrepit
                                                                Perfect and faultless adults
                    
Summary: Ichigo is rescued from the pit of despair once again by Rukia. And she's not the only member of the Soul Society who shows up to help out. Now having finally regained his true Soul Reaper powers, Ichigo faces off against Ginjo with no restraints.

Review:

Rukia has given Ichigo Soul Reaper powers once again! Now the whole of Xcution enters the battlefield. But Ichigo's not alone in the fight. He has so friends from the Soul Society to help him out.

Urahara created a sword that enabled Rukia to give Ichigo Soul Reaper powers again. And it wasn't just Rukia's spiritual pressure that did it this time--everyone in the Soul Society helped out.

"Soul Reaper power is something that springs from within him. You couldn't steal it from him even if you wanted to! Ichigo! They must be ignorant. They think this is enough to fill you with despair! They don't know the struggles you've lived through! Show them, Ichigo! That they cannot stop you with despair!"

Okay, first of all, Ichigo has always worn his power, just as Chad had said when he saw Ichigo's Fullbring. With his Soul Reaper powers back, thanks to his friends in the Soul Society, he has the Soul Reaper shihakusho, but there are also parts of his Fullbring in his new get up. And wow, his power now is far greater than before, thanks to what he learned of Fullbring. It's off the charts!

"That power you received is the result of the changes you made in the Soul Society in all of your battles. Accept it with honor."

Renij, Byakuya, Toshiro, Kenpachi, and Ikkaku also came with Rukia to restore Ichigo's powers, but there was another reason too. The second reason was Ginjo, the first deputy Soul Reaper. Ginjo gives all the other members of Xcution some of Ichigo's stolen power and the battle begins.

It was amazing how easily Kenpachi defeated Giriko. Kenpachi definitely got the weakest of the Xcution members as evidenced by his statement, "What a bore."

Ichigo is paired up against Ginjo, of course, but he's not alone. Uryu is there to help him out, although I really don't think Ichigo needs help. But we don't see any of their fight in this volume.

Toshiro is up against Yukio, and though Toshiro is having trouble finding Yukio, it's more of an annoyance than anything else.

Rukia is fighting Riruka, and we all know how Rukia loves stuffed animals. This could be a very difficult battle for her. "Don't think you can tempt me with these things!!"

Byakuya is against Tsukishima--this battle will be interesting.

Ikkaku is pounding fists with Shishigawara. Some of the hits they make make me cringe, it looks so painful.

And Renji, who never makes the first move against a woman, is fighting Jackie.

Some of the battles start and end in this volume, while others have yet to begin. Of course, the battle I'm most looking forward to is the Ginjo V.S. Ichigo and Uryu battle. Ichigo's battles are always really awesome and I can't wait to see this one in Volume 54. I'm also curious to see how Rukia gets herself out of the trouble she's in.

About this Manga-ka:

The son of a town council member in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima. He never took drawing seriously until he was 17; after reading Dragon Ball he knew he wanted to be a manga artist. At the age of 18 he submitted his first concept for the series Zombiepowder but it got rejected. Zombiepowder was rejected multiple times until Kubo was 22, when it finally was accepted by Shonen Jump. It did not last long; it was cancelled after four volumes in late 2000.

His next series, Bleach, about a high school student who becomes a shinigami and fights hollows, was not such a failure. Bleach began regular publication in 2001. It has been running in Weekly Shonen Jump ever since.



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Manga Review: End of Bond by Tite Kubo

Title: End of Bond
Series: BLEACH #52 
Manga-ka: Tite Kubo
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Graphic Novels, Teen Ages 13+
Publisher: Viz Media, Shonen Jump Manga, Shueisha Inc.
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
ISBN-13: 9781421543048
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4.5/5

Purchase Here: Paperback

Tagline(s):
Will you count with me
                   My teeth marks
                   On you
                    
Summary: Ichigo continues his training to master Fullbring and hopefully regain his lost Soul Reaper powers. But as Ichigo gets closer, Ginjo makes a startling move. Can Ginjo truly be trusted? And what lies ahead for Ichigo when he finally regains his powers...?

Review:

Ginjo has seemingly turned against Ichigo! With his friends threatened, Ichigo's Fullbring completes. But then Ichigo goes home and finds a disturbing sight. Tsukishima has invaded his family and friends. But they aren't the only ones he's gotten to--Ginjo finds Ichigo and tells him that Tsukishima got to the other Xcution members too. With his family and friends against him, Ichigo falls prey to desperation and despair. But hope arrives in the form of an old friend.

First off, Ginjo has blinded Ichigo and threatens to kill Orihime and Chad. That really gets Ichigo going and finds the strength to attack. So is Ginjo really an enemy? Turns out that it was all done to help Ichigo master Fullbring. Now that his Fullbring is complete, Ginjo has Ichigo train to build his strength and stamina to be able to handle using Fullbring. Ichigo's Fullbring is pretty cool--I like to think of it as looking like a futuristic version of a Soul Reaper. And the power he has is maybe even greater than just his Soul Reaper powers were.

It is after this that it became kind of heartbreaking for me. Ichigo's riding pretty high on his success with his Fullbring and returns home. But this is when his worst fears start coming true. Tsukishima has turned his friends and family against him. The very people he lives and fights to protect. Then Orihime and Chad, the ones who fought by his side, claim that every victory they've gained has been because of Tsukishima. "What did I regain my powers for?!!" This is when Ichigo begins falling into despair--and we all know that that is Ichigo's greatest weakness. The final piece that sends Ichigo plummeting into despair is when Uryu shows up and Ichigo can't know who he is sided with. But it wasn't Uryu Ichigo had to worry about. Ginjo shows his true colors when he takes Ichigo's newly achieved Fullbring from him. Ichigo's tears, his pain, really tore at my heart.

I noticed something that I think is significant. When Ichigo first met Zangetsu, the world was in a constant rain shower. But as Ichigo's powers increased, that rain stopped. When Ginjo took Ichigo's new power from him and he began to cry, Ichigo's world once again became a rainy day.

Although most of Ichigo's friends have been turned against him by Tsukishima, those from the Soul Society have not. Rukia once again gives Ichigo hope.

This volume is one of the most emotional volumes in the series. Ichigo's pain and despair felt so real, as if I could feel it myself. Now that Rukia hase given hope back to Ichigo, Ginjo's going to have to watch out. No one hurts those Ichigo cares about and gets away with it.

About this Manga-ka:

The son of a town council member in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima. He never took drawing seriously until he was 17; after reading Dragon Ball he knew he wanted to be a manga artist. At the age of 18 he submitted his first concept for the series Zombiepowder but it got rejected. Zombiepowder was rejected multiple times until Kubo was 22, when it finally was accepted by Shonen Jump. It did not last long; it was cancelled after four volumes in late 2000.

His next series, Bleach, about a high school student who becomes a shinigami and fights hollows, was not such a failure. Bleach began regular publication in 2001. It has been running in Weekly Shonen Jump ever since.



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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Tour Review: Savagery by Emma MacKenzie (Giveaway)

Title: Savagery
Author: Emma MacKenzie
Genre: Historical Fiction, Erotic Romance
Publisher:
Format: Kindle Edition
ASIN: B00AP7Z27Y
Release Date: December 15, 2012
Source: Tour Host {SupaGurl Book Tours}
Rating: 

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: In 10th century France, 18-year old Cherine Cadet only knows one thing: that the life of a peasant isn't a life at all. Tired of working in utter poverty for an unfeeling Lord, with only her indifferent family and love-struck best friend as company, Cherine dreams of the day she can run away from the future set-up for her, even if she knows there's no real escape from her destiny.

Then, in one brutal instance, everything changes. A Viking fleet led by the powerful nobleman and warrior, Rolf the Walker and his right-hand man, Erik the Axe, arrive on the shores of the Lord's estate. In minutes, the entire land is up in flames, Cherine's family and fellow serfs are killed, and Cherine comes dangerously close to death herself. She is saved only by the fierce Erik - but a new lease on life comes with a cost.

Cherine becomes a slave to the Vikings, a fate she thinks is no better than the one she had before. But as she finds herself being shared between the two men, the savage and darkly handsome Rolf and the mysterious and sensual Erik, Cherine discovers that she too has a fiery warrior heart and that the flames that consumed her old life might burn them all to the ground.

Review:

REVIEW WILL BE POSTED AFTER 12PM.

About this Author:

Though she tries hard to hide it, Emma MacKenzie got her start in writing by penning cheesy romantic comedy screenplays. Despite having seven published novels under her garter belt, this is her first foray into erotic romance. Considering how big of a pervert she is, it probably won’t be her last.

She is a fan of red hair, stuffed animals, nori seaweed, and coffee, as well as things she used to hate as a child, including beer, naps and being spanked. When she’s not trying to tone down her purple prose, you can find her nose-deep in a book.

Links: http://emmamackenziewrites.wordpress.com/




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Friday, December 21, 2012

Tour Review: Mia's Heart by Courtney Cole (Giveaway)

Title: Mia's Heart
Series: The Paradise Diaries #2
Author: Courtney Cole
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Lakehouse Press
Format: PDF,  Pages
ASIN: B00A6YW4BI
Release Date: December 1, 2012
Source: Tour Host {Kismet Book Tours}
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Kindle

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: My name is Mia Giannis.
I am seventeen years old.
I live in Valese, Caberra.

This has become my mantra and my lifeline, having recently lost my memory due to a scary natural disaster. Yeah. I have amnesia. Messed up, right?

You don't know the half of it.

Not remembering anything has turned my world upside down. My parents try their hardest to “remind” me of who I was, but it doesn't feel right. Or, if what they're saying is true and that really was me, I'm not sure I like that person very much.

And then there’s my love life. Apparently, Gavin Ariastasis is my oldest and best friend in the world. Also, apparently, we’ve never dated. But now, noticing him for what feels like the first time, he’s making my heart do somersaults. He knows me inside and out—the real me. Plus, he’s sexy and charming as hell. Sounds perfect, right?

But then... there’s the new guy. Quinn McKeyen – tall, gorgeous and deliciously American. His mischievous grin and slow Midwestern drawl turn my insides to mush in two seconds flat making me question who I really am and what I really want.

Seriously. What am I supposed to do with all that?! I feel torn between them, but I barely even know who I am, let alone what I want.

I just hope my indecisive heart will clue me in. And sooner rather than later…before I lose what little of my mind that I have left.

Review:

Mia Giannis is always fighting with her mother about her clothes, her actions, her friends, just about everything and how it could reflect on her father. Being the daughter of the Secretary of Defense of Caberra has a lot of expectations, when Mia just wants to be herself, not who her parents want her to be.

When a devastating earthquake rocks Caberra, Mia rushes home looking for her mother and finds her house reduced to rubble. Determined to find her mother within the wreckage, Mia along with Gavin and Quinn, search what's left of the house. While in the remains of her bedroom, another aftershock rocks the house and a piece of debris hits Mia on the head, resulting in her having amnesia.

Now Mia must navigate truths and deceptions to know what is real. This is a time for Mia to find who she really is and who her heart truly wants.

Mia's relationship with her mother is NOT very good in the beginning of the book. The earthquake and Mia's amnesia are what change their relationship for the better, with her father too. What I didn't like was how her parents used her amnesia to make her into the daughter they want her to be. Going so far as to dye her hair back to its natural color and removing her nose ring while she's unconscious in the hospital. I mean, who does that? It's just so wrong.

The two love interests are Mia's childhood friend, Gavin Ariastasis and Reece's childhood friends from Kansas, Quinn McKeyen. Mia loves them both, but for different reasons. But she has trouble figuring out what her heart wants, when she doesn't even really know herself yet.

I noticed that the pool at the Old Palace is a popular place to cry ones heart out. First it was Reece when she saw Elena and Dante together, then Mia after she talks to Gavin when he walked out of the ballroom after seeing Mia and Quinn dancing and the look she was giving him. It's like a Pool of Sorrow or something.

I loved reading Mia's story and it was great seeing Reece and Dante again. I can't wait for the next book!

About this Author:

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could.

She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds.

Every Last Kiss is her debut novel and she followed it with the rest of The Bloodstone Saga (Every Last Kiss, Fated, With My Last Breath and My Tattered Bonds).

Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.

Learn more about Courtney and her books at www.courtneycolewrites.com

https://twitter.com/courtwritesYA
https://www.facebook.com/courtneycolewrites
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Courtney-Cole-Author/172246529496995?sk=wall
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112212.Courtney_Cole


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