{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Excerpt} Lore Anthology

Authors: Brinda Berry, Cate Dean, Jayne A. Knolls, Karen Y. Bynum, Laura Diamond, Theresa DaLayne
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction,
Publisher: Sweet Biscuit Publishing LLC
Publication Date: March 22, 2014
Page Count: 284

Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Barnes & Nobles

Synopsis: A collection of six folklore retellings that will twist your mind and claim your heart. 

SHIMMER: A heartbroken boy rescues a mermaid… but is it too late to save her? 

BETWEEN is about a girl, a genie, and a ton of bad decisions. 

SUNSET MOON: Eloise doesn’t believe in Native American magic–until the dreamcatcher spiders spin her down an unknown path. 

THE MAKER: An incapacitated young man bent on revenge builds a creature to do it for him. 

A BEAUTIFUL MOURNING: The story of a Maya goddess torn between duty and love, and the ultimate sacrifice she must make to achieve true happiness. 

THE BARRICADES: When a human girl risks everything to save the life of an Eternal prince, will their feelings for each other change the world they know, or tear it apart?

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Between by Karen Y. Bynum ~ 

God, what had Lucy done? She rubbed the butterfly charm at her throat. She should never have ignored Natasha’s calls. If Lucy had just sucked it up and broken up with her, Natasha wouldn’t have shown up at Gaston. And Lucy wouldn’t have belittled her in front of the Royals. Her stomach churned, and she clutched the charm. Natasha’s grandmother had given it to her, and she hadn’t ever taken it off—until the day she gave it to Lucy. She swallowed her own shame and ripped the chain from her neck. She couldn’t look at it anymore. Couldn’t stand to feel its guilt weighing her down. 

“I wish I could just forget you!” She threw the necklace into the abyss of the closet. Holding herself, she wept with her head pressed back against the wall. Slow, gasping tears quickly turned into sobs so gut-wrenching they made her teeth hurt. 

“You can’t wish to forget.” 

She froze mid-sniff. The blood must have drained from her face because her tears scorched as they rolled down her icy cheeks. A shadow moved in her peripheral vision. 

Slowly, she lifted her head. Gasping, she pressed her hands to the floor, ready to jump up and haul ass. But in car-wreck fashion, she couldn’t look away. Fire floated in front of her. Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs. Was the house burning down? Surely not. The flames didn’t seem to be spreading. Instead, they drew down, drew together until they had a distinctly human shape. And eyes. Oh, God, the eyes. They glowed a frightening green, dark and bright at the same time. 

This was just like every horror movie Lucy had ever seen. Her time had come. Either this thing would drag her to Hell or she’d be acting out The Exorcist any second. She wiped away a streak of tears. 

Forcing herself to stand, to acknowledge what she’d done, she said, “This is about Natasha. Isn’t it?” 

The figure didn’t move forward. It just lowered its arms, smaller flames sparking away from the movement. Why didn’t the closet catch fire? 

“I’m here,” it said, “to grant you three wishes.”

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Review} Fury (Book 1: Cure): Charlotte McConaghy

 Tour Page and Schedule

Fury: Book 1 of The Cure by Charlotte McConaghy
Page Count: 348 

Publication Date: March 25, 2014 

Publisher: Momentum Books, Pan Macmillan

In the tradition of Divergent comes a novel about a world where negative emotions are stolen ... and only those with fury can stand up and fight.

Eighteen-year-old Josephine Luquet wakes naked and covered in blood that is not hers on the same day every year—when the blood moon is full. Josi has not responded to the "Cure"—an immunization against anger mandated by the government—and believes herself to be a threat to others.

Then she meets Luke. Luke has had the Cure but seems different to the other "drones"—and he's dead set on helping Josi discover the truth about herself before the next blood moon.

But time is running out. Is Luke willing to risk his life to be near her? Does he truly understand what violence she is capable of?

Raw and full of passion, Fury is a story of love in a dystopian world, and how much we are willing to forgive in the struggle to remember our humanity.

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Author:

Charlotte started writing her children’s fantasy series ‘The Strangers of Paragor’ as a teenager and has since gone on to publish five novels. After a Masters degree in Screenwriting she wrote ‘Avery’, the first in her adult fantasy series ‘The Chronicles of Kaya’, published by Random House. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, and has just released a new dystopian sci-fi novel called ‘Fury – Book One of The Cure’, published by Momentum.

Connect with the author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

   

Giveaway:

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Disclaimer: I received this book from CBB Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review. 

"I am a flame of fury. The last flickering flame in a world long since burned out. I have rage threaded through my skin, whispering against my ears, tied tightly around each of my bones. My eyes, one brown and one blue, leak with it. 

Most of the time this frightens me.

But sometimes I like it."

--- 1% September 11, 2065 Josephine

Can I just say that I loved this book? Oh well, too late, I said it. This quote encompasses and explains what I can't say about it. Not only is this one of the best beginnings of a book that I have ever read, but it displays Charlotte McConaghy's excellent writing, as well as portrays exactly who the main character -Josephine- is.

Premise: Fury was such an interesting novel to read because of how it dealed with emotions, a subject I am very interested in. I suppose that's what I enjoyed most about the novel as well. Even with the cookie cutter dystopian plot line, an author has to come up with some sort of selling point. A world where anger is eradicated, simply fascinates me. When I told my mom about the book I was reading (for the umpteenth time I might add), she thought it was great that anger had been eradicated.... until I told her what the effects of this were.  An example the author gave was when she said that wives whose husbands had cheated on them, didn't react, and a family who was being burglarized just sat there and laughed while their possessions were stolen. 

Romance: So the romance in Fury was a bit of an insta love situation, something deeply despised by 99% of the blogging community. I actually am not usually effected by instalove, but in this particular situation, I was. There is some background that would spoil things that would explain why it isn't so creepy that Luke picks up Josephine and takes her home after just meeting her, but it still doesn't compensate for the instant connection the two of them had. 

On the other hand, no self respecting teenage girl can deny the swoonworthiness of Luke. I mean, WHHHHHY does he have to be so old? Not in general, but for me at least. Even though we learn that his motives weren't exactly pure 100% of the time, he was still so charming, and attractive, and charismatic, and all the other adjectives that I can't think of at the moment.   

Points of View: We all know that I gotta have my good narrators, and Fury does not disappoint. I think the best way it can be described is if it were to be compared to All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. All Our Yesterdays is a book set in two separate times, before and after a horrific event, and told in in two points of views from different times.... so basically four points of view, even though there are only two people narrating. It is the same way with Fury, but better with three different narrators. Present and Past Joesphine and Luke, as well as present Anthony. McConaghy does this in such an amazing way, making each person (even if they're the same) have their own voice, and making it 100% understandable. Fury could have been confusing when it jumped from one time period to the other, and the narrators could have all sounded the same. 

Characters: 

"Perhaps you're right.... I did imagine them. Sometimes I think I must have, I don't know how something so wild could exist within a world like this, one that is so unforgivably void of life." 

I don't tell her what's on the tip of my tongue: that this is exactly what I see when I look at her.

--- 29% September 13, 2065 Anthony 

I simply fell in love with the characters of Fury, both their past and present selves. Anthony, is one of the many in this world thas has been given the Cure, yet there is still emotion left in him, and a lot of times throughout the story, that emotion is love for Josephine. While his thoughts about making Josephine love him, despite Luke, were malicious to say the least, you could still feel empathy because you knew where that desire came from. He was a very puny character at times, kind of like Nathan in All Our Yesterdays, in that he was a geek when it came to some of his different talents. 

Josephine was also a little spitball of fire, as she was not given the Cure, and still feels anger and other emotions. She was an independent, strong female character that could take care of things by herself, and didn't want to accept help from anybody, but realized that she still needed it, like Josephine March from Little Women.

"Music," he says, but not to me. "Blue and white."

Music starts to play from speakers, something I've never heard that's fun and lovely. "Blue and White?" I ask, assuming this must be the name of the band.

"I'm synesthetic," he explains. "Means I remember things in color and shape and texture. Blue and white music for me is upbeat, something with a lot of bass, stuff that makes you want to danc. I programmed my sound system to understand color cues."

--- 17% September 20, 2063 Josephine

Not only is this a unique character trait for Luke, but I just had to share it with you because it sounds insanely cool, similar to Josephine's eidetic (remembers EVERYTHING) memory, but without all of those nasty repercussions and side effects.

Cover: Oh my god! Somebody give me a hard copy of this novel so I can stroke and caress it to death. I don't know where McConaghy got the image, or even what the image is, but it is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It appears to be the Earth surrounded by a ring of fire, and manages to express everything this novel is about.

Plot: What did make me stumble at times during Fury were certain events, as well as chains of events that I didn't understand because I didn't understand what triggered that chain. I will definitely be rereading Fury, so I will be able to catch more of the subtle nuances and explanations, but it was definitely confusing at times. The whole situation between the Bloods and the Greys and the Reds and the Blues was difficult to understand at times, and I would totally explain what each of those are.... if I could comprehend them myself.

Writing Style: Need I say more than the quotes below? I have now concluded that Charlotte McConaghy is the goddess of setting the scene in stories. She offers so much description to her readers without it being tedious, or boring.

Ending: What I was disappointed in, was the ending of Fury. It's not as if it let me down, trust me it was freaking EPIC. What I mean is that it seemed too predictable after the roller coaster of thoughts, emotions, and relevations that had just unfolded. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's along the lines of Reboot (Amy Tintera) and Uglies (Scott Westerfeld). That's all I'm going to say.

Continuation 85%: If CBB Book Premotions does another tour for the sequel, somebody reserve me a prime spot on it this very moment. I loved Fury so much and am extremely interested to see what Charlotte McConaghy does to capture her readers.

Conclusion:  I will definitely be recommending Fury because it was a fabulously written novel, in terms of narration and characters, as breath of fresh air concept wise.

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Playlist+Review} These Gentle Wounds: Helene Dunbar

THESE GENTLE WOUNDS by Helene Dunbar
Release Date: May 8, 2014
Paperback, 312 pages
Publisher: Flux
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Tough Issues / PTSD

Sometimes I wish I’d lost a leg or something. Everyone can understand that. They never get it when what’s been broken is inside your head.

Five years after an unspeakable tragedy that changed him forever, Gordie Allen has made a new home with his half-brother Kevin. Their arrangement works since Kevin is the only person who can protect Gordie at school and keep him focused on getting his life back on track.

But just when it seems like things are becoming normal, Gordie’s biological father comes back into the picture, demanding a place in his life. Now there’s nothing to stop Gordie from falling into a tailspin that could cost him everything—including his relationship with Sarah, the first girl he’s trusted with the truth. With his world spinning out of control, the only one who can help Gordie is himself . . . if he can find the strength to confront the past and take back his future.

Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Goodreads

April 14^th – DanaSquare  – Review


April 15^h – The Reader and The Chef – Review


April 16^th – Angie's Reading Dungeon – Review/Playlist


April 16^th – Alice Marvels – Review


April 17^th – Escaping One Book at a Time – Review/Guest Post


April 17^th – Dizneee's World of Books – Review/Top Ten


April 18^h – The Happy Booker – Review/Guest Post


April 18^th – Loving The Language of Literacy  – Review/Playlist


April 18^th – Our Wolves Den  – Review


April 21^st – A Bump On A Log – Review


April 22^nd –  – Review


April 23^rd – A Diary of A Book Addict   – Review/Top Ten


April 24^th – Books & Chocolates  – Review


April 24^th – What A Nerd Girl Says – Review


April 24^th – Chelsea's Reading Adventures  – Review


April 25^th – The-Society.Net  – Review


April 25^th – Books With Bite – Review


April 25^th – Curling Up With A Good Book– Review/Character Profile

Helene Dunbar usually writes features about fiddles and accordions for Irish Music Magazine, but she’s also been known to write about court cases, theater, and Native American Indian tribes.


She's lived in two countries, six states, and is currently holed up in Nashville with her husband, daughter, two cats, and the world’s friendliest golden retriever.


THESE GENTLE WOUNDS is Helene’s debut novel with Flux Books.

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Playlists

Bands that no longer exist:

As anyone who writes to a playlist knows, the music you listen to day after day, and let’s be honest, year after year, while you’re writing, and revising, and then editing a book, tends to take on a life of its own. I know that I feel a connection to my playlist songs that is different from the connection I feel to a song or band I just happen to like and listen to casually. So it’s painful to see that connection severed because a band breaks up or is reincarnated in a completely different configuration. 
During the writing of an earlier manuscript, I discovered a band from Oxford, England, called A Silent Film (in the interest of honesty, I’m going to admit to hearing them through a blog post of Maggie Steifvater’s which is where I’ve found a number of bands who end up on my “favorites” list). I planned business meetings around their gigs, I’ve made close friends with people I’ve met at shows. I seriously dig them.
Then I discovered that most of ASF’s members used to be in a punk band called Shouting Myke. That Shouting Myke was actually playing live when I was living in Oxford and I didn’t know about it, will haunt me until I’m old(er) and grey. But I’m not sure I would have appreciated them at that point, anyhow.
I ordered an old, dusty, used copy of the Shouting Myke CD from the UK. And I laughed because they sounded SO different from ASF. But then I listened again. And again. And, well, again. And then I put almost every song on the CD on my TGW playlist. 
Now one thing about me and music….I HATE screaming. I mean, hate it. And this CD has screaming and it makes me cringe. BUT….the music and the lyrics and the lost “why doesn’t anyone love me-ess” and the “where do I fit in-ness” of this album just nailed so much of Gordie’s (and honestly Kevin’s and probably Sarah’s) angst that I had to get over it and just deal. These Gentle Wounds was better for that and if you can handle a little punk screaming, then check them out and then listen to the magnificence of A Silent Film. You can thank me later.

*I recieved this book from Lady Reader's Bookstuff fo review purposes which does not in the slightest affect my honest review of the book*

Where do I even begin with this book? How do I start telling you the numerous ways this book touched me? How do I even begin to try and explain when you haven't read it yet?

I think the best way to describe this is as a rich meal. These Gentle Wounds had all of the different types of foods that make you remember why you live to eat. The meat is delicate, and tender. The baked potatoe is drowned in butter, spices, and crispness on the outside. The wine (not that I've had any) is exquisite, it's scents permeating your nostrils the way only the high quality kind will. The bread is light, airy, and still warm from the oven. I hope you get the picture. 

The point is that this meal is something you wouldn't trade for the world because of all of its phenomenal qualities, just like this book. One of my highest praises, and I'm sure anybody else's if they have read These Gentle Wounds are the highly developed characters. Gordie, Sarah, Kevin, Jim, even the more minor ones have the quality that all authors strive for. It goes beyond being relatable, because what takes talent is making characters seem real when they're situations are extremely rare.

Gordie could be very standoffish, and off putting if he wasn't written well. In fact, that's whfat he thinks he appears as to the people around him. Instead, readers were given an inside look into his head. You're probably sitting there thinking, "That's what first person is supposed to do Sofia. Didn't you go through 3rd grade?" Like I said before about this story, you have to read it to understand. Gordie has PTSD because his mother did something unspeakable five years before. He wakes up soaked with sweat frequently, he goes off on 'spins' where he has vivid flashbacks and time escapes him. All he can feel is pressure from what happened to him. I could have ended up saying, "Okay....so what?" almost the entire book because of how bizarre the situation was. Instead, it was as if his character's hands reached out a touched my heart on the most incline way possible.  

Kevin, Gordie's half-brother, took the brunt of his step-fathers anger, which I am pretty sure you can interpret. It would almost make more sense if Kevin were the one with PTSD because of what Gordie's father did to him. Instead, we learn that Kevin is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to Gordie's protection and safety. He was sort of like Gordie's watch dog. If Helene Dunbar reads this review, she will probably be rolling her eyes and saying, "This review is crazy, first she compares my writing to food, and now one of my main characters to a watchdog?" Let me just explain, Kevin is loyal, Kevin is protective, and he would never let anything happen to his brother. At a young age, he had to deal with his step-father's abuse, seeing his biological father on a few occasions, and all of that transitioned into him becoming the sole-caretaker, and shrink, for his little brother. Kevin is basically Gordie's anchor in life, and you know that he would kill to keep Gordie safe.

Sarah is an interesting character. She's a photographer, ex-bad girl, sister to golden-boy hockey player, Luke Miller, and one of the most understanding characters I have ever met. She becomes Gordie's love interest in this story, and does more than you could ever imagine for him. To Gordie, Sarah isn't just some girl, she becomes his second anchor, and the only person outside of his brother that he can confide in. By herself, I don't think I would like Sarah that much, but through Gordie's eyes, I see what a magnificent person she is, and what it feels like to be in love. She listens wholly without judgement, she adds humor, a ray of sunshine, and proof that Gordie can love and be loved. 

It's amazing how well Helene Dunbar captures the act of falling in love, while the two of them are still teenagers. The reason that sentence is written so poorly is because I was trying to avoid the words ''teenage love" because their relationship is not just another flash in the pan. However, the sensations of falling in love when you are a teenager are there because of how Gordie experiences everything for the first time with new eyes. Their love is pure. There is a scene where it seems as if Kevin is about to beat Sarah up because he's afraid she will hurt Gordie. Sarah responds with a full arsenal of defenses to her love and admiration for Gordie. This might seem like nothing, but to Gordie, who is having doubts because of what happens at the story in that time, what she says means everything. 

On one of my many-category reviews, I have 'originality' as a category, and frankly, I don't know how this story could be more original. It's a tale of tough issues, grief, and sadness, but it also remains hopeful, and is about finding love, who you are, and how to face your fears. This one book will move mountains more than a thousand books in another genre. 

The mental aspect of Gordie is something I have never read about before. Everyone talks about being broken after something tough and having to put yourself back together again, but never what it's like to be broken inside your head. It's something that's incomprehensible to others, as the beginning of the synopsis says, but the readers are given a unique window to see what it's like. 

There is a lot more I can say, but it can't be put into words -unless they're about dogs or food- the feelings that were prodded and poked with this novel. My last plugin for all of you is that you have to buy this book when it hits shelves on the 8th of May. I normally am very conservative with my money, but you can bet on the day These Gentle Wounds comes out, I will be the first in line to get my own copy.

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Review} Obsidian Eyes: A.W. Exley

Rating: 9/10
Series: Obsidian Eyes #1
Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: March 24, 2014
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Page Count: 278
Format: Digital ARC
Source: Xpresso Book Tours

Amazon~Barnes & Nobles~Goodreads

Synopsis: 1836, a world of light and dark, noble and guild. The two spheres intersect when seventeen-year-old Allie Donovan is placed at the aristocratic St Matthews Academy. More at ease with a blade than a needle, she finds herself ostracised by the girls and stalked by a Scottish lord intent on learning why she is among them.

She begins to suspect why she is at the school when soldiers arrive to see her friend, Zeb, a mechanical genius. On the hunt for answers she breaks into his underground laboratory. There, Allie discovers he is not just constructing sentient mechanical creatures, he is building a devastating new weapon for the military.

Used to relying on herself, Allie must cross the guild-noble divide to keep Zeb safe and stop the weapon falling into the wrong hands. However, the guilds want the device and she is caught in their trap.

Once rescued from Newgate prison, now she must obey the overlord of the guild and deliver up her friend or he will return her to the gallows. Can she trust her new bonds of friendship to save both their lives?


About the Author: Website~Twitter~Facebook~Goodreads
Books and writing have always been an enormous part of Anita’s life. She survived school by hiding out in the library, with several thousand fictional characters for company. At university, she overcame the boredom of studying accountancy by squeezing in Egyptology papers and learning to read hieroglyphics.

Today, Anita writes steampunk novels with a sexy edge and an Egyptian twist. She lives in rural New Zealand surrounded by an assortment of weird and wonderful equines, felines, canine and homicidal chickens.

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I just want to say something and get it out of the way before I start this review. I freaking LOVED Pbsidian Eyes. *flails* #thefeels all that good stuff you would usually put in a tweet to express your inexplicable love for a book. 

Anyway, as you may know, I sign up for A LOT of blog tours, and sometimes life gets in the way, and I'm not able to read and review the book by my date, or I don't like it enough to give it a rating if 3 stars or above. I had actually pondered telling Giselle (Xpresso Book Tours coordinator) that I couldn't participate in this tour. I am sure as heck glad I didn't do that now.

How about u let you in on a little secret? I have never read a steampunk book before. When I was asked what steampunk meant, I had absolutely no clue as to what to tell say. 

The urban dictionary says it's "A sub genre of speculative fiction usually set in an anachronistic Victorian setting, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror"

Anyway, part of my love for this book is dedicated to the fact that I had never read anything even remotely like this. Yes, there has been the occasionally urban fantasy that's setting was weird, a historical fiction with advance technology, and so forth. But I have never read ANYTHING like Obsidian Eyes. 

One of the largest aspects of this book that I enjoyed were the quotes. I think we all know by now that quotes can make or break the rating and my overall opinion of a book. Obsidian Eyes's unique writing style and voice was presented from the very first sentence, and I knew I was in for a treat. You know how I usually have maybe 10 highlights in an e-Copy, a few annotations, etc? I kid you not, I had more than 3 dozen quote highlights alone for this book. Exley's writing was so poetic and euphonium without being the kind of language stuffy English professors use. It's artistic, and beautiful, yet humorous and thrilling. 

Jared and Allie's romance is one of the most well crafted I have seen in a long time. There was insta-attraction, but because of boundaries, rules, and more that stood between them, their romantic involvement had to slowly develop and brew. Jared was #swoonworthy and my new book boyfriend. It is so easy to have a first impression of him. Read two sentences and you think you know exactly who he is. On the contrary, it takes time to get to know the layered person he is. You think he is an arrogant, intelligent, Multi-skilled, talented.....you understand my point. But both Allie and the readers find out that he is so much more. Allie definitely held onto her self-respect and didn't go running into his arms like some helpless girl that needs a man to protect her (if anything! she would be protecting the man). She was conscious of her actions, decisions, and thoughts, and was aware that Jared could easily play and break her. Yet, she didn't submit to him, and they were evenly matched in all controllable aspects. When Exley wrote the scenes between the two, the passion they had for each other resonates off of the page. They were strangely erotic, without being graphic in the slightest. 

The premise of this book was extraordinary. Exley weaves in the conflicts of upper and lower social classes, underground organizations, 20th century women being strong and independent, ancient Egypt, and much more. There were the guilds consisting of the Runners, Whisperers, Grim Repaers, and Skin Dancers that all have a role to play in this world that is so familiar, yet different compared to our own. There is advanced machinery playing key roles in the plots fuel. There's this.....There's that. An endless amount of threads that make up the tapestry of this truly fantastic novel. 

 

I only had two issues with the entire story. The first, was how unfulfilled I felt at the ending. It was obvious that there would be a sequel (that I have to wait over a year for!), but almsot everything had fallen in to place. The second, was that Allie's best friend, Eloise didn't get the attention of the guy she liked. I know the entire time, I've been saying how independent and strong Allie was, and how she didn't need a man, but Eloise was so lovestruck for Zeb that I was dissapointed when they didn't end up together in the end of book one. 

Conclusion: This was one of the best books I have read in 2014. The writing was crafted like slowly churned butter, the romance was like swordplay, the premise was original, and the story itself was phrenomenal.

The Sunday Post (3)+Stacking the Shelves (5)

This week's Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelves will include my experience at the Fight For the Future Tour with Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner, Margaret Stohl, and Marie Lu. Along with seeing my badass swag, a possible giveaway, and some long-awaited books.

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on the blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Loving the Language of Literacy Lookout and Lookback

-I now have a blog button and other various design features are coming this way for Loving the Language of Literacy. One of the most exciting features is my rating system! It still follows my classic out of 5 star review, then a number out of 10, but instead of stars, there will now be ink jars! Someone please tell me this isn't the most adorable rating system you have ever seen?

-I have been in this inexplicable reading slump. My process has literally been this. 1. Read book 2. Write a review saying it was a fun quick read 3. Feel bad because I have nothing specific to say. I'm not sure if this is my personal slump for having expectations too high. Or if it's that the books are actually un-gripping. 

-I have been pretty consistent with my made up schedule and do not feel lousy about my posting. 

-I went to the Fight For the Future Tour at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in Redondo Beach today! I am doing an entire Spontaneous Saturday post on it, maybe even a two-parter because I have over 45 minutes worth of footage. I am so excited to share my experience and maybe even a giveaway!

-I have been officially blogging for two months and one day on Loving the Language of Literacy which is an awesome accomplishment for inconsistent me. In that short time I have reached 75 Bloglovin followers for which I am so grateful for and appreciative to all my lovely readers. 

-If you have any ideas for a Spontaneous Saturday post, blog features, post requests, or anything else, leave it in the comments below, tweet me @sslluvsbooks, or shoot me an email at sslluvsbooks@gmail.com. 

Last Week's Posts:

Review Copy Cleanup Sign-Up 4.0

{Blog Tour+Excerpt+Goveaway} Unite: Jamie Campbell~ 3 ink jars

Discussion Thursdays (3) Blogging and Balance

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Excerpt} EKHO: Marie D. Jones~ 4 ink jars

January Monthly Wrap-Up

Projected Posts

Monday: {Blog Tour+Giveaway} Reaper's Rhythm: Clare Davidson

Wednesday: {Review Request} Edna in the Desert: Maddy Lederman~ 4 ink jars

Thursday: Discussion Thursday (4) *tentative subject* Authors and Their Books 

Friday: {Blog Tour+Interview+Giveaway} Butterman (Time) Travel Inc: PK Hrezo

Saturday: Spontaneous Saturday: *tentative title* Fight For the Future with Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner, Margaret Stohl, and Marie Lu

Six Books I Want to Read this Week:

These Broken Stars: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

This Song Will Save Your Life: Leila Sales

Leviathan: Scott Westerfeld

A Touch of Honor: J.P. Grider

You Are Mine: Janeal Falor

The Tyrant's Daughter: J.C. Carleson

Upcoming Blog Tours

2/21/14: A Touch of Honor: J. P. Grider

2/28/14: Peaceful Genocide: J. A. Reynolds

3/7/14: Journey to Landaran:  Judy Goodwin

3/14/14: A Chance of Love: Karolyn James

3/17/14: ALLIANCE:  Aubrie Dionne

3/28/14: The Prophecy: S. P. Cervantes

Giveaways:

{Blog Tour+Excerpt+Goveaway} Unite: Jamie Campbell ENDS 2/22/14

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Excerpt} EKHO: Marie D. Jones ENDS 2/28/14

Stacking the Shelves 

"Stacking the Shelves" is a meme when you list the books you've added to your shelves, virtual, physical, or whatever shape or form you get them. I am now combining "Stacking the Shelves" with the "Sunday Post" because it is so much a personal preference about when and what you post "Stacking the Shelves" with. I am doing this meme once a week, so you will probably see nothing but library books because originally, I only did "Stacking the Shelves" as an every-time-I-go-to-the-library thing. As people may know, “Stacking the Shelves” posts are hosted by “Tynga's Reviews”  

{Disclaimer: I am in no means trying to brag about what I got, and merely shared this post for the benefit of my followers seeing what I so generously received, and as a favor to the lovely people that sent me things}

Books I Received for Review

You Are Mine: Janeal Falor

Bentwhistle The Dragon in A Threat From The Past: Paul Cude

Bentwhistle the Dragon in A Chilling Revelation: Paul Cude

Books I Recieved for Blog Tours 

ALLIANCE: Aubrie Dionne

COLONIZATION: Aubrie Dionne

RECONNAISSANCE: Aubrie Dionne

Books I Bought:

The Broken Stars: Amje Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Icons: Margaret Stohl

 

Library Books:

Prom: Laurie Halse Anderson

This Song Will Save Your Life: Leila Sales

The Lord of Opium: Nancy Farmer

Swag I Received~ Images to be included in book signing post

x2 SIGNED These Broken Stars posters

These Broken Stars bookmark

These Broken Stars postcard

Skylark bookmark

x2 Dangerous Dream postcard

x2 Icons bookmarked (one SIGNED)

Book Sampler: Landry Park

Book Sampler: The Impossible Knife of Memory

I would like to thank the Mysterious Galaxy Book Store in Redondo Beach, Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman for their awesome swag, as well as Margaret Stohl for her wonderful bookmarks.

{BLOG TOUR+Character Interview+Giveaway} Grimnirs: Ednah Walters

Book Title:  Grimnirs

Series: A Runes Novel

Author:  Ednah Walters

Release Date:  December 2nd 2013

Genre:  YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Firetrail Publishing

Presented by: As You Wish Tours

Banner Made by:  Jamie Turner-Norton

INTERVIEW WITH ECHO

Interviewer: Is there a nickname that you're known by? Do you prefer it?

Echo *cocks his right eyebrow*: Do you really think someone would dare give me a nickname? I’m Echo. End of story.

Interviewer: What is your height, weight and build?

Echo: Seriously? Why would anyone want to know my stats?

Interviewer: I’m the one asking questions here, Echo, so play nice and answer them.

Echo *grins*: Oh, a spunky Mortal. I love that. Six-five, tall, all muscles. *Pulls up his shirt and bares his washboard abs* Want to touch?

Interviewer “blushes*: I don’t think Cora would approve. Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings? What do they mean to you?  

Echo *stands and pulls off his shirt to show his back”:  Scars, a constant reminder of my dark past and my dark soul. Cora calls them badges of honor. She’s a total sweetheart. *sits down*

Interviewer: You love her?

Echo *sighs, a faraway look in his eyes*: Love is too tame a word. I adore her. She’s my anchor, my harbor, my crutch when the world of off kilter. She completes me.

Interviewer: Wow, lucky girl. What is currently your biggest responsibility/commitment?

Echo: Cora and reaping, in that order.

Interviewer: Really? What will your goddess say if she hears that?

Echo *shrugs*: I don’t care. Probably throw me on Corpse Strand to remind me she’s the boss, but I’ve come to learn that there are other things worse than torture.

Interviewer: Like?

Echo: Seeing Cora unhappy

Interviewer:  Who is your biggest rival/enemy? Describe them briefly.

Echo: Enemies, hmmm. Too many to count. Most of them are my fellow Grimnirs. In my defense, I really don’t consider them my enemies. They are the ones who consider me their enemy. As for rivals, I used to think a certain god-child was my rival. I’m his opposite in every way. He’s fair while I’m dark. He’s golden hair, pretty face, and pampered existence while my story is out there for all to see and it’s not pretty. But he’s no longer my rival. I won. I got the girl. “smirks smugly”

Interviewer *chuckles*: What is your favorite food, drink, musical artist, song, and movie/play?

Echo *closes his eyes*: Pies. Cora’s mother makes amazing pies. I don’t drink, but I like my coffee black and unsweetened. Songs? I have an eclectic taste in music. Some Classical rock. Some heavy metal. Some pop. I don’t watch movies. Don’t have the time.

Interviewer: How deeply does your job/social role define you as a person?  

Echo: What I do doesn’t define me. My past may have shaped the man I’ve become, but what defines me comes from here. *taps his chest* My essence.

Interviewer: What do you dislike most about your life? What is missing?

Echo. Hel. The place is colder than dry ice. Now that I have someone to warm me up when I come back, it’s not so bad.

Interviewer: What is the driving force/motivation in your life?

Echo: Doing right by those I love. It’s gotten me in more trouble than I care to admit, but that’s who I am.

Interviewer: What is your biggest character defect?

Echo *grins*: I’m a vindictive bastard. You hurt someone I love and I’m a coming after you. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or who I have to go through. I will make you rue the day you hurt those I love.

Interviewer *shudders*: I hope I never piss you off. How hard is it for you to admit when you're wrong?

Echo: I have no problem admitting I’m wrong. Rather face the music right away than stress about it.

Interviewer: Do you consider yourself a moral/ethical person?

Echo *shrugs*: I’d like to think so. Don’t take my word for it. Read my story and decide for yourself.

BLURB

One lost love.

One lost best friend.

One hot soul reaper.

Straight out of the psyche ward, Cora just wants her life to be normal. She doesn’t want to see souls or the reapers collecting them. The love of her life, the guy she’s loved from a distance for years, has moved away without saying goodbye. So yes, she’s nursing a serious heartbreak. It’s no wonder love is the last thing on her mind when Echo storms into her life.

The chemistry between them is mind-blowing. The connection defies logic. It doesn’t help that Echo is the poster boy for everything she hates in a guy—hot, beautiful, and cocky. A general pain-in-the-butt. Being around him makes her feel more alive than she’s ever felt before. But more important, the souls leave her alone when he is around.

Echo is perfect for her. Echo might even be her soul-mate. There is only one problem. Echo is a freaking soul reaper. A Grimnir. The very beings she wants out of her life. Maybe normal is overrated because Cora wants it all. Answers. Love. A life. You see, once you fall for a Grimnir, your life will never be the same again.

AUTHOR BIO

EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, was released April 2013. She’s currently working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Visit her at www.ednahwalters.com.

Ednah also writes YA paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. IMMORTALS is book 2. She is presently working on book 3, GRIMNIRS [Book 2.5] was released in December 2013. Read more about this series and the world she's created herewww.runestheseries.com.

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published five more books in this series. She's presently working on book seven. You can visit her online at or www.ebwalters.com.

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REVIEW

*I was given this book for a blog tour in exchange for a review which does not in any way affect my honest review of my own individual opinion in any shape or form*

Rating: 7.75/10. 4 stars

When I signed up to review Grimnirs, I did not know it was book 2.5 in the Runes Trilogy. I ended up really enjoying this book, despite not knowing it was part of a series, and think it could be read independently from the rest of the trilogy with little or no confusion to the plot of the rest of the trilogy. 

The plot itself was very interesting, and although there were gaps that would usually make me rate it 2 or 3 stars, they are details that I am sure are explained in the Runes Trilogy itself. As Ednah Walters said, she wrote "Grimnirs" as a book that would focus solely on Cora's and Echo's love and back story so that the third book, Seeress, wouldn't be side-tracked with the story of their love and how they came to be. I was quite fascinated with the Norse mythology angle the book had, as well as all the soul-reaping (that doesn't make me sound weird...does it?). I also think the way that Walters added her own spin to it when incorporating her characters into our own boring world was done very well, kind of how Rick Riordan has with both the Kane Chronicles and Percy Jackson, although with a lot more kissing.

Besides most of the characters being supernatural creatures from Asgard and Norse mythology, the main focus of the book was romance. This might have just been my not knowing, or the book itself, but it seemed like one moment Cora was talking about being locked up in the mental hospital, and the next Echo was making out with her. After some explanation, and Cora's own confusion, I came to really like her and Echo as a couple. Their bond was so strong and unique, and let's face it, Echo is a gorgeous hunk that if he and Cora weren't together, I would want to snatch right up because of his yumminess. That makes absolutely no sense, but the point is that he is the ultimate to-die-for, swoonworthy male specimen...I mean character. Don't tell his Coramio I said that.

"Echo was cocky, bold, badass, and unstoppable. He was Hel's best reaper. What could have happened in the past that was so horrible he couldn't share?"

The best part about Echo, my favorite character in the book, was that he wasn't just a hot guy that had made seducing skills and looks that would make any girl faint. What I liked about him was that he was deeper, and more layered than us as the readers thought he was.

"I always have an agenda and I'm good at what I do. I lie, I bend the laws, and play dirt to win. That's who I am, and I've never had a reason to change."

Of course, that was before Cora came along, and because of her, he learned to truly love and feel.

"Don't you ever put your hand on her, Chapman. You don't look at her wrong, raise your voice, or give her a reason to cry. You laugh and cry with her. Worship the f**king ground sh walks on. If she's hurting, you better be hurting ten times more because her pain."

That is just one more example of how great of a boyfriend Echo is

A book in between books is supposed to fill in/connect the dots between two books and that's exactly what Grimnirs did. If this had been a standalone, I would have been very upset at the ending because it seemed to just...end without explanation. But because this was book 2.5, the ending drew a perfect line between point A and B, or books 2 and 3.

Now there was this one quote that has absolutely nothing to do with the story itself, but I loved it because I know a lot of my book blogger friends can easily relate, and this is probably all that my friends say about me too.

"All they ever talked about were books and their character crushes. They all had blogs and did reviews."

Overall, desipte not knowing Grminirs was 2,5 in the Runes trilogy I thoroughly enjoyed it because of the interesting plot, wonderfully strong romance, and everything else that made this story great. I will definitely be reading books 1-3 now.