Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Blog Tour: REVELATIONS OF THE SOUL by J.L. Vallance






About REVELATIONS OF THE SOUL:



Blurb:
“Evangeline had prayed Spiro would be able to protect Vivienne, prayed that he’d keep her safe. The truth was, no one would be able to protect her from what was coming, and Evangeline knew that now. She knew that Vivienne was going to have to fight if she wanted to survive.”
Aedan, Lord of the Daemonium, has claimed Vivienne Drake as his prize and will stop at nothing to keep her. As his captive, Vivienne is forced to spend her days interacting with the monster that’s haunted her dreams for the past fourteen years.
Truths of her mother’s past continue to surface, bringing to light the reality of who Vivienne Drake truly is. All the while, Vivienne can do nothing but watch as the façade of the carefully constructed life her mother fashioned crumbles around her; leaving devastation in its wake.



About the author:

J.L. Vallance is the author of Deep Into the Soul and Revelations of the Soul (The Guild Series). She’s a wife, mom, and nurse from northern Ohio. She lives her days fueled by Red Bull, believing sleep is overrated.




*Tour Giveaway*


a Rafflecopter giveaway





Keychains

 

Magnolia flower clip

^Review to come soon!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Review: FINN FINNEGAN by Darby Karchut


Finnegan MacCullen: 
a thirteen-year-old apprentice with the famous Irish temperament.
Gideon Lir: 
a legendary Celtic warrior with a bit of a temper of his own.


Secretly, these blue-collar warriors battle the hobgoblins infesting their suburban neighborhood...when they are not battling each other.

Finn (not bleedin' Finnegan) MacCullen is eager to begin his apprenticeship. He soon discovers the ups and downs of hunting monsters in a suburban neighborhood under the demanding tutelage of the Knight, Gideon Lir. Both master and apprentice are descendents of the Tuatha De Danaan, a magical race of warriors from Ireland. Scattered long ago to the four corners of the world, the De Danaan wage a two thousand year old clandestine battle with their ancient enemy, the Amandán, a breed of goblin-like creatures.

Now with the beasts concentrating their attacks on Finn, he and his master must race to locate the lost Spear of the Tuatha De Danaan, the only weapon that can destroy the Amandán, all the while hiding his true identity from his new friends, Rafe and Savannah, twins whose South African roots may hold a key to Finn's survival.

Armed with a bronze dagger, some ancient Celtic magic, and a hair-trigger temper, Finn is about to show his enemies the true meaning of "fighting Irish."


Image and description from GoodReads 

* REVIEW *
When I started FINN FINNEGAN, I immediately knew that I was going to love the characters even if I didn't know where they were going to take me. I even read through the characters lines using the same Irish accent. Finn (not Finnegan) is a quick-witted, temperamental thirteen year old. He has grown up with his aunt and uncle along with their many children and now he is finally the only child is a house with a Knight. Not exactly common for most thirteen year olds, but for his race of people, the Tuatha De Danaan's, that is something to which they look forward. For Finn, training with a Knight, especially one such as Gideon Lir, is going to change his life. Earning a torc, a sort of necklace that Knights wear, is somewhat of a coming of age experience. To earn his torc, Finn must face the Amandan, kill one, and survive.

Finn was a fun character to get to know and to follow in the story. His relationship with Gideon really isn't a master and his apprentice, but more of a father figure and and son. It's not only because of how much they care about each other but also because of the way they interact and are teaching each other (Gideon is certainly learning almost as much as Finn). The story was really emotional at times and I was experiencing the same feelings the characters were expressing.

I particularly enjoyed the journal writings by both Finn and Gideon because you got to see the differences and similarities in them and how they perceive each learning experience. It was also a chance to see them unguarded. The next book, GIDEON'S SPEAR, can not come out soon enough. I will just have to bide my time by re-reading FINN FINNEGAN. While this is a Middle-Grade novel and I typically read Young Adult, I still found it a great read with the interesting Celtic lore and the great writing by Darby Karchut.

-This review is based on the Advanced Copy and not the final published version.

Thank you, Spencer Hill Press, for the review copy!! =)

Monday, March 4, 2013

Blog Tour: Kiss of Fire by Rebecca Ethington





Links:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16106970-kiss-of-fire
Amazon Author: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B009ZNTLPS
Amazon Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Fire-Imdalind-Series-ebook/dp/B009ZF5SLM/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kiss-of-fire-rebecca-ethington/1113727795 Website: www.rebeccaethington.com
Twitter: @RebEthington
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebeccaethington.author

Book trailer: http://youtu.be/ZeKgbEwIzxU


About the Author

Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then on stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn’t found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.


Blurb:

Joclyn Despain has a scar. In fact, it is almost like a brand on her skin. She doesn’t know why it appeared on her neck, but she doesn’t want anyone to see it, including her best friend Ryland, who knows everything else about her. The scar is the reason she hides herself behind baggy clothes, and won’t let the idea of kissing Ryland enter her mind, no matter how much she wants to.
The scar is the reason she is being hunted.
If only she knew that she was.
If only she had known that the cursed stone her estranged father sent for her 16th birthday would trigger a change in her. Now, she is being stalked by a tall blonde man, and is miraculously throwing her high school bully ten feet in the air.
Joclyn attempts to find some answers and the courage to follow her heart. When Ryland finds her scar; but he knows what it means, and who will kill her because of it.



I loved this book from the very first lines. Joclyn is a character to which many can relate. She wears over-sized hoodies and jeans to blend in at school and even at home while her mother tries her best to get her to wear clothes that make her look more feminine. Joclyn has different reasons for hiding though; her oddly-shaped scar stands out much more than she would like and she is afraid of it being noticed. Her best friend Ryland is is the son of Edmund LaRue, her mother's employer. They have been friends since Joclyn was five, but Edmund has recently forbidden Ryland from associating with Joclyn and tarnishing his "perfection".

The writing flows very well and transformed the words into the scenes as I read. It was easy to follow along and get into the mind of Joclyn. I often felt like I was a spectator wanting to call out to her or Ryland. It was fun to follow Joclyn's path. I was often stopping myself from skipping ahead because it was so good and I wanted to see what was going to happen next but I didn't want to miss anything either. My mind has been in Joclyn's world for some time after finishing KISS OF FIRE and I think it will be hard to move on to another story for a while.


A HUGE thanks to Good Choice Reading for allowing me to participate in the tour! =)