Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Release Day Blitz: Evolution (E #2) by Kate Wrath

Evolution, the second book in the E series, is now available! Get Evolution and E for only 99¢ each during release week, November 12th-19th, 2014.

cover of Evolution by Kate Wrath
 
Outpost Three is still standing… barely. But the deadliest threat it has ever faced is on its way-- a violent force that will annihilate every man, woman, and child.

With the Sentries under his control and Grey’s army defeated, Matt is more powerful than ever. Eden is little more than his prisoner, but that line is blurring as her affection for him grows. Now, as the Outpost faces total destruction, Matt must sacrifice the possibility of attaining Eden’s love in the vague hope that her past might hold the key to saving them all.

Eden’s journey will begin to unravel the mysteries of her previous life, reveal dangerous new questions, and change not only the future of Outpost Three, but shape the course of history.

This eagerly anticipated sequel to Kate Wrath’s E begins an epic quest into the dark, dystopian landscape of Eden’s world.
 Add to GoodreadsBuy E $0.99Buy Evolution $0.99

Get both books in the E series, E and Evolution, for 99¢ each on Kindle for a limited time only: November 12th- 19th, 2014.


Connect with Kate:
Kate Wrath's WebsiteTwitterGoodreadsFacebook

 

Join Kate for the Evolution Release Day Facebook Party:

You're invited! Come hang out November 12th from 8-12 pm Eastern and celebrate the release of Evolution. Woohoo!

 

An excerpt from Evolution:



We run down the narrow alley and take the first turn, then another. We keep running, moving. I don't even notice my surroundings until, at last, we slow to a stop. The smell hits me first—the stench of piss, of something rotten, all condensed into a small space. Breathing hard, we stand in the street and look around us. We're in a main thoroughfare now, judging from the traffic, but it’s still narrow. I feel squashed, smothered. On all sides, a crowd throngs around us. Most of them are dressed in rags. Hollow faces huddle three or four bodies deep against both edges of the road, dirty, hopeless, and lost. Many of them are children.


I'm scanning their faces frantically before I even realize what I'm doing. "Oscar," I hear myself whisper. It hits me, and I break off before I can call out his name. Before I can start running again, sifting through the masses of them.


Apollon's hand clamps onto mine, but he says nothing. He and Jonas are focused on Jacob, who is shaking violently. Tears are pouring from widened eyes down his face. I want to help him, but all I can do is stand here trying not to break down, myself.

"We need to find somewhere to regroup," Jonas says quietly. "Get out of this mess."
I cast around for somewhere to go, but as far as I can see, it's piles upon piles. People, and people, and buildings looming over them. There's no breathing room. No space. I have to force my breath to steadiness. It's too much.
There is a commotion on the street ahead, maybe a block away. The ragged masses push away from the center, squashing and trampling each other in the process. We're caught in a wave of motion and carried backward, but still we try to look. Where the commotion started, there's a group of figures, similarly dressed in black with blue bandanas. They're moving down the street toward us.


The wave of people suddenly backlashes from the other direction, and we're pushed the opposite way from before. We manage to finally see why. On our opposite side, there's another group of people. These are dressed primarily in white. One of them, clearly a leader, wears a purple doo rag and carries what might be the biggest gun I've ever seen. He raises it toward us.
   

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Review: Collide by Christine Fonseca


The most dangerous secrets are the ones that kill.

When a surprising mental breakdown draws too much attention from a secret government group call the Order, 17-year-old Dakota discovers that her so-called boring life isn’t so boring after all. Between the lies, secrets and assassins out to kill her family, Dakota discovers there’s more to paranormal activity than ghosts and cheap mind tricks. Now she must uncover the truth before a new breed of terrorism takes everything away – including her life.
 
 
My Rating
 
3.5
 
 
My Review
 
 
Collide is an extremely fast-paced novel that's an absolutely exhilarating read. Fans of action and suspense should be able to devour it without putting down the book once. Although it did take me a little bit to actually get into the book, once I did, I was unable to stop reading until I reached the end.
 
I love the concept of Collide, which really comes together as the book moves forward. Despite the pacing of the novel, the entire plot isn't slapped across the reader's face, and the story still has time to unfold. The truth is gradually revealed, as Dakota learns more about her past and the abilities she didn't know she possessed.
 
The characters of Collide were also very well-developed, even if some of the relationships between them felt a little flat. Dakota had a great voice that stayed interesting and realistic. The Architect may not have been the kind of person readers would root for, but I found her to be an incredibly compelling character. The changes in viewpoint worked very well, as the voices were all extremely different and the varieties in personality easily showed through. Between the first person narrative, third person narrative, and journal entries, the plot moved smoothly and rapidly, and every angle of the story was explored. 

All in all, Collide is an exciting read devoid of slow moments. Between the attention-grabbing characters, twists in plot, and rapid pacing, the novel will leave readers breathless and hungry for more.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Cover Reveal: Between the Shadow and the Soul by Susanne Winnacker



Note: I absolutely love this cover. I'm a fan of the dark side when it comes to my novels and covers, and I'm definitely getting that feeling. Not to mention, the title looks awesome.

The good news is, the book sounds just as great. For your convenience, I'm just going to leave this Goodreads link here so you can easily add to your TBR shelf. If the cover didn't already convince you, check out this summary:


It sounds incredible! So be sure to preorder Between the Shadow and the Soul and enter the Giveaway below to see more of Susanne's work!




Monday, November 3, 2014

Review: Being Audrey Hepburn by Mitchell Kriegman


In Being Audrey Hepburn, Clarissa Explains It All-creator, Mitchell Kriegman, tells the story of a 19-year-old girl from Jersey who finds herself thrust into the world of socialites after being seen in Audrey Hepburn’s dress from the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s.Lisbeth comes from a broken home in the land of tube tops, heavy eyeliner, frosted lip-gloss, juiceheads, hoop earrings and “the shore.” She has a circle of friends who have dedicated their teenage lives to relieve the world of all its alcohol one drink at a time.

Obsessed with everything Audrey Hepburn, Lisbeth is transformed when she secretly tries on Audrey’s iconic Givenchy. She becomes who she wants to be by pretending to be somebody she’s not and living among the young and privileged Manhattan elite. Soon she’s faced with choices that she would never imagine making – between who she’s become and who she once was.

In the tradition of The Nanny Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada, this is a coming of age story that all begins with that little black dress…
My Rating
3
My Rating
Being Audrey Hepburn is a fun little novel with a lot of heart. The concept is very cute, and I loved many things about it. It's a nice contemporary read, especially for those of us who are very fond of Audrey and her films.
It's a unique spin on the usual coming-of-age novels. A large topic in the novel involves taking control of your own life and deciding what it is you want to do. Lisbeth initially struggles between what is wanted and expected of her and what she learns she'd like to pursue. I loved this as part of novel, as it is so easy to relate to for many teenagers who feel pressured to live up to expectations and/or decide what they want to do with their live. This, along with her quirkiness and excitement, makes Lisbeth a likeable character...despite the fact that she doesn't always make the best of decisions. (Of course, the times were she can get a bit self-absorbed or in her own little world is probably more authentic when it comes to teenagers than other traits.)
I did like the relationships between characters, and thought they felt true-to-life. Lisbeth had a lot of problems with her family, but they also were important to her. Some friendships and relationships were lasting while some were fleeting. People helped each other and people hurt each other. It wasn't forced or unbelievable. In fact, even the rush into fame felt realistic.
Speaking of which, I absolutely loved the glamor described within the fashion industry and socialite connections. In a sense, it's like a new world that's brought to life through the novel. Which is very cool. The emphasis on fashion and the altered dresses Lisbeth wore were great to read about, and the opening scene at the Met was one of my favorites, just for that reason.
Some parts of the story toward the middle did move a bit slow compared to the rapid ending, but the characters and dialogue still made it enjoyable, all the way to the satisfying end. Being Audrey Hepburn really is a fun read, and I can easily recommend it to contemporary fans.