Friday 31 January 2014

Cover Reveal : Mistaken by Heather Fleener (Ancients of Light #4)



Hi Guys, Today i am having a cover reveal for a fourth book in Ancents of Light series by Heather Fleener. And well i am so in love with this cover, it reminds me the second book cover Forsaken, which i totally adored. so okay, are you ready to see it? here you go!!!

Mistaken
Ancients of Light #4
Spring 2014


Enemies by circumstance of Creation
Sworn to their purpose, the Vampire and the Witch
were created to battle over the fate of mankind.

He was the First
Until one Vampire sought a Higher Purpose.

She was the Beginning
And one Witch’s faith brought Darkness into the Light.

Their love would turn the course of the Ancient War…
Before the Prophecy, an Ancient Queen and the Vampire she loved
would forge the path for those that would follow.




Excerpt

Tristan liked that the witch was not composed enough to hide her shiver and the responsive widening of her eyes, but he did not like the apprehension he viewed there. He could not ascertain whether her tremble was due to terror or because somewhere, deep inside, her need rivaled his own. Having witnessed her bravery in their earlier confrontation, he tended to believe it was the latter, even if she was too inexperienced to recognize that truth. Intensely satisfied that he had her under his control - even if it was only for this short period – her closeness eased his raging, predatory instincts.
Leaning down to issue his gentle-toned inquiry, his breath stirred the tendrils of sun-bleached gold near her ear, “Do I scare you, Alia?”
Alia knew it was reasonable to be terrified; one of the darkest warriors within the enemy ranks had abducted her. Drawing back to look at him, she had no doubt that he was the stronger between the two of them. Those tips of teeth peeking from behind his upper lip should have her screaming in fright and begging for her life, but the longer she peered into that brilliant blue gaze, the more she calmed and her senses acclimated to their surroundings.
The sound of cascading water came to her, and almost simultaneous to that she felt an internal pull. Disbelieving, her gaze flit to the mouth of the cave. During her hurried inspection on arrival – her oversight most likely attributable panic - she had failed to identify its most extraordinary feature. Standing deep within the recesses, hundreds of feet from that opening, Alia had been mistaken in thinking that the overcast weather was responsible for the wall of gray visible beyond the entrance. Now, coupling her recognition of the sound with a second look, she realized that it was not a foggy haze but that a waterfall curtained the opening.
Those of her Caste were strongest when surrounded by nature’s bounty, which was why her kin settled within forests. It was also the reason they most often chose to bare their skin in a manner that was just short of improper. The feel of the rays of the sun and even the very wind against their flesh pulled at their magic. Understanding was in her eyes when they narrowed and shot back to him. It was obvious that he had been waiting for her to understand the significance of this location.
Her command over water and lightning was a new facet of Nature magic never before displayed by her kind, but her captor had witnessed her abilities firsthand. The more wild those elements, the more responsive her magic, and yet he had brought her here. His smug expression conveyed that his choice for her temporary prison had been deliberate and Alia was most certain that Tristan realized that her strength would be magnified being near such a powerful manifestation of one of the elements that she controlled.
Clever Vampire… Skatosita … She did not want to like him, but this one was making it rather impossible to relegate him to the pile of degenerate monsters that populated his breed. She had already determined that the Witch leaders were wrong in their assessment of his race. Rather than a rabid beast, Alia had witnessed the intelligence in this Vampire leader. During their first encounter, she had also glimpsed a side that suggested much more was lurking in him. Now he intentionally brought her to a place where she would feel strong, not powerless. A myriad of questions formed, and seeing her bemused expression, Tristan smirked and lifted a brow in invitation to speak her mind.
Her lone question was accusatory, “How did you know?”
Tristan refused to believe she was as upset with him as her tone implied, but he was not going to pretend to be something that he was not for the sake of charming her. Alia was a divine creation while he had been spat from the pits of Hell. He was resolute - between them there would be no skirting what either of them was, or the bloodied history between their breeds. For that reason, he gave her the truth, “I told you that we know much about the Witch. Your breed spills secrets from its lips as rain falls from the sky… and even was your Caste not of the same ilk, your kin reveal their secrets as willingly as all the others with the proper incentive.”
It sunk into her slowly what he meant by incentive, and she whispered confirmation of her understanding, aghast that he would broach the subject with her and have the audacity to gloss over it, “Torture.”
The word lingered between them and held no hint of question; the little witch had already convicted him. Tristan could have comfortably avoided the blatant confirmation, but he gave her a curt nod to make certain she had no room to doubt her conclusion. He did not want her young and fanciful imagination to make him into something more valiant than he was.
She did not move, but her eyes stabbed him, followed by words that were pious and clipped, “I would imagine, as a General in the Darks, that you are particularly adept at such practices.”
Alia was acting as though the Vampire were exclusive in their use of such abusive techniques. Her youthful innocence was endearing, but her illusions about the moral fabric of her leadership required correction. Rolling his eyes over her naiveté, his arms folded across his chest. The response he offered was calmly given, not defensive, “I am no more adept than your own leaders, Alia.”
There were rumors, of course, about the methods used by the Queens to interrogate the Vampire, but she had seen no such practice herself. She remained self-righteous, “I would not know, but I cannot think that our ways would be as twisted as those that the Darks employ and…”
Tristan snapped, leaning in, his sharp words interrupting her defense of her breed, “That is because you are young, Alia. You are foolish to believe that those you follow are so far above what I am and what I am required to do in order to fight this war.”
Starring at him for long moments, Alia realized that while she could allow his impatient interruption to push her into arguing, she was reluctant to fight with him. While she would not take his claim as fact merely because the handsome Dark proclaimed it, she would also neither ignore it. Many of her beliefs – beliefs that had been postulated as truths by her Queens – had been challenged recently, but she needed time and distance from him in order to form her own conclusions. The best choice was to move to another topic.
He had yet to withdrawal after those last words and his close presence was stealing her focus while her magic seemed to be coursing manically through her veins. The combination was leaving her feeling flushed and off balance. When she returned to his very first question, Alia was conscious that her breathy words most likely revealed too much of her attraction, “Should I be afraid?”
Tristan experienced a surge of triumph when she turned the topic rather than answer his harsh words in kind. The grin he gave her was a reflection of his pleasure and an entreaty to trust him, “There are parts of you that already know that answer…”
Leaning in closer still, it required only a small movement on his part to close the small gap that remained between them. The beauty did not retreat. Her nearness had his eyes shifting black while they lowered to observe the delectable pulse dancing beneath the sun-kissed skin of her neck. Still the witch did not move away…instead, her gaze was waiting for his when it lifted, and sparkles of magic blossomed there in response to his entreaty, “Listen to those parts, Alia… something inside you already knows that you belong to me.”
When she did not immediately deny it, Tristan could not help but wonder what it would be like to drink sunshine. 


About the Author

Heather Fleener lives in Indiana with her husband, D.A. and their twins, Thomas and Alexandra. Professionally she has spent her career working in the area of Intellectual Property law.
Reading has been a passion of hers since she was young and she has adored romance novels her entire life. The romantic styles of Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood are her inspiration, though she has read and loved the stories of countless other authors. Her fascination with the paranormal began to form at the young age of six, watching late-night ghost and vampire movies with her Grandpa. Unfortunately, as a result, she also remains afraid of the dark to this day.
Combining her love of epic romances and the supernatural was a natural progression for her overactive imagination. When the idea for the Ancients of Light series began, it was an abstract story line rambling around in her head to help kill a few miles on the treadmill. As the stories and plotlines continued to grow, it finally became necessary to put the words to paper and build the characters that had been living in the Realm and having conversations in her head for months.
The series is a testament to many miles on the treadmill and lots of characters that insist on having their stories told.


Wednesday 29 January 2014

Tour Stop & Review & Giveaway : Hudson by Shayne McClendon


HUDSON
By: Shayne McClendon


Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18913280-hudson

Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Hudson-Barter-System-Shayne-McClendon-ebook/dp/B00G718
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Synopsis:

Refuse to compromise.

Hudson Winters is in control of every aspect of his world. From his earliest
memories, he's been driven to succeed. Starting from nothing, he built an
empire based on opportunity and intimidation.

Personally, professionally, and sexually - he ensures the reins are always
in his hands.

He never counted on a woman like Gabriella Hernandez.

From the moment she steps into his building, she proceeds to shake up his
entire existence. Her very presence causes him to question everything about
himself, his relationships, and his future.

This story features characters readers fell in love with in "The Barter
System" and gives you a chance to sit down and catch up. Prepare to be
twisted up and knocked around a bit.  Another hot, emotional read from
Always the Good Girl, Shayne McClendon.

NOTE: This story contains explicit sexual scenes and language and is
intended for mature audiences only. Do not read this novel if intense sexual
situations offend you.




REVIEW: 


I liked the book, but can’t say that I was deeply moved by it. I don’t know what prevented that, but maybe just that I knew from the third of the book how it all would end. I am not sorry I read it, but I am not all that happy that I read it, instead of reading something else. This review will be short and well it is up to you to consider reading it or not.

The story follows a Latina girl – Gabriella who was robbed and who comes to New York to find love. She meets Hudson Winters a person she thought she is in love with, but she sees that she was tricked, because she doesn’t know a thing about real Hudson. No matter how much the story follows Gabriella, in reality the plot is all around Hudson and Natalia. All three are main characters, but somehow Hudson and Natalia are brighter. The sole purpose of Gabriella is to put those two together, to make them see that they love each other more than best friends do. And well happy ending is for those two not for Brie.

The book should have been intense, but somehow I didn’t feel it. No matter how much Hudson was swearing and saying he would do that and blah, blah, blah, I had a feeling he was just a phony. I couldn’t feel him behind his words and that was breaking my image of him.

I hope I didn’t ruin anyone’s expectations. It’s what I thought about the book. I guess, it was just not my read, but maybe you will love it. So it’s up to you to grab your copy now and get acquaintances with Gabriella, Hudson, Natalia and others. I wish you happy reading. And don’t forget to share your thoughts.

XOXO

Katie



MY RATING:




About the Author:


Shayne McClendon is an indie author who has received rave reviews for her premiere novel "The Barter System." Other projects recently released are "In the Service of Women," "Yes to Everything," "Damaged," "Being Delightful," "The Hermit," "Hudson" - the second book set in "The Barter System" world, and many more.
Writer, mom, and hermit...Shayne listens to the voices in her head because their ideas are awesome. Those around her have learned not to question the crazy. Coffee consumption is too high, amount of sleep is too low, but the words always feel just right.
She currently lives in Oklahoma wrangling teenagers, opening doors for her pets, and running her content writing company. She dreams of peace, quiet, travel, and always having a viable internet connection.
You can contact her by email at shayne@alwaysthegoodgirl.com, stop by her Facebook page, or visit her website and subscribe for your free story!
Shayne McClendon's work is available at all major e-book retailers. Print editions of her work are available on her website.



Current Book List:
The Barter System
Hudson
Yes to Everything
In the Service of Women
A Little Bit Country - Book One
Damaged
Obsession
The Hermit
Being Delightful
Gravity
Roadside Assistance
Somebody
Permission to Come Aboard - The Great Outdoors
Special Delivery - The Great Outdoors
A Sunny Heart - The Great Outdoors
Embrace the Wild - The Great Outdoors
Ready to Rumble - Love of the Game
Breaking the Ice - Love of the Game
Time to Make the Doughnuts - Love of the Game
Woman's Best Friend
Revenge is Best Served Hot
Compilations:
Just a Little Kilted - with Alexandra Andersen
Just a Little Crazy - with Alexandra Andersen
Just a Little Extra - with Alexandra Andersen
Not a Bride - with Alexandra Andersen
All the Better To - with Christopher Southers
Books Available in Print:
The Barter System
Damaged
Not a Bride - with Alexandra Andersen



Playlist:

HUDSON PLAYLIST
Feelin’ Love – Paula Cole
Wicked Game – Chris Isaak
Closer – Nine Inch Nails
A Little Taste – Skyler Stonestreet
Satisfied – Aranda
My Demons – Starset
POWER – Kanye West
Sinner’s Prayer – Sully Erna
Madness – Muse
Person Jesus – Depeche Mode
Kiss From A Rose – Seal
Shape Of My Heart – Sting
Simply Falling – Iyeoka
What Goes Around…/…Comes Around Interlude – Justin Timberlake
My Immortal – Evanescence
Hurt – Johnny Cash
Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
Special Cases – Massive Attack
Far Behind – Candlebox
Stepping Stone – Duffy
Wish I Didn’t Miss You – Angie Stone
Empire State of Mind – JAY Z & Alicia Keys
Fix You – Coldplay
Just Like Honey – Jesus and Mary Chain
Bad Things – Jace Everett
Feeling Good – Nina Simone
Is This Real? – Lisahall
Oblivion – M83, Suzanne Sundfor
Lloraras – Oscar D’Leon
Feeling Good – Michael Buble
She Wants To Know – Half Moon Run
Intro – The xx
Stay – Rihanna, Mikky Ekko
Mirrors – Justin Timberlake
Lullaby – The Cure
Feel Good Inc – Gorillaz





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Waiting on Wednesday #20 Into Still Blue by Veronicca Rossi


Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine It’s a chance to showcase upcoming releases we are interested in or drooling over.

January 28, 2014
Into Still Blue by Veronicca Rossi (Under the Never Sky #3)

See more at Goodreads



The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Timesbestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.



Tuesday 28 January 2014

Tour Stop & Giveaway : The Eve by Keary Taylor




Series: The Eden Trilogy #3
Release date: November 21st 2013
Self-Published
Purchase: 
Amazon




Synopsis via Goodreads:

A plan was laid out as the Evolution crushed mankind, a plan that was right under Eden’s nose all along. And Eve is the key to everything. New Eden—mankind—they have a small chance at fixing their dismembered planet. 

But it will be a reckless sprint against time and the coming Bane to retrieve the final piece to the plot. New Eden’s worst fears have become reality. The Bane are back in the city and they’re smarter and more aggressive than ever. They know where the humans are and they’re coming to finish what they’ve nearly completed.

Eve has been content with the family she’s found—Avian, West, Gabriel, Royce. But she’s about to discover she may have the one family Eve never thought she would: blood. With every odd stacked against her, all the lies and all the secrets of her origins will be exposed.

The past and the future are about to come full circle.


About the Author

Keary Taylor grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now resides on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night. She is the author of THE EDEN TRILOGY, the FALL OF ANGELS trilogy, and WHAT I DIDN'T SAY.

Except

“Start checking vehicles,” I said, racing across the street to a parking lot.  “Maybe we’ll find something with keys.”
“Eve,” West said as we started yanking car doors open.  “You know if that kid was infected that it’s too late for Avian.  He’ll get infected.”
I shook my head, my jaw set hard.  “No,” I said as I checked another car.  No keys.  “There’s a chance the boy wasn’t infected.  And if it just barely happened, he won’t be able to spread the infection for a few hours.”
But even as I made my argument, I knew it wasn’t true.  Those bodies had been dead for days, maybe even over a week.  If the kid was infected, TorBane would be fully saturated into his system.”
“Got it!” West shouted.  He held up a pair of keys as a floor mat came tumbling out of the truck.  “Get in!”
I hopped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.  I tossed our supplies in the back seat.  “You don’t know how to drive,” I said, my voice breathy.
“Today seems like a good day to learn,” West said, shoving the key in the ignition.
The truck clicked and sputtered.  It had been a sitting, rusting dinosaur for six years.  We’d been stupid to think any of these vehicles might start.
“Come on!” West shouted, pounding the steering wheel.  He slammed one of the pedals with his foot and suddenly it roared to life.  “Yes!”
“That there puts it into drive, I think,” I said, pointing to the stick on the side of the driving column.
West yanked on it and the truck jerked backwards and slammed into the vehicle behind us.
“Okay,” West said, shifting the stick again.  “R stands for reverse.  So D for drive?”
“Let’s assume,” I said, my blood racing and pounding in my ears.  “Let’s go!”
D was indeed for drive and we rocketed forward, clipping another vehicle as we swung wildly out of the parking lot and onto the street.
“That woman was touched,” I said, bracing myself as we swerved madly.  “She had probably gone out to look for food or something when a Hunter must have found her.  West, this means they’re starting to come back into the city.”
The speedometer crept up to eighty miles an hour as we peeled back onto the onramp.  Just as we pulled onto the freeway, there was a figure ahead of us.  There was no time to stop and the truck plowed right into it.
The mechanical body broke right in half, completely cybernetic by this time.  The upper half of the body crashed into the windshield, shattering it.
We both screamed as the glass burst into tiny glittering pieces and an arm dangled between the two of us.
“Holy…” West bellowed as the truck swerved violently back and forth and we ran over the lower half of the body.
“Keep driving!” I shouted.  I was about to reach for the shoulders of the body, when its hand suddenly flung out at me, and wrapped around my throat.
West swore loudly.  “It’s still alive?!”
“Keep…” I gasped for air as West swerved in an attempt to put distance between himself and the Bane that was somehow still attacking.  “Driving!”
Wrapping my hands around the wrist, I squeezed until the cybernetic bones crumpled and bent and the hand let go.  Plowing the heel of my hand into what was left of where its nose should have been, its head whipped back with a sickening crunch.  The thing was instantly still.
But still carrying active TorBane.
I coughed violently, unbuckling my seatbelt.
“You okay?” West asked, wild fear in his eyes as he attempted to drive straight.  He leaned as far to the left as possible, attempting to put some space between him and the mangled Bane.
“Yeah,” I croaked.  My throat was probably bruised.  “Keep driving.  I’ll take care of this.”
I half stood as well as I could in the cramped space.  Placing my hands on its shoulders, I gave a good shove.  The body slid forward two feet and to the right.  But one of its arms slipped down the front of the hood and caught in the grill.
“Oh, come on,” West said, looking at the body in disbelief.
“Keep driving,” I repeated.  I used my boot to knock out the rest of the glass hanging around the frame of the window.  Crawling up onto the dash, I slowly worked my way out onto the hood of the truck.
As we drove over the bumpy freeway, the arm wedged its way tighter and tighter into the grill.  Finally, I simply snapped the arm off at the elbow.  The rest of the body crashed to the ground.  I tried yanking the rest of the arm free, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Get back in here, Eve!” West shouted.  “We can have it melted down later.  Sit down before I kill you!”
An amused chuckle worked its way through my lips as I carefully climbed back up the hood and into the vehicle.
“Well, this turned into an exciting day,” West said, shaking his head.
“Yeah, I think the Bane are getting back into the city,” I said, pushing my windblown hair back off my forehead.  “That store was supposed to be fifteen miles inside our perimeter.  They’ll be getting back into the center of the city soon.  I thought I’d cleared all of them out for five hundred miles after the beacon went off.”
“Just another day in the world of the Evolution,” West said.  “Must have been a Sleeper that recently woke up.  It could have been inactive when you called them all out to the desert.
“For once, could the element of time just be on our side?” I said, exasperated.
“What,” West said, smiling at me as he swerved around a particularly large crack in the road.  “And make life simple and boring?”
I shook my head and laughed.  “Seriously.”



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Saturday 25 January 2014

Book Haul & Blog Weekly #22


Book Haul & Blog Weekly is a weekly featute here at Katie's Corner inspired by Stacking Shelves by Tynga's Reviews and The Sunday Post by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.


Book Haul:

Purchased/Freebies:




The Last Academy by Anne Applegate 

Allusive Aftershock by Susan Griscom
Where Demons Fear to Tread by Stephanie Chong
Demoness of Waking Dreams by Stephanie Chong

NetGalley/Edelweiss:

N/A

Author Request/Tour:



Hudson by Shayne McClendon 

For CoffeeTalk Writers Blog Review:



Temptation by Fire by Tiffany Allee


Gifted:



Barter System by Shayne McClendon



Blog Weekly:


Tour Stop, Review & Giveaway : Lingering Echoes by Erica Kiefer
4.5 Leaves

Cover Reveal : Fractured Steel by T.J. Loveless

Review : Hearts by Fire by M.A. De Olmos
3.5 Leaves

Review : Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan
2.5 Leaves

Release Day Blitz : Alabama Sons by E.A. Whitehead

Release Day Blitz : Never Say Goodbye by T. Renee Fike

Review : Sparks by RS McCoy
4.5 Leaves

Waiting on Wednesday #19 : Rising of Arcane Fire by Kristin Bailey

Cover Reveal : Hudson by Shayne McClendon

Review : Marked by Destiny by Lisa Cardiff
4 Leaves



Hi Everyone, 

I hope everybody had a great week, i passed all my exams, and am truly happy more time to read and write xD. i really can't comprehend that January is coming to an end, that's so ... well in less than 3 weeks i have a birthday and i am planing to do a giveaway, so i will be happy if you participate. Also february is going to be quite a month, because i will have many inetersting tour stops. I wish you all a great week, and well don't forget to leave your STS, so i can see them too as soon an i can.

XOXO

Katie