Monday, July 22, 2013

Nomad Book Blitz! Giveaway + Guest Post


Nomad by JL Bryant
Publication Date: July 26th, 2013
Genre: NA time travel dystopian
They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.


What Not to Wear When Traveling Through Time

Guest post by J.L. Bryan

When the conversation turns to time travel, as it so often does, you’ll hear a lot of blather about the risks and dangers.  Everyone talks about the risk of universe-destroying paradoxes, but little attention is giving to the risk of universe-destroying fashion decisions.

Don’t fear!  We’ve put together this handy guide to what to wear (and not wear!) on your next time-travel escapade.

DON’T wear high heels.  If you’re traveling into the past, you may have to escape Nazis or rabid cavemen.  In the future, watch out for killer cyborgs and radioactive mutants!  Whatever your destination, be prepared to run for your life.  We recommend comfortable, well-worn running shoes, with combat boots as a useful second option.  If you’re attending a formal event in another century, simply pack those high heels in your carry-on luggage.  If you must have high heels, pick the stilettos, as they can double as a handy weapon.

DON’T dress in a silver bodysuit with a clear bubble helmet, especially with antennae on top.  People will mistake you for a 1950s-era space alien rather than a time traveler, leading to a variety of potential problems: quarantine, imprisonment, military attack, being a guest on The Today Show, and other horrific outcomes.  Dress in a low-key fashion, and save the aluminum-foil outfit for another occasion...or, actually, just throw it away.  That silver bodysuit doesn’t go well with your hair.

DON’T wear ankle-length dresses, tight corsets, or other binding clothes.  Again, you may need to fight or flee for survival, so jeans or slacks might be your best bet.  Short skirts are both alluring and provide ample kicking radius, in case you need to kick in a face or two.

DON’T clash with the time and place you’re visiting.  Skinny jeans, for instance, are huge no-no in the Puritan era.  That cute cami top may be both comfortable and casually sexy, but if you wear it in Victorian England, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb from another century...a thumb full of licentiousness and sin.  

Learn before you get burned!  Always study the correct attire and customs of your destination before you travel in time.  For help, contact your local vintage thrift shop and/or Halloween store.  Remember: the right look at the right time is the right way to go.  And you can quote us on that.

If you have additional fashion tips for time travelers, please share in the comments below!


And, now, a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you guys enjoy this guest post as much as I did???


J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife Christina, where he spends most of his day servings the toddler and animal community inside his house. He is the author of the Paranormals series and the Songs of Magic series.


JL Bryan's novel Jenny Pox is currently free (Did you read that guys? I just downloaded it...) on KindleSmashwordsAppleSonyKobo, and Nook!    

Author Links:

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #19

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

For Review:


(Thanks to Itching for Books Tours)

(Thanks to JL Bryan! Note: I am also participating in a blitz later this week!)


(Thank you Edelweiss and SImon & Schuster)

(Thanks you Rachael!)

I also received Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott, yes! I am so excited to start reading the book! Sadly, there is not a cover yet, which is why I did not include it above.
 (Thank you to Edelweis and Harlequin Teen)

Bought/Gifted:

Loved it!

Same here. I actually already reviewed it too!

That's my haul! How about yours?
-Emily

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Review: Life After Theft

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Publication Date: April 30th 2013
Genre: Supernatural Fiction (???)
Purchase: Amazon/Barnes and Noble
Aprilynne Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Wings series, shines in this stand-alone novel that offers a humorous twist on ghosts and is perfect for fans of Ally Carter, Rachel Hawkins, and Kiersten White.

Kimberlee Schaffer may be drop-dead gorgeous . . . but she also dropped dead last year. Now she needs Jeff's help with her unfinished business, and she's not taking no for an answer. When she was alive, Kimberlee wasn't just a mean girl; she was also a complete kleptomaniac. So if Jeff wants to avoid being haunted until graduation, he'll have to help her return all of the stolen items. But Jeff soon discovers that it's much easier to steal something than it is to bring it back.

Paying for your mistakes takes on a whole new meaning in this hauntingly clever twist on The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Life After Theft is only 1.99 on Amazon & B&N as of today!

My mind is officially blown. To set the record clean, I have never been a fan of books with ghosts in them. Only in books such as Harry Potter do I make an exception, and even then Nearly Headless Nick doesn't exactly play an essential part in the story, unlike the ghost, Kimberlee, in Life After Theft. So, needless to say, my expectation weren't incredibly high. And yet, I loved this book entirely too much. I even loved the ghost aspect.

The first thing that I immediately noticed, was that this book was narrated by Jeff. This is refreshing as boys are rarely the main characters in the YA genre. Also, Pike writes in a boy's first person voice expertly. I applaud her for making Jeff so vivid, with a clear personality. He was so sweet and awesome! He is also funny and snarky, which is  plus. The second thing I found refreshing was that Kimberlee, a kleptomaniac ghost. She wasn't a creepy "haunter" or a love interest, which I find is most often the case. No, she was a vibrant character. I also loved the way Pike handled Kimberlee's kleptomania.

Other characters I enjoyed were Sera, Jeff's love interest. She was different. I'm not totally sure what I thought of her, but she had been through a lot. However, I was definitely rooting for her and Jeff to end up together. The plot, of course, was something I find genius. Who's the bad guy? Kimberlee for stealing? Jeff for returning the things, yet damaging property while doing it? The principal for trying to catch Jeff? Also, I loved how the plot(s) resolved. Especially the one with Kimberlee and the stealing, and Sera and "the secret".

I found that Life After Theft was also a very addicting read. Every chance I got, I picked up my e-reader to to continue Jeff and Kimberlee's story. By the way, I loved how the author spelled Kimberlee's name. Sorry, that is off topic. Anyway, I found the pacing and length perfect. Another thing I always try to mention in reviews is the setting. I found the ridiculously posh high school a perfect setting for the characters.

Overall, Life After Theft threw me onto a much needed rollercoaster. One with different twists and refreshing spirals. (I remembered something! Just the other day I noticed the roller coaster metaphors are common in reviews, blurbs, taglines etc. I should come up with a more original one for future reviews.) This original stand-alone is definitely reccomended. Also, stand-alones are rare, so I was delighted to find this one.

4.8/5 bookcases

Little Note: This is different than Pike's other novels. Thankfully, I already had some heads up from various other reviews. I think having this knowledge made the reading experience better. Go in with no expectations!

Feature and Follow #18


Today's discussion is about ideal reading destinations, which is awesome.

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. They are both awesome sites, check them out!

Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home) 




Okay, this is weird, but I LOVE reading on planes. Really.

I feel I must defend myself by stating my reasons.

1. I am stuck on a plane! I can read without feeling guilty about not doing blogposts, cleaning my room, etc. Doing those things are not even an option when you are up in the air.

2. Once again, I am stuck on a plane! Probably for at least a few hours... so I can get immersed into my book!

3. A lot of times characters in books are traveling somewhere really cool, and no matter if the place is real or not, I can pretend I am heading there with them. Of course, the book earns bonus points if there are planes involved.

So, where do you like reading? (Other than at home?)

-Emily :)

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Cover Reveal: Assasin's Rose

Assasin's Rose

Genre: A New Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Series: The Lost Immortals (Book 0.5)
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Publication Date: TBD
My mother once told me life is a lot like a card game.
She said you can either accept the hand you have been dealt, or you can create a new play, make your own rules, and win the game one card at a time.  

I loved my mother with all my heart. She’s gone now. He took both my parents away from me. I’m talking about the Angel of Chaos, the one who plans to destroy both the human world and mine. 

I can’t let that happen. He and the ones who serve him have already taken so much from me. I do believe it’s time for a little payback. I will have the final say. With my lover by my side, I can conquer anything. 

I will turn the game around...and win.

For I am the assassin; and revenge will be my rose.

Ooh, I love this cover! I would kill for that mask... What do you think?

Links to Fun Stuff:

(Who doesn't like fun things?)

Join thousands of Musical Interlude Fans on the Facebook FanPage: https://www.facebook.com/KaSonndraLeighBooks
Author Website: www.kasonndraleigh.com
Newsletter Signup:  The Seraphine News

-Emily :)

Waiting on Wednesday #17


This Week I am Waiting On...

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Publication Date: August 27th, 2013
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Amazon/B&N
An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

The release date is so soon! *squeals* I feel like I need this sequel to Throne of Glass even sooner, though. In fact, this very second would do!

What are you Waiting On this week?
-Emily :)

Monday, July 15, 2013

J.K Rowling's "New" Book

Has everyone heard about J.K. Rowling's The Cuckoos' Calling?  In actuality, this has been released for a few months already, under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. It was just a couple days ago that she was revealed.

I find how she published this, quietly and with no hype, quite amazing. I bet she had her own little adventure whilst dealing with the novel. She got to hear what people thought, without them comparing the book to the infamous Harry Potter series, or having tons of readers give the book 5 stars just because Rowling wrote the words. The way she quietly published the book could also be a kind of experiment on her part. How would people react to this supposedly debut novel?

And, now, the next question. Are there any more of her books hiding out there? (Probably not, but then no one suspected her to have The Cuckoo's Calling hiding in the shelves of bookstores either.) What do you think? Personally, I doubt it. But wouldn't that be cool? I might start thinking of her as a spy-under cover author.

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Publication Date: April 30th, 2013
Genre: Adult Mystery/Crime
A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

What do think of this new discovery? 

All I know, is that J.K Rowling will go down in history with many achievements and personal stories. The tale of the Cuckoo's Calling will be one many people remember, and perhaps even admire.