Netgalley Review - Runes (Runes #1) by Ednah Walters @ednahwalters

Runes

Runes #1

by Ednah Walters

Goodreads blurb:  Seventeen-year-old Raine Cooper has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s disappearance, her mother’s erratic behavior and the possibility of her boyfriend relocating. The last thing she needs is Torin St. James—a mysterious new neighbor with a wicked smile and uncanny way of reading her.

Raine is drawn to Torin’s dark sexiness against her better judgment, until he saves her life with weird marks and she realizes he is different. But by healing her, Torin changes something inside Raine. Now she can’t stop thinking about him. Half the time, she’s not sure whether to fall into his arms or run.

Scared, she sets out to find out what Torin is. But the closer she gets to the truth the more she uncovers something sinister about Torin. What Torin is goes back to an ancient mythology and Raine is somehow part of it. Not only are she and her friends in danger, she must choose a side, but the wrong choice will cost Raine her life.

About the Author:  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 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, will be released April 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN.

Ednah also writes New Adult paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. She is presently working on book 2, IMMORTALS.

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 four more books in this series. She's presently working on book six.

Connect with Ednah:

~ Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 unicorns - I loved it!!

***Received ebook through Netgalley for an honest review

The cover is absolutely break taking and perfect, and I have eyed this series for a while.  And when I saw it on Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to read it.  I try to only select books that interest and intrigue me because there are tons of books out there, so why force yourself to read something that doesn’t interest you.  :)

Okay when I started reading this book, I liked it but thought okay this is a typical teen drama galore.  This book totally snuck up on me and sucked me in where I couldn’t put it down.  I loved it so much I went and bought book 2 & 2.5 because I have to know what happens next.  And I will probably buy book 3 too ;)

Raine is an awesome girl full of spirit who doesn’t take anything from anyone, and you know this is my favorite type.  I love my heroine is a warrior ;)  So I totally fell in love with Raine, Cora, Eirik, and Torin.  Raine’s mom is a great character too, but she wasn’t a main character.

Torin is this arrogant and sexy man who challenges all of Raine’s beliefs and values and totally twists her up inside.  Eirik and Cora are her best friends and stick with her through everything.  This book has everything to keep your attention with magic, attacks, runes, a missing father, jealousy, and lots of action and drama.

I hoping that I can add this series to my classroom library when I can afford the print books :)  I think the kids will love them :)

Be looking for my thoughts on book 2 and 3 in the future :)

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~ B&N ~ Smashwords ~

ARC Judge Review - Flux of Skin by Kris Austen Radcliffe @KrisRadcliffe

Flux of Skin

Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon #2

by Kris Austen Radcliffe

Goodreads blurb:  Contains Adult Sexual Content and some violent imagery.

Flux of Skin is the sequel to Games of Fate.

Ladon thought he left his past—and his violence—behind. But century after century, the call to battle malicious Fates, Shifters, and Burners always won. The world needed him. So he fought.

But now, his scars show.
And he can’t stop fighting.

He found a new way: a modern life with his beloved Rysa. He won’t give her up. Not because of family strife. Not because of the issues twisting their lives into a raging cyclone. And definitely not because of war.

When a new group of Shifters rain death onto everyone he loves, Rysa gets caught in the crossfire. Will Ladon find the strength to keep the fight from rupturing his soul?

The Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon Series:
New Adult Urban Fantasy Romance

The Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon series takes Rysa and Ladon—and Ladon’s companion beast, Dragon—through a landscape punctuated by unfamiliar creatures:

Fates with the ability to see past, present, and future.
Ghouls called Burners who devour with fire and acid.
Shifters who shape much more than their bodies.
And two dragons who speak with color and pattern.

#0 Prolusio: Three Prelude Stories of Fates Fire Shifters and Dragons.
#1 Games of Fate: It’s not a good love story until something explodes.
#1.5 Conpulsio: A Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon novella of binding and compulsion.
#2 Flux of Skin: All Shifters understand fury. Now they learn rupture.
#3 Fifth of Blood: Coming this February from Six Talon Sign Fantasy & Futuristic Romance.
#3.5 Silence: Coming this Spring.

About the Author:  As a child, Kris took down a pack of hungry wolves with only a hardcover copy of The Dragonriders of Pern and a sharpened toothbrush. That fateful day set her on a path traversing many storytelling worlds—dabbles in film and comic books, time as a talent agent and a textbook photo coordinator, and a foray into nonfiction. After co-authoring Mind Shapes: Understanding the Differences in Thinking and Communication, Kris returned to academia. But she craved narrative and a richly-textured world of Fates, Shifters, and Dragons—and unexpected, true love.

Kris lives in Minnesota with her husband, two daughters, Handsome Cat, and an entire menagerie of suburban wildlife bent on destroying her house. That battered-but-true copy of “Dragonriders”? She found it yesterday. It’s time to pay a visit to the woodpeckers.

- See more at: http://www.sixtalonsign.com/sample-page/#sthash.7L106nM5.dpuf

Connect with Kris:

~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~

My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!

***Received this book as part of Authors & Readers Convention for an honest review

The cover is a nice looking back, but it doesn’t do anything to attract me to the book.  This is just my opinion :)

Okay this book is so far the best in the series :) I have really come to love Rysa, and she is really starting to become this strong woman who is overcoming everything that keeps getting thrown at her.  You do need to be aware this book does have that confused ADHD purposeful writing in it, but if you’ve read the rest of the series, you know how Kris writes Rysa’s character.  I definitely recommend you read Games of Fates (book 1) before reading this book.  There were times I was confused when I was reading, but the second half of the book sucked you in and everything became clearer. 

Ladon is still rumbling and sexy.  Dragon seems like the glue to me.  He makes everything work :)  Andreas helps Rysa with balance.  Sister and Sister-Dragon are still not on my favorite list, but Derek is :)

I hated when the book ended because I was sucked in and wanted more.  I recommend this book to anyone who likes dragons and paranormal with a unique writing style which makes ADHD come alive and has read and enjoyed book 1.  I can’t wait for book 3 to see what happens to Rysa, Ladon, and Dragon!!

See my review of Games of Fate!!

See my review of Prolusio!!

See my review of Conpulsio!!

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~ B&N ~ Smashwords ~

Review - Temptation by Tarrah Betts @TarrahBetts

Temptation

Journal of the Wolves of Spruce Hollow #1

by Tarrah Betts

Goodreads blurb:  Weres can only take one mate in their lifetime and are blood bound until death and Roan Sabre is no exception.
As the Beta of the Spruce Hollow Were pack, he is dominant and self assured.
That is until the force of nature that is Aspen Greystone comes bursting into his life with her mass of strawberry blond curls and pale green eyes.
When the Fates deliver Roan's blood born mate into his arms much too early, he is torn between his duty and loyalty to the pack and the beautiful girl who sets his blood on fire.

About the Author:  I am a freelance author and paranormal romance writer. My latest book, Temptation: Journal of the Wolves of Spruce Hollow is now available on Amazon.com. I am constantly fascinated by the dichotomy of "Good" and "Evil" that lurks within the human psyche. I am philosophical, quirky, sarcastic and funny. Someone once called me a "tart", but I assume that's because I'm sweet and delicious. I am a fiery, tempestuous consumer of the souls of men...

Connect with Tarrah:

~ Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~

My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I more than liked it!!

***Received from StoryCartel for an honest review

The cover is beautiful and totally the reason I was drawn to this book.

This book is a nice start to a series.  It definitely draws you into Aspen and Roan’s lives and issues.  This is the first book by Tarrah.

It did take me a while to get used to Tarrah’s writing style, but I can’t put my finger on what it is that caused it.  I definitely wish that there was more action rather than teen angst because I wanted an action packed read.  This book is all about the drama of having a mate who is too young to claim who gets into lots of teen trouble.  This almost seems like a YA book with the teen drama, but I know it is much too mature.  This is not the typical shifter romance because Aspen is still just sixteen.

Tarrah is really good at showing you how Aspen feels especially the second half of the book which is what won me over from just liking this book.  The one thing that killed me is where she left off because you have no idea what is going to happen, and I can’t see read what happens next because it isn’t out yet.  I am definitely going to read book 2 when it comes out.

Currently on sale at Amazon for 99 cents and worth the read.

Interested in reading??

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~ B&N ~ Smashwords ~

Prism Tour Grand Finale & Giveaway @BurgandyIce - Secrets Kept by J.L. Mbewe @JLMbewe

To post this Grand Finale and add your Social Media to the Rafflecopter, email Tressa at wishfulendings(at)outlook.com with "Secrets Kept Grand Finale" in the subject line!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Secrets Kept Tour Grand Finale!

This tour explored the World of Nälu: 

Where a story with adventure, action, love, betrayal, and a quest takes place.

We visited sites, learned more about the cuisine, and were introduced to some fantastical characters.

12/9: Launch

12/10: Kelly P’s Blog - Guest Post

The five must see places of Western Nälu

The Nations of Nälu welcomes you to the western region of Nälu. Home to the elves, two of the dwarf clans, and the humans. Most likely you came by ship, so we will start with the beautiful land of Zurial...

12/11: My Love for Reading Keeps Growing - Guest Post

What is a visit to a new land without exploring some of the cuisine? I don’t know about you, but I LOVE food and discovering new favorites. If you’ve been by my Facebook page, you probably have guessed that. Ha! Well, here in Nälu we have quite a variety. Today we’ll just look at a few favorites...

12/12: fundinmental - Guest Post

In the course of edits, Secrets Kept lost the opening chapter where we catch a glimpse of the Sacred Pearl. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share that scene with you all one of these days. But later in the story, we learn that the Sacred Pearl was kidnapped during the attack on Dagmar, the headquarters of the Guardians.

But what is so special about the Pearl?

12/13: Next Page Reviews - Review

This book is amazing! It's a gorgeous fantasy with lots of action-packed scenes and spellbinding paranormal and fantasy elements. It's a quick read (I need more!!) and is a definite page turner. It's unique, original, and gorgeously written, perfectly for any lover of good, descriptive fantasy.

12/13: Giveaway Breaking News - Guest Post

The defeat of Lord Stygian released the people, breaking the hold of the Tainted One, but she vowed to return. Who would stop her then? Who should rule the nations? What will become of the giants? Can they be trusted? The questions gave way to chaos, but Karasi, one of the lost rulers of Zohar, long imprisoned by the Tainted One and Stygian, brought peace again and established the first Guardian Circle. They were charged with guiding and teaching of the nations, so that history would never repeat itself, and the nations would never have to endure another oppressive rule such as Lord Stygian’s again...

12/15: Colorimetry - Review of Desert Rose

"This is an intro to how JL Mbewe's stories aren't all peachy happy endings, necessarily, how she delivers an entire world, finished and beautiful, with minimal words. With one short story, she gained a fan-for-life with me. (I'm stubborn, too... you're stuck with me now, JL!!) I love this book!!"

12/16: Katie’s Clean Book Collection - Guest Post

On the northern edge of the Prathae Plains lies an ancient forest. Wisps of a grey mist ooze between bent and wrinkled trees. Silvery cobwebs sway loosely among their twisting limbs like tattered curtains of the dead. A force lingers at the edge of the forest like the foul stench of a beast.

It breathes of dark magic and death...

12/17: Deal Sharing Aunt - Guest Post

Mystery surrounds the corrupted dagger of Raemoja, of course, those who created it, wouldn’t call it that.

Only the dwarves know how to “corrupt” a blade, strengthening it against things not of this world, but the dwarves did not make this dagger.

The dagger is a tool, and we cannot talk about the tool without learning about the one who crafted it...

12/19: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Guest Post

When Nälu was known as Talesri, there were only two dwarf clans. Klovan and Igazin, and they both spoke Tarôc...

During Stygian’s reign, the Klovan maintained a strong defense against the dwäza raids, but much of Stygian’s focus was on the Igazin...

[The Stozic's] capital city, Ta’vazi, is built right into the side of the mountain much like the ancient city of Petra in Jordan...

12/20: Tressa’s Wishful Endings - Review

"I definitely found the title a perfect fit for the story. The MC, Ayianna, has had some secrets kept from her and then in turn must keep her own...

Overall, this was a good story. I really wanted to understand more about the prophecy and dagger and the role that Ayianna and her fellow companions will play, but I'll have to wait until the next book to learn more."

12/22: Mortal Moments - Guest Post

There are three distinct ethnic groups of elves in Nälu. The Esusamor, Saryhemor, and Wofsemor. They speak the common tongue of Nälu, their dialect of Zjótharyn, and most of the older generations are familiar with the ancient language of Táchil. Aside from the merfolk, they are the longest living beings in Nälu...

12/23: alwaysjoart - Guest Post

The feline shape-shifting race of Nälu: The Haruzo are split into two ethnic groups: The Plarzo in Bonzapur and the Rugazo in the mountainous region of Arashel...

Go to alwaysjoart to also listen to two songs representative of the music from Secrets Kept.

12/24: Mel’s Shelves - Review

If you enjoy fantasy, this is the beginning of a great series and I'm personally looking forward to reading the next book!

My Rating=5 Stars

12/26: Zerina Blossom - Guest Post

Across many watery miles and treacherous seas, is a land of mystery, great beauty, and wonder. Ragged mountains emerge from the depths and loom over lush, colorful gardens. Home to the glowing moonflower, healing waters, and dragons.

Here, you will find the Kaleki. The Sea-people. Otherwise known as the merfolk...

12/27: The Wonderings of One Person - Review

"Secrets Kept by J.L. Mbewe is a refreshingly brilliant and utterly sizzling beginning to an astounding epic adventure that emphasizes the innate desire in all of us to do what we fear the most – to truly live life to the fullest. I absolutely loved this story!"

12/29: Fictionally - Review

"I really liked the story, over all. I found it engaging enough that there were not many slow spots in it , which is good cause I read most of it in one weekend so I could have the review up by today.There's also fantastical creatures galore!"

12/30: Dalene’s Book Reviews - Review

"I really had fun reading this book. The characters were well developed and the world building was pretty good."

12/31: Grand Finale

FREE right now on 
Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
Desert Rose
(A Tale of Nälu #1)

Secrets Kept 

by JL Mbewe
YA Fantasy

October 30th 2013 by AltWit Press

With a curse, she will build an army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.

Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against her wishes, Ayianna learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on the run. She joins forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an elderly High Guardian, to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction of Dagmar, and the plains people’s bizarre behavior.

Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her mother’s disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress has cursed the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them before the sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.

Goodreads * Amazon * iTunes * Barnes and Noble

Tales of Nalu

Desert Rose
A Tale of Nälu #1

First short story published March 2013

Set thirty some years before the opening scene of book one.

Can a desert princess find love with a foreign king?

Johari lives in the shadow of her beautiful sister until a foreign king notices her, but in her haste to prove herself worthy of affection she finds herself compromised and on a difficult journey to make things right.

Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Dragon Thief
A Tale of Nälu #2

What if all you knew had been a lie?

The teaching of the Guardians has guided Semine’s footsteps since her infancy. When her mentor shows up with information contrary to what she’s been taught, she doubts her decision to follow in their footsteps. She must decide if there is life beyond what she has always known or embrace a new, mysterious path and reject the Guardians’ legacy.

Available at Amazon. Coming soon to Barnes and Noble.

Indestructable
A Tale of Nälu #3

To what lengths would you go to the save the world?

Elothryn keeps the darkest secret of Nälu: The cursed dagger of Raemoja. A weapon powerful enough to release the greatest evil from the underworld. For generations, his family has lived without incident until now. The hunters have his scent and will stop at nothing to reclaim the dagger. Elothryn and his son flee, seeking help, but will they find it?

Available at Amazon. Coming soon to Barnes and Noble. 

NOW AVAILABLE: Tales of  Nälu (all three short stories in paperback) on Amazon!

Living life balanced between reality and dreams.

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She has two short stories published in The Clockwork Dragon anthology, and is busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel Secrets Kept and her short stories set in the world of Nälu: Desert Rose, Dragon Thief, and Indestructible are now available. She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and books, among other things.

For more information about her journey as a writer mama and all things creative please visit her at:

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Google+ * Pinterest * Flickr

Tour-Wide Giveaway

Kindle Fire Prize Pack (US/CAN ONLY), which includes:

- Kindle Fire

- Chocolate truffles

- Paper backs of Secrets Kept and Tales of Nälu

- Awesome swag (key chain, bookmark, and poster)

Ends January 7, 2014

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@asyouwishtours Cover Reveal - Seeress (Runes #3) by Ednah Walters @ednahwalters

Seeress

Runes #3
by Ednah Walters

Expected Release Date: April 2014
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Firetrail Publishing
Presented by: As You Wish Tours
Banner Made by: Julia Hendrix

Blurb:  
I love Torin St. James...

I crave his touch...

I need his strength...

Raine Cooper is certain of two things: her love for Torin St. James and her destiny to be a powerful seeress. But when she starts having premonitions, they are unclear and disturbing. Worse, they involve Torin. Not sure what to do, she keeps quiet.

But when the visions are about her and another man, Raine realizes she needs to talk to someone. Just her luck two new students arrive at her school and they seem to have answers. When with them, her powers are enhanced and her visions become clear. There is only one problem: Torin does not want Raine to have anything to do with the two girls but he won't explain why.

Can their love survive the secrets they are keeping from each other?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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 March 2013. She’s 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 just released book 3, GRIMNIRS December 2013. Read more about this series and the world she's created here www.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.

AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Amazon Author
Goodreads
B&N Author
Smashwords
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BOOK LINKS
Goodreads

Happy New Year & Giveaway from Clean Teen Publishing @CleanTeenPub

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Clean Teen Publishing

Wow, 2013 was an amazing year for Clean Teen Publishing. We published our first book in May of 2013. In the eight months after launching our company we signed 17 Amazing Authors, launched a successful Anthology, published 31 books with another 5 scheduled for release in early 2014 and hit the best seller lists more than 20 times! We gave away Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, free books, bookmarks, CTP bracelets, swagalicious items and A YEAR OF FREE BOOKS to our amazing fans. We truly had an amazing launch and we couldn't have done it without you! 

That's why we decided to start 2014 off with a GIVEAWAY!

What if we told you that you could win SOMETHING? 

YES! You could win SOMETHING from The Something Store!

We just came across a website that we had never heard of before. Have you heard of The Something Store? Yeah, we hadn't either. So basically it's a store that will ship you Something! It's a surprise and you will never know what it is until you open it. Here's more details on The Something Store:

Your Something May Be Anything...

It may be something you need, something you want or something you desire. Your something may be a cool shiny gadget, rare book, party game, handmade necklace, reverse clock, box of gourmet chocolates, popular video game, portable table tennis set, pashmina scarf, set of kitchen knives, pair of handmade earrings, garden tool, kitchen appliance, unique home decor item, electronic equipment, fine crafting tool or an office supply item... Your something will be a brand new item; not used or refurbished.

This contest is open Internationally! The Something Store ships to most places around the globe. If you win and you are from a country that they do not ship to, we will provide a $10 Amazon Gift Card in lieu of the Something prize. Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win one of 2 Somethings! 

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