Saturday, August 30, 2014

Above YA

Wow, what a creepy book, Young adults and adults alike are going to eat this book up.  Blythe is kidnapped by Dobbs (a worker form her high school library) when she is walking home from a town celebration, and placed in a abandoned missile silo that Dobbs has remodeled.  Dobbs is a prepper and is convinced the end is near and wants Blythe to help him to repopulate the world.  No matter how much Blythe tries, she can not escape the silo.  In time she has a son, Adam, and it is not until Adam is 15 and confronts Dobbs about going outside on a mission with him so he, Adam, can finally see the outside for the first time, that a fight ensues and Blythe and Adam escape.  To Blythe's surprise the world is not as she left it, of course it has been 17 years, but that does not explain what Blythe and Adam are seeing.
This was a cool book with lots of twists and surprises around every page turn.  I'm not entirely sure when this book was set, in my mind it seemed to change back and forth as things were said and done.  The only draw back was the transition between part 1 and part 2 was kind of abrupt but not to bad.  I loved the twist and the things that I thought were true turned out to not be.  You will just never know what to think until you get to the last page of this book, and even than you might question yourself.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Pulse YA

Do you have the pulse?  Not a pulse, but the pulse?  But more important do you have a second pulse?  The year is 2051, and it seems Faith Daniels has the pulse.  A telekinetic ability to move objects with her mind.  But she just found out she has it and Dylan Gilmore a classmate, who oddly enough also has the pulse, is helping Faith harness her power and learn to control it, before they have to go up against the enemy in a big showdown.  But Dylan is also trying to see if Faith has the second pulse, like he does for their side, so hopefully they can win their fight.  So they go into hiding to train, evaluate, and hopefully be ready when that big fight comes.  Will they be ready when the time comes? Who knows, but with Hawk by their side, helping with all the computer and techy stuff, it is no doubt our three friends will be able to hold their own against anything the enemy throws at them. 
I really liked this book and can't wait to read the second book in this series, Tremor, to find out what happens next to Faith, Dylan and Hawk.  The book kept my interest, and kept me up late a couple of nights.  Each chapter will leave you wanting to know, what happens next?  It was a good dystopian type book.  If you liked Hunger Games, Divergent, or Maze Runner you will probably like this book as well. 

Saturday, August 23, 2014

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone YA

Wow so your writing a book about Addison Stone and you want me to tell you how I remember her and, it is going to be part of your book?  That is really cool, not very "A" typical of a biography type of book, but neither was Addison, she would like this out of the box kind of book, even if  she did not care for what people say about her. 
Well, I remember Addison Stone as the little girl that I use to visit while on leave from the Navy, I was close friends with her parents, but felt more like a aunt to Addison and Charlie.  Every time I would get stationed somewhere new I had to send the Stone kids really cool stuff, (chuckling) on my way out to San Diego I stopped on the side of the road and got them a tumbleweed and mailed it back to them.  I love taking pictures, that is what I did in the Navy part time, the rest of the time I was a MP, but in Public Affairs, I got to go out and take all the pictures I wanted.  I loved the candid shots the best, you know the ones where people don't know your are there taking their picture.  But Addy, she could bring a person's soul out of  them when she painted them, it's like she could see straight into them and know what makes them, them.  I am sure she would have seen the deep dark sadness in someone like a soldier coming back from the troughs of war when no one else could.  Or maybe it was Ida telling her what was in peoples souls so she could paint them, I don't know, but that girl was good, awesomely good.  I think my favorite paint by Addy is one titled Doc, it was one of her doctors that she painted, but in his face you see a concerned, caring, wizened older man, he looks so serious like he knows something is going to happen and it will not be good, if only she had continued to call or go see him, you have to wonder if she would still be with us today.  Or maybe she knew and painted him that way, no one will ever know.  A real big loss to the art community.  Her life is a amazing story that is being left half written. Just so sad I still can't believe she is gone.


Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: August 12th, 2014
Publisher:
Soho Teen
Pages:
256
Age Group:
Young Adult
Format:
Paperback
Source:
Publisher
4Stars
 

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Restraint YA Promo Post

 




Restraint (The Revelation Series, Volume Two) by Randi Cooley Wilson
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

A FORBIDDEN LOVE WILL BECOME DEEPER.
A LOYALTY WILL BE TESTED.
AND ONLY DARKNESS WILL REMAIN.

One revelation changed everything, turning Eve Collin’s world upside down with grief and questions of identity and allegiance. Now as she flees enemies that refuse to give up, Eve must also face the mounting attraction between herself and her gargoyle protector. Will she ever truly be safe? How much will she sacrifice to survive and who will she become?

Restraint is an addictive pleasure a spellbinding continuation of Eve’s journey of self-discovery, love and sacrifice.

Readers captivated by Revelation will eagerly devour Restraint.

Restraint is volume two in The Revelation Series.
 
About the Author:
Randi was born and raised in Massachusetts where she attended Bridgewater State University and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies. After graduation she moved to California where she lived happily bathed in sunshine and warm weather for fifteen years.
Randi and her husband recently moved back to Massachusetts with their daughter where she was encouraged to begin writing again.
Revelation is her first novel and The Revelations Series is her first New Adult Paranormal Romance book series.
“I’ve had a love affair with books, writing and storytelling since childhood. It has been a dream of mine to introduce this world and these characters to you. I hope I’ve done them justice.”
Randi loves to hear from readers, you can reach out to her via Twitter: R_CooleyWilson and/or Facebook: authorrandiconoleywilson
 

Sunday, August 10, 2014

The Fourteenth Goldfish MG

I'm not sure how I would feel if all of a sudden my best friend had a crush on my grandpa, because, well, my grandpa now looked like he was maybe a year or two older than me.  Maybe I should explain.  Ellie's grandpa, Melvin Sagarsky, is a scientist.  Not your everyday kind of scientist either, he is looking for a anti-aging cure, and well, he found it, in a jelly fish named, T. Melvinus.  Even though Ellie's grandpa looks 14ish he still acts 76ish, and that can be kind of weird, so he gets detention a lot and it is a bit odd that a man with two PHD's and his own fan club, is in middle school, but it helps with the awesome humor of the book.
This book was really good it moved quickly with short chapters.  It was laugh out load funny at times, with some history mixed in and a great message in the end, that needs to be learned by a lot more people that just Ellie, and her grandpa, it is one most people need to learn or at least relearn, and it is not easy lesson. 

Quarantine: The Burnouts YA

This is a really exciting book, it moves fast and will keep you up way past your bed time (it did me).  I have to admit I am a little behind the curve because I haven't read the first two books, but it didn't seem to matter, when I got sucked into book three, it had enough information to catch me up.  Although, I can't wait to go back and catch up.  This book is fast paced, and action packed, David, Will, and Lucy will keep you on your toes and entertained all though out this book, this is a great book and I am guessing if book three is this awesome books one and two have to be even better.
Akin to Lord of the Flies and Hunger Games, this book is set in a 21st century high school, McKinley High School, is the home to several gangs that are all locked in the school, military quarantined to be exact.  Due to a deadly virus that makes the kids deadly to adults until the virus runs its course and the kids die or graduate and are cleared of the virus and can finally leave the school.
I really liked this book and find it hard to believe that this is the end of the series with the cliffhanger of the last part of this book, we shall see I guess.  This is a YA book but its violence is along the likes of Hunger Games, so you will have to gage your readability from there, it does get pretty gruesome at times.

41/2 Stars

Saturday, August 9, 2014

A Planet For Tristan Wolf MG

What a fun, exciting, imaginative story about a boy, Tristan Wolf, that gets into a fight with his brother, Billy, over Tristan's dog, Red, chewing up one of Billy's favorite baseball cards.  That is when Tristan decides to take Red and go somewhere else to live. They go pretty far away too.
This book is great for emergent, or reluctant readers with its picture book type format, and vibrant illustrations.  This is just one great book with a very imaginative story that is wildly entertaining and filled with awesome, colorful, vibrant pictures.  This is a independent author that people shouldn't hesitate to give a chance.  I know I can't wait to read the first Tristan Wolf book now.

5 STARS

Monday, August 4, 2014

Sprit Warriors: The Scarring YA

This is a great sequel book to the Spirit Warriors: The Concealing.  In this book Emma must fight or be killed to save the ones she loves from the Machayawiw and this includes her friends and fellow spirit warriors.  She must deal with boyfriend and fellow warrior, Charlie's choice to move back to the reservation where he was once not welcome because of his Spirit Warrior ways.  The warriors have just lost a friend and fellow warrior, Lily, to the Machayawiw and must also protect there animal sides from the hunters that wish to see them dead.  All of this pain and stress on top of the normal problems these teens face as just being teens is found in this wonderfully written and inspiring book.  This is another wonderful book that adds diversity among our young adult books in many more ways than I have listed here, but the biggest is that this one is full of rich Northern Indian Lore (Montana Region), but don't get me wrong this book also deals with more issues relevant to teen life than most I have read in a long time, and it deals with them in a positive, encouraging way.  Even though the story revolves around 5 main teens, Emma takes the lead, she is very strong when she needs to be and a true country girl through and through (thank goodness).  But I fell in love with each of the five in their own special way.  I really loved the Native American ( O.K. Charlie, Indian) lore that was weaved throughout the book, but I have always been a sucker for a great earth story and that is what drew me to read this particular book in the first place.  I read this book without reading the first book, and that is fine, this book gives you enough back story that you understand what is going on with no problem.  But after finishing the book and loving it so much I just had to go back and read the first one, heck it will be a while before part three comes out so I might as well catch up, because I am just going to go crazy waiting anyways.  Awesome book!

5 Stars

Friday, August 1, 2014

My Zombie Hampster MG

This is a very cute book.  It is a great book for the youngster who has been clamoring for a zombie book but isn't exactly ready for the hard core walking dead Zombie quite yet.  This is a book of friendship and standing up and fighting for what is right.

There are four friends, Matt, Charlie, Aren, and Calvin, and they have been best friends since, well since forever and they loved playing a game called Runespell together.  For Christmas they all asked for the same Runespell thing only Matt's parents got him Snuffles, a hamster instead.  Now, Matt and his friends live in the future and have never know a world with no deadbeats (zombies) or zombie police, kind of like a police force that monitor lifechips and makes sure to come and get you when you chip shows you have died to take you outside the city fence, to live with the other zombies.  Well it seems Matt's dad got a little distracted and bought Matt's hamster, snuffles, from a not so authorized establishment, so when snuffles died the zombie police never came, to Matt's surprise.  Snuffles just turned into Anti-Snuffles with shark like gray dull eyes that looked at Matt very hungry like, but through unseen events made Anti-Snuffles made a quick and not so daring escape, and well, you will have to read the book to see what all the zombie hamster puts Matt and his friends, especially Charlie, and the town through.  But shall I say, Matt and his friends stick together in life and death.  Muwhahaha

Awesome middle grade debut book with some scariness to it, animals, laugh out loud humor, friends, and action what more could you possible want?

5 STARS

Endgame Earth: Storm's Quest promo post

Published July 9th, 2014
Published by Createspace
202 Pages
Genre: YA fantasy/alternate reality story
 
ENDGAME EARTH: STORM’S QUEST
Two continents.  One with humans.  One with dinosaurs.  Who will win the battle of the planet?
For Lincoln Kreft everything is at stake.  His sister is sick.  On an over-populated planet the only way to get access to healthcare is to become a Trialist – one of 100 people who visit the dinosaur continent each year in search of new resources.  Few return.
Stormchaser Knux doesn’t have a family to care about.  She’s been on her own for the last five years.  But she does have a conscience.  Having her life saved by one of the plesiosaurs living in the nearby loch gives her a new perspective on the propaganda about dinosaurs.  She doesn’t believe they are all ferocious beasts.  But can she prove it?
Staying alive on the dinosaur continent becomes their top priority.
But will dinosaurs really be their biggest threat – particularly when one friend will betray another?
 
 
 
About the Author:
Scarlet Owen is a pseudonym of Scarlet Wilson, a romance author for Harlequin Mills and Boon, Tule Publishing and Entangled Publishing.  She lives on the West Coast of Scotland with her fiancĂ© her two sons.  The ‘Owen” surname is a tribute to Dr Richard Owen,the man who first gave us the name dinosaurs.  This is Scarlet’s first YA novel.  Jurassic Park meets Hunger Games.  Enjoy!
 
 
 
Giveaway:

A paperback copy of the book open Internationally