Juliababyjen's Reading Room: April 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Fields of Elysium Blog Tour + Giveaway!

Fields of Elysium by A.B. Whelan How can love mend a heart full of hate? Small town girl, Molly Bennett, moves to Los Angeles where she becomes an outsider while attending Beverly Hills High School. It seems life cannot be any more dreadful. Then one day after school, something magical happens. On a secluded hike in the Hollywood Hills, Molly chases her disobedient mutt and only friend into a hidden cavern. She stumbles upon a strange glimmering gateway that transports her to Arkana, a planet that is the cradle of an advanced human race. There, teenagers navigate amazing flying vehicles, compete in perilous games for glory, and possess supernatural powers. While Molly tries to wrap her mind around this unbelievable discovery, she meets the alluring and mysterious Victor Sorren. He is a Sentinel Apprentice, whose hatred toward people from Earth is beyond understanding. Yet every time Victor unpredictably saves Molly's life, his heart draws closer to hers, no matter how much he tries to fight against it. It further complicates things that their growing friendship is strictly forbidden. Earth people are prohibited in Arkana, yet Molly continues to cross through the portal to Arkana to see Victor. Torn between their double lives, they go down a dangerous path, from where there is no return and multiple endings. Fields of Elysium is a suspenseful, romantic tale full of forbidden secrets, unimaginable danger, deception, and the never-ending fight for true love.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Goodreads * Facebook

PRAISE "The novel's take on otherworldly travel is a compelling one, and the romantic plot will likely appeal to Twilight fans." - Kirkus Reviews "I expected a good love story with a paranormal twist. I got so much more. I think you should take the chance and read it. Let this book take you on the adventure, fall in love." - Young Adult and Teen Readers "Fields of Elysium is a fabulous read. ... Whelan paints her faith into the fabric of her story with deft, light brushstrokes, making her work accessible to all, no matter their spiritual beliefs or background." - Readers Favorite "I escaped into this fantasy world, author, A.B.Whelan, created and I didn’t want Molly to go. From detailed descriptions, to sweet romance, and to all the twist and turns in the story, it had me captivated from page one." - Mary Ting, author of the Crossroads Saga "Whelan's writing is very vivid and descriptive. It's more formal than the average YA novel, but I enjoyed the lyrical and mesmerizing quality to it. I thought the overall story read like a fairy tale--very sweet." - Megan Thomason, author of Daynight

Author A.B. Whelan A.B.Whelan is a Hungarian born, American writer. She currently lives with her husband and two children in Southern California. While growing up in a wealthy Eastern European family, she had a chance to travel Europe. Later as an adult, she visited Africa and the Middle East and lived in Ecuador and in Crete.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash A gift bag of one signed copy of Fields of Elysium, a scrabble-tile pendant on a necklace, and a fridge magnet Ends 5/15/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://www.iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, April 27, 2013

In My Mailbox #28

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. Us bloggers feature any new books we've received in the past week, either bought, borrowed, or received for review.

I'm back! Feels like its been forever since I've blogged! I need to get with it!

Books mentioned in this vlog:

Fragments
Crewel
Shattered Grace
Ever Shade
Ember X
Defiance
Awakened
What I Didn't Say
The Reptile Room
Variant
Zom B
Being Henry David
Bzrk
Infatuate
Beautiful Redemption
Dead Silence

Enjoy your week everyone, and thanks for watching!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #8

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at Broke and Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Today's topic is Top Ten Books Before I Was A Blogger! This has actually not changed much, except I would probably take off the last two and add in Catching Fire and maybe Incarnate! Today's Top Ten is a vlog!

Sorry about the background noise, my daughter was extremely loud in the kitchen!

Books mentioned in the vlog

Peachtree Road
Odd Thomas
Wicked
Kindred
Reading Lolita in Tehran
Pride and Prejudice
On the Banks of Plum Creek
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Poisonwood Bible
Gone With the Wind
Zen and the Art of the Motorcycle Maintenance

What's on your top ten list? Comment or leave me a link below!

Monday, April 8, 2013

April Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). Ends 4/30/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $199 US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Goodreads
393 pages, YA Paranormal Dystopian
Standalone
My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

My 2 cents

This book hit all the right marks for me! I love dystopians, especially when it combines other elements with it. This one had a paranormal flavor to it with a bit of sci-fi, and I really loved it! It was a great concept with great characters!

So this society is exactly like our own, except there is a secret organization that is behind the scenes. They call themselves "The Society." They were founded in the 50s and are mostly a scientific entity. They have discovered that all beings use energy in their environment, but there are some humans that are not normal. The ones they destroy are call Nulls, and for all purposes, they are not good. I wouldn't call them evil--they just have no empathy or compassion for other human beings. Everything is a toy to be played with for them. They also have the ability to make people do things, and bend them to their will.

Then there are the Nobodies. They are even fewer, and they use a lot less energy...so they can walk through the world almost unnoticed. The Society rescued Nix when he was younger, and have trained him to carry out their work. He has been told he has no purpose, except as a killer.

Claire is also a Nobody, but the Society missed her. They tell Nix she is a Null, and must be eliminated. Things don't go well, though, and suddenly Nix isn't sure The Society hasn't been lying to him this whole time.

The bulk of the story is all about Claire and Nix trying to find a place, and at the same time, take down The Society. There aren't a lot of characters, and most of the character development is about Claire and Nix. Like I said, the concept of this is really interesting, and things get really strange--but I was able to keep up without a problem.

The ending was a nail biter! This book does have a clear cut ending, but the epilogue leaves room for a sequel. Right now, I haven't found anything about a sequel, but I'm hoping Barnes writes one! I would scoop it right up!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

In My Mailbox #27

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. Us bloggers feature any new books we've received in the past week, either bought, borrowed, or received for review.

I'm out of town this weekend visiting my Grandma, who isn't doing so well. So this week I didn't have time for a vlog.

ebooks I bought

Always and Forever was free on Amazon, and Double Crossed was free on B&N! Double Crossed is a short story in the Heist Society series.

Ice Country is on sale right now for $2.99!

eBooks I received from Netgalley

And finally, books I checked out from the library!

I was so excited to find Perfect Scoundrels, the newest book in the Heist Society series! I've been wanting to read this one for awhile!

Shards & Ashes is 9 short stories about dystopian worlds from some of my favorite authors: Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, Kami Garcia, Nancy Holder, Melissa Marr, Beth Revis, Veronica Roth, Carrie Ryan, and Margaret Stohl! That's a pretty impressive list!

So that's it for me this week. It was a much smaller week than normal, but that's okay! Got some books I really want to read!

Have a great week, everyone!

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Goodreads
352 pages, YA Fairytale Retellings
Strands of Bronze and Gold #1
My rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

My 2 cents

I have not ever read the "Bluebeard" fairy tale, but I know the general gist of it, and it is definitely one of the creepier fairy tales I have heard! I expected this book to kind of match that, but it took awhile before the real creepiness happened.

It starts of with the arrival of Sophia to her Godfather's house. Our estate, I should say! He is a charming, good looking man who lavishes Sophia with all kinds of presents. She loves the attention and makes herself at home fairy quickly. Things start off very well, but shes' smart and realizes he wants her to stay forever.

Slowly, Sophia starts unraveling the mystery of de Cressac, and realizes he's not a perfect man--but she doesn't truly feel alarmed in his presence until almost the very end. She was able to delude herself very well, because her family really did need his money.

I have to say I was a little bored for the first half of the story. What kept me engaged was I knew that this was an evil man, and I wanted to see how it would all come about. Sophia also meets a young preacher whom she starts to fall in love with, so there is a hint of romance for awhile. But if you are looking for a story with lots of romance, this one isn't it. I would classify this as more historical suspense. It was a good read for me, but I was expecting a bit more!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Ixeos Blog Tour + Giveaway!

The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose: to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. But the aliens aren’t the only problem on Ixeos — the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved. The worst part? There’s no way home.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Author Jennings Wright

Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn’t spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories.

Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit.

Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn’t stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a business owner and writer, and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda.

Facebook * Twitter * Website * Blog * Amazon * Goodreads

My 2 cents

My rating: 4 stars

This was a very gripping read from start to finish! We start off right in the middle of the action. Clay, his younger sister Neahle, and their cousin, Marty, are kayaking on the beach and exploring sand dunes when they find a pipe they decide to explore. They end up in an alternate universe, and another version of our planet Earth. In this version, though, creepy and evil aliens who look a lot like us have taken over our planet and enslaved what is left of the human race. The McClellands meet up with a group of rebels from our current universe whose mission is to take back the planet.

The three kids are put to use right away. This book was almost complete action from start to finish. Also a lot of spying and intel gathering goes on. The pipes they are in connect to the entire world, so they can travel anywhere very quickly. Its a really cool concept, and combines sci-fi with a dystopian vibe. Very clever!

My biggest complain is the big cliff hanger ending. The story ends rather abruptly. It made me itch for the next book! The characters are very well done, and the events and effects of the rebels seem realistic, which is hard to do in a sci-fi theme! I really enjoyed this one, and will be looking for the release of the next book!

And now, for the giveaway! $25 gift card to Amazon!

Enter on the link below, and good luck!

A rafflecopter Giveaway

Tour Schedule

March 20th

Book Blast

March 21st

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Interview

Crafty Zoo with Monkeys – Guest Post

The Opinionated Consumer – Review

March 22nd

White Sky Project – Tens List

A Blog Hop Place for Books – Spotlight

Word to Dreams – Review

March 23rd

Cuzinlogic – Interview

The FirstLink – Guest Post

From the Bootheel Cotton Patch – Excerpt

Mythical Books – Review

March 24th

Paperback Princess – Interview

Book Bliss – Spotlight

Megan S. Johnston – Review

March 25th

Literarily Speaking – Interview

Strands of Thought – Interview

March 26th

Forever Young Adult – Interview

A Book and a Latte – Tens List

Sarah Ballance – Tens List

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Ice Country by David Estes Book Blast + Giveaway!

Ice Country (The Country Saga #2)
by David Estes.

Book Synopsis

Dazz, a hard-edged, fun-loving Icer, likes fighting, particularly while at his favorite watering hole. However, while recovering from a particularly bad break up, his decision to engage in a brutal pubroom brawl leads to a series of events that thrust him into a dark and mysterious scandal involving King Goff, the ice country ruler.

When his seven-year-old sister is abducted in the dark of night, Dazz pledges to do whatever it takes to get her back, embarking on a quest that threatens to rip apart the very fabric that's barely holding his shattered family together.
Along the way he meets a group of unlikely allies in the form of a travelling group of fire country natives. Can Dazz, when joined with his best friend, Buff, and new tan-skinned friends, defeat the King and his guards before it's too late for his sister?

PRAISE FOR "ICE COUNTRY":
-"5 stars! David Estes creates captivating and original worlds that you love to get lost in!" Alexandria Theodosopoulos- Goodreads
-"Richly filled with new characters and story without leaving the old behind...a seamless transition into another side of a fantastic world." Kerri Hughes- Goodreads

Quick Facts

Release Date: April 4th,2013.

Genre: YA Dystopian.

Formats Available for Purchase: Paperback (only at Amazon) Kindle, epub and Smashwords.

Excerpt

It all starts with a girl. Nay, more like a witch. An evil witch, disguised as a young seventeen-year-old princess, complete with a cute button nose, full red lips, long dark eyelashes, and deep, mesmerizing baby blues. Not a real, magic-wielding witch, but a witch just the same.
Oh yah, and a really good throwing arm. “Get out!” she screams, flinging yet another ceramic vase in my general direction.
I duck and it rebounds off the wall, not shattering until it hits the shiny marble floor. Thousands of vase-crumbles crunch under my feet as I scramble for the door. I fling it open and slip through, slamming it hard behind me. Just in time, too, as I hear the thud of something heavy on the other side. Evidently she’s taken to throwing something new, maybe boots or perhaps herself.
Luckily, her father’s not home, or he’d probably be throwing things too. After all, he warned his daughter about Brown District boys.
Taking a deep breath, I cringe as a spout of obscenities shrieks through the painted-red door and whirls around my head, stinging me in a dozen places. You’d think I was the one who ran around with a four-toed eighteen-year-old womanizer named LaRoy. (That’s LaRoy with a “La”, as he likes to say.) As it turns out, I think LaRoy has softer hands than she does.
As I slink away from the witch’s upscale residence licking my wounds, I try to figure out where the chill I went wrong. Despite her constant insults, narrow-mindedness, and niggling reminders of how I am nothing more than a lazy, liquid-ice-drinking, no-good scoundrel, I think I managed to treat her pretty well. I was faithful, always there for her—not once was I employed while courting her—and known on occasion to show up at her door with gifts, like snowflake flowers or frosty delights from Gobbler’s Bakery down the road. She said the flowers made her feel inadequate, on account of them being too beautiful—as if there was such a thing—and the frosty’s, well, she said I gave them to her to make her fat.
She was my first ever girlfriend from the White District. I should’ve listened to my best friend, Buff, when he said it would end in disaster.

The Author:

David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually he moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife and soul mate, Adele, who he’s now been happily married to for more than two years.
A reader all his life, David began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010, and has completed 14 novels, 12 of which have been published. In June of 2012, David became a fulltime writer and is now travelling the world with Adele while he writes books, and she writes and takes photographs.
David gleans inspiration from all sorts of crazy places, like watching random people do entertaining things, dreams (which he jots copious notes about immediately after waking up), and even from thin air sometimes!
David’s a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, an obsessive Goodreads group member, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table. He loves responding to e-mails, Facebook messages, Tweets, blog comments, and Goodreads comments from his readers, all of whom he considers to be his friends.

Learn more about the author at: http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com

Tour Giveaway

Tour Wide giveaway: 5 e-copies of "Fire Country" (The Country Saga #1) and 2 e-copies of "Ice Country" (The Country Saga #2).
Rules:

There will be 7 winners.
The giveaway is open internationally.
Winners have 48hs to claim their prize since the moment they receive the email.
Do not cheat! :P

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember to check BOOK 1 in "The Country Saga": Fire Country.

Synopsis:

In a changed world where the sky bleeds red, winter is hotter than hell and full of sandstorms, and summer's even hotter with raging fires that roam the desert-like country, the Heaters manage to survive, barely.

Due to toxic air, life expectancies are so low the only way the tribe can survive is by forcing women to procreate when they turn sixteen and every three years thereafter. It is their duty as Bearers.

Fifteen-year-old Siena is a Youngling, soon to be a Bearer, when she starts hearing rumors of another tribe of all women, called the Wild Ones. They are known to kidnap Youngling girls before the Call, the ceremony in which Bearers are given a husband with whom to bear children with.

As the desert sands run out on her life's hourglass, Siena must uncover the truth about the Wild Ones while untangling the web of lies and deceit her father has masterfully spun.

AMAZON

SMASHWORDS

FOLLOW THE TOUR: