Monday, January 30, 2012

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter

Kate Winters has won immortality. 

But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it. 

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. 

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 

Henry’s first wife, Persephone.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review 
Wow!! What a ride! This book was emotionally exhausting! There were times when I felt so happy I could dance, so mad I wanted to punch things, so scared I was biting my nails, and so heartbroken I was sobbing! This was definitely one of those stay-up-all-night-to-finish-it books. Kate & Henry had already both been through so much, but that was only beginning! I guess I shouldn't have expected the underworld to be all 'happily ever after' right from the start. I am very, very anxious for the next book, it's going to be painful to have to wait for it!! 




Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Childe (The Childe #1) by C.A. Kunz

Cat Colvin 
Average Teenager? 
Or Something Else Entirely? 

Cat Colvin is pretty much your typical run-of-the-mill teenager. Sure, she’s taller than most girls, has a mane of fiery red hair that’s impossible to tame, is left-handed, and her eyes are two different colors, but that’s where the differences end... unless you include the minor detail of her slow transformation into a Childe. 

High school can definitely be challenging, and for Cat it’s no different. This is especially true when she’s faced with the daunting task of trying to hide her budding Childe traits as they begin to reveal themselves at the most inopportune times. To make matters worse, her family is oddly dead set against Ryan, the boy she grows to like. But everyone has their secrets: is Ryan really what he seems to be, and what is Cat’s family not telling her? 

The Childe is the first book in this coming-of-age fantasy series which follows Cat's life through the twists and turns toward finding out whom and what she really is. Come and take the plunge with Cat into a world filled with mystery, biting humor, and the paranormal.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review  
What a great book! Very mysterious all the way through. Cat is really cool! She has an awesome group of friends that she is very loyal to & she's not afraid to stand up for herself or any one of them. This story is also unique because you get to know the thoughts & feelings of a lot of different characters as the story the moves along, rather than seeing everything from just Cat's point of view. But somehow that only adds to the mystery rather than letting out all the secrets. I will definitely want to read more of this story!


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan

I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice. 

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake. 

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger. 

In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review  
I really enjoyed this book! It was a very different story & had me hooked as soon as I started it! I loved the whole light vs. darkness idea from the beginning and was impressed with all the things that light could do!  Llona is a spectacular heroine, too! She's seems like such a weak & fragile little girl who hides from the world, but as she learns more about herself & the world around her she grows & changes in some unexpected ways! There are lots of surprises - some good, some bad, and action & mystery around every corner. I will definitely be looking for more of this story!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Shift (The Protector #2) by M.R. Merrick

Devastated by the loss of his mother, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn't understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else–a monster threatening to tear her apart. 

As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.


My Review  
Oh yeah, still loving this story!! I still cannot believe some of the things that happened in this book! And this won't be a book that you can just read a little bit every day for a while - you will wanna tear through it! There is so much action, especially the second half. It's like a pack of fire-crackers - Bam!Bam!Bam!Bam! Never a dull moment! Oh, and that thing that you keep wishing Chase would GET A CLUE about? Yeah, I think he FINALLY gets it. *wink* Rayna & Chase get to be even more badass as the story continues! Willy - I just wanna give him a big hug & make him some cookies! Tiki - would be so fun to hang out with! And then there's Vincent - he's still an arrogant jerk but that's no surprise. These are really some of the most interesting characters out there! I can't wait for more!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Exiled (The Protector #1) by M.R. Merrick

Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase's birthday, the bloodline stopped. 

Exiled without the Circle's protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle's agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can't do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna — a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret. 

In their attempt to stop them, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review 
Omigosh! This was an amazing book! Chase is a brave and caring hunter whose world has been turned completely upside down when he's kicked out of the Circle, disowned by his father, and slowly starts to learn that everything he has been taught was wrong. Now he has to learn to trust the enemy before he can understand the truth of the Circle and all the changes that are taking place around him. Rayna is a fiery, sexy underworlder who really helps Chase start to see people & demons for what they are. Their adventures together are just incredible! I was absolutely shocked to see some of the places they went, and how they got there! The action & amazement never ends with this book!


Monday, January 16, 2012

Asylum Blog Tour Bookmark Winners & Actor Pick!


The votes have been tallied and the actor chosen to play Caden is
Taylor Kitsch

He would make a very yummy Caden!  Here's another super-drool-worthy picture I found of him..

  
Yowza!!

I have also chosen the winners for signed Asylum Bookmarks:
saz142
Cheles Bells
Bella Collela
BSponsel
Please email me at twilighter.jm@gmail.com with your address so I can mail them!
Congrats!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Asylum Blog Tour!!!

I am so thrilled to be a part of K.A. Tucker's Asylum Blog Tour!!  I absolutely love the Causal Enchantment series!  You can check out my reviews (5 faery kisses!) of Anathema here and Asylum here. So now let me hand this over to K.A. Tucker...



CASTING CALL – CADEN JENNINGS
Thank you to Jackie from Sated Faery for hosting me today!!!  For those of you following the Asylum Tour so far, you will know that, on Day 4, fans chose
 Amber Heard

 to play Evangeline Watts. Today, we are going to pick an actor for Caden!!
This is an imaginary casting. There isn’t a movie in the works at this point in time. But, if you’d like to spread the rumour that there is, I’m okay with that J
Finding my picks for Evangeline was tough. Choosing the perfect Caden was close to impossible!!!  I was looking for the right balance of masculinity and beauty, all while trying not to feel icky as I went through gazillions of pictures... Below are my picks! I’m assuming they could play the calm, level-headed, sweet, Caden. They have the hot part down J
Jackie’s got a couple picks as well... Tell us who you’d vote for from the below list!

...For the role of Caden Jennings


#1 (K.A.Tucker’s Pick) ~ Kevin Zegers

Okay, so I’m not biased but... it’s pretty cool that Kevin Zegers is a native Ontarian, like me.  I REALLY like this one for Caden. He has the perfect balance of “pretty” and masculinity. And those eyes!! With the right hair cut and jade-colored contacts, I think he’d be awesome playing next to Amber Heard.


#2 (K.A. Tucker’s Pick) ~ William Moseley

I haven’t watched Narnia yet but this guy is a cutie and I think a great fit for Caden. He’s got the ‘serious look’ covered, based on the above picture J I might like to age him by a year or two but, with slightly darker hair and contacts... perfect!


#3 (Jackie’s Pick) ~ Chris Zylka

Chris Zylka is my first & probably favourite pick for Caden.  You might recognize him from his most recent role as Jake on The Secret Circle or previously from My Super Psycho Sweet 16.  I think he would make a great Caden with that strong and tortured look.  He also has those gorgeous and very expressive eyes that make you want to melt at his feet.


#4 (Jackie’s Pick) ~ Taylor Kitsch

My second pick is Taylor Kitsch.  Taylor has most recently been seen as Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights and has previously starred in X-men Origins and the Covenant.   He’s pretty versatile & I think he could handle playing a tough, but romantic vampire.

Those are our picks! If you’ve read the Causal Enchantment Series already, let us know who your favorite from the above list is (and if you’ve got other actors in mind, feel free to share). I’ll stalk the winning actor on Twitter to let him know he has been chosen!
If you haven’t started the Causal Enchantment Series yet, what are you waiting for?! ANATHEMA is currently FREE on Kindle, Nook, Apple, Sony, and Smashwords! The newly-released 2nd book, ASYLUM, is only $2.99.
As well, follow along with the tour for all kinds of fun and interesting posts, short stories, interviews, a vlog, and giveaways! Here’s the link to the blog tour event page.

ENJOY! And thanks to Jackie from the Sated Faery for having me here today

K.A.Tucker

The Giveaways
Throughout the tour, I'll be giving away signed print copies of Asylum, ecopies of Asylum, and bookmarks for both. Make sure you enter for your chance to win! There will be one form used for all stops. You can enter once per day to increase your chances and your entries will be valid for each draw that takes place! Plus, there are ways to increase your entries through Twitter and Facebook. Check out the form for more details!
I do apologize - the books won't be signed as they are shipping from a U.S. address vs my own Canadian address to reduce the ridiculous postage costs. But, the bookmarks are signed :-) 

AND
We have a winner to announce today for a print copy of Asylum................
JESSE LEE 
Congratulations!

Thank You, K.A. Tucker!!
So, did you get your free copy of Anathema? Did you fill out the form for a chance to win a copy of Asylum? Good!  Now I will give 4 of you a chance to win a signed Asylum Bookmark! 
All you have to do is vote for your favorite actor for Caden from above (or suggest your own) and I will choose 4 random voters to win a bookmark.  You can vote by posting below or by tweeting your vote (please include #AsylumTour & @jlynnmc in your tweet). Also, you do need to be a blog or twitter follower of both me & K.A. Tucker. 
Follow Jackie on twitter here.
Follow K.A. Tucker on twitter here.
Good Luck & Happy Reading!!

Asylum (Causal Enchantments #2) by K.A. Tucker

Tucked away in Sofie's wintery asylum with no hope of release for years, Evangeline must come to terms with her situation: the curse still plagues her, she's now hunted by a 
two thousand-year-old vampire, and the guy she's in love with tried to kill her. 
Plus, she's locked up with a cranky Max and the Forero kids—two people everyone 
seems to prefer dead over alive. Things aren't looking good. 

Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, Sofie struggles to keep forty trapped and bloodthirsty Ratheus vampires at bay and a desperate Viggo from killing Evangeline's friends, all 
while hints stir outside the walls of the NYC vampire asylum of a war brewing 
between the Sentinel and the witches. 

Is there any hope for Evangeline and Caden? Can Sofie control the rival powers? Is the fate of 
Earth predestined? Find out in Book 2 of the Causal Enchantment series, a sequel to ANATHEMA.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review 
This was an AMAZING sequel!! I am always a little worried when I pick up the second book in a series that it won't be as good as the first, but this one was absolutely perfect!  I love that we got to know Sofie a little better in this book.  Since her & Evangeline are apart for some of this book, we get several chapters from her perspective. It was great to finally get to see what she's really like and learn a little more about her motives.  And while there can never be enough Caden, we do get to see how he and the others are adjusting to the new world and if they have any hope of being around Evangeline again. This book was full of action from beginning to end, there were some wonderfully happy moments and some really sad ones, too.  Not to mention a couple of surprises that you could never see coming!  


Sunday, January 1, 2012

Severed (Cloud Prophet Trilogy #3) by Megg Jensen

Reychel knows her gift of prophecy will lead to madness and now she is at her most vulnerable. The enemy army will attempt to sever her from everything she's ever known: her homeland, her friends, Mark, and her gift. Even at her weakest, she refuses to give up on her desire to end the war between the Malborn and the Serenians. Reychel would do anything, even come back from the dead, to conquer the enemy and reunite with Mark.
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review 
Great ending to a fascinating series! This book was full of surprises and tension. There were several times when I was almost afraid to keep reading, but couldn't bear to stop! The world Reychel lives in is being turned upside down with fighting all around and Reychel is having a hard time getting her gift under control. And that's just where all the trouble starts! Thank goodness for Mark and the few loyal friends Reychel has made along the way or she wouldn't even have a chance! This series takes place in such a unique world, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to experience it from beginning to end!

Oubliette (Cloud Prophet Trilogy #2) by Megg Jensen

Reychel thought she was finally free. She was wrong. Everyone saw her gift of prophecy as a blessing, but her gift is uncontrollable. No one alive can teach her to manipulate her unique gift and the answers she needs lie buried within a madman’s journals. She’s thrust in the midst of a brewing war and the only uniting factor for her people is their belief in the Prophet. Will Reychel learn to control her gift or will she be forced to deliver a false prophecy that could lead her people into a violent war?
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.


My Review 
Absolutely Enthralling! I started this today after finished Anathema and I couldn't stop reading until I finished! Non-stop action, suprise, and a little romance - all of which make the perfect book! It was even better than the first! It moved a little faster, probably because I was more familiar with the what was going on. I am so excited to read Severed!!!!

And these books have the most amazing covers!

Anathema (Cloud Prophet Trilogy #1) by Megg Jensen

Forget prophecy. Make your own destiny. 

Sheltered from the outside world with no hope for escape, slave girl Reychel dreads her fifteenth birthday - when her master’s symbol is burned on the back of her bald scalp. Her best friend disappears the night before, leaving her to face the branding ceremony alone. She soon discovers nothing is as it seems when people desperate for freedom beg for Reychel's help. 

Can Reychel learn to believe in herself?
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.

My Review 
Excellent book! Very unique story about a slave girl who must figure out her destiny & learn who to trust. I read somewhere that Megg Jensen described this as a "Medieval Dystopian" which is a perfect description of the setting! The other characters are very interesting as well, even if some of them are horrid! Mark is amazing - who wouldn't fall for a sexy, dangerous soldier like him! I worried about Reychel throughout the whole book, even when I wasn't reading it! The ending probably would have irritated me & cost a star in the review, but since I had Oubliette waiting as soon as I finished I didn't have time to be concerned!