Stacking The Shelves: 31/01/'15

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.

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Bought:
Second Debt by Pepper Winters
It's miiiiiiine! I can't wait until I can finally start it to found out what crazy shit is happening next!

Bought:
Playing For Keeps by R.L. Mathewson

It was on sale for only .99! There is no way I can resist sales like this.

Gifted:

The Beauty Series Bundle by Georgia Gates

This was gifted to me by Christina @ Booksane! :D

Leave me links to your hauls so I can stop by! ;)

Book Spotlight: Kiatana's Journey by Natalie Erin

Book Spotlight

Today I have a book promo of Kiatana's Journey. I haven't read it (yet) but I am loving that cover!

Below you'll find all the book info and an excerpt. 

Go check it out, guys!

Kiatana's Journey by Natalie Erin

Creatures of the Lands #1

Young Adult ~ Fantasy

Word Count: 64,800

Dragons fly, animals can speak and fairies rule over all in the realm they call the Lands, a place that is both beautiful and dangerous. Only one myth remains...Changers, beasts who can morph into any creature at will, and their Accompanies, the mysterious riders who command them. Chaos begins when a Changer called Ionan and his Accompany Keota crash down from the sky. They are found by two orphan wolf pups searching for their mother, and the fairy Kiatana, owner of the Verinian Forest. Kiatana refuses to trust the handsome stranger, or believe the story about his troubled past, but she soon finds she has bigger problems as a plague begins to spread throughout her land, killing all in sight. With no option Kiatana heads out on a quest with Keota, Ionan, the two wolves and her trusty pegasus to find a cure before the forest is destroyed forever. But danger has a way of finding her, and Kiatana isn’t sure if she’ll survive the road ahead…

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Excerpt from CHAPTER TWO: STARING AND SICKNESS

The eyes were pink. It was a strange color for a human but he thought nothing of it. He had spent little time in The Lands so he had no clue on how to tell the difference between male and female humans. He/she was a lot shorter than him, and it was wearing a brown dress cut unusually short, with no shoes on its bare feet. Its hair was a vibrant green and was cut in layers around its small ears, with snow white skin and a curvaceous body. It was around his and Ionan’s age, twenty two, but it could have been as young as nineteen. Butterfly-like white wings flickered once from its back, and then vanished. He couldn’t remember if humans were supposed to have wings or not.

The human in front of him got off the ground and brushed off its dress. “Watch where you’re going! Didn’t you see I’m walking?”

“No,” he answered truthfully. He was at least a foot taller than the human, so he had looked right over it. “Who are you, and what is your name?”

“What kind of a stupid question is that?” it snapped back angrily, eyes flashing.

He was taken aback. This creature had an attitude. “Well, I uh…I don’t…what is your name?” he repeated again, stumbling through his words.

“Kiatana Abrilion Shaman,” it said. “And if you think you can come in here and whack me around you’ve got another thing coming.”

About the Author:

Natalie Erin is the pen name for the writing team of Megan Linski and Krisen Lison (also known as Krystyl Lisoh). They completed the first draft of Kiatana's Journey in 2008 when they were freshmen in high school, and released the book online in their graduating year of 2011. After some revisions the girls decided that they would find representation for the novel, but this was disrupted by Miss Lison's untimely death in 2013. She was 20 years old. 

One year after Lison's passing Linski created her own company, Gryfyn Publishing, and released the updated version of Kiatana's Journey as the company's breakout novel on November 1st, 2014. Miss Linski is currently working on publishing the rest of the Creatures of the Lands series in Lison's honor. 

Waiting On Wednesday: Deep Blue Eternity by Natasha Boyd

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Deep Blue Eternity by Natasha Boyd
Deep Blue Eternity #1
March 26th 2015 by Eternal Romance

  

Livvy is on the run. And she’s escaped to the one place nobody will ever find her.

But the isolated cottage isn’t empty. Her refuge is home to a troubled stranger, Tom, there for reasons of his own.

In the intimacy of the abandoned cottage, and the remote wilderness of the island, the electrifying connection between them is impossible to ignore. Both running from their histories and shielding dark secrets, their pasts catch up with them and collide in an unimaginable way.

Deep emotions and powerful chemistry face a painful battle with the tangle of lies, and scars of the past. When the truth emerges, hearts will be shattered.

I'm really excited about this book. I've been a fan of Natasha's since Eversea so I can't wait to see how something new like this will turn out. ^^

What's your WOW pick of the week?

Leave me the link to your post so I can stop by!

Release Day Blitz: Throb by Vi Keeland

RELEASE DAY BLITZ EVENT

THROB

(A standalone novel)

Release date 1/26/15

A Contemporary Romance novel

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Vi Keeland

Throb by Vi Keeland is LIVE!

Now is your chance to meet Cooper & Kate!

Available at:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BgqIUD

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CsRg9d

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1zk882K

iTunes: http://bit.ly/1x5c3P8


Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1slglLN

Add to your Goodreads TBR list ➜ http://bit.ly/1sjTmR7

Want a sneak peek of Throb?  Sign up for Vi’s mailing list now and get a sneak peek! http://eepurl.com/4nxpP

Blurb

The rules:

No dating.

No sex outside of the game.

No disclosing the terms of the contract.

Rules were made to be broken, right?

Eight weeks ago I signed a contract.  One that seemed like a good idea at the time.  A handsome bachelor, luxury accommodations, and a chance to win a prize my family desperately needed.  There were some rules though.  Lots of them actually.  Follow the script, no dating, sex, or disclosing the terms of the deal.  After my self-imposed moratorium on men the last year, it wouldn’t be hard to live up to my end of the bargain…so I thought.  Until I realized the deal I’d made was with the devil…and I was in love with his dirty-talking brother.

OR

Excerpt

Every girl needs three things

1.  A flutter in her belly when she meets him for the first time.

Meet Cooper

My lips brush the top of her hand lightly, my tongue sneaking out to fleetingly touch her skin.  The brief contact stirs an ache inside me.  This woman tugs at something—more than arousal—something that makes me want to slow down time just to spend a few more minutes standing here.

“Did you just…” she stammers a bit.

“Did I just what?”

She squints at me.  “You know.”

“Do I?”

“I felt your tongue on my hand.  You…you licked me.”

I’d been dying to run my tongue along her neck all evening, although I hadn’t really meant to be so crude about it.  It just sort of …happened.  “I wouldn’t say licked, maybe just a little taste.”

“So you tasted me?”

My entire body suddenly has interest in this conversation.  “I suppose I did.  But it wasn’t nearly enough.  That brings us back to my invitation for dinner.  Tomorrow night?”

“I can’t.”

“The day after then?”

She laughs and shakes her head.  The sound makes me smile.

“Good night, Cooper.”  She pulls the driver’s side door shut and leaves me standing there…for a full five minutes after she’s gone.

2.  A best friend to talk about him to.

Meet Sadie

“And?”

“And I kissed him when we were in his office.”

“How was his office?”

“Really?  That’s what you want to know.  Not how was the kiss or aren’t you in breach of your contract?  How was his office?”

“You can tell a lot about a man by his office.”

I gulp another unladylike sip from my wine glass.  “His office was beautiful.  Sleek, overlooking the city.  It oozed power.”

“Nice.  Bet he fucks like he owns you.”

The thought of what he’s like in bed is enough to make me lose my train of thought.

“Go on,” Sadie prods.

I don’t continue immediately.

“You forgot what you were up to because you were thinking of him fucking you like he owns you, didn’t you?”  My best friend smirks knowingly.

“Shut up.”  I pause.  “Anyway, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Well, him.  Obviously.”

“I wish it were that easy.”

3.  A gentleman that turns into a bossy dirty talker in the bedroom.

Cooper – behind closed doors.

“You haven’t even begun to see bossy yet.  Tonight I’m going to tell you to do things, and you’re going to do them.  When I tell you to open wider, or take my cock deeper, you’re going to listen.  You know why?  Because since the moment we met, all I’ve wanted to do is make you feel good.  Hell, I don’t even need to get off physically.  Because I’m going to get off watching you every minute.  So, yeah, I’m going to be bossy.  Now let’s put the rest of this behind us.  Do you want to be with me tonight?”

After that prelude, I nod my head fast.  I’m no fool.  Who wouldn’t?

About the Author:

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work.  She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

Stalk Her: 
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

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Stacking The Shelves: 24/01/'15

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted @ Tynga's Reviews.

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Bought:
Burned by Karen Marie Moning
So after waiting for over 2 years the 7th Fever book finally came out. I'm trying to read it slow so I can savor every page. But I can already tell you that it's fantastic so far!

Bought:
Ensnared by A.G. Howard

And Ensnared also came! *squeee* I can't wait to read the final Splintered book soon.
Is it just me or do the covers of Burned and Ensnared match a bit? 

For Review:
Cartel by Lili St. Germain
I just couldn't resist when I saw this one up on Edelweiss.

For Review:
The Timber Wolves Trilogy by Tammy Blackwell

This series got highly recommended to me by a fellow blogger (Yes Nitzan, I'm talking about you! ;D) and I received the trilogy from the author for review. Awesome!

Leave me links to your hauls so I can stop by! ;)

Review: The Donor by Candace Osmond

Title: The Donor
Author: Candace Osmond
Publication: October 15th 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Rating: 2/5

Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

 

What's the first thought that would run through your mind if you woke up, completely naked, strapped to an operating table, sans a kidney? What ran through Nora Daniels mind was that, sadly, nobody would even notice she was missing. No family, no friends, not even a boyfriend. No, there would be no Prince Charming busting down the door to save the day or loved ones to mourn her death. Unless she could find a way to uncover the secrets hidden in her past and discover the one thing tying her to this world.

I really dislike having to give negative reviews for books, especially if I received said book for review but my overal feeling for The Donor was that is just wasn't my cup of tea, unfortunately.

The book started out good for me because it was all wrapped in mystery with Nora waking up on an operating table, not knowing what was going on and I love a good mystery but from there on out I started getting less and less interested with the story and the characters. The writing also couldn't hold my attention much. I mean, it was okay but that was just it.

I guess I wanted a little more character building but due to this book being rather short there wasn't much time for that. I also felt that some of the twists were a bit too predictable for my taste. I'd pretty much guessed everything before it would happen. 

I did like Nora as a character, even without much character building because even with everything going on with her life, she still wanted to go on. But Henry was really annoying to me for some reason. I really couldn't like him and I guess that put a little bit of a damper on the whole thing for me. 

All in all, The Donor was a unique concept for a book but I felt myself getting more uninterested in it the more I read. I loved that it was set in the future and Nora was pretty likable character but that was it. I do hope other people will give this a chance. It's a short book and can be read quickly, so other people might like it more than I did.

About the Author:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Born in 1985 as Candace Osmond in North York Ontario, I began to travel with my parents at the very young age of four years old. I had lived all over Canada and seen everything my country has to offer, from the enchanting shores of Newfoundland to the gigantic snow capped mountains of British Columbia all by the time I was ten. I did, however, spend most of my life in Eastern Canada where I was surrounded by folklore and legends, not knowing how they would shape my personality and imagination for the rest of my life. Being the only girl of my age in a small group of kids, in an even smaller town, left me spending most of my time by myself and, in result, letting my imagination take over. I would sit by the shore and dream up stories of mermaids and other fantastic creatures to pass the time. Coming from a family with writers and artists dispersed throughout, it was only natural that I spend my time writing, drawing and reading. I dreamed of becoming nothing more than an artist, a creator of any kind. By the age of eleven, I spent most of my waking hours scribbling down short stories, poems and anything else I could think of, while adding my own personal illustrations. By the age of fourteen, I had won numerous local and minor arts and writing competitions. I excelled at anything art and literature related so, naturally, I planned to attend university for nothing more or less than that. In 2003 I planned to attend university for Creative Writing and Literary Studies. But, with the fear that I would spend all my time and money on an education and end up in a field that I may very well struggle to succeed in, I backed out and attended school for Design instead. Now, a successful Designer specializing in interiors, I met a man and fell in love. His passion and talent for art far exceeds my own, but he motivated me and awakened my old habits of staying up late and waking up early to scribble down dreams and ideas before I had forgotten them and they disappeared forever.

Review: The Healer by C.J. Anaya

Title: The Healer
Author: C.J. Anaya
Publication: May 31st 2014 by Beau Coup LLC
Genre: Young Adult ~ Paranormal ~ Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 4/5

Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

 

Seventeen-year-old Hope longs for a normal teenage life, but with a gift like hers, normal equals healing illnesses and injuries instantly. Keeping a secret like that isn’t easy, especially when two handsome, young men move into town and begin unearthing other secrets concerning Hope’s future and past, revealing to Hope that her gift may be the fulfillment of a prophecy gone wrong.

I'm so glad I got the chance to read The Healer. My experience with young adult paranormal books hasn't been too great so I wasn't expecting to like this story as much as I did but wow I was so hooked. Gotta love books that sneak up on you like that.

It took me a good 20% to get into this book but after that I thought it was a really good read. The writing flowed really well and I actually loved the romance, which for me is a big accomplishment on its own. And as a huge mythology fan I was really interested in the japanese mythology aspect of the book. I never read a book about japanese mythology, which is why I decided to read and review this book, and let me tell you it was just awesome to be reading something new and original like it.

The characters in this book were all very realistic. I absolutely loved that. The reactions of the characters, especially Hope and Angie's reactions, to all the paranormal and freaky stuff happening was just real, you know. And that's hard to find in paranormal books these days. I really liked Hope as the main character. She was honestly a kind and good person. I loved how she wanted to help sick and injured people with her powers and she was just a great person to read about. 

I also loved her best friend Angie. Lord knows I laughed my ass off with her. Hope's dad is honestly one of the best parent characters I have come across. He was very protective of his daughter and actually knows about her powers, which is really refreshing if you ask me. 

Meeting the two love interests was interesting, with them being gods and all. I liked both of them and this certainly isn't just a love triangle. I actually liked the romance, which is very rare for me. Victor seemed like a very sweet guy to me, I liked him a lot but I agree (like Hope and Angie do in the book) that he's most suited for Angie. I do hope they'll end up together eventually. Tie... what can I say about him. He was very entertaining to read about and I just loved him so much. Him and Hope are perfection to me. And that is all!

The overall story was pretty intriguing. I felt myself trying to work out what exactly was going on with Tie, Victor and how they all fit together in the story. The ending was unexpected. I'm not sure what to think of it, to be honest. I want to find out what will happen to them all so badly. Yeah, this was a great book!

I must admit that sometime I zoned out a little when Hope was healing people so I guess that can be considered my least favorite part. Don't get me wrong, I loved her abilitiy and how serious she took it, but I guess it was just a little too much sometimes. 

The Healer was more than I expected. The story was really good, the characters realistic and never failed to bore me. I loved the author's writing because it read so easily and the romance was sweet and exciting all at once. Read this book, people!

About the Author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

C. J. Anaya began writing short stories for family and friends when she was thirteen years old. This soon morphed into an extensive project every year during Christmas as a way to create a fun and inexpensive Christmas gift.

Her passion for reading and writing led her to following her own dreams of becoming a published author. She was born in Utah and raised everywhere else. She even lived a few years in Brazil, enjoying the people, the culture and learning the beautiful language of Portuguese.

As a mother of four children she can be found at any given time changing diapers, playing dress-ups with her daughters, getting her fanny kicked in Mario Kart by her snarky little son, and escaping into a corner of the house with her kindle for a nice, quiet (lol in her dreams) read. She is also married to the most deliciously, handsome looking Latino. As always, she has plenty to write about.