Tuesday 26 April 2016

Release Day Celebration: There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane with Giveaway

ThereOnceWereStarsRDC
 
Happy Release Day to
There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane!
Join us in celebrating this new release from Month9Books!
Enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.
Happy Book Birthday... to me!
 
ThereOnceWereStarsCover
 
Peace. Love. Order. Dome. That’s the motto that the Order has given the residents of Dome 1618 to live by. Natalia Greyes is a resident of Dome 1618, a covered city protected from the deadly radiation that has poisoned the world outside for four generations. Nat never questioned the Order, until one day she sees a stranger on the outside of the dome. Now Nat wants answers. Is there life outside the dome and if so, what has the Order been hiding from everyone?
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There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane Publication Date: April 26, 2016 Publisher: Month9Books
 
About-the-Author2
Melanie McFarlane
 
Whether it’s uncovering the corruption of the future, or traveling to other worlds to save the universe, Melanie McFarlane jumps in with both hands on her keyboard. Though she can be found obsessing over zombies and orcs from time to time, Melanie has focused her powers on her upcoming YA trilogy: THERE ONCE WERE STARS and her YA urban fantasy series: SUMMONER RISING.
 
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Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
 
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Friday 22 April 2016

#FridayFandom: Author Interview with Rachel Schieffelbein


1. Tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.


Don't Fall is a contemporary Rapunzel retelling. Anya lives a very secluded life, but when she meets Zander she realizes she wants more.


2. What would be the theme song for your book?

"Can't Take My Eyes Off You," by Lady Antebellum. 


3. What is your favorite "book" movie and why?

My favorite book to movie is The Princess Bride. It's an amazing, fun movie. A lot of the dialogue is verbatim from the book.   

4. What are you currently writing?

I'm working on a YA contemporary about a young actress. It's actually Taylor Swift inspired! The girl in the story, Skylar's, ex-boyfriend is a singer/songwriter and when his new album comes out it's all about Skylar.

5. What are you currently reading?

I'm just finishing up The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, which is a great YA about a girl who grew up in a cult. It's a bit dark, but very intriguing.

Hidden Worlds Books: Ah! I just checked this out of the library. Sounds amazing!

Thank you so much for joining us Rachel! Your book sounds amazing!


Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.

Thursday 21 April 2016

Book Review: NOBODY'S LADY by Amy McNulty & #GIVEAWAY #Month9Squad



Nobody’s Lady (Never Veil #2) by Amy McNulty
Publication Date: April 12, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books


For the first time in a thousand years, the men in Noll’s village possess the freedom to love whom they will. In order to give each man the chance to fully explore his feelings, the lord of the village decrees all marriages null and void until both spouses declare their love for one another and their desire to wed again. What many women think will be a simple matter becomes a source of village-wide tension as most men decide to leave their families and responsibilities behind.

Rejected by the lord and ashamed of her part in the village’s history, Noll withdraws from her family and lives life as an independent woodcarver. This changes when her sister accuses her of hiding her former husband Jurij from her—and when Jurij eventually does ask to move in. Determined not to make the same mistakes, Noll decides to support her male friends through their new emotional experiences, but she’s soon caught up in a darker plot than she ever dared imagine possible from the men she thought she knew so well. And the lord for whom she still has feelings may be hiding the most frightening truth of them all.


Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | TBD | iBooks


Finally, I got a chance to read NOBODY'S LADY, the sequel to Amy McNulty's NOBODY'S GODDESS. It was amazing, as I expected it would be. I can say I loved it even more than book one!!

In NOBODY'S LADY, Noll has to deal with a town of free men. To make matters worse, Aillil has decreed all marriages void, unless both parties ask to be married again. This allows a number of men to walk away from their marriage duties, which of course, leads them to spend more time at the local pub gallivanting.

But what I loved was the realization that these men, who had never been able to think for themselves once they found their goddesses, now struggled to think for themselves in freedom. At first I thought, what a bunch of lazy bums, when really they were struggling to find purpose.

But when they decide to go after Aillil and find out how he knows the villagers comings and goings, it results in more questions, and reignites the spark of romance between Noll and Aillil, as she realizes she truly does love him...but is it too late?




OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:


In a village of masked men, magic compels each man to love only one woman and to follow the commands of his “goddess” without question. A woman may reject the only man who will love her if she pleases, but she will be alone forever. And a man must stay masked until his goddess returns his love—and if she can’t or won’t, he remains masked forever.

Seventeen-year-old Noll isn't in the mood to celebrate. Her childhood friends have paired off and her closest companion, Jurij, found his goddess in Noll’s own sister. Desperate to find a way to break this ancient spell, Noll instead discovers why no man has ever chosen her.

Thus begins a dangerous game between the choice of woman versus the magic of man. And the stakes are no less than freedom and happiness, life and death—and neither is willing to lose.






Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently writes professionally about everything from business marketing to anime. In her down time, you can find her crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.






 Giveaway Information:  Contest ends April 15, 2016

·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Nobody’s Lady by Amy McNulty (INT)

Tuesday 12 April 2016

Book Review: EMERGE by Tobie Easton BLOG TOUR @chapterxchapter




Emerge (Mer Chronicles #1) by Tobie Easton
Publication Date: April 19, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books


Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid, but she’s never lived in the ocean. Ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality, war has ravaged the Seven Seas.

So Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he’s gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there’s a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk. So it’s for the best that he’s dating that new girl, right?



That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she’ll have to get closer to Clay than ever. Lia’s parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with Clay, the harder it is for Lia to deny her feelings.After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.




What a refreshing YA read! A modern take on mermaid mythology, EMERGE takes you into the life of Lia Nautilus, a mermaid who was forced to live on land with the rest of her kind, now hiding among us, and spending her days in the halls of her high school. Attracted to a human boy, named Clay, Lia struggles to remain focused and not give away her people's secret. But when a new girl comes to school, something about her makes Lia nervous, and she ends up pulled into a dangerous adventure that has deadly consequences.

I thoroughly enjoyed EMERGE, and in a time when mythological remakes are huge, it's nice to see a novel take on a post-fairytale premise. Think Little Mermaid meets Dorothy Must Die (just less violent).

A must-read, I highly recommend adding EMERGE to your list! A strong 4.5 STARS!!




Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books at www.TobieEaston.com.





Contest ends April 29, 2016

·        An Amazon Fire Tablet (US Only)
·        Emerge stickers and bookmarks, one set of mermaid flash tattoos, a seashell necklace, and a signed paperback of Emerge (US Only)
·        Three (3) digital copies of Emerge by Tobie Easton (INT)

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Friday 8 April 2016

#FridayFandom: Author Interview with Stephanie Wardrop


On today's Friday Fandom I have the snarky and charming Stephanie Wardrop!


1. Tell us about your book (s) in 140 characters or less.

I have a series (SNARK AND CIRCUMSTANCE) - 4 enovellas that make up what I think of as 1 book (snark and circumstance, charm and consequence, pride and prep school, prom and prejudice), and a book-length sequel called SNARK AND STAGE FRIGHT. The first (the 4 enovellas) are based on Pride and Prejudice - snarky vegan girl meets preppy stuffy boy and they clash. (that's probably way more than 140 characters)

Hidden Worlds Books: You're forgiven. You do have 4 e-novella's to explain!



2. What would be the theme song for your book (s)?

The first book (the 4 novellas) ends with the theme of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" because it fits AND he's a cute vegan :).


The S&SF's theme would be P!nk's "True Love" 

3. What is your favorite "book" movie and why?

You mean a movie from a book? Well, I love the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice from the 1990s. That almost goes without saying :) And I think the film version of Markus Zuzak's The Book Thief was underrated. I thought the actress playing Leisl was great and they did as good a job as they could do without the thing that makes the book so remarkable - the narration through the character of Death.


4. What are you currently writing? 

A book set in the 1970s about the daughter of a Sylvia Plath-like suicide who has to learn how to live with her mother's legacy and find her way out of depression. So, yeah, it's a real laugh riot.

Hidden Worlds Books: This sounds amazing. I'd like to see a trend of mental health issues directly presented in YA.

5. What are you currently reading?

I am reading Angela Davis's autobiography. I like to read all sorts of things, especially history, though.


Thanks for coming out, Stephanie. Your series sound wonderful and I can't wait to read more!


Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, a town known to most people only from the Monopoly game, Stephanie Wardrop always wanted to be a writer (or a pirate, but piracy seemed like even more of a long shot, career-wise). She loves animals, travel, books and movies, exploring new places, anything that smells like the ocean. She teaches at a university in western New England, where she lives with her husband, two kids, and four cats.





Thursday 7 April 2016

Book Review: LIFE IN THE LUCKY ZONE by Patricia B. Tighe


Life in the Lucky Zone (The Zone #2)
by Patricia B. Tighe
Publication Date:  April 5, 2016
Publisher:  Swoon Romance


Seventeen-year-old Lindsey Taylor has been living a charmed life—always the lead in school plays, possessor of a healthy entourage and a hot boyfriend. But halfway through her junior year, the unthinkable happens. Her boyfriend dumps her. She screws up her audition for the spring play. And to top it all off, her theater teacher wants her to run lines with Trey Berger, a gamer guy who irritates her practically every time he opens his mouth. Lindsey needs to find some better luck and quick.

Trey Berger can barely tolerate Lindsey Taylor. It’s bad enough that their best friends are dating and he has to see Lindsey at group hangouts. Now they have to rehearse together. Berger would rather do just about anything else, even chill with his grandmother, whose dementia has forced her to move in with his family.

But as the semester continues, Berger discovers there’s more to Lindsey than the drama queen

persona she puts on for everyone else’s benefit. And the person behind the mask might be someone he cares about. A lot. So what exactly is he going to do about it?

And while Lindsey desperately tries to change her luck and heal from the breakup, she slowly realizes Berger has become her best friend. This video-game-playing boy makes her laugh. And holds her when she cries. Could he possibly become something more?




I absolutely adored this book! It's just as good as it's predecessor, Life in the No-Dating Zone. One would think, how could Tighe carry on the sweet story of Claire and Gray... by carrying on a contemporary romance between their best buddies, Lindsey & Berger.


That's right - total polar opposites, Lindsey (popular girl) and Berger (gamer boy). But this isn't your stereotypical opposites attract -- I love how Tighe sucks us in with Lindsey recovering from her recent breakup (oh come on, no one liked him) and Berger's hidden passion for drama club. When Berger has a chance at a part and Lindsey is made to tutor him, so begin the sparks...


Okay, so not quite that easy, but to find out more you'll have to read this for yourself!!

I definitely give Life in the Lucky Zone 5 stars.
Don't miss out!!




The mother of two grown sons, Patricia B. Tighe lives in West Texas with her husband and two dogs. She eats too much pizza, drinks too much coffee, and watches way too much NFL football. On the bright side, she loves to read and write young adult fiction. Especially if there’s kissing involved.




·        One (1) winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a digital copy of Life in the Lucky Zone by Patricia B. Tighe (INT)

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Wednesday 6 April 2016

Book Review: FEAR MY MORTALITY by Everly Frost #month9squad




Fear My Mortality by Everly Frost
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books


In a world where people are invulnerable to illness and death, with lives spanning hundreds of years, a sixteen-year-old becomes witness to the impossible – her brother’s failure to regenerate after death after which she suspects that she too may be mortal.


Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks








Oh, where do I start. I was instantly sucked in from the first paragraph (you can read it on Amazon = no spoilers here). I mean, seriously, a kid gets hit by a car an no one really cares. In fact, even his own mother treats it like an inconvenience -- Uh, hello, son I'm gonna be late for work!


In the land of immortality first death is just a pain in the butt.

From there I was taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions. As Ava preps for her Implosion (a coming of age tradition where your parents *ahem* help you achieve first death) no one empathizes with her discomfort. I seriously felt for her, feeling antsier the closer the event came. And then just when I think things can't get more interesting...wham...what happens at Implosion? Well, I can't tell you, but I will say you'll never see it coming...


Fear My Mortality will keep you at the edge of your seat, with page turning excitement, and twists and turns you never saw coming. Ava is the perfect heroine, both vulnerable and caring, which makes her that much more important. Michael is the golden boy from school, driven by purpose and duty.

A 5 star fantastic YA read, I can't wait to read the sequel!

And don't worry, there's a little bit of romance for those of you interested...






Everly Frost wrote her first story when she was nine. She grew up in a country town, lived for a little while in Japan, and worked for several years in Canberra, Australia's capital city. Now, Everly lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband and two children. She doesn't speak Japanese so often anymore, has left the cold Canberra winters behind, but has never stopped writing.







 
·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Fear My Mortality by Everly Frost (INT)


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