Pretty Little Memoirs - a YA Book Blog

Where The Storyline Continues. . .

2014

Book Review: “TimeBomb” by Scott K. Andrews

*NO SPOILERS REVIEW*


Title: TimeBomb

Author: Scott K. Andrews

Published: October 9th, 2014

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Find the Author: Goodreads


I received this for review from Hodder for review. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.




New York City, 2141: Yojana Patel throws herself off a skyscraper, but never hits the ground.

Cornwall, 1640: gentle young Dora Predennick, newly come to Sweetclover Hall to work, discovers a badly-burnt woman at the bottom of a flight of stairs. When she reaches out to comfort the dying woman, she’s knocked unconscious, only to wake, centuries later, in empty laboratory room.

On a rainy night in present-day Cornwall, seventeen-year-old Kaz Cecka sneaks into the long-abandoned Sweetclover Hall, determined to secure a dry place to sleep. Instead he finds a frightened housemaid who believes Charles I is king and an angry girl who claims to come from the future.

Thrust into the centre of an adventure that spans millennia, Dora, Kaz and Jana must learn to harness powers they barely understand to escape not only villainous Lord Sweetclover but the forces of a fanatical army… all the while staying one step ahead of a mysterious woman known only as Quil.

Time travel novels are becoming something brand new on my shelf, not to mention already taking over so much space over the other genres. Scott K. Andrews novel is heavy on the time-travel – in an amazing way – and the time spaces that the book covers are propelled into the past and future at the strike of a match. So I was definitely eager to get started on a new thrilling adventure. 
There’s Jana, a girl from New York in 2141 who gets pulled to the present day after she jumps off the top of a skyscraper, Dora; a young servant who finds herself pulled forward in time when she tries to help a dying woman who is severely hurt at the place she works, and then there’s Kaz; a young boy that finds both of them where Dora works. They all have different outlooks on what the world is at their current “times” they existed, like who was king and what the future and past is. They wonder why they were drawn together, but soon find themselves delving deep into a complex and mysterious world. Knowing they can only do this together, they band together to uncover the truth of what brought them to the same time and why. 
TimeBomb was a fast-paced, astounding novel that races in time, weaving into mystery and what lies within time itself. As the first book in a trilogy (yay!), we aren’t given all the answers just yet so some things were left a little complex, but that’s what I love about it – there’s still so much to the story that is out there and I’m excited to learn what this means for the characters. My favourite character was Jana who stood out to me a little more than the other characters and I felt like I connected with her more than Dora or Kaz, although they were each in turn interesting and far from standard characters. TimeBomb was filled with enigmatic, thrilling parts and I wasn’t bored at all reading it – my attention was fixed on the rushes through time and the fast-paced action that followed. 
Overall, TimeBomb is a novel you don’t want to miss, time-travel fans. It’ll leave you wanting to race through time to read the whole trilogy before it’s out. 
       

Time-travel fans and dystopia fans will love this change of genre!


What did you think of TimeBomb?

Who was your favourite character?

Let me know in the comments!

happy reading!
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Book Review: “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars

Author: E. Lockhart

Published: May 13th, 2014

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Find the Author: Goodreads


I bought this myself and is in no way affiliated with any publisher. As always, my reviews are fair and un-bias.



A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Let me start off by saying that We Were Liars was one of the best books I read last year and probably one of the best I’ve ever read. It took me a while to get the words of just exactly how I felt before I could contemplate understanding the book itself. Anyone who’s read We Were Liars will know it’s one of those rare gems that just knock you off your feet in amazement – from the plot to the characters to the gorgeous setting – it was an all around spectacular that still has me in a little daze. 

Candace Sinclair Eastman is the narrator of the book. Every summer, she vacations to Beechwood, a private island that her Granddad owns. Her Aunts and Cousins all stay there, the whole summer a cool breeze of friendship, fun and times without a care. Candace’s family is rich to say the least, so each Aunt – daughters of Candace’s Grandfather – had their own house on Beechwood. Mirren, Johnny, Gat and Candace called themselves the liars, a theme that fitted each moment I witnessed how beautifully broken their friendship truly was. Gat was the only liar not related to Candace, the nephew of her Aunt Carrie’s boyfriend, which added the twisted, cracked and sweet love story that weaved it’s way into the novel. 

It’s true what everyone is saying – you’ll never guess how We Were Liars will end, no matter how you pick apart the chapters. The twist is brilliant and genius, and I’m pretty sure every other want-to-be writer out there wishes they had written this – just like I wish. Even as the summers pass between the chapters, the characters still drift from exciting to suspicious to broken and subsequently the story unfolds into something bigger than ever. We Were Liars never failed to keep my attention fixed on it’s wonderment and beautifully tragic ways. It’s hard to say much about the novel without giving away the twists and secrets you’ll so desperately want to keep to yourself and like E. Lockhart wrote in my signed copy my sister got me for Christmas (thank you, Sophie!), please lie about this book. So I’ll keep it short and sweet – mystery and alluringly fractured characters spin our simple summertime memories into something worth lying about and lying for. 

Five stars will never be enough. 

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS.

 What did you think of We Were Liars?

Did you think it was one of the best books of 2014?

Let me know in the comments!

Happy Reading!
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Book Blitz: “Breaking The Rules” by Katie McGarry {+Giveaway!}

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5) by Katie McGarry 
Release Date: 12/08/14
Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
A summer road trip changes
everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry.

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her
boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so… different. It
means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And
most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot,
smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything
— except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah’s more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he’d be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn… seriously epic.

Available for Pre-Order:

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 Books in the series:

 (covers linked to Goodreads)

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KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.


Author Links:

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From Echo’s Point of View
It’s like watching a horror film in slow motion. She tucks her hair behind her ears, gives Noah a hesitant smile and speaks. The girl is pretty—very pretty. I run my hand over the scars on my left arm. Sometimes I don’t understand why Noah’s with me. Especially when I’m so…

Noah answers the girl then motions at me with his chin. Both girls turn, and their faces fall. Noah waves. I wave back. Butterflies tumble in my stomach when he flashes his wicked grin.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:


happy reading!

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Book Review: “Lies We Tell Ourselves” by Robin Talley

Title: Lies We Tell Ourselves

Author: Robin Talley
Genre: Young Adult – Historical/Contemporary
Release Date: October 3rd, 2014
Published by: Mira Ink (UK)


★ I received this from Mira Ink in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. ★ 

It’s 1959. The battle for civil rights is raging. And it’s Sarah Dunbar’s first day of school, as one of the first black students at the previously all-white Jefferson High. 

 No one wants Sarah there. Not the Governor. Not the teachers. And certainly not the students – especially Linda Hairston, daughter of the town’s most ardent segregationist. Sarah and Linda have every reason to despise each other. But as a school project forces them to spend time together, the less their differences seem to matter.
And Sarah and Linda start to feel something they’ve never felt before. Something they’re both determined to ignore. Because it’s one thing to be frightened by the world around you – and another thing altogether when you’re terrified of what you feel inside.

I’ve never read a book anything like Lies We Tell Ourselves, so I was going into it without knowing what to expect, although from the glowing reviews on Goodreads, I had high expectations for Robin Talley’s writing. 

When Lies We Tell Ourselves begins, it’s 1959 and Sarah Dunbar will be one of the first people that isn’t white to attend Jefferson High. But in this time of the past, no one wants Sarah at the school. Not the students, teachers and Governor, want her there at all. Sarah is thrown into a battlefield of harsh backfire of her integration into the school and the taunting, hurtful words of those surrounding her. As a reader, I was along for the painful things Sarah had to go through and felt how distraught she was at everything happening in her world that resembled more of a whirlwind right now. 
But then, we have Linda. She’s the daughter of the town’s segregationist, popular among the students and couldn’t be further from Sarah’s world right now. At first when we see that Linda and Sarah don’t see eye to eye, it’s more of Linda’s fathers beliefs than her own judgement of Sarah. I felt like it was due to the world Linda had grown up in that she had fallen into a pattern where it seemed like it was okay not to like Sarah. But when school compels them to spend more time together, whatever was in the way of their friendship swiftly moves aside. But when their friendship develops into something else, something neither of them thought possible, they are thrown into another maze. 
Lies We Tell Ourselves was an eye-opening, spectacular book that far exceeded my expectations. Robin Talley wrote about events that no doubt had truth to them, with a gripping storyline and characters vivid and real. Overall, this book is simply unmissable. Although it was hard to relate to Sarah’s situation, I felt something for each character that stood out on the page to me, and in that way, it was truly memorable. Lies We Tell Ourselves deserves all the recognition it gets for being so exceptional.
Bonus Post:
Mira Ink have asked me to share a lie I tell myself, whether it be serious or just funny! So I got a little creative and…

P.S. Biggest Lie Ever. Sleep? What is sleep?

EVERYONE needs to read this.

Have you read Lies We Tell Ourselves?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #LiesWeTellOurselves



happy reading!

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Book Review: “Zac & Mia” by A. J. Betts

Title: Zac & Mia

Author: A. J. Betts
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary 
Release Date: July 24th, 2014
Published by: Text Publishing


I received this from Text Publishing in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

Winner of the 2012 Australian Text Prize
“When I was little I believed in Jesus and Santa, spontaneous combustion, and the Loch Ness monster. 
Now I believe in science, statistics, and antibiotics.” So says seventeen-year-old Zac Meier during a long, grueling leukemia treatment in Perth, Australia. A loud blast of Lady Gaga alerts him to the presence of Mia, the angry, not-at-all-stoic cancer patient in the room next door. 
Once released, the two near-strangers can’t forget each other, even as they desperately try to resume normal lives. The story of their mysterious connection drives this unflinchingly tough, tender novel told in two voices.

From the synopsis, Zac & Mia looked like the perfect book to make a reader feel something when they’re enveloped in the topics it covered within Zac and Mia’s relationship, so I was looking forward to getting wrapped up in their story.


Straight away, I got that The Fault In Our Stars vibe. It wasn’t a bad thing, it was actually reassuring that there was a book that crossed the similar topics that I already knew I loved, so Zac & Mia’s story felt that little bit extra personal to me. 
Our main characters; Zac and Mia, are quite unalike. I felt Zac was more understandable and likeable, and although I liked parts of Mia’s personality, she had an edge to her character that kept me from getting to know her completely. Zac and Mia meet in hospital, where they’re both cooped up. Zac is in the middle of cancer treatment when he meets the girl who moves into the room next door to him. 
Their bond is undeniably strong from the start – their differences don’t matter when they’re in this new friendship that Mia at first wasn’t sure she wanted to be in. But Zac, being the witty and charasmatic character he was, was her friend no matter what they were individually going through.
Zac & Mia’s tale is full of comedic lines, moments to tug on heartstrings and a plot that kept me hooked. It was fascinating, and I could tell that A. J. Betts had researched everything down to the small details. The friendship that she created was beautiful and it really stood out as the highlight of the novel. Even though romance wasn’t the sole focus, their bond was instead, and I think that was sweet and totally not forced like some relationships can be. The character development of Mia and Zac was gradual and I really feel like A. J. Betts did their story justice by the end. Although I would’ve loved to see Mia’s character open up a little more and we see beneath that edge of hers, I believe that Zac & Mia’s story was an inspiring, compelling novel of a true friendship. 


Zac’s moments, definitely. He was that kind of character that you can’t help but laugh with and understand. 

YA Contemporary readers for fans of books that tug on your heartstrings.

Have you read Zac & Mia?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #ZacAndMia


happy reading!

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Book Review: “Feathers And Flames” by Simona Pellegrini

Title: Feathers And Flames

Author: Simona Pellegrini
Genre: Young Adult – Fantasy/Paranormal
Release Date: August 5th, 2014
Published by: D’Angio Publishing

I received this from Simona Pellegrini in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

Seventeen-year-old Arianna is a kind of genius, with an insatiable appetite for science and a rational explanation for everything. 


How, then, could a ‘brainiac’ like her accept that she is in fact the Angel of Light, and is being hunted down by one of the Seven Princes of Darkness? 
Angels and fallen angels form an unlikely alliance to protect her and train her for the battle ahead; but no matter how hard they try, none can get past her rational barriers and make her fully commit. 
None of them except Keaghan Blake, the blue-eyed demon charged with her protection. Keaghan seems to be the only one with the power to tear down the fortress around Arianna’s heart and persuade her to take her rightful place in the fight against evil. But Keaghan isn’t just ‘any’ demon, and Arianna learns that getting close to him would have catastrophic consequences for her, and would jeopardise the entire mission. Then why can’t she stay away from him? The ‘brainiac’ knows what she ought to do. But will Arianna listen to her head, or will she fall into temptation?

Angels and especially Fallen Angels, are my Paranormal and Fantasy go-to read, whatever the story. So I was beyond thrilled to get the chance to read Feathers and Flames – from the enthralling synopsis to the gorgeous and dazzling cover – I was hooked.

Arianna is a smart, immediately engaging narrator, so much so that it’s hard not to be pulled into her story from the very first page. At first, we see Arianna out of her comfort zone at it ultimately makes her so relateable to real life people, seeing a character in another country or out of their comfortable territory. But when she’s back at school with her (incredible) friends; Megan, Kayla and Julian, Arianna is the self-confessed brainiac they know her to be. But there’s been something on her mind – the gorgeous stranger who she can’t seem to stop bumping into everywhere she goes – who has now turned up at her school too. His name is Keaghan Blake, blue-eyed and catching Arianna’s attention whenever he’s in the room. 
But suddenly, the strange things that have been happening to Arianna come to a halt when she’s thrown head first into a battle she never thought in her wildest dreams could have existed – especially when she is the key to everything. Now, everything is clearer in a way, but perplexing in another. She’s torn between who she was destined to become and having the will and strength to fight the evil that is coming her – and her friends – way. Especially when she isn’t sure where her feelings for Keaghan fit into everything, and if he feels the same way about her that she did for him.
Feathers and Flames is without a doubt, an alluring, enchanting and fascinating novel. Simona created a world where Angels, Demons and Fallen Angels exist, where friends are our saviours and love is like a chaos filled battlefield. I completely adored Arianna and Keaghan and it’s so rare to care for the other characters in the books like Arianna’s friends as much as I did, too. There wasn’t a moment when I could tear myself away from the pages once I was reeled in to their mystifying and compelling world. 
Overall, Feathers and Flames is an angelic and irresistible novel that has to be one of the best I’ve read all year. If you haven’t read it or added it to your to-read, you’re missing out on something magical. 

 All Arianna and Keaghan scenes! And I loved Bruna – she was an amazing character.

 Young Adult Fantasy and Paranormal readers! You need to read this.

Have you read Feathers and Flames?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #FeathersAndFlames


happy reading!

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Cover Reveal: Camryn Cross series by Brina Courtney {+ Giveaway!}

CAMRYN CROSS series
COVER REVEAL



RELEASE DATES:
October 20th, November 10th, November 24th


Camryn Cross is nothuman. But she doesn’t know what she is. Not yet.The world is fallingapart and her only escape is Camp Silverlake where she frequently stayed as achild. But Camryn’s summers weren’t filled with crafting and swimming, theywere spent learning combat skills and how to protect herself from the outsideworld.Now she must returnto Camp Silverlake to learn the truth, about who she is and she’ll discover thesecret hidden within her blood. A secret that could save them all.

ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS
TBR PILE: http://bit.ly/Camryn1


Camryn Cross is nothuman. But her best friend Kiley is.They’re stuck, theycan’t leave Silverlake without possibly being killed. Or Kiley could become oneof the Sick. She could die. But Silverlake isn’t safe for her either. The Cureddon’t want her there. The sickness could use her to mutate the virus again.
She could kill themall.Camryn could be thekey to saving them.
ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS
TBR PILE: http://bit.ly/Camryn2


Camryn Cross is nothuman. But she will fight to protect those who are.Kiley is her bestfriend. And now there’s Finn. Finn with his blue eyes, and his long eyelashes.Finn makes Camryn’s heart stop. She has to decide to not stop for him though.The Sick are coming and if they get inside the walls of Silverlake war will beinevitable.Death is everywhere.

ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS
TBR PILE: http://bit.ly/Camryn3





ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brina Courtney is a
young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies.
She’s spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school
cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and
two very loud, small dogs. You can find her on her website,
http://brinacourtney.blogspot.com/ or on Twitter, @brinacourtney.

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Amazon

Don’t those covers look amazing?!

happy reading!

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Book Review: “Oh Yeah, Audrey!” by Tucker Shaw

+ Minor plot references, no major spoilers +

Title: Oh Yeah, Audrey!

Author: Tucker Shaw
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary 
Release Date: October 14th, 2014
Published by: Abrams and Chronicle / Amulet


I received this from Abrams and Chronicle / Amulet in exchange for an honest review. As always, my reviews are fair and non-bias. 

It’s 5:00 a.m. on Fifth Avenue, and 16-year-old Gemma Beasley is standing in front of Tiffany & Co. wearing the perfect black dress with her coffee in hand—just like Holly Golightly. 
As the cofounder of a successful Tumblr blog—Oh Yeah Audrey!—devoted to all things Audrey Hepburn, Gemma has traveled to New York in order to meet up with her fellow bloggers for the first time. She has meticulously planned out a 24-hour adventure in homage to Breakfast at Tiffany’s; however, her plans are derailed when a glamorous boy sweeps in and offers her the New York experience she’s always dreamed of. Gemma soon learns who her true friends are and that, sometimes, no matter where you go, you just end up finding yourself.Filled with hip and sparkling prose, Oh Yeah, Audrey! is as much a story of friendship as it is a love letter to New York, Audrey Hepburn, and the character she made famous: Holly Golightly.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of my favourite films of all time. I remember watching it with my Mum and loving it right away (the Cat scene was my favourite!). So when Abrams and Chronicle gave me the chance to read Oh Yeah, Audrey!, I was so excited to read all about Gemma’s story as well as how Audrey fitted into the story. 

Gemma Beasley was standing on Fifth Avenue in New York City outside Tiffany & Co at 5am, wearing the iconic black dress, holding coffee and feeling like Holly Golightly herself. But it’s not just a simple story of a girl who loved Audrey Hepburn – Oh Yeah, Audrey! was Gemma’s life. After her family were struck with a loss, Gemma threw herself into her Tumblr page, filled with all things Audrey Hepburn, and called it Oh Yeah, Audrey! She was devoted to it 100% and there wasn’t a day that she didn’t post something on the page. 
She wasn’t running away, per say, by going to New York without her father’s permission. She was merely being the Gemma that she wanted to be – not just the one she pretended to be. 
In New York, she’s ready to meet fellow Audrey and Holly Golightly fans from Oh Yeah, Audrey! A boy called Bryan; from what Gemma knows, he’s on the rich side, from California. And not forgetting Trina, who was one of my favourite characters by far. Her charismatic and unique characteristics and personality almost stole the spotlight from Gemma herself. Together, the three of them set off on a planned-down-to-the-small-details plan while they’re in the Big Apple, revolving around all things Audrey. But more than one familiar face appears on their journey, and one of them really takes Gemma by surprise. 
The guy who she might just really like. The one who could sweep her off her feet in a heartbeat. 
Oh Yeah, Audrey! isn’t just about Gemma’s journey. It’s about an unbreakable friendship that defies the “meeting people from online can’t be classed as real friends” theory. It’s about love, heartbreak, glamour and of course, Audrey Hepburn. It felt like more than just a book to me, too – like a beautiful, enthralling and magical tale set in the awe and dazzling backdrop of New York City. I can’t recommend Oh Yeah, Audrey! highly enough to anyone who has ever wanted that little bit more “spark” in their YA literature. And to quote my favourite word from the novel, Oh Yeah, Audrey! was incredible, dahling. 

Part 3 of the novel was by far my favourite! There are countless quotes by Bryan that were flawlessly written that made it into my favourites, too.

YA literature fans: Contemporary, Romance and everything in between!

(And all you Audrey Hepburn and Holly Golightly fans out there.)

Have you read Oh Yeah, Audrey!?


What did you think?


Tell me in the comments, on twitter or by using the hashtag #OhYeahAudrey


happy reading!

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(Release Day) Exclusive Excerpt: “First To Fall” by Carys Jones

Title: First To Fall

Author: Carys Jones  
Release Date: August 28th, 2014
Published by: Carina UK
Other Novels: Prime Deception, Sunkissed





Aiden Connelly’s first case will be one he’ll never forget.

 Lawyer Aiden Connelly has traded the frenzy of Chicago for a slower pace in sleepy Avalon – and his first case appears to be as open-and-shut as he could hope for. Hired to defend a local ex-beauty queen accused of murdering her husband, he’s confident that he’ll have the case closed in record time. But below the surface lurks a darker truth…

 Suddenly, a quiet backwater has transformed into a dangerous pressure cooker. In a town where everyone knows everyone, gathering evidence should be easy… but the harder Aiden searches, the more he appreciates how tangled this net of loyalties is. And as he digs deeper, Aiden begins to realise that his very first case in Avalon could be the beginning of his undoing…

Despite being surrounded by
luscious acres of green grass none grew within the walls of the immense prison.
Aiden wondered if this was a result of all the electrical fencing, or if nature
just knew that she was not welcome here. This was a place for those who did not
deserve to hear the sweet lullaby of birdsong, or breathe in the luscious scent
of a blooming flower. Here, the condemned were at the last outpost before hell,
but no doubt many felt like they were already there. Whilst from a distance
Eastham looked impressive, once inside you realized just how imposing a
structure can really be. Aiden had only just arrived but was already looking
forward to being able to drive away.
 ‘Freedom’, he mused to
himself, ‘is much too underrated’.
 Inside was not much better.
The air felt decidedly cooler and the indifferent grey of the stone had crept
along the interior walls in the form of paint. Green doors, though the colour
of baby sick, were a welcome break from the dismal decorating. Aiden was led
along countless corridors, his footsteps echoing on the plastic tiled floors.
He was ushered through so many security gates that he began to worry if he was
ever going to be able to get back out.
 ‘Prisoner 929 is in maximum
security.’ The burly female guard had told him when he had finally made it to
reception, her voice monotonous as if she had forgotten how to express emotion.
He was currently being led by another, equally ample female form, down a
labyrinth of corridors. His palms were sweaty and his attempts to make small
talk had not even been acknowledged. The women who worked there were tough; he
supposed that they had to be. But no matter how tough they were, he knew that
they would be no match for what lay behind the locked doors which they were now
passing by. Aiden had expected hands grasping through railings, voices crying
out their innocence, but all was quiet. Those cells he passed where you could
see in, the lone occupants were sat, sometimes reading, sometimes just staring
into space; none so much as fluttered an eyelid as he clomped past.
 Finally he was motioned
into a small room where one wall was made entirely of Perspex glass. Beyond the
glass, there was a lone chair facing him which was flanked by two guards. On
Aiden’s side of the glass there was a basic desk and a plastic chair.
 ‘929 will be with you
shortly’, the woman told him. ‘I’ll wait for you outside.’ Aiden nodded and thanked
her but she was already gone before the words had even left his mouth. He moved
the chair and positioned himself opposite the other currently vacant chair.
Placing his briefcase on the desk he took out a Dictaphone and a notebook. He
had no idea what to expect from Prisoner 929. 



Carys Jones loves nothing more than to write and create stories which ignite the reader’s imagination. Based in Shropshire, England, Carys lives with her husband, two guinea pigs and her adored canine companion Rollo. 


When she’s not writing, Carys likes to indulge her inner geek by watching science- fiction films or playing video games. 


She lists John Green, Jodi Picoult and Virginia Andrews as her favorite authors and draws inspiration for her own work from anything and everything. 


To Carys, there is no greater feeling then when you lose yourself in a great story and it is that feeling of ultimate escapism which she tries to bring to her books.


For more information about Carys please visit www.carys-jones.com or follow her on Twitter; @tiny_dancer85

How amazing does First To Fall sound?! 

happy reading!

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Cover Reveal: “AlibiZ” by Karice Bolton


 Synopsis:
AlibiZ by Karice Bolton
(Afterworld #2)
Publication date: October 2014
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic

 Rebekah vows to expose the truth behind the RecruitZ that are killing the innocents. These creatures must be stopped, but so should the people controlling them. When Rebekah uncovers who is behind the uprisings, her own life becomes in danger.

 Rebekah knows that she is not alone in this fight but vengeance alone won’t help her and the others to victory. Forced to build a battalion with the very creatures she needs to destroy, it is up to her to uncover the truth for the public before the world is turned over to an elite few.

 Regardless of what may happen to her, she knows it’s a race against time to destroy these creatures and the monsters controlling them before there is no one left worth saving.

GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO

Karice received an MFA in Creative Writing from the U of W. She has written fifteen novels and has several exciting projects in the works. Karice lives with her husband and two English Bulldogs in rainy Washington.

Books currently available:
Luke Fletcher Series: Hidden Sins (Book 1), Buried Sins (Book 2) – coming soon
Beyond Love Series: Beyond Control (Book 1) Beyond Doubt (Book 2) Beyond Reason (Book 3) Beyond Intent (Book 4) Beyond Chance, Beyond Promise, and Beyond the Mistletoe coming soon
Afterworld Series: RecruitZ (Book 1) AlibiZ (Book 2) – October 2014
The Witch Avenue Series: Lonely Souls (Book 1), Altered Souls (Book 2), Released Souls (Book 3) Shattered Souls (Book 4)
The Watchers Trilogy: Awakening (Book 1), Legions (Book 2), Cataclysm (Book 3), Taken Novella (Watchers Prequel)
The Camp


Karice’s new novel sounds amazing as usual!

happy reading!

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Book Blitz: “Dead Girl Walking” by Ruth Silver (+Giveaway!)


Welcome to Ruth Silver’s Dead Girl Walking promo tour hosted by Itching for Books.

20749515

Genre: YA Paranormal

Release date: April 25th 2014


Series: Royal Reaper #1

Publisher: Patchwork Press
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:



Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she’s brutally murdered.




Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.












Ruth Silver
Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of Aberrant. The Young Adult/New Adult Romantic Dystopian Adventure, Aberrant is the first in a trilogy, released April 17th, 2013. Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA/NA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She also enjoys photography, traveling and of most of all writing.





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GUEST POST
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Casmerelda, The Black Plague, and How a World was Born 

I began with an idea for a story. Isn’t that normally how books are written? I loved the series Dead Like Me on Showtime. It was on from 2003 to 2004. Way too short a lifespan for a fabulous show. So I got to thinking, I haven’t read any books about grim reapers and certainly not any that were geared to a teen audience, quirky, and different. That was the thing about Dead Like Me, it was different. It was humorous, light-hearted, had a love story mixed in, and had characters you were rooting for the entire way through. 

As I was beginning to let my story take shape, I wanted something that went beyond reapers and pushed the boundaries into something fantastical. A mix of paranormal and fantasy. The princess idea was born. 

I didn’t want my main character, Princess Ophelia to solely be a princess from our current land, there had to be more. So, the initial plot took place in the 1400’s, specifically 1346 when the Black Plague spread along the Silk Road. What better way to kill off massive amounts of people than let a virulent disease do it? 

Complication: There were no monarchies (no princesses) where the story was taking place. At least not in that time period. Which obviously made things difficult. Either pull the novel away from historical fantasy or get the facts right. 

I tugged with the idea of how to make it historically accurate, and then decided the language would have to match. I didn’t like the sound of, “You’re going to kill my beau.” I preferred it read “boyfriend.” That was just one instance, there were several language issues and I strongly felt the story would be better set in a fantasy world that parallels our history. Casmerelda was born.





EXCERPT
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“Listen, kid, I don’t care what you believe in. It’s not for me to say what’s true and untrue, real or unreal. My assignment was you. You get to be one of us, if you want it. Otherwise, you move on, life is over, kaput.” 
Ophelia backed away from the stranger. For the first time, she realized she didn’t feel cold and wasn’t shivering. Is this what being dead was like? “One of you?” 
“A grim reaper.” He held out his hand to properly introduce himself. “Edon Montgomery, head reaper and old soul.”









happy reading!

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