Waiting On Wednesday: Week of August 1st, 2012

Prophecy (Prophecy #1)

by Ellen Oh 

.The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: January 2nd 2013 by HarperTeen

Dualed (Dualed #1)

by Elsie Chapman (Goodreads Author)

.Would you live through the ultimate test of survival?

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Elsie Chapman’s suspenseful YA debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.

Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: February 26th 2013 by Random House

Review♥Excerpt♥Giveaway: Vestige by Deb Hanrahan

Vestige (Vestige #1) 

Urban Fantasy / Horror

Title: Vestige

Author: Deb Hanrahan

Date Published: 6/13/2012

Synopsis:

.EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM

Civil Authorities have issued a Civil Danger Notification Until Further Notice.

The following message is being transmitted by the request of The United States Government. An unknown number of citizens have gone missing. Authorities are trying to locate the missing persons. Residents are asked to stay in their homes. If you must go out, do not travel alone and carry proper identification.

Please do not call 911 to report missing persons. Emergency Call Centers and local law enforcement agencies are no longer fully staffed. The United States Military has been dispatched to assist local authorities.

This notification applies to all receiving this broadcast. Please stand by for further instructions.
_________________________________________________

In the Midwestern suburb of LaGrange, something is amiss. Over a twenty-four-hour period, all the children under the age of thirteen along with many adults have disappeared without explanation. It doesn’t take long for those left behind to learn that this tragedy is part of a global event. As people panic, civilization begins to crumble. Luckily, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Daniel Grimshaw, has a plan to restore order. But first, every remaining person must be accounted for and tagged with a mark on their right hand.

Unaware of his responsibilities, seventeen-year-old Micah has been preparing for this day. His mother trained him and provided him with the proper tools, but she neglected to tell Micah about the family legacy, his legacy. Now that his mother is among the missing, will Micah ever discover who he is, or what he needs to do to save what’s left of humanity from the hellfire of perdition?

Vestige is the first book in a two book series.

Paperback, first, 260 pages

Published June 25th 2012 by Philyra Publishing (first published June 1st 2012)

Cover Reveal: Options by Abbi Glines

Today I have a cover reveal for the YA urban fantasy, OPTIONS, by Abbi Glines The cover was designed by Stephanie Mooney from Mooney Designs.  The expected release date is February 5, 2013. This is the first book in a new trilogy.

Goodreads | Website

Book description:

Two paths.

Two completely different roads.

Each one standing before me.

Each one holding a different destiny.

 

In life you're just supposed to choose one path.  

In life you're not given the chance at choosing one specific future.

 

Until now.

Until me. 

 

Why am I different? I don't know. But I'm going to see those roads and walk down each one. When it's over I'll know which one to choose because I'll know my - options.

Now! Time for the reveal!

Cover Reveal: Rua by Miranda Kavi

Book Details:

Rua by Miranda Kavi

Expected Pub: September 3, 2012

A girl with an unknown destiny. 

A boy from a hidden world. 

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets. 

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window. 

He knows what she is . . . 

Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist. 

Now for the cover!

Summer Giveaway Hop

2nd Annual Summer Giveaway Hop

Hosted by I Am A Reader Not a Writer

Co-Hosted by Mary from BookHounds &; Forever Young (adult).

Enter to win one of the books below. 

   

   

  

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen | Endlessly by Kiersten White | Something Strange & Deadly by Susan Dennard | Enshadowed (Nevermore #2) by Kelly Kreagh | The Kill Order (Maze Runner #4) by James Dashner | Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama | Courtship & Curses by Marissa Doyle |The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long | Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard | Blood Fever by Veronica Wolff | Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel | Nevermore (The final Maximum Ride novel) by James Patterson

Review♥Excerpt♥Giveaway: The Doorknob Society by MJ Fletcher

YA Urban Fantasy

Title: The Doorknob Society

Author: M.J. Fletcher

Date Published: February 9, 2012

Synopsis: 

Chloe Masters’s world changes in a heartbeat and all she did was touch a doorknob. 

When she was young Chloe’s mother vanished. Wracked by feelings of abandonment and anger she lost herself traveling with her father’s magic act, where illusions were part of her everyday life. Yet everything changes when they are pursued by a mysterious man in black out to kill her father. Touching a doorknob activates abilities she never knew she had and she finds herself thrust into a world of ancient societies and secrets.

When her father disappears it is a race against time to find answers before she loses whats left of her family. Now Chloe must choose who to trust, the man who will do anything for her or the one she can’t stop thinking about.

Guest Post♥Giveaway: Traitor by Megan Curd

Some of you might have seen my post about the cover reveal of the new cover for Traitor by Megan Curd a few weeks ago. Well today, I have a guest post and giveaway for you guys! :) Enjoy!

Goodreads | Amazon Print | Amazon Kindle

Traitor Book #2 in the Bridger Series

Ashlyn never believed in fairy tales until she was in one. 

They say ignorance is bliss, but not when you're on a centuries old hit list...and there's a traitor in your midst. 

Ashlyn must decide what's most important: trusting the allies she has, or siding with those she thought were enemies. Ashlyn knows old friends can turn on her, and unlikely allies may be the best chance she has to piece her family back together. No matter what her choice, she could lose someone she loves. 

And when you don't know who to trust, believe one thing: You can never trust a faerie. 

Guest Post:

FACTS about Bridger Series

1. Bridger’s folklore was found by Googling “Cool Legends.” I found the Irish folklore and loved it, and as they say, the rest is history.
2. A reader contacted me and told me that they named their daughter after Ashlyn this year! I even had the chance to meet the little Ashlyn. 

Week 5 with SpineBenders: Favourite Genres + Books Within the Genre

Welcome back guys! It had been another week! This week our topic is favourtie genre and the books within that genre.

Wanna know our favourite genre? Look no further :) Here we go!

Review: Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.
     As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?
     Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

Hardcover, 511 pages

Published March 6th 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provided me a finished copy for my honest review. THANK YOU GUYS SO VERY MUCH!

Review:

Review+Excerpt: Dangerous Past by A. F. Ebbers

Suspense / Thriller

Title: Dangerous Past

Author: A.F. Ebbers

Date Published: 9/11/12 - ebook version

Synopsis: 

Airline Captain Frank Braden and his wife Nicole are suddenly stalked by professional assassins who have a deadline to make their deaths look like an accident or a suicide. And the couple doesn't know why they are being targeted. They don't realize that they stand in the way of a deadly conspiracy. Little by little they are pulled into a dangerous web of intrigue by a murderous criminal network that deceptvely offers the pilot his wife's life if he will concede to their demands. This is a thriller that rocks the highest levels of Washington.

Excerpt from Hacienda Moon by KaSonndra Leigh

Gothic Romance


Date Published: July 28
Love, obsession, and betrayal, the most powerful human emotions, are spun together in this gothic novel. Tandie Harrison is a police medium who has just suffered a divorce after losing both her psychic visions and her daughter in a car accident. When she leaves New York City to start a new life near her hometown, she moves into the alluring plantation house, Chelby Rose, and falls for its charismatic caretaker, Eric Fontalvo. Their burgeoning affair ignites a centuries old curse, ensnaring them in a web of danger, deceit, and intrigue. Soon Tandie learns that in placid Bolivia, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected.

Hacienda Moon is a seductive tale of one woman’s journey to confront the demons of her past and find the courage to face her future. It is a mesmerizing novel that explores the deepest depths of human nature, and the characters will hold and haunt you long after you have read the final chapter.

Excerpt #1

Crowds, noise, loudspeakers, coffee smells: words that described Raleigh-Durham’s airport. There wasn’t much difference between New York’s JFK and North Carolina’s RDU. The noise and crowds were all the same in these places. An airport was still just another way of transporting someone from one life-changing situation to the next. And Tandie’s journey was about to begin again in a small town located about twenty minutes away from where she grew up.

Olympic Celebration Giveaway! (INT)

Okay, so the London 2012 Olympic officially started! Woot! If you know me, I am a HUGE Olympic fan! The Olympics created so many amazing memories for me. And if you saw the opening ceremony, you saw there was a section dedicated to children literature, awesome right?! So to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic, I have a giveaway!

Here is the catch!

The book you choose have to be written by a Great Britain writer or it have to be Olympic related or London related books.

Here are some suggestions:

One of my fav books of all time!

• Giveaway is International as long as book depository ships to you.
• Must be at least 18 to enter (or 13 and up with parent permission)
• One entry per person
• Winner will be selected via rafflecoptor and contacted through email. 
• The winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected.
• Just fill out the rafflecopter below for entry!
• The length of the giveaway may be subject to change.

Stacking the Shelves #13

Review: Circus Summer by Kailin Gow

Circus Summer (Circus of Curiosities Book #1) by Kailin Gow is a YA Dystopian Fantasy -

Releases July 2, 2012

In post-apocalypse America, every season, the Circus of Curiosities visits the city, bringing with it the most fantastic circus acts that are beautiful, majestic, curious, and death-defying. Every season performers for these acts are chosen from the young men and women in each town, trained, and sent to perform in a live grand performance, performed literally to the death. Two performers from Sea Cliff, a beach town at the outskirts of The Center find themselves chosen to be in this Summer's Circus Act. Both must win at any cost, but could they ignore their feelings for each other? Leela Sinclair needs to win in order to get to The Center where she can get medical help from the best physicians for her ailing mother, plague with a condition no one have heard of. For Zachary Nile, his reasons for becoming a performer at the Circus is more mysterious.  Only the ringmaster and the Circus of Curiosities owner Dex Hightower (Dr. Dex) knows what the touring Circus is really about amidst the magic and splendor.  Despite the Great War and the poverty surrounding the land except for the towns fortunate enough to be near the Center, Dr. Dex and the Circus performers all know, "The show must go on."

Mythology: Guest Post by Sheenah Freitas

Today I have a special guest post from one of my best friends, Sheenah Freitas! Sheenah is the author of Zincian Legend Series and also Musings from Yesteryear. Sheenah and I bonded over anime with our fangirling passion :) And she was surprised that she was able to keep anime out of this guest post about mythology. Oh yes! Before you guys get to the guest post, here is a treat! You guys can download the first three chapters of The Chosen (Zincian Legend #1), just click the beautiful gif below! It is free!

Now without further adieu, a guest post by Sheenah on mythology!

Mythology. A body or collection of myths belonging to a people and addressing their history, deities, ancestors, and heroes. That definition spans every culture. Contrary to popular belief, Greek and Romans aren’t the only people who worshipped a pantheon of gods. With the popularity of Thor and The Avengers, most people are becoming aware of Norse mythology and I sense that we’ll be seeing a plethora of Norse mythological novels sometime in the near future. For thousands of years, people have been fascinated with the gods. Maybe it’s because they’re all powerful. Maybe it’s because despite their power, they suffer from human flaws.

Week 4 with SpineBenders: Top 10 Books

This week on SpineBenders, we had to pick our top 10 books of all time. Haha, trust me, these videos were hard make.

Waiting On Wednesday: Week of July 25, 2012

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Cover Reveal♥Giveaway: Red Dawn by J. J. Bonds

When Katia enrolled at Crossroads Academy she knew things weren’t exactly going to be easy. The sole heir to the worlds’ most powerful vampire, her presence was bound to cause a stir. But nothing could have prepared her for this. Whispers follow everywhere she goes. So does trouble.

Bodies start turning up in nearby Rutland and Katia is sucked into a twisted web of danger and deceit. Haunted by nightmares she can’t explain and a thirst for blood that is never sated, Katia will do whatever it takes to keep her past buried. 

Nothing at Crossroads is what it seems and Katia’s secrets may be the darkest of them all.

Author Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Now for the cover reveal!

Guest Post: Marissa Carmel, Author of iFeel

Lust. Anger. Hate. Desire. Love. Happiness. Joy. iFeel. Liv Christianni is isolated, alone, tortured and withdrawn, saddled with the torrential downpour of the world’s emotions. Accepting of her providence Liv has lost all hope, until one day fate steps in and spins the course of her life like a spiraling top. Hunted by a Spirit Stalker, Liv is forced to gain control of herself and her surroundings, threatened by the touch of her immortal love; she must find a way to survive both physically and emotionally as her reality is shaken up like dice on a Craps table. Can she find the courage to accept her true self? Can she love unconditionally cognizant of the condemning consequences? Can she rise from the ashes to become the person she was always meant to be? Funny, witty, real, and poignant, iFeel rips into your soul, and sets your emotions on fire. If you are a fan of Charmed or Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries or The Secret Circle this series is for you!

You plan, God laughs.  This is the story of my life.

Review♥Excerpt♥Giveaway: Tyler Falls by Lori L. Clark

Young Adult Contemporary

Title: Tyler Falls

Author: Lori L. Clark

Date Published: 5/25/12

Synopsis: 

Tyler has suffered from manic depression for as long as he can remember. Through medication and therapy, he manages to keep his life together. But when his parents are murdered, he decides he's had enough of living as a broken person with a broken life. So, in thirty days, he plans to stick the barrel of his Ruger SP101 into his mouth and pull the trigger.

Emma Perez's brother, Ethan Giovanni, sits in a mental institution for the murder of Dr. and Mrs. Falls. Deemed mentally incompetent and unfit to stand trial, Ethan has one weekly visitor -- Emma. She doesn't deny his guilt, he's her brother and she loves him spite of the fact he's paranoid schizophrenic.

They say when you cross paths with someone more than once, it's fate -- you're destined to meet. Tyler doesn't know Emma is Ethan's sister, and Emma doesn't know Tyler's story either. When Tyler learns who Emma's brother is, the world he's rebuilt around her begins to crumble all over again and it leaves both of them wondering why fate has such a cruel sense of humor.

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

Tyler

My name is Tyler Jacob Falls and I have exactly thirty days to live.

The special school I attend -- not short bus special -- and my shrink Dr. Dynerbaugh think talking about my problems will be great therapy, part of my healing process. She wants me to open up and share my thoughts and feelings more. Dr. Dynerbaugh even gave me a journal to write in, but I don't plan on using it. I've got news for her; there are more pages in that empty journal than I have days left.

Stacking the Shelves #12 + Giveaway

Stacking the Shelves was created by Tynga's Reviews, and it was inspired my The Story Siren's In My Mailbox.

For Review:

Heirs of Prophecy by Michael A. Rothman (for upcoming blog tour)

Dream Bound by Kate Douglas (from the lovely Kensington Books)

Cold Fury by T. M. Goeglein (from the awesome, awesome Penguin Canada)

Won:

[Tour Stop: Excerpt] Fall for You by Cecilia Gray

Series: The Jane Austen Academy

Series Trailer:

Series Blurb

The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is hot guys to flirt with. But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And it’s about to turn the Academy—and the lives of its students—totally upside down… 

Book #1 Title: Fall For You: A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice

Fall For You Blurb

To say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century. He’s a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She’s a driven study-a-holic barely keeping up with tuition. It’s obvious that Dante thinks he’s way too good for Lizzie. And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for pushing her buttons.

But things are changing fast this year at the Academy. And when Lizzie’s quest to stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it, she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets… Secrets Lizzie can’t seem to leave alone, no matter how hard she tries…

Review: Huntress by Malinda Lo

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance. To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever. The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

Paperback, 416 pages


Published June 12th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 

Interview♥Giveaway with Tracey Garvis Graves, Author of On the Island

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Author’s website | Facebook | Twitter: @tgarvisgraves

Today I am honour enough to have Tracey Garvis Graves, the author of On the Island here on FireStarBooks for an interview. Enjoy!

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I started out as a reader. As a child, my nose was always buried in a book and my friends teased me for using “big words” all the time. I always chose books above my reading level so some of those words naturally found their way into my vocabulary. If you ask my best friends they’ll tell you they always knew I’d write a book someday, but I’m not sure *I* knew it.

I attended the University of Iowa my freshman and sophomore years of college, and I had the opportunity to take a fiction writing class taught by a member of the Iowa writer’s workshop. I loved that class. I took another fiction writing class at the small liberal arts college I transferred to in Des Moines (where I ultimately obtained a business degree that I’ve never used). The instructor wrote a comment on one of my short stories that said: “If you keep writing, I really think you will be published someday.” I still have that short story with her handwritten note.

I didn’t start to think seriously about writing a novel until I’d been blogging for a couple years. It was on my bucket list and I decided it was time to just go for it. I’d never written anything longer than a blog post or short story, but I decided