Final Life!!

Review Of Final Life:   Let me first say that I was really intrigued by this book by  the description, but the description leaves out so much of the awesomeness that awaits you when you pick this book up and read it!  The characters in the book were fantastic.  There was a great variety of personalities that meshed well within the whole scope of the story, and if there is one thing I love in a book, it is well rounded characters.  I really liked the character of Dominique, I thought she was an endearing and likable heroine who you really root for in her discovery of surviving her "final" life.  I thought the idea that each soul gets nine lives is really interesting and I am looking forward to learning more about it in the next book!  But, I must say that my favorite character in this book was Infiniti.  Her character is super awesome and turns out to be a wonderful and true friend!  I am so excited that we will be seeing more of her in the future as I learned from Rose!

The story itself was very fast paced and you definitely get sucked into the world that Rose Garcia has created.  I love the merging of the paranormal as well as sic-fi and think that the marriage of these two was done extremely well!  As for the romance in the plot, a love triangle does form, but it isn't over angsty and I feel that it ends the right way at this point in time in the series (but that's just my opinion!). The conflict of good and evil in the book turns into quite the battle, and Dominique truly grows as a character and heroine.

Overall, this was a great read and I highly recommend it!  A great debut for Rose Garcia, and I cannot wait to see more from her as well as the rest of the series!

Character Bio for Infiniti Clausman
Final Life by Rose Garcia

Sarah Hyland as Infiniti Clausman

Eyes: big and brown
Hair: long, wavy, black
Height: five feet (with shoes on)
Body: tiny and petite
Personality type: laid back, easy going, a total free spirit
Favorite Foods: Hot Cheetos, Twinkies, Hostess cupcakes (downed by a can of Root Beer)
Favorite Color: purple, also loves tie-dye
Bad Habits: smokes pot (claims it’s for her ADHD), eats too much junk food, can’t keep a secret
Hobbies: all things supernatural (Tarot cards, Ouija boards), hanging with friends, throwing parties

When Dominique moves from Houston to Michigan during senior year, she’s not only pissed, but she feels all alone until she meets Infiniti Clausman—a girl who lives down the street and goes to the same school. Infiniti takes Dominique under her wing right away because Infiniti knows what it’s like to be the new girl. Plus, Infiniti is friendly, open, and always ready to hang out and have fun. When Dominique goes over to Infiniti’s for a party, they end up using Infiniti’s new tarot-like cards, and that’s when freaky stuff starts happening to Dominique. As for Infiniti, she’s clueless about what’s going on but remains the constant friend who stays by Dominique’s side. All in all, Infiniti rocks—and throws awesome parties!

Book Blurb:

A Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Book one in the Transhuman Chronicles

Eight lives. You'd think Dominique would get it right, but she's failed every time. Now on her final life, Dominique must discover the secrets of her past before confronting the Transhuman hunter who wants to kill her for the last time. Farrell, a mysterious Transhuman protector, and Trent, a hot guy from school, want to help. But it's up to her to get it right.

Author Info:

Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who’s always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about otherworlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently, she’s been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Fueled by her imagination, she created The Transhuman Chronicles—a series of books about people who have overcome human limitations. The first in this series is Final Life. Between juggling family life with her husband and two kids, Rose is working on the companion to Final Life. So stay tuned!

Links :

My Website
My Facebook
My Twitter
My Goodreads

Derailed Review!

If you don't know about Alyssa Rose Ivy and her awesome writing skills, please read this! She so kindly sent me an arc of her new contemporary romance Derailed, and it is wonderful.  I was really excited when I first read the blurb a few weeks ago, because it just sounded like it would be a really engrossing story, and boy was it.  Have you ever read one of those books that just sends you through an emotional cleanse?  This book is definitely one of those books.

We are first introduced to Molly as she packs up and leaves law school leaving tire marks on the Boston roads as she squeals out of there so fast.   Molly is carrying a lot on her shoulders, and the only way she feels like she can regroup is to go back to her home town.  But, going back home also means that she has to face the past and a love that she tried to forget.  Molly carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, and we really see what it means to cope with grief and guilt through her journey.  Alyssa writes her characters powerfully and ultimately exhibits that we all make mistakes, but we can also have  a chance to make it right again, and the power of finding your home and returning to the root of who you are.

The story was beautifully written, and I hope she writes more in this genre!  I know that I have read a good book, when after I have finished, it stays with me the whole day.  I had to return to certain parts just to relive what was happening at that moment in the book.  I'm so happy that I got to abate my hunger a little early and read this book.  I HIGHLY recommend this one!   It comes out on September 26th so please make sure you go pick this one up!

Derailed Blurb

When you're lost, sometimes the only place you can go is home.

Broken over the death of her fiancé, Molly leaves law school to return to her childhood home in North Carolina. Expecting to lay low until she can figure out what else to do with her life, she finds herself in the arms of her high school sweetheart, the boy who represents everything from the past she tried to leave behind.

Looking for an escape, she instead finds a way back to the girl she almost forgot existed and a future she never dreamed possible.

REVOLUTION

     Hey everyone!   So today's tour stop is so exciting for me, and the reason for that is because I got to  interview Shelly Crane, and do a review for the final book in the Collide Series. I seriously love this author, not only is she a fantastic writer, but she is sooooo nice.  There's this button floating around online that says authors are my rockstars, and I could not begin to describe how trie that is, because Shelly Crane is a rock star!   It's pretty crazy for me to have discovered Shelly's work almost a year ago, and not ever imagine I would get to do something like this for one of her books!  So, enough fan-girling, let's get dow to REVOLUTION!

     Oh. My. Gosh.  Seriously.  I don't even know what to do with my life right now.  The Collide series has come to a close, and I am left breathless.  It was fantastic.  Seriously, it was a fantastic ending to a crazy ride of a series.  I'm going to keep this non-spoilery so forgive me for my overarching non descriptive rave. Ok, first thing is first.  Sherry and Merrick, I could not get enough of them.  They have grown so much as characters throughout the series, together and separately, and I could not be more amazed at what they have gone through/ will go through in this coming book.  Also, while we didn't get to know Riley too terribly much in the last book, I am happy to report that we see a lot of her and a certain Aussie (who I adore and you get to know more about later in this post!).  Let me say, this book is action packed.  Shelly literally keeps us on our toes in the final installment, and puts us through the ringer at certain parts!  It was also nice to meet some more new characters that didn't seem out of place in the already established group dynamic.  Plus, we see some appearances of people who may not be necessarily around any more.
I really liked how we saw pretty much everyone getting in on the action in this book too.  I know it is probably really hard to have all of these characters with their own nuances and personalities, but I think that creating a bunch of multidimensional characters is something that Shelly nails.  I can not say enough wonderful things about the conclusion to this series, and it's always hard saying good bye to characters that you have become emotionally invested in, but this book was a completely fitting end to a fantastic series.  I wholly recommend it and would love to discuss with anyone!

An Interview With the Fabulous Shelly Crane!

Shelly, thanks so much for stopping in at my blog for an interview about your final book in the Collide series: Revolution!

So, after writing all of these books for your Collide series, how do you feel you have changed as an author throughout the progression of these four books?

Oh, boy. Well, I definitely think there's been some…improvements  If a writer can't grow as she progresses with each book, then I think she needs to reevaluate! I can see a difference with my wording and definitely my editing! I've never claimed to be a master of either, but I can tell that my mind seems to pay attention more to the little things as I write. And I always wondered when the ideas would run out. I thought once the series was over, I'd struggle to come up with something else, but the opposite has happened. I have SO many books ideas, I'm struggling with picking which one to write next!

Out of all your characters in the series, who do you admire most and who are you most like?

I most admire Miguel. His story about losing his wife was so hard to write. Poor guy went through a lot before they had a chance to breathe for a minute and he's still so happy go lucky. He's funny and just anything goes with him. Some people can't pull that off, but I love to write scenes for him.

And I'm definitely like Sherry. I think I may have subconsciously written her as me!  I never intended to publish Collide, so I never really thought about it, but I've had a few people tell me that she is me. That's totally fine! I adore her (I hope I can say that without sounding egotistical). She's just so laid back about the small things and all up in arms about the big things! Some of the things she's dealt with, so have I.

While writing Revolution, did you have any “moments” while or after you were writing it?

Absolutely. I'm still finishing up the book so I'm having 'moments' as we speak. It is SO hard to let go! This was my first book! My first series. When I type "The End" on this book, I have no doubt I'll feel a mix of sad and happy. In fact, I'm tearing up just thinking about it. 

What character's perspective was most fun to write from?

Merrick!! I love to be in his head. He was clueless in the beginning and as the series progressed, he's evolved into this yummy, sweet guy that I'm really going to miss. The way he feels about Sherry and his family, he's just all in and I love it when he gets all "Papa bear" on people!

What inspired you to write the Collide Series, and did you always know it would be four books?

Well, I had a Matrix type dream. As you can see the series is nothing like the Matrix! So my dream is kind of moot I guess. And in honesty (Please don't shoot me fans) but when I published, I originally was going to run the series way past four books. I was thinking eight. But while writing the last book, Catalyst, I just got a sense that the series needed to end. I enjoy long series but sometimes it seems like they just do anything they can to keep adding books. I knew roughly where the ending was going and decided I didn't want to take eight books to get there. For me, four is perfect for the series. I'm not sure I could ever go past four books in a series of my own. But, we'll see.

Finally, what can you tell us about this whole Daniel, Cain, and Lillian love triangle action we saw in Catalyst? Will we see anything more of that in Revelation?

Um….yeah. There is some Cain developments that kind of…well, I can't really say, but there's a lot of side drama in that little triangle. A lot of sacrifice that I hope the readers understand. 

__________________________________________________________

Even though Miguel plays a huge part in these books, he doesn't get the spot light on him very often!  That's changing now,  I give you an interview with the dashing Aussie hunk: Miguel

Miguel, what is the thing you miss most about Australia?

Oi! The food! My mates and I used to go to this little joint called "The Croc's Tail". They had the best boomer on the barbie! And the sheilas at the boozer were always the best to crack onto.

What traits are most attractive to you in the opposite sex?

Legs, legs and more legs. You can be a bloody yabber all you like, as long as you've got legs up to your neck.

How did you come to be in the United States before all this mayhem went down?

I moved here to start my business. I thought about becoming a weekend warrior instead, but stateside just had this appeal going for it. I figured once my parents passed that I needed to give the old life the flick and move on out to some greener grass.

When did you first start learning how to fight?

Since I was born and walking like a goog. I've always had an itch to beat on something, *grins* except pretty little sheilas, of course. Sweeter than fairy floss, they are.

Where would you take your dream girl on the perfect first date?

Well…if the world wasn't ending, I'd like to take that little ginger of mine, Rylee, to a real live concert. When the music is pumping and the crowds banging to the music, it's hard to still be a frog in a sock. I'd love to see her cut loose just once.

Describe yourself in 3 words:

Loyal, brick house, cunning as a dunny rat.

*Grins again* Thanks for having me, love.
__________________________________________________________
Revolution Blurb!

In the fourth and final installment, everything is on the line. Merrick's life is in the balance and Lily is their only hope. Ellie and her new powers are miraculous, but also problematic; if she's with the bunker family, they won't be able to sense when the Lighters are there. There are many new members to the bunker and sparks will fly, and with the food shortage, they will all have plenty to deal with. Miguel is intrigued with Rylee, her past and her spunk. Ryan and Elli are barely scratching the surface of their relationship. Cain and Lillian will have to deal with Daniel, who has no qualms about showing his true feelings for her. And Sherry and Merrick…what will happen to this happenstance family who have worked so hard to come together? Can they all survive? Can they all withstand the new enemy that is right outside their door? Can they beat the Lighters, once and for all… 

Contact Shelly Crane!
Her blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+ | Goodreads

About Shelly!
Shelly is a YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

 

Exalted Tour!

Hey everyone!  I'm super excited about what is going on today because it's Ella James' Exalted tour stopping by here today!!  I've got some awesome goodies in store for you and there will be cool stuff given away on here!!   For those of you who are stopping in for the first time and you don't know about Ella James and her awesome Stained Series, refer to here and here!   Exalted is the last book in the Stained series, and if you haven't read it yet, there is a chance you can score the series on here FOR FREE!  Yay!!!  Let's get down to the good stuff!! 

First off a scene from Exalted!!!!!

Her stomach heaved and her throat constricted. She couldn’t breathe, and yet her mouth made little aaaha, aaaha noises. Like someone in a horror movie.

Calm yourself.

She was able to stand still, to press an off button on that most frantic part of herself. She clenched her fists and stood there, breathing fast in through her nose.

Do you know why the successful Candidate is known as The One?

When she didn’t move, but only breathed, the voice was louder. ANSWER. ME.

“No,” she whispered. The figure didn’t move. Just a dark spot in the corner. Blacker than black, and dense like fog. Just looking at it made her feel like dying. She recognized it as that familiar dementors-in-the-building sensation from being around Edan—but this was magnified so much it made her desperate to escape it.

Julia looked around the small, mud room for doors, for windows, any exit. She heard a soft, dark laugh before she felt the rumbling of that voice inside her head.

Long ago, I was called The One. The Alpha and his—  worshippers thought it unsafe to mutter my name. To name any adversary. So I was called The One, and I was banished to the earth. My Adversary, my mutinous cohort in a rebellion of the Authorities, my fellow banished, became defined by me. The Adversary. He tried to gain control of the earth, but I succeeded, banishing him to another realm: the depths. Do you know what the name ‘The One’ signifies?

Julia shook her head, and the voice inside her mind returned.

There is only one me. Why would one like me share the name with you, a mere descendant, many times removed from true power?

Julia held her breath.

Because in the end, you will be me. I will pour my power into you, and you will be the perfect vessel. Made of me, your body will recognize my power. Accept it. Do you know how you were chosen, girl?

Julia shook her head, feeling warm tears trickle down her cheeks.

I saw to it that a list of Candidates fell into the hands of each generation of… what was that name? Oh, yes. Swosen. So creative. The shadow in the corner writhed. They consorted with Samyaza. Released the names. And your Hunter and his mentor, well, they hunted.

Most of my descendants are unable to contain their gifts, making it easy for my sons and me to locate them. But you were different. Your parents had restraint; they rarely used their gifts. I did not kill them; they died naturally as feeble humans do. Your gift ignited for the first time in the presence of…another descendant, older and already tracked by my sons and me. You were stubborn, and after that burst of power, which we assumed came from him, you never used your gift again in such a way. You fell through the cracks.

And then one of my sons saw you in a vision, consorting with a Nephilim Hunter. They have many gifts, my sons. Too many gifts. I cannot silence them, and I cannot use their decrepit bodies as a vessel.

Julia’s heart sank.

“But y-you can u-use me?”

The shadow trembled at her voice. Quiet, he ordered.

She nodded tearfully. I’m sorry.

Fog rose from the floor, billowing around the dark spot.

You are The One. You are nothing. You are me. You were chosen, descendant, because your gifts are altogether unremarkable. A healer? Not even gifted with the ability to See.

The fog-swathed darkness rearranged itself, then writhed closer, making Julia freeze. I leashed you. Why not? What do you matter? And with the leash, I gave you some of my gifts. Just a fraction. A fraction of a fraction of a fraction. You managed them without grace or talent. Most of my power was translated by your simple mind into mere prophetic dreams. Not even truly prophetic. Details missing, pieces rearranged. You are truly one of the least remarkable of all the ‘Chosen.’ The words were spoken with disgust.

‘Chosen’ was my son’s genius. Truly, you are merely my descendants. The descendants of a powerful celestial Authority, commodities to track and collect by way of your birthmarks. 

Do you know what I was called, by the ones that worshiped at my feet?

Julia shook her head.

I was known as The Exalted One.

Silence pressed on her. And in the silence, the shadow pulsed like something vast and primal.

It shouldn’t take me long to rid your body of your spirit. I will scoop you out and push myself inside. I will pour my power into your vessel, use it to remove the barrier the Alpha erected to keep me from my throne. You will be used up and I will remain whole. And I will be Exalted once again.

I know that if you looked on the tour stop page that there was supposed to be a review for Exalted today too, but that had to be pushed back a few days so keep a look out! :) BUT...

I was lucky enough to have the awesome Meredith from the series stop by for an interview!  I love her, and really wanted to know more about her, and now you will too!  Thanks so much for stopping in Mer to answer my questions!!

Hey Meredith, thanks so much for stopping by today! I know your adventures have been crazy of late, but has there been anywhere around the world you have seen lately that you really want to go visit again if you can? Believe it or not, I liked them all. Scotland and Switzerland were great. I would also love to go with Carlin to Spain.

When did you find out about your special abilities and how did you become a candidate? My aunt and uncle used to dream about me a lot when I lived with them. Sooner or later I realized I remembered the same dream one of them had, so it was more like we were meeting in another place than just dreaming. Before that I always knew what people were feeling.

What would your perfect boyfriend be like? *big grin* Ian Somerhalder. For sure.

While you were a candidate, did you ever dream of having a normal job someday? If so, what did/do you want to be? Counselor would be the most obvious, but I’d really like to be a clothes designer.

What is your favorite meal to eat? Mmm. I love all food. Especially French omelets and gummy bears. But not together!

Finally, tell us two things that can always cheer you up! Sparkly manicures and The Vampire Diaries.

Thanks so much again for stopping by!

Thank you for inviting me! See you in Exalted!  

Exalted is the last book in the Stained Series by the awesome Ella James!  If you haven't read the series, what are you waiting for!?  I have talked about her on here before and I cannot tell you how much I love her books!  All Stained blurbs are below for your information!



EXALTED (Stained Series Book Four):
Ripped apart by the betrayals of two friends and ensnared by their respective celestial captors, Julia and Cayne are poised to fulfill their fatal role in The Three’s return to power. Their Chosen friends will move Hell and Earth to win their freedom, but how will they fight fate when more sinister forces take control? The net will come down. Someone will be sacrificed. A dear friend will die. And a mighty celestial battle will play out on Earth, with everything—and everyone—at stake.

ABOUT ELLA:
Ella James lives in Alabama with her amazing husband, energetic baby, and mopey dog. Her books have been nominated best debut novel and best sci-fi/fantasy at utopYA Convention 2012, received a Flamingnet Top Choice Award, and been featured on numerous Amazon bestseller lists. She is the author of the popular Stained Series, the Here Trilogy, and Before You Go—all YA romance—and has four more titles forthcoming in 2012.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also: The winner of this contest will get a Stained bookmark!  Woot!

A look at the rest of the books in the Stained Series!

STAINED (YA paranormal romance):
After a fire destroys seventeen-year-old Julia's home and kills her foster parents, she chases the half-demon responsible across the country and back, determined to avenge her family and discover why a host of celestial baddies want her dead. With Julia is enigmatic hottie Cayne, who has his own score to settle with the half-demon, and who might be just as dangerous as the creature he and Julia hunt.
*Nominated best debut novel at UtopYAcon 2012.*

STOLEN (Stained Series Book Two):
With Cayne's fate in the hands of his enemies and Julia spirited away to the covert Stained compound, the two are separated by impenetrable walls and a gulf of unanswered questions. Soon Julia learns the truth about the Stained and the plans they have for her, the compound is attacked, and a new group is running from an unwanted destiny, searching the globe in pursuit of the knowledge that just might save them all.

CHOSEN (Stained Series Book Three):
Julia has been chosen. While at the Stained compound, she was tapped as The One to win the war against the Nephilim and leashed with an illness that worsens each day she is away from The Three. Determined not to return to the frightening Chosen leaders and desperate to escape her fate, Julia and her friends journey to the Swiss Alps, home of a rogue Chosen clan. In this snowy haven, all hell breaks loose. Someone is traitor. Someone changes sides. Someone is dragged to Hades. A new romance blossoms. An old romance is damned. And The Three will stop at nothing to recover the weapon that will help them regain power.

GET IN TOUCH:
To find out more about Ella’s projects and get exact dates on her upcoming releases, friend her on Facebook at facebook.com/ellajamesbooks and follow her blog, ellajamesbooks.blogspot.com. Questions or comments? Tweet her at author_ellaj or e-mail her at ella_f_james@ymail.com.

What Kills Me Review!

I stumbled across this book from one of my Facebook friends (which I can't even remember who it was now) and I saw the price was only 99 cents.  Well, being the day before pay day, I was broke, so 99 cents literally is a great price for me when I want to discover new books.  Plus, I read the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and it had a ton of great reviews.  Well, you can add this review to that pile, because I really liked this book!  I make it a point not to read too many books with vampires anymore, because a lot of what is out there is regurgitated Twilight with different names and settings.  What Kills Me is NOT like those books, and I could not be more glad.  This book was fresh and different, and really engaging!

I loved how Axelia was portrayed.  She actually was like a real teenage girl, which I don't really see that much anymore.  Usually you get the whole, "she's an old woman in a young person's body" but Axelia refreshingly acts young (novel I know).  Plus, her creation into the undead was pretty darn cool and different, as well as the drama in the story!  The hunt for Axelia is fast paced, and brutal, and we see her truly grow as a character.  I also can't wait to see what direction her and Lucas' relationship takes, because Lucas sounds pretty bad ass!  This book is a must read for anyone!  It's only 99 cents which is a bargain for a good book!  Plus the ending will totally throw you for a loop, because you don't see it coming!  Super good, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a fun and original read!  Can't wait for the next one Wynne!  (I still really wish you had called it Well!) 

What Kills Me Blurb:

An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

UPDATE: Exalted tour will FOR SURE be here by tomorrow!

So, I know that I was the tour stop for today, but the internet decided to wage war on Ella and I, so needless to say, I will not be doing anything today. BUT, that actually ended up being a good thing, because the scene from Exalted I will be featuring is going to be way more awesome!!  Yay!!! So, I'm really  sorry if you have been checking the blog for a new post, but I pinky swear it will be up by tomorrow!  If you are mad at me, I completely understand.  I'm an impatient reader too, so when I want stuff I need it to happen!  Sorry again!