River's Recruit Blog Tour

Today is pretty exciting because not only is Charlotte Abel hanging out on the blog today, but we have got an awesome contest for you guys!  Woohoo!  Plus you'll get to read my review of Charlotte's awesome new release River's Recruit.  

Blurb:

Jonathan McKnight lost everything in Afghanistan. His left hand, his identical twin and his self-respect. He searches for redemption during a solo backpacking trip into the remote Sawatch Mountains of Colorado and discovers a secret tribe of shifters.

River, the beautiful young shifter that rescues Jonathan from certain death, wants to recruit him. He is equally determined to rescue her from her cult-like society — even if he has to kidnap her.

Review:  I was pleasantly surprised reading this book.  I have not read anything by Charlotte Abel before, so in my first experience reading something by her I am glad that I started off with River's Recruit.   First off I really like the cover of the book.  It isn't something that is overly edited like we are prone to see in a lot of books out today (not that that's a bad thing, but it's nice to have something different from the norm every once in awhile).    It almost looks painted, and after reading the book the way that River is portrayed makes total sense to me now.  

So let me be honest: when I first started the book I was panicking because we meet River when she is pretty young.  In my head I'm thinking well shoot I thought she would be older!   But, there is a time lapse and she DOES get older before we get into the meat of the story.  I thought the alternate perspectives between her and Jonathan were done quite well, and it was cool to see how much growth Jonathan's character achieved throughout the book.  

When Jonathan and River meet for the first time in the woods, their relationship was completely believable at least to me.  As they slowly got to know each other and friendship develops, you can't help but root for them to be able to be together.  But, of course there is Eli and Shula.  A mother/son duo who in a surprising twist are closer to Jonathan and River than they could ever have imagined.  

The plot in River's Recruit was a slow and steady build.  Charlotte Abel definitely knows how to take her reader on a journey and make you feel like you are along for the ride.  She creates a puzzle, every piece has a significant importance, and when you reach the end of the book your face will probably be like this :O no joke.  Charlotte has created a riveting story that you can almost believe is actually going on in our world today.  

Something else that I REALLY enjoyed were the secondary characters.  Reuben and Gabriel were vivid characters that I connected with.  Which is awesome when an author can do that not only with her main characters, but her secondary characters as well.  They were a great addition to the overall story and mythology behind the shifter society.

Overall, this is a great read.  There is so much lore and myth that Charlotte goes into great detail that it becomes the whole backbone of this story.  There is so much good going on in this book that it creates an overall awesome book.  When I first started thinking about what I was going to write for this review, I had pretty much determined I would be giving this 4/5 oh yeahs.  But, as I kept thinking about the complexities within the story it actually deserves 5.   This book is a definite recommend for anyone who likes paranormal lore, and some good and solidly built characters!  Can't wait to start reading some other stuff by Charlotte Abel!  You are awesome in my book!

Oh Yeah Count 5/5
     


A post from Charlotte Abel! 

I’m often asked which books and writers have influenced me the most. I don’t know why, but this is a really hard question for me. My answers change from one interview to the next, but there is a common denominator in all of my favorites. There is always a romance that drives the heart of the story—and the main characters have to make at least one life-changing, personal sacrifice before they earn their HEA.

Even as a kid, my favorite books had that sacrificial element. But instead of star-crossed lovers, the book had to have an animal (preferably a horse or a dog) as one of the main characters. I read every story about horses and dogs I could find in the book-mobile. (We didn’t have a library.) Some of my favorites were: Black Beauty, My Friend Flicka, Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows.
Today, at least ninety percent of the books I read are written by indie authors. My favorites include: Nancy Straight, Shannon Dermott, Shelly Crane, Amy A. Bartol, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Tammara Webber, Jus Accardo, Tiffany Heiser, Tammy Blackwell, Quinn Loftis, Abbi Glines, Michelle Leighton, Maddy Edwards, Christie Rich and Ann Charles. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! These ladies and their stories inspire me on a daily basis.

I guess it’s only natural that my own books feature ordinary people that become heroes when faced with extraordinary circumstances. Jonathan and River’s trials are just beginning, but they’ve already captured the hearts of hundreds of readers.

Okay, back to the question about which book has inspired me the most…

If I had to choose just one book, I’d have to pick Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. It’s not my favorite, but it is the one that launched my own writing career.

I loved the first three books, especially New Moon (I still cry every time I read it). But Breaking Dawn just pissed me off. All that build up with the Volturi and everyone just walks away? Stalemate? Oh come on! Really? Jeeze! Somebody needed to die. Irena and Bree don’t count. (BD2 is the exception to the rule where the movie is actually better than the book. I freakin’ love that movie!)

The whole imprinting on an infant thing bugged the crap out of me. What was going to  happen when Nessie hit puberty before her seventh birthday? Talk about a "jail bait" situation. Yikes!
Anyway…I started imagining how I might have finished the series if I’d written it. Entire scenes sprang to life in my mind. I had to write it down before it drove me nuts. 200,000 words later, I found the closure I was looking for. I also found an audience for my writing on fanfiction.net.

The response was amazing. The attention was addicting (over 2,100 reviews). But when the story won a couple of awards (including “Best Original Plot”) I gained the confidence to write my own original fiction. I'm not telling anyone the title of the story or the pseudonym I used when I wrote it. I'm proud of the plot and the original characters I created, but the writing SUCKS! So stop trying to figure out which of the bazillion Twilight fan fics is mine and grab a copy of River's Recruit. Just kidding. Sort of.

Download Kindle Bestsellers ENCHANTMENT and TAKEN by Charlotte Abel at Amazon

Get the new release, RIVER'S RECRUIT

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Trapped Cover Reveal!

This cover is gorgeous guys!  Brace yourselves! :D

So can't wait for this!  Yay Ella James!!

Trapped is book 2 in the Here Series!

Release Date: December 2012

Link to Here, book one: http://www.amazon.com/Here-Paranormal-Romance-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B007A0I86Q/ref=pd_sim_kstore_4

Tiny link to Here, book one: http://tinyurl.com/apr8t6k

Link to Ella's site: www.ellajamesbooks.blogspot.com

Ella on FB: www.facebook.com/ellajamesauthorpage

Twitter: author_ellaj

(CONTAINS SPOILERS - DO NOT READ BEFORE READING HERE):

When Milo Mitchell falls for the beautiful, tuxedo-clad guy she found wandering her family's rural Colorado property, she never dreamed he was a scout from another galaxy, or that their relationship would leave him with an impossible choice: eradicating humankind, or initiating the end of his own people. 

Nick's job is finding the elements his people need to power their elaborate interweb of minds. Being a scout means he is capable of traveling to other planets on his own. It also means that, unlike The Rest, he has access to primitive feelings and individual desires. For eons, he was part of the whole, but when he encountered Milo, his obsession with her changed everything.

Nick's partner, Vera, is capable of independent thought, but not compelled by it. She is satisfied with her existence as one of The Rest, and she won't agree that humans are worth sparing; not when their planet has a precious cache of the gold her people need so badly. 

While Vera tries to force Nick into endorsing an Earth invasion, working behind the scenes to tie his hands, and the Department of Defense lays a trap for them with Milo's mom as bait, Nick and Milo are waging their own war - against a primal desire that can only lead to one thing: heartbreak.

The Ballad of Aramei Review

J.A. Redmerski you have become one of my favorite authors in a matter of months.   Seriously, I downloaded The Mayfair Moon because it was free and after I finished it- I. needed. more.   I have pretty much accepted the fact that whenever you put out a book, I will be buying it and reading it and loving it.  Your books are that awesome and so are you.  The Ballad of Aramei is the final book in The Darkwoods Trilogy, and it was awesome.  It was sooooo good.  Really, I can't say over and over again how sated I am that the trilogy ended to my satisfaction.  It was seriously so crazy at parts I was definitely gaping through a lot of the book.  I mean hello, there was some insane shizz going down.

Adria has definitely turned into a badass.  I mean she has always been a strong person, but she is literally now super strong.  Her interaction with Rachel at a certain part of the book had me going, "Awww hells yeah Adria, you take that lint licker down!"  Adria is AWESOME in this book.   For reals, she even verbally takes on Trajan, which is as close to suicide as you can get.  I'm still having a love affair with Isaac.  He is wonderful and dreamy, and smoldering.  Oh, and let's not forget about Nathan.  I adore him, he is sarcastic, charming, and selfless.  I am beyond glad he was a major part of this book.  Finally, I must talk about it because it is in the title, Aramei.  The incorporation of her story alongside of Adria's was insane.  I got goosebumps at parts of their interactions, and of course there was so much gasping at parts too.  This book literally was adrenaline pumping-down hill part of the roller coaster of this trilogy.  

The plot is so complex in BoA.  Things that have been manifesting since book one are finally revealing themselves, and whoa, a certain characters origins threw me for a loop, and simultaneously depressed me.  Plus the ending of the book probably gave me heart palpitations.  There was SO much going down it was making my head spin.   I don't want to give anything away so please excuse the ridiculous over glossing on the plot, but if I were to go into it, I would be giving away major spoilers.  You'll thank me when you  read the book!

We also get to learn more about Harry and the Praeverian world.  This stuff was creepy and cool to learn about.  Plus we got to see into Harry's head a little bit at the end which was really neat.

The ending.  I won't say too much about this.  Only that I was personally satisfied.  It didn't end necessarily the way I thought it would, but it was a very apt and fitting ending.  Plus, you get a look into a bunch of different characters minds which was really cool.  

So overall: I LOVED IT. Seriously.  If I could give it 10 stars I would.  It was an insane ride, but this series is honestly one that I will go back and read again and again.  It's soooo good.  I can't wait for whatever else Jessica has coming out.  I bought this the day it came out and I feel as though this trend will be continuing for a long time!

Oh Yeah! Count:  5/5 Plus 5 invisible ones!!!
     

Blurb: Everything about Adria Dawson’s life has changed in unimaginable ways: the shattering betrayal of her mother, the fight for her life and sanity…the loss of her humanity. But now Adria must face the ultimate challenge and risk not only her life, but the lives of everyone she loves at the wrathful hands of Isaac Mayfair’s father.

Determined to help unravel a mysterious message deeply rooted in an unhinged mind, Adria becomes obsessed with traveling into Aramei’s turbulent past to see the truth of how the relationships and betrayals between the Mayfair and Vargas bloodlines were formed.

Meanwhile, Adria and the Mayfairs are doing everything they can to smoke out and trap the Praverian traitor. A trip to Providence uncovers not only an old family line who are enemies of the Praverians, but also raises questions about the Praverian’s true agenda.

But the traitor will be caught. People will die. And Adria’s destiny to be the cause of a war will come to pass. But what could a kind and simple girl like Adria Dawson ever do that could be considered an act of war? The landscape of the werewolf world will be forever changed in the climactic conclusion to The Darkwoods Trilogy

Blood Debt Blog Tour!

Her whole life, it had just been the two of them. Before her mother’s last breath, she gave Camille the information she had craved her entire life: the identity of her father. Daring to contact him, Camille was welcomed by an entire family she never knew existed. But nothing comes without a price, as she discovers when her family claims a legendary heritage tracing back to a centaur touched by Zeus.

As she learns the secrets of her Centaur bloodline, she is drawn into a forbidden love with Drake. Her life may be the blood debt required to pay for her mother’s transgressions. The same person who once held her mother captive, and forced her into decades of hiding, now controls Camille. Her only chance is to seek a piece of her mother’s past that will win her freedom and the life she desperately wants.

Review:  When I first read the book description I admit it, I got really excited.  This book sounded really good, and different (something that I completely appreciate in the YA genre).  Let me say, this book did not let me down.  From the first pages of Camille's struggle in calling her father for the first time, it was like BAM I connect with you Camille!  Nancy really brought a strong female character to the table, (something else I always appreciate :D) but didn't characterize her in a way that made her seem unreachable.  I really liked that I felt what Camille was going through as we flipped through the pages with her. 

My one sort of qualm with this book is that Camille kind of takes off pretty fast to meet this family that she has never known before.  I mean I get it, she wanted to meet her father and there were other circumstances, but maybe the whole flying across the country to live with strangers thing was a tad too fast for me.  Kudos to the friend Daniel who acted like a sane person in that situation!  Other than that I was sold on the book! 

The plot was something I got into very easily.  It flowed really well, and Nancy is a superior story teller.  All of the characters in the book were really strong and solid, and the whole Romeo and Juliet aspect of the book sucked me in.  (I'm not giving away who this takes place between!)  The whole Greek mythology behind the story of the Centaur was so cool.  I'm so glad that there was something totally unique to read about in the story!  

The chemistry between all the characters was wonderful.  Camille bonding with her brothers was actually really cool for me to read about since I had been going through something similar in my own life.  I love books that I personally can take something out of. The chemistry between Camille and her step mother was also something that was really sweet.  Oh, and let's not forget: Drake.  *swoon*  He was the ultimate hero to Camille's heroine.   Their dynamic was really sweet, and he did get to play a little of the knight in shining armor! 

Overall, Blood Debt is a definite recommend!  In fact, I am going to go start Centaur Legacy (Book 2) right now!  I hope everyone checks this one out!  It's a great read!  

Oh Yeah Rating:  4.5/5

    & 1/2

About Nancy Straight: Nancy was born in Sioux City Iowa, left the cold of the Midwest in 1991 and only returns to see family in the summer time. She spent ten years traveling the world as a US Marine and settled in rural SC with her husband and two children.

She enjoyes reading all types of Paranormal and Young Adult literature.    

Contact Nancy Straight:
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OPAL TRAILER!!!!

Wooo!! I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS.  I am a BIG J.L. Armentrout lover and seriously cannot WAIT for Opal to come out in December!  Wooo so without further ado, because I am so excited about this!   The OPAL BOOK TRAILER!!

Opal (The third book in the Lux Series)
Available in both print and digital version on December 18, 2012
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Official Opal Book Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oLkv3DotkqM

Check out Jennifer L. Armentrout on the following sites:
Facebook
Twitter
Official Website