Monday, May 28, 2018

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf | review

Thoughts on one of the more fun, fast, super snarky books I've read so far this year.
You can find my reading of it here!





Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf book cover, review, ya book, fantasy books, witches
about BRING ME THEIR HEARTS by Sara Wolf

Zera is a Heartless—the immortal, unaging soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger's control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a prince's heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum: if she's discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy Zera's heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d'Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him—every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him—until the arrival of Lady Zera. She's inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The prince's honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser's heart.

Literally.





Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though this book was sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Affiliate links used where possible.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

MAY BOOK HAUL!

But, like. This is a stupid amount of new books for someone whose shelves are already buckling... Also: SPINNING SILVER IS A RETELLING OF RUMPLESTILTSKIN AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I SAID RAPUNZEL ok thank you that is all.




The review of Bring Me Their Hearts that I mentioned will be up Monday!

Click through for the full, linked list of books!

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

FREE Audiobooks: When Dimple Met Rishi + Baker's Magic!

I know I already told you about the AudiobookSync summer program, where free audiobooks are given away each week to encourage summer reading, but I figured if you're anything like me, you could probably use a weekly reminder.
So I'm going to (try to remember to) do just that!

This week's FREE titles (starting tomorrow) are:


When Dimple Met Rishi book cover, free audiobook
WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Menon
Narrated by Sneha Mathan & Vikas Adam

Now that Dimple Shah has graduated, she's ready for a break from her family - especially from Mamma's inexplicable obsession with her finding the Ideal Indian Husband. Ugh. But Dimple knows that her mother must respect that she isn't interested in doing that right now - otherwise she wouldn't have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers, right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic, so when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him - during which he'll have to woo her - he's totally onboard. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself. Although their parents hadn't planned suggesting the arrangement so soon, when their kids signed up for the same summer program, they figured why not?



Baker's Magic book cover, free audiobook
BAKER'S MAGIC by Diane Zahler
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert, Michael Crouch, and a full cast

A full cast works together seamlessly in this charming magical adventure. As the story’s narrator, Tavia Gilbert is crisply engaged, and she’s spirited as young Bee, the baker’s apprentice. Kenneth Cavett, with his rich and resonant voice, is a standout as kindly baker Master Bouts, and Robin Miles is a hoot as pirate captain Zafira Zay. The care in the production is evident—the rest of the cast adds vocal personality to characters both large and small, and mood-appropriate snippets of music begin and end each chapter, helping to sweep listeners along. Scenes in the bakery are rendered with as much attention to detail as those on the high seas or in the mage’s castle—beware of listening while hungry. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

These titles are FREE to download through next Wednesday, so don't forget to snag them!

Have you been keeping up with this year's AudiobookSync titles? I've made my way through two of them so far, and really enjoyed both!


And if you haven't done so, don't forget to download the current titles, Saving Montgomery Sole & Being Jazz, before they end tonight!

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Feed Your Reader: May 19, 2018

Happy Saturday!
Paycheck burning a hole in your pocket? Allow me to help. ;)


All of the featured books are $3 or less (many free!), so if you're in need of a new read, or lacking in impulse control (*raises hand*), have yourself a little browse! And if you missed the last FYR post, some of those deals are still going strong, including the full Kiss of Deception series (excellent), Illuminae, The Bear and the Nightingale, The Falconer, and more!

***All covers are clickable and lead directly to the deal! ***

book cover, ebook deals, book deals, discount books, kindle, book sale
THE HAZEL WOOD by Melissa Albert
This is high on my (endless) list of Things To Get.
Welcome to Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood—the fiercely stunning New York Times bestseller with seven starred reviews everyone is raving about!

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away—by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began—and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.

LONG MAY SHE REIGN by Rhiannon Thomas
book cover, ebook deals, book deals, discount books, kindle, book sale
The Girl of Fire and Thorns meets The Queen of the Tearling in this thrilling fantasy standalone about one girl’s unexpected rise to power.

Freya was never meant to be queen. Twenty-third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of the court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

She may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, she knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom—and her life.

Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisers. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her but also wanted more power for himself.

As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown.

book cover, ebook deals, book deals, discount books, kindle, book saleRAMONA BLUE by Julie Murphy

From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ and Side Effects May Vary, comes another fearless heroine, Ramona Blue, in a gorgeously evocative novel about family, friendship, and how sometimes love can be more fluid than you first think. Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Morgan Matson.

Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever.

Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi.

But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever.

The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool.

But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke.

Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.

book cover, ebook deals, book deals, discount books, kindle, book saleTHE CITY OF BRASS by S.A. Chakraborty

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Library Journal | Vulture | The Verge | SYFYWire

Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty perfect for fans of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and Uprooted, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.

Featuring a stepback and bonus content including a new short story and an excerpt from The Kingdom of Copper.

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing—are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive.

But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to reconsider her beliefs. For Dara tells Nahri an extraordinary tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire and rivers where the mythical marid sleep, past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises and mountains where the circling birds of prey are more than what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass—a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In Daevabad, within gilded brass walls laced with enchantments and behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments run deep. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, her arrival threatens to ignite a war that has been simmering for centuries.

Spurning Dara’s warning of the treachery surrounding her, she embarks on a hesitant friendship with Alizayd, an idealistic prince who dreams of revolutionizing his father’s corrupt regime. All too soon, Nahri learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say to be careful what you wish for . . .

book cover, ebook deals, book deals, discount books, kindle, book saleLABYRINTH LOST by Zoraida Cordova
Not sure how long this deal's gonna last; it was supposed to end yesterday. So if you want it, snatch it up!
The only way to get her family back is to travel to a land in between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland...

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation...and she hates magic.

At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she's not sure she can trust, but who may be Alex's only chance at saving her family.

book cover, ebook deals, book deals, discount books, kindle, book saleA MADNESS SO DISCREET by Mindy McGinnis

Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery

Mindy McGinnis, the acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, combines murder, madness, and mystery in a beautifully twisted gothic historical thriller perfect for fans of novels such as Asylum and The Diviners as well as television's True Detective and American Horror Story.

Grace Mae is already familiar with madness when family secrets and the bulge in her belly send her to an insane asylum—but it is in the darkness that she finds a new lease on life. When a visiting doctor interested in criminal psychology recognizes Grace's brilliant mind beneath her rage, he recruits her as his assistant. Continuing to operate under the cloak of madness at crime scenes allows her to gather clues from bystanders who believe her less than human. Now comfortable in an ethical asylum, Grace finds friends—and hope. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who will bring her shaky sanity and the demons in her past dangerously close to the surface.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Guest Post & GIVEAWAY: The Girl With More Than One Heart!

Click through to enter to win a copy!



Welcome to Day #2 of The Girl with More Than One Heart Blog Tour!


To celebrate the release of The Girl with More Than One Heart by Laura Geringer Bass on April 17th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Laura, as well as 5 chances to win a copy of The Girl with More Than One Heart!

Is the author of "The Girl With More Than One Heart" Laura Geringer or Laura Geringer Bass or L.G. Bass?

by Laura Geringer Bass

Here is Laura Geringer Bass standing in front of her tower of revisions for “The Girl With More Than One Heart.”
The book took ten years to write. 
The revisions are taller than Laura who is six feet tall in her socks. 

My name is Laura Geringer Bass. I started out in the world as Laura Geringer and most of my books were written under that name. Then I married Tony Bass and had two wonderful sons, Adam and Ethan Bass. I decided, since my childrens’ names were Bass, I would add it to my author name. So my first published book, A THREE HAT DAY, is by Laura Geringer and my most recent book, THE GIRL WITH MORE THAN ONE HEART is by Laura Geringer Bass. In between, I wrote a fantasy called SIGN OF THE QIN by L.G. Bass.

From 1991 to 2008 I was the publisher of an imprint that carried my name called Laura Geringer Books at Harper Collins where I edited and published many amazing authors and artists. 

When I was growing up, my brother got hold of the lyrics for the song “Laura” and used to tease me by singing it in an exaggerated crooner style with an imaginary microphone held to his lips. “Laura is the face in the misty lights/…the laugh that floats on a summer night…” It was the last line that always got to me. It went: “That was Laura but she’s only a dream.”

“I am NOT!” I would shout, stomping out of the room. “I’m REAL!”

When my brother really wanted to get me mad he called me Laura Schnorrer. In Yiddish, schnorrer means a beggar who plays an instrument. “It’s YOU who plays an instrument,” I would remind him, referring to the piano lessons he received as the first child and the only boy. “You’re the schnorrer!”

My parents raised us to work hard so that when folks sometimes confused my name with “Laurel” I associated the error with my mother shaking her head disapprovingly at the mention of someone who had achieved a little bit of fame and had decided to “rest on his laurels.”  “It’s not Laurel, it’s Laura,” I’d say. Resting on your laurels, no matter what you had accomplished, was a bad thing in my parents’ code of how to live your life. There was always more to be done. And more after that.

When I was a kid, people used to misspell Geringer by adding an ‘h’ to it because of the famous baseball player, Charlie Gehringer,  one of the greatest second basemen of all time who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame the year after I was born.  

The name Bass is derived from the Old English word bas meaning short but my husband’s family is tall and I measure six feet in my socks. I guess the best way to remember Bass is by thinking of the fish. When I’m leaving my name to reserve a table in restaurants I often say, “Bass – you know, like the fish.”

So how can you remember the name of the author of “The Girl With More Than One Heart?”  Laura (not Laurel.)  Geringer, (not the baseball player.) And Bass, (like the fish.)


*****

Blog Tour Schedule:

May 14th — BookhoundsYA

May 15th — The Book Rat

May 16th — Page Turners

May 17th — Book Briefs

May 18th — Crossroad Reviews




BuyAmazon | Indiebound
Follow LauraWebsite | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
There are times we all feel we need more than one heart to get through. When Briana’s father dies, she imagines she has a new heart growing inside her. It speaks to her in her Dad’s voice. Some of its commands are mysterious.

Find Her!  it says. Be Your Own!  

How can Briana “be her own” when her grieving mother needs her to take care of her demanding little brother all the time? When all her grandpa can do is tell stories instead of being the “rock" she needs? When her not-so-normal home life leaves no time to pursue her dream of writing for the school literary magazine? When the first blush of a new romance threatens to be nipped in the bud? Forced by the loss of her favorite parent to see all that was once familiar with new eyes, Briana draws on her own imagination, originality, and tender loving heart to discover a surprising path through the storm.  



About the Author: Laura Geringer Bass is the author of over 20 highly acclaimed books for children, tweens, and teens.
Her new novel for middle graders about friendship, love, and loss -- The Girl With More Than One Heart -- is the lyrical story of a courageous girl who imagines she needs an extra heart to navigate her grief after the death of her dad.
Laura serves on the National Advisory Board of First Book, a non-profit organization that has delivered over 170 million books to children in need and as a mentor for Girls Write Now and Prison Writes, teaching teens at risk.

GIVEAWAY


  • One (1) winner will receive a copy of The Girl with More Than One Heart
  • US only
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, May 14, 2018

Backlist Love (4)

Doing things a little differently this time around for our 4th edition of Backlist Love. Let me know your thoughts on these books in the comments, whether you like this twist on the Backlist Love series, and how often you'd like to see backlist titles featured!



THE BOOKS:

Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan

ABOVE
The year is 1590. The City of London flourishes, the most brilliant jewel in the crown of Elizabeth I, Gloriana, the Virgin Queen.

BELOW
The Onyx Court is London's faerie shadow. Ruled by Invidiana, its heartless queen, it reflects and distorts the glory of the mortal court.

BETWEEN
Years ago, Elizabeth forged a pact with her faerie counterpart to secure both of their thrones. Now that alliance is in danger. Michael Deven, a rising star in Elizabeth's court, seeks the "hidden player" who has influenced mortal politics for so long. Lady Lune, a faerie out of favour, must infiltrate the mortal world to protect her vicious queen. Together this pair will uncover the secret of Invidiana's power -- a secret that has the potential to shatter both realms . . . .



The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
(and also, basically everything else by her)

Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life: Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, not only wishing to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth but also dreaming of rekindling the love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily’s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.



Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear — part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer . . . to join "the real world."

There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file a picture of a girl with half a face that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight





Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video. These are all books I bought myself.

Friday, May 11, 2018

The Queen Underneath by Stacey Filak | review

Oh lort, where do I even start with this one?





THE QUEEN UNDERNEATH by Stacey Filak

The Above and the Under have a tenuous truce that is shattered after the death of both their respective rulers. Gemma, the new queen of Under, must throw history aside and team up with Tollan, the heir to the Above throne, in order to take down a power that seeks to rule them all.

Their group of rebels is comprised of an assassin, a sex worker, and a palace servant from Above, and we follow their unique perspectives as they are forced to question previously held beliefs. But even with war looming, romance still grows. Challenging gender roles and the expectation that every prince must have a princess, Tollan discovers love with Elam—a young man, a sex worker, and one of Gemma’s closest friends.

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Bookish GRWM: a selection of romance novels, in varying stages of WTF?

FAIR WARNING, this one gets more NSFW as it goes along... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯




Click through for products used and books reviewed!

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Longbourn: Dragon Entail by Maria Grace | review

Don't forget to check out my guest post from Maria Grace about the inspiration and history behind this series, which includes a giveaway for your book of choice from the series!



Longbourn: Dragon Entail by Maria Grace (Jane Austen's Dragons book 2)
Retelling / Historical / Fantasy / Romance, 301 pages
Published April 21st 2017 by White Soup Press
Darcy thought his problems were over when Pemberley hatched and successfully imprinted on humans. But baby dragons prove far more difficult than any dragon lore prepared him for. Only Elizabeth Bennet's notes offer him any help. When his imperious Aunt Catherine takes matters into her own hands, things take a turn for the worse and Pemberley’s life hangs in the balance. He desperately needs more of Elizabeth’s help, but she ignores all of his requests.

Elizabeth, though, has problems of her own. After the Bennet family dragon sent Pemberley away, life at Longbourn was supposed to return to normal and Elizabeth get on with the all-important business of marrying the heir to her father’s estate. Except that he is the last man in the world whom she could ever be prevailed on to marry—a bumbling, addle-pated dragon-hater who demands she gives up the dragons she lives for.

Can she, with the help of her dragon friends, find her way back to Pemberley before they both suffer their fate from the Dragon Entail?

Jane Austen meets Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of Pern. A Must read for Pern fans.



Maria touched on this in her guest post, but it'd be very easy to dismiss this series, and the idea of Jane Austen and dragons, as just another in a long line of quirky "fluff" Austen retellings meant to ride on the coattails of the surprise hit that was Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. But that would not in any way do this series justice, because while, yes, it is quirky, it's not quirky just for the sake of being so. She has made dragons make sense for Austen in a way I think few could pull off.

I said in my review of book one that, though there are nods to the inherent campiness of such a story, and though it would be really easy to tip over into parody territory, Grace never treats the story as a joke. There's a weightiness to it, so that you start to believe that, yes, of course Elizabeth Bennet is a masterful dragon handler. Yes, of course the formalities and the marriage arrangements and the character choices that we find so hard to fathom today in Pride & Prejudice were dictated by persnickety dragons.

There were elements to Dragon Entail that made it slightly less successful to me than Mr Darcy's Dragon — at times, it felt somewhat more chaotic, like all of the various threads are getting a little unwieldy; some of the original Austen elements of plot and character are starting to feel a little bit strained under the weight of the changes that dragons necessitate, which is understandable, but still bears mentioning; and some of the things that bothered me a bit in the first book, like the removal of choice and free-will for the characters, are even more prominent this time around. None of these are by any means deal breakers, and they certainly didn't keep me from wishing on Goodreads for more dragon shenanigans when I finished this book. And none of these little niggling things have kept me from thinking about these books and characters and the clever, draconic, weirdly believable retelling Maria Grace has created.

One of my favorite things about Maria Grace's Austen retellings — and something I think she does better than possibly any other Austenesque author out there — is the way she is able to make a story her own, while still making it true to the original text, even when what happens is vastly different. Her Darcys and Lizzies, her Bingleys and Bennets, may not do the things you expect them to do — they may sometimes even be a very real departure from Austen's originals — but they do what the Darcys and Lizzies and Bingleys and Bennets of the worlds she has set up would do. She is so good and getting to the core of the characters and saying, 'Well, if they'd been brought up in this wholly different situation, that would change them in which ways?' She juggles the weight of Austen's stories with her own, paying deference to what came before (what made the stories so beloved in the first place), while not allowing that to overtake the new story she's creating; she never turns out a nameless, could-be-by-anybody retelling, the type that uses mostly Austen's text, with a few twists and tweaks. The stories she delivers are fully her own, but with characters you know and love, that you get to see plunked down into wholly different scenarios and see taken to unexpected and new places. She does 'if this, then that,' really well, not just in plot points, but in character creation, in character psychology.

Longbourn: Dragon Entail progresses the story to the place I think everyone is always looking for in a Pride Prejudice retelling — the point where Darcy finally starts to really realize Lizzie's worth, progressing from respect to admiration to love, and taking us along with him; readers who were waiting for the swoonier moments in book one will be more than eager for the progression of book two. I think readers will also be very happy to see other characters come into their own, as well, and will be eager to see how the love affairs* and  big crisis come to a resolution in the final book of the series, Netherfield: Rogue Dragon — and if you want to know my thoughts on that final book, you'll have to mark your calendars for this year's Austen in August!


*Said in the most Regency-appropriate sense, of course.




about the author:
author photo of Maria Grace, standing in sunlight
Though Maria Grace has been writing fiction since she was ten years old, those early efforts happily reside in a file drawer and are unlikely to see the light of day again, for which many are grateful. After penning five file-drawer novels in high school, she took a break from writing to pursue college and earn her doctorate in Educational Psychology. After 16 years of university teaching, she returned to her first love, fiction writing. She has one husband and one grandson, two graduate degrees and two black belts, three sons, four undergraduate majors, five nieces, is starting her sixth year blogging on Random Bits of Fascination, has built seven websites, attended eight English country dance balls, sewn nine Regency era costumes, and shared her life with ten cats.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

GIVEAWAY & GUEST POST: Netherfield: Rogue Dragon, by Maria Grace!

Joining me today is Maria Grace, whose Austenesque stories you already know I love, and who is currently celebrating the release of the final book in her Jane Austen's Dragons series! Click through to check out what she has to say about bringing this unique series to life, and the inspiration behind it, and then enter to win a copy of your choice of the three books in the series, below!
And don't forget to stop back by tomorrow for my thoughts on book 2, Longbourn: Dragon Entail!

The Myth and the Mashup
Banner containing the 3 books in the Jane Austen's Dragons book series by Maria Grace; giveaway; guest post; blog tour; jane austen retelling

I’m utterly tickled to announce that the Pride and Prejudice arc of my Jane Austen’s Dragons series is complete with the release of Netherfield: Rogue Dragon. Now wait, I can hear you muttering and rolling your eyes, “Dragons? Really? Seriously—dragons? Why—just why?”

You’re not the first to roll their eyes at me and mutter that, expecting an answer like “Because zombies, vampires and werewolves have already been done.” And while that is utterly true, and the sort of thing I might say if you caught me at just the right—or wrong—moment, it isn’t a very good answer.

You’re rolling your eyes at me again. I know just it, but give me a chance and hear me out. I promise, Jane Austen would approve.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Feed Your Reader: May 5, 2018



I heard you guys: I don't highlight contemporary books enough. I tried to give you PLENTY of them this go 'round (and of course, some v. excellent fantasy), but there were so many book deals available, I might have to do a part 2 update mid-week!

Check out all of the many, many excellent books to load up your ereaders with, all for super cheap, I don't think anything went over 2 bucks this time! -- and many are FREE FREE FREE!)
So when you're done drinking your Cinco de Mayo margarita's and ready to do some drunken online self-indulgence, why not save a few $$ and load up on some deals instead? ;)

ALL BOOK COVERS ARE CLICKABLE AND TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO THE DEAL!

I mean, COME ON.
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.


Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies. But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected. This stunning, lyrical fantasy is a powerful exploration of what makes a family, what justifies a war, and what it means to truly love.


An epic fantasy filled with adventure, intrigue, and romance from Incarnate series author Jodi Meadows. This duology is perfect for fans of Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

When Princess Wilhelmina was a child, the Indigo Kingdom invaded her homeland. Ten years later, Wil and the other noble children who escaped are ready to fight back and reclaim Wil’s throne. To do so, Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate the Indigo Kingdom palace with hopes of gathering information that will help them succeed.

But Wil has a secret—one that could change everything. Although magic has been illegal for a century, she knows her ability could help her save her kingdom. But magic creates wraith, and the deadly stuff is moving closer and destroying the land. And if the vigilante Black Knife catches her using magic, she may disappear like all the others. . . .

CLICK THROUGH FOR MORE!

Teaser: BRING ME THEIR HEARTS by Sara Wolf

Got a teaser of a recent love, BRING ME THEIR HEARTS by Sara Wolf. This one's coming to us from Entangled Teen, and hits stores June 5th!



All text copyright Sara Wolf and Entangled Publishing, 2018

about BRING ME THEIR HEARTS by Sara Wolf:

Zera is a Heartless—the immortal, unaging soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger's control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a prince's heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum: if she's discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy Zera's heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d'Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him—every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him—until the arrival of Lady Zera. She's inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The prince's honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser's heart.

Literally.

Friday, May 4, 2018

SPIES, LIES AND ALLIES by Lisa Brown Roberts | First Impressions & Excerpt

*All excerpts and quotes are copyright Entangled Publishing & Lisa Brown Roberts, and are used with permission.

For today's First Impressions -- which actually IS a First Impressions, unlike yesterday's Impressions / review / book chat hybrid -- I'm taking a look at the contemporary romance SPIES, LIES & ALLIES by Lisa Brown Roberts!
This one hit stores on the 1st, so if you like what you hear, you can grab a copy now!




about SPIES, LIES, AND ALLIES by Lisa Brown Roberts:
Spies, Lies, and Allies by Lisa Brown Roberts book cover
Summers are supposed to be fun, right? Not mine. I’ve got a job at my dad’s company, which is sponsoring a college scholarship competition. I just found out that, in addition to my job assisting the competing interns, I’m supposed to vote for the winner. Totally not what I signed up for.

My boss is running the competition like it’s an episode of Survivor. Then there’s Carlos, who is, well, very distracting––in a good way. But I can’t even think about him like that because fraternizing on the job means instant disqualification for the intern involved.

As if that’s not enough, an anonymous informant with insider intel is trying to sabotage my dad’s company on social media...and I’m afraid it's working.

Much as I’d love to quit, I can’t. Kristoffs Never Quit is our family motto. I just hope there’s more than one survivor by the end of this summer.



Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored video, though these books were sent to me for review consideration purposes. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
I am an Amazon Affiliate. Getting a slice of that Amazon pie, yo!

Thursday, May 3, 2018

TRUE BORN: Excerpt Reviewish Book Chat Thing + GIVEAWAY

*Today's . . . whatever this is, is part of the blog tour for True Storm. Make sure to click through to enter the blog tour giveaway!*




So... what started as a brief first impressions turned into a full-on review of a book I sort of devoured -- even if I had some problems with it.

The final book in the series, TRUE STORM, is in stores now! 

All excerpts and quotes are copyright Entangled Publishing & L.E. Sterling, and are used with permission.




Wednesday, May 2, 2018

ENDLESS & EVERYTHING | #30DayBookBinge 4.3

This is THE LONGEST VLOG EVER I'M SO SORRY PLEASE ENJOY ILYSM.

If the edits are wonky in this one, let me know and then forget them; this vlog gave me all the troubles.

See what else I got up to this month:
Vlog 1  |  Vlog 2

Music by Amarante: http://www.amarantemusic.com/


Anticipated May 2018 Releases!

Hoo boy.
Brace yaselves.

Also, 10 internet points to anyone who counts all of the "I'm intrigued"s in this video...

If you missed the April releases post, here are my top picks!

CLICK THROUGH TO SEE THE FULL LIST OF BOOKS, WITH LINKS, SYNOPSES AND COVERS!