Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!
This week I've chosen Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, the third book in the Raised by Wolves series. I've only just finished reading Trial By Fire and so badly want to get my hands on Taken by Storm! This one is due out 22nd May 2012
Synopsis: (Synopsis found at Quercus website)
A meeting of the werewolf Senate is called, because there seems to be another Rabid on the loose - strange murders have taken place around the centre of the country. They seem to be done by an animal, but there are human footprints ... and a female werewolf may be involved. Callum warns Bryn of the reason for the meeting, and he implies that Maddy, a former member of her own Pack, is involved. She and Callum, with their seconds, Sora and Dev, attend the meeting, where Bryn is treated coldly, as usual. She picks a team of her own wolves to search for Maddy, but is forced to leave Dev behind to guard the Pack.
Callum refuses to change Bryn into a werewolf yet, claiming that she needs to be human for longer, for some purpose, but Bryn knows that she is in a dangerous situation. Shay also wants Maddy, and he still wants Bryn's territory and wolves. With only her brains, no brawn, Bryn is forced to fight Shay again, using every ounce of cunning she has. And it comes at a cost - a wrenching, horrible loss that will change Bryn's life forever.
First Lines:"No more school, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks..." For a two-hundred-twenty-pound werewolf, Devon Macalister had a wicked falsetto.
Possible Spoilers if you haven't read Raised By Wolves
Synopsis:There can only be one alpha.
Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.
But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were. With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.
Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.
My Thoughts: Thanks to Pan Macmillan I was lucky enough to receive Trial By Fire, the second book in the Raised by Wolves series. I had the first one Raised By Wolves sitting on my shelf for some time, so it gave me a good excuse to pick it up and read it first, since I hate reading books out of order.
I really have grown to like the main character Bryn. I will say this right now just to get this off my chest. For some reason I don't really like the full name Bronwyn for the main character. I don't know what it is but I really feel like Bryn suits her better. No offence to all the Bronwyns out there, I just really don't think the name is 'wolf girl' material. Sorry.
Anyways, Bryn is now the alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack which is odd since, well, she's not a werewolf. There are problems, when a boy, Lucas turns up on her doorstep broken. When she is left little choice but to take him in things get a lot more interesting. Callum takes a step back and will not give Bryn advice how she should go about this wolf, fearing their democracy may blow up in their faces, which is fair enough BUT I felt, for someone who had a hand in raising Bryn that it was unfair for her to not at least have a small amount of support lean her way from him.
Chase, Devon and Lake are my absolute favourite secondary characters. Their personalities compliment Bryn's well and they work great as a team, even when things seem to be coming unstuck. After Bryn becomes Alpha to her young pack, Chase, Devon and Lake step up to help her cope. I mean, a 15 year old girl dealing with wolves learning to be.. well wolves would be a hard thing.. but Jennifer does a fantastic job in portraying how well Bryn deals with everything that is going on. With outside threats coming from humans with 'knacks', and other packs bombarding her from the side, you'd think she'd crumble under pressure.
As far as this being the second book in the series, I feel it's well and truly outdone the first book. I fell in love with Bryn and the cast of characters in Raised By Wolves, and Trial By Fire just reinforces the fact I'm going to love book three Taken By Storm.
Sticky Beak is all about sharing. Sometimes we can't all get around to every single blog and website available so that's where Sticky Beak comes in. By word of mouth (well you get what I mean) we are more likely to get to those blogs that we wouldn't have normally seen without someone pointing them out to us.
The links could be to your own post, a favourite blog post you would love to share, an authors blog/website, book/writing contests, reviews you really enjoyed, tour info or anything you would love to share with others. Just use the comments below to add your link!
Here's Mine:
Check This Out: Felicity Heaton: For a Limited time you can get some great Winter Warmer Deals. Check it out! Inkstagram: If you have Instagram on your iphone this program is a web interface that can access that. Instagram for me is highly addictive. Maybe you would like this as well. Prinstagram: Print out your Instagram pictures! Mac World: 10 Cool Things to do with Instagram!
Favourite Author of the Moment: Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I've just finished reading Trial by Fire the second book in the Raised by Wolves series
This week is a little Instagram type heavy.. but when I like something I go all out LOL
TGIF is a weekly feature created and hosted by Ginger at GReads! that re-caps the week’s posts and has different question each week.
This Friday's Question:
When You're Not Reading: What occupies your time when you are not reading?
I work full time as a administration assistant at an earthmoving company. That alone takes up half my time. If only I could win the lotto and give up work! I'm also doing Certificate 4 in Business Administration thanks to work. It sometimes does my head in as well but .. it happens.
When I'm not reading and doing up posts for Spellbound By Books, I'm writing when I can find the chance to. Being a Mum of a three year old monster, Cruzito, is a full on job in itself so finding uninterrupted time to write is becoming alot harder. He's got bad eczema too so that requires me to do bandages to try and keep it from getting too bad.
I also need to do the "Quality time" with my other half who seems to believe all I do is read lol. It's not true. I swear LOL... okay that wasn't as convincing as I'd hoped it to be.
The newest thing I've decided to get into is photography. A lady at my work is doing courses and what not and I'd definitely class her as a Professional! You should see her camera (Which I got to have a play with today at lunch *big grin*. Thanks to the Pen Ready Project I went out and bought the Olympus Pen e-pm1 and have decided to enter a few photography competitions for fun. It's easy to get distracted from what I usually love doing.
I do go motorbike riding here and there, but nowhere near as much as I used to. Wish there were more hours in a day to do everything I wanted!
Upcoming Releases is a new little feature where I include books I've come across that are released each month. These can include Young Adult/Adult etc books I can't wait to get my hands on (or been lucky enough to have read), and others I've come across that you may be interested in.
Note: All Titles will be linked back to Goodreads to make it easier to add to your wishlists ;)
Welcome to Spellbound Noticeboard. Here is where Authors, Bloggers and others can send in anything that you'd like promoted. Competitions, book releases, blog events etc. This is your spot! So feel free to send me a line if you have anything book related (Including books made into movies) and I'll be sure to post these up! I'll also be including features etc that I come across to help spread the word for other Authors and bloggers! Just email me at melissa@spellboundbybooks.com
Seventh Star Press is proud to announce Legacy of the Gods, an exciting new urban fantasy series from Michael West that begins with Poseidon's Children. Four titles are scheduled in the series. The award-winning horror author's foray into urban fantasy is his second series with Seventh Star Press, joining his Harmony Indiana novels in a schedule that will see two books a year released from the prolific author.
Poseidon's Children has already received high praise from Maurice Broaddus, whose series, The Knights of Breton Court, has been making big waves in the urban fantasy world. As Maurice commented, “Poseidon’s Children is some of Michael West’s best writing and storytelling!”
As with all Seventh Star Press novels, the books will feature interior artwork, with covers and illustrations being done by acclaimed fantasy/horror artist Matthew Perry. His artwork appears in other Seventh Star Press releases from Jackie Gamber, H.David Blalock, Stephen Shrewsbury, and Stephen Zimmer.
"This has been an epic story that I have been passionate about for a long time, an idea that would not let go of my brain, it just kept growing, and growing, demanding that I start writing it all down,” Michael said in regards to the upcoming series. “I've talked about wanting to do this series for years, and my faithful readers kept asking me, 'When are you going to do that? When is it coming out?' Well, I'm happy to say that the answer is now, and I am so pleased that Seventh Star Press has given me the opportunity to finally make this dark, horrific, fantastical dream a reality."
In Poseidon's Children, man no longer worships the old gods; forgotten and forsaken, they have become nothing more than myth and legend. But all that is about to change. After the ruins of a vast, ancient civilization are discovered on the ocean floor, Coast Guard officers find a series of derelict ships drifting in the current--high-priced yachts and leaking fishing boats, all ransacked, splattered in blood, their crews missing and presumed dead.
And that's just the beginning.
Vacationing artist Larry Neuhaus has just witnessed a gruesome shark attack, a young couple torn apart right before his eyes ... at least, he thinks it was a shark. And when one of these victims turns out to be the only son of Roger Hays, the most powerful man in the country, things go from bad to worse. Now, to stop the carnage,Larry and his new-found friends must work together to unravel a mystery as old as time, and face an enemy as dark as the ocean depths.
Michael West is a fast rising force in the speculative fiction world. His work includes novels such as The Wide Game (Graveside Tales), Cinema of Shadows (Seventh Star Press) and a single author collection, Skull Full of Kisses (Graveside Tales). He also has an array of short fiction published, spanning many magazines and anthologies, including appearances in Shroud Magazine, and the Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest.
Amanda DeBord will be handling editing duties on Poseidon's Children and the other three Legacy of the Gods titles.
"Seventh Star Press is simply amazing to work with,” Michael commented. “They know good fiction, put out hardcover, paperback, and eBook editions of the highest quality, and they support their authors and releases more than any other publisher in the business. I could not be happier to be working with them on my Harmony, Indiana books and now the Legacy series."
The projected release date window for Poseidon's Children is March of 2012, with versions released in limited hardcover, trade paperback, and several eBook formats, such Kindle, iPad, the Nook, and Sony/Sony compatible eBook reading devices. The second novel is slated for spring of 2013, with other titles to follow on an annual basis.
Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!
The book I've picked to share is called Insignia by S.J. Kincaid and I came across this on another blog. This one is due out 10th June 2012. I can't wait!
Synopsis
IT'S WORLD WAR III.
THE ENEMY IS WINNING.
WHAT IF THE GOVERNMENT'S SECRET WEAPON IS YOU?
More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.
Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?
Stand alone or series: Book 3 in the Caster Chronicles
Pages:520 pages
Book Received from:Penguin Australia (Publisher)
First Lines:In Gatlin, it's funny how the good things are all tied up with the bad. Sometimes it's hard to tell which is which. But either way, you end up taking your sugar with your salt and your kicks with your kisses, as Amma would say.
Definite spoilers if you haven't read Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness
Synopsis:
ETHAN WATE IS IN LOVE WITH A CASTER GIRL.
WHEN HE LOOKS AT LENA, IT'S LIKE THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
But Ethan is mortal, and on her seventeenth birthday Lena made a choice that changed everything. The girl Ethan loves has broken the world with the supernatural powers she is struggling to control . . .
Now, if they are to fix the chaos Lena has caused, one of them must make a terrible sacrifice. Sometimes there isn't just one answer. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.
Third instalment of the spellbinding love story that began with Beautiful Creatures
My Thoughts:
After finishing Beautiful Chaos, and it was left on a big OMG cliff hanger, I actually realised I didn't know how many books were going to be in the Caster Chronicles. It then clicked that it had to be more than the three being a "chronicles" but still, I read this book believing it to be the last one. Imagine my relief!
So Beautiful Darkness left us with a green and gold eyed Lena who has apparently broken the world. I must admit I had mixed feelings about Lena from book two but she had definitely redeemed herself in Beautiful Chaos. Ethan as always is an amazing character and I think Kami and Margaret have done an awesome job writing from a male POV.
The beginning of chapter one was a great start to the story. I love how Ethan uses Amma's sayings throughout each novel and as you can see in the first lines above, it really does start with a bit of mystery to it.
With each character there are drastic changes! Link is now a 'Linkubus' as he refers to himself in the book. He's bulked up and surprisingly has certain cheerleaders taking notice. Ridley, well, attitude wise she hasn't changed, but her powers took a massive blow in book 2 so she struggles throughout the story dealing with that. Lena and the other casters are struggling with their powers too, misfiring and what not, and then there is Ethan. Ethan with his dreams and his Amma whose 'going darker' with each turn of the page. Amma is one character that I'd love to have in my household. Seriously!
Hopefully I don't want to give away too much but this is a must read. Kami and Margaret have done a fantastic job at creating different, wholesome characters and the writing kept me hooked from beginning to finish.
If you haven't read these I suggest you give Beautiful Creatures a try. But if you're about to read Beautiful Chaos, make sure there are tissues because towards the end you're going to need it! Yeah that's right. I admit it, I cried LOL.
Spellbound By Books would like to welcome Derek Clendening, author of The Vampire Way to the blog today!
Ever hear writers tell stories about how it took them ten years to write a novel? Well, The Vampire Way took nine. The sequel, Blood Promise, took four months. Big difference, huh? So, if one took me so long, why should the sequel be so darn easy?
To start, I first conceived the idea for The Vampire Way in the summer of 1999. I was 17 and would turn 18 that November. Part of the trouble is that I was an aspiring writer in the truest sense of the word. I hadn’t learned how to properly develop an idea, unfold a plot and characters etc. I don’t beat myself up over that though. It’s pretty forgivable.
Here’s how the original story went: Rick Thompson, an 18 year old high school senior, who is horror-obsessed and an aspiring writer, meets a pretty girl named Laura. Said pretty girl turns out to be a vampire and is behind a few killings. It’s okay to tell you about that. No spoilers there. The initial concept is nowhere close to the book it became. Laura was rewritten as a regular human girl in following drafts. Certain major characters and themes didn’t arrive until 2001 or later. The reason for that, I think, is because I had to make sense of some things that happened to me in the fall of 1999.
A friend I grew up with, whose father was best friends with my father growing up (it’s a small town guys, haha) succumbed to cancer on my 18th birthday. Another of our friends died in a car accident a few weeks later. I felt a type of survivor’s guilt because my friends were gone and I was lucky enough to be able to live my life. Those emotional aches and pains were incorporated into the book. My own quest to become a better person, in spite of the mistakes I may commit in the process, is thematically significant as Rick strives to become a better person.
In short, I needed the experiences that came later that fall, and the maturity that came in the following years to tell the story properly. I needed nearly a decade to make the story reach its full potential. Writing a sequel was easy because I knew the characters so well. Rick Thompson had become my best friend. I only hope that a reader can achieve the personal growth from the book as I did.
To enter to win a Kindle Fire, leave your name and e-mail address in the comment form below.
You can enter once per blog stop. Visit each blog stop to increase your odds of winning. If I crack the Kindle Top 100, I will give away another Kindle Fire.
E-mail me for the tour newsletter including a full listing of tour stops at derek (dot) r (dot) clendening (at) gmail (dot) com.
TGIF is a weekly feature created and hosted by Ginger at GReads! that re-caps the week’s posts and has different question each week.
This Friday's Question:
Giving Thanks: Which books are you most thankful for receiving from other bloggers, friends, family members, or publishers?
For starters, I want to say thanks to my cousin Kelsie. If it wasn't for you I'd never would have picked up a Young Adult book and though I was hesitant to read Twilight because of the hype, this book as well as the first in the Harry Potter series was the first two books that got me into the genre.
Thank you to the dude that used to work at Angus and Robertson at Redbank Plaza. The Messenger/I am Messenger by Markus Zusak was recommended as it was his all time favourite. To this day, I still can't think of your name! I'm so sorry! This is now my all time favourite too!
I'd like to thank Jen at Hardie Grant Egmont for supplying me a proof copy of Forgottenby Cat Patrick. This was such a beautifully written book that will forever be a favourite of mine!
So a big thank you to everyone who has recommended an awesome book to me, supplied me with a book, or what not! I'm forever thankful. What would we do without word of mouth, friendship or publishers? You rock!
His: Wool hats, spats, and a snazzy suit make every wise guy look elegant and dangerous.
Dressing to the nines for a night out at a speakeasy is an absolute must! Below you'll find the perfect attire for a night out on the town - or accessories to complement your outfit.
Hers: A gorgeous, sequined dress in the flapper style, a cloche, cigarette holder, pearls and a gorgeous handbag.
Get some Gangster style! Need some help selecting the perfect ensemble? Have fun playing this dresss-up game for 1920s mobsters and molls. Get Dressed!
Guys and Molls - Goodies
WIN this hilarious deck of flashcards, and you'll have fun learning how to sling some lingo.
About: Get a line on this racket: flashcards feature famous one-liners and slang from 1930s gangster classics. Dish out some gangster speak and your pals and enemies will think you were made for the silver screen. 30 movie flashcards, boxed. Preview: Check out the deck
AND
WIN this great multi-title DVD, which includes four of the best gangster movies that were ever made. Host your own 1930s mobster movie marathon!
About: There are four vintage films included on this DVD.
The Public Enemy (1931) - A taut, realistic time capsule of the Prohibition Era, showcasing James Cagney's powerhouse breakthrough as a streetwise tough guy who rises high in the bootleg racket.
The Roaring Twenties (1939) - Screen legends Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino star in this soulful study of a gangster whose hard-boiled persona finds itself at war with his compassionate side - a side that will ultimately be his downfall.
Little Caesar (1930) - Loosely based on the life of real-life Prohibition-era mobster, the infamous Al Capone. Edward G. Robinson rocketed to stardom as a pugnacious hoodlum who murderously rises to the top ranks of the underworld.
Smart Money (1931) - In their only screen teaming, Little Caesar's Edward G. Robinson leads the way and The Public Enemy's James Cagney rides shotgun in this brisk tale of barbers who go from cutting hair to cutting in on the gambling racket. (Source: Amazon product description)
HOW TO PLAY: There are four steps, but they're all fun and easy to do.
1. Leave a comment on this post, giving your take on this question:
Which item of clothing in the 1920's or 1930's did you find smooth (trendy)?
Feel free to sign it with your own mobster nickname or syndicate, or
Twitter name.
2. Comment on ANY other second Guys and Molls post. (Browse event
Waiting on Wednesday was brought to you by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!
This week I've picked Touched by Cyn Balog. This will be released on 14th August 2012 and I can't wait to read this!
Synopsis
Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn’t? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script to save a life, dooming another one in the process. Trying to change the future can have disastrous consequences..
But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something’s about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets Taryn, a girl with a dark family secret that may be the key to understanding his past. But will she also destroy his future? . Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there’s no way to stop it. Or is there?
In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he’s about to discover—or the choice he will be forced to make. . .
First Lines:"Where are you?" Aunt Hanna demanded as soon as Alex thumbed talk. "What do you think you're doing?"
Synopsis:
Alex has run away and is hiking through the wilderness with her dead parents' ashes, about to say goodbye to the life she no longer wants to live. But then the world suddenly changes. An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky zapping every electronic device and killing the vast majority of adults. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who has changed...
Everyone still alive has turned – some for the better (those who acquired a superhuman sense) while others for the worse (those who acquired a taste for human flesh). Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the zombies that are on the hunt, Alex meets up with Tom – an Army veteran who escaped one war only to find something worse at home – and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.
This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to find food, shelter, while fighting off the "Changed" and those desperate to stay alive.
A tense and involving adventure with shocks and sudden plot twists that will keep teen and adult readers gripped.
My Thoughts:
I don't know where to start here really. Ashes is one of those books I would have come across eventually if it hadn't been for Pan Macmillan that had sent this to me. I must admit, on Goodreads one of the covers where it has the face with the striped pattern over it did kind of turn me off the book initially.
I was thoroughly surprised when I started reading Ashes. The main character Alex is terminally ill with a tumour in the brain. The kind of sick you don't generally come back from if it's in the last stages. So it was quite unusual to have a character that is as sick as this, at the beginning. What gets my attention even more is that she takes it upon herself to go hiking with her dead parents ashes. She meets Jack and Ellie while hiking and that's where the EMP (aka Electromagnetic pulse) hits.
Before I go on, I will have to say this. Ellie was the most annoying snotty nosed character in the beginning! It was irritating to the point I'd call it authentic lol. Thankfully it doesn't last for very long and with the story moving along it falls into the background.
The story itself is fast past, edge of your seat reading for roughly 300 or so pages. There is a lull right after that but the way the authors done it, it seems deliberate. Kind of lulling you into a that false comfort of belonging. But that doesn't last though. The end is left on a cliffhanger.
Ashes is an awesome read. It's gory and will have you turning the pages fast to find out if Alex can outrun the changed humans. A great addition to Young Adult reading.
November 11
This Miss Loves to Read (@MissIrenne) Concrete shoes and tommy guns – How to talk like a gangster
November 12
Double feature vvb32reads (@vvb32reads) Secret doors and liquid fire – Speakeasies and Theater of the air – Radio show: Angels with Dirty Faces
