Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday(45) I Was Here

 Title:I Was Here
Author: Gayle Forman

Release Date:January 27th 2015
Publisher:Viking Juvenile

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.


Gayle Forman is on my instant buy list ever since I read If I Stay when it first came out.I can't wait to get my hand on another one of her books!!
 So that's what I'm waiting. So how about you? Leave a link and let me know. :)

Top Ten Tuesday(26):Top Ten Characters You Wish Would Get Their OWN Book


Check out how Top Ten Tuesday works & the future schedule of topics HERE.The Top Ten Tuesday, is hosted by the ever-fabulous The Broke and the Bookish   This  meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish.
Top Ten Characters You Wish Would Get Their OWN Book (minor or just maybe a semi main character you wish a book was from their POV)

  1. Nevile Longbottom from Harry Potter He could have been the chosen one and i'd like to see his thought during the last book.
  2. Puck from the Iron Fey Series I'd love to know what he has been up to after The Iron Knight
  3. Marnie Bates book
  4.  Danika from Jennifer Armentrout book The Stone Cold Touch series she has been locked in a gilded cage her whole life and it been nice to see her story progress to her wanting more and becoming free.
  5.  Hamish from the Kiss off books by Sarah Billington Since I wouldn't mind reading more about his change from high school to his current state
  6. Simon From the Immortal Instruments Series He has had scenes from his point of view but I'd love reading more about him after the series ended to see how he's adjusting. 
  7. Jackal Did his experience with Alllie change him or is he going to back to how he was before..I'd like an answer. 
  8.  Twenty Boy Summer
  9. Any of the side Characters from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour I don't care who it is even the small glimpse of the background characters were awesome my favorite were Lucian and  Lenard.
  10. The Other Female Shifter series by Rachel Vincent I think it would be intriguing to know about the lives of the other female shifters and their thoughts Faythe's situation.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Follow Friday(3)


 Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts,Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow them to show off more new blogs!

 Question Of The Week
Craziest thing you'd be willing to do for an ARC you are dying to read (aka what would you doooo-ooo for that ARC you want? *think of the Klondike Bar music*) - Suggested by A Great Read

Great question!! :) Honestly I love the idea of ARC's but I barley ever go out of my way to get one.If I ever went to BEA I'd probably bite or gently elbow someone for an ARC of whatever book I'd be obsessively wanting  at the time.However in my day to day life the most I'll do is shoot off an email to an author,enter a few giveaways,or go on Netgallery.If my blog had a spirit animal it would be a sloth chill and not big into rushing.With that being said I'm not a big ARC person i can wait to buy a book or go to the library.


To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
  1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
  2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers Boarding With Books
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
  5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
  6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
  7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  8. If you're new to the Follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
 Happy Follow Friday!This is a blog hop so go forth and hop along to new blogs and say Hello. [:

Over It:Kiss Off 2

 Title:Over It
Author: Sarah Billington

Teen Youtube song writing sensation Poppy Douglas's lead singer boyfriend Ty's been criss-crossing the country and living it up on tour for months while Poppy has been stuck in the boring suburbs, finishing out the school year. But it's Summer now, and the best thing just happened: Poppy's royalties for writing the hit song The Kiss Off just came in. She's minted, and she knows just what she's going to blow it on. Ty's band Academy of Lies are headlining a summer music festival, and Poppy is taking her girlfriends along for the best weekend of their lives. 

It's all organized: the weekend is going to be full of camping under the stars, backstage passes, VIP rooms and partying like rock stars, not to mention some long awaited one-on-one time with America's favorite front man. Except, when someone drops out of the trip and Poppy takes the opportunity to mend a broken friendship, it doesn't quite go according to plan. And when she meets her boyfriend's BFF from another band, the paparazzi form their own totally wrong conclusions. 

There's also the matter of Ty's 'super fan' stalker, but the less said about her the better. The biggest test of all comes in the form of an opportunity too good to pass up. But will insecurities and jealousy stand in Poppy's way? Can Poppy and Ty's relationship even survive it? Life is about to get much more complicated for Poppy Douglas, but what can you expect when your boyfriend is a rock star

************************************
Oh Poppy things just don't seem to run smoothly for her at all.What was meant to be a fun weekend with her gal pals and rock star boyfriend turned into a adorably awkward mess that leads to heartbreak,new friends, a stalker and great opportunities missed and taken.

Poppy throughout the book is filled with a naivety that bothers me from time to time but her charm and  awkwardness wins me over in the end even if she bothers me every now and then.The story is filled with old and new characters alike.Some old characters are brought back and I loved them like Poppy's parents and Ty.Then there one of Poppy's bff's Mads hat bothers me to no end.I enjoyed that Nikkie had a bigger role inOver then just a past home wrecker.The new character that I loved was from The Himbos he was hilarious.I really like Poppy's cousin Hamish and I wouldn't mind reading more about his change from high school to his current state. His situation with both of Poppy's friends made me crack up. A ton of hilarious scenes are a result of these three people. Then of course I can't not love the scenes withTy's band mates.

Billington has a very engaging writing style that makes you want to be friends with these quirky characters. I'd want to hang out with all these characters.:)The cover was cute and vibrant and fit in well with the previous cover for Kiss Off.I like how you get the music fest vibe from the cover.All in all I liked Over It a hell of a lot better than Kiss Off(Kiss Off Post) and I can not wait to read the third book All Access Pass whenever it comes out.3/5

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Waiting On Wednesday(44) The Ruby Circle

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for..

 Title:The Ruby Circle
 Author:Richelle Mead
Release Date: February 10,2015
Publisher:Razorbill
After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis.

 Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Ahh the last book in the Bloodline Series a part of me wants Feburary to come as soon as possible but another part wants to put it off.Series endings are always a bit bittersweet. 0_o
So that's what I'm waiting. So how about you? Leave a link and let me know. :)

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday(25):Books I Want To Reread


Check out how Top Ten Tuesday works & the future schedule of topics HERE.The Top Ten Tuesday, is hosted by the ever-fabulous The Broke and the Bookish   This  meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish.
Top Ten Books I Want To Reread (or if you don't reread...would reread in an ideal world)
  1. All the Harry Potter Books I'm slightly obsessed.
  2. The Realm of Possibilities by David Levithan I've read this book twice already and I probably wouldn't mind reading it a few more times
  3. Any Sarah Dessan book I haven't reread any yet but i wouldn't mind doing that,
  4. The Disenchantment Nina lacour I adored this book.I even plan on getting a tattoo based on it
  5. Tiger Lily Jodi Lynn Anderson I borrowed this book from a friend and she almost didn't get it back.I'd reread this book in a heartbeat.I also plan on getting a tattoo of a tiger lily plus a crow feather thanks to my love of Peter Pan and this book
  6. Twenty Boy Summer
  7. DreamLand Social Club  Tara Altebrando The cover drew me in,the story macks me want to go back
  8. Under The Bridge Michael Harmon I remember finish this book and instantly wanting to reread it it was that good.
  9. Why We Broke Up Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman  because i loved the story and also Lemony Snicket
  10. We Were Liars E Lockhart I would most likely reread any E Lockhart book but this one is the one I'd start with.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday(43)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Never
Author: Shay Lynam
Release Date: November 4,2014
Publisher:  Indie World Publishing and Author Services
Wynn Harper spends her days trying to blend into the background. This isn't very easy, especially being the great granddaughter of the late Wendy Darling. Wynn used to love Great Gran's stories about her adventures in Neverland with Peter Pan and his lost boys, but that's all they were. Just stories, right? That's what Wynn keeps telling herself.

But then she meets Peter, the beautiful boy with a voice to match, and when he whisks her off to Neverland, Wynn knows this is no fairy tale. The lost boys are a group of rebellious ex-pirates, young Hook has a soft side, and Peter Pan isn't as innocent as you might think
You all should know by now how much I love a retelling or book based of a classic story by now
I recently found out about this novel and I can't wait to read it.
So that's what I'm waiting. So how about you? Leave a link and let me know. :)

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Top Ten Characters Who I Would Totally Want To Be For Halloween(24)

Check out how Top Ten Tuesday works & the future schedule of topics HERE.The Top Ten Tuesday, is hosted by the ever-fabulous The Broke and the Bookish   This  meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish.
Top Ten Characters Who I Would Totally Want To Be For Halloween
(from mainly books & a few from tv or a movie)
  1. A Hufflepuff from The Harry Potter Series
  2. Tiger Lilly from Tiger Lily By Jodi Lyn Anderson because with my messy hair I'm half way there.
  3. Peter Pan from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie I feel like i'd rock that green outfit.
  4. Allison Sekemoto from the Blood Eden series by Juuie Kawaga
  5. Ursula from the Little Mermaid because she's fierce plus big and beautiful. 
  6.  Clary Frey from the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare .Mainly cause I'd really like to do all those shadow-hunter tattoos.
  7. Karou from the Daughter of Smoke and Bones by Lani Taylor in either her human forrn with that awesome hair color or her in her chimaeraform because come on wings.
  8. Marcaline from Adventure Time
  9. The Mouse from the children book If You Give A mouse a cookie 
  10. Mulan in her warrior garb because I would love having a sword.

So that's my Top Ten List from the day,tell me what you think & send me a link for yours.:)

Monday, October 27, 2014

Desert Tales

Title: Desert Tales
Author: Melissa Marr

Return to the world of Melissa Marr's bestselling series and discover how the events of Wicked Lovely set a different faery tale in motion. . . . Originally presented as a manga series and now available for the first time as a stand-alone novel, Desert Tales combines tentative romance, outward strength, and inner resolve in a faery story of desert and destiny.

The Mojave Desert was a million miles away from the plots and schemes of the Faerie Courts—and that's exactly why Rika chose it as her home. The once-mortal faery retreated to the desert's isolation after decades of carrying winter's curse inside her body. But her seclusion—and the freedom of the desert fey—is threatened by the Summer King's newfound strength. And when the manipulations of her trickster friend, Sionnach, thrust Rika into a new romance, she finds new power within herself—and a new desire to help Sionnach protect the desert fey and mortals alike. The time for hiding is over

*************************
This novel was a set of three Graphic novels originally. I didn't read the graphic novels, but was excited that she turned it into a novel.It is about Rika (a Winter Girl before Donia), Sionnach (the desert alpha & a fox faery), and Jayce (human male). Some scenes with Keenan & Donia, but no other characters from the series make an appearance in the book.

Rika is a former Winter girl who ran to the desert to be free,while there she's apart of the solitary fey world but barley talks or interacts with the other except  Sionnach the desert Alpha. Then thanks to Keenan coming to the desert, Sionnach's meddling and Rika's love of a mortal Rika went on a journey to become the strong fairy she always was already. Sionnach is what really made this a good book. He is clever, witty, mysterious and I really enjoyed reading from his perspective when it happened.Jace is just the sweetest and took the whole fey thing like a champ. The story was well written and I loved the ending even if it was a bit  bittersweet .

The cover is quite lovely and the font and design around the title match with the other novels perfectly.I love this book, and  I loved the Wicked Lovely series and so glad that Marr is taking the tale farther with all the novellas, graphic novels and this standalone novel.Also there might be a Wicked Lovely Movie!!!! 5/5

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Cinderlla's Dress

Title: Cinderlla's Dress
Author:

Being a teen-ager during World War II is tough. Finding out you're the next keeper of the real Cinderella's dress is even tougher.

Kate simply wants to create window displays at the department store where she's working, trying to help out with the war effort. But when long-lost relatives from Poland arrive with a steamer trunk they claim holds the Cinderella's dress, life gets complicated.

Now, with a father missing in action, her new sweetheart shipped off to boot camp, and her great aunt losing her wits, Kate has to unravel the mystery before it's too late.

After all, the descendants of the wicked stepsisters will stop at nothing to get what they think they deserve


****************************
So at first I thought that this book was going to be a Cinderella retelling but I quickly realized that was not going to be the case.It takes the magic of Cinderella's tale picking out bits and pieces  that are used to tell an entirely different story that is, all in all, intriguing and adorable
 
 The story itself follows Kate as she tries to follow her dream of creating window displays in the department store she works at, but it's the 1940's and this isn't something a woman does. I really loved Kate as a character. She was strong willed and knew what she wanted. Of course she made a couple of silly mistakes a long the way but - after a little push - she always made the right decision in the end. The character of Johnny is the perfect book crush.. He's snarky but in a good-natured way.He didn't hold a grudge, and he was a darn good letter writer. The relationship between Johnny Day & Kate was super sweet.The cast of characters  was wonderful and the plot while slow paced at times kept you wanting more. The only thing that bothered me about the book was how during the first half of the book with the constant letters back and forth during the war, the time mysteriously jumped.... Other than this I enjoyed Cinderella's Dress.
 
The cover is pretty breath taking, I just love it.i'd recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction mixed with fairy tales. This book also leaves many questions unanswered so be prepared...possible sequel  3/5

Flat-Out Celeste

Flat-Out Celeste (Flat-Out Love, #2)
For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.

Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.


Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love


********************************** 
Celeste, Matt’s little sister was beyond her years smart, loveable, but socially awkward in Flat-Out Love. Celeste, as well as the rest of the family were on the verge of a total meltdown after suffering an unimaginable loss. Julie (Matt’s love interest) was instrumental in their road to healing and in the years that have since past, the Watkins family has made many positive strides. 
 
Celeste is now 18 years old and she is a senior in high school. After years of being isolated, socially awkward, and feeling that she will never fit somewhere. Suddenly she meets Justin who is as weird as she is!!!Celeste was relatable in her quirkiness and still was a remarkable character. I liked seeing her progress as the story went on to a more confident girl. Reading about Celeste navigating high school and making friends ships with people instead of staying closed off was awesome. The same goes with her encounters with Justin, they are just the sweetest. Justin Milano is a student liaison for Barton College who contacts Celeste through several rambling emails trying to woo her to attend his school. Through the emails Celeste and Justin develop a friendship.   The characters were never flat and seemed like people you would want to be around. I liked that the author gave us a glimpses of what happened with Matt & Julie and their story was still fresh and slightly adorable.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous and while it has a different look than the covers for Flat-Out-Love and Flat-Out-Mat it still has the hinges in the title which is super cute. The story/plot defiantly drew me in and is more than likely to intrigue anyone who has read Flat-Out Matt or even anyone who has not.4/5

TEASER&TRAILOR: No Such Thing As Perfect By Sarah Daltry


 
 
 





 






 
 

All In One PROMO !!: No Such Thing as Perfect for Sarah Daltry


NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT
CONTEMPORARY REALISTIC YA

Author: Sarah Daltry



College was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to be perfect.
For Lily Drummond, life is about following the rules. To be specific, her mother’s rules. College fit into the plan – maintain perfect grades, date the perfect guy, and live the perfect life. On her own, though, Lily realizes that she doesn’t actually have a plan. Without being told what to think and do, she keeps making mistakes.
Away from home, the perfect facade is beginning to shatter. When Lily herself starts to break, it’s the support of an unlikely friend that teaches her how much of a lie perfect really is – and how to be whole on her own terms.

Release Date: December 12, 2014 (tentative)

Preorders to be available in November unless something changes.



“My name’s Lily and James Naismith ruined high school for me,” I offer.

It’s too hot in this room. The window fan is blowing nothing but heat over us, along with some old dust or dirt from the window. It makes the noise of plastic that is being asked to do more than plastic can do; the fan’s cheapness makes it too weak to be a fan and it groans with its own failure.

I’m not good with social events. This is some kind of mandated floor meeting for all new students and I’m sitting in the middle of my RA’s room with ten other girls, all of us in pajama pants, and trying to sound interesting.

“I mean, he didn’t personally. I think he died almost a hundred years ago,” I stutter.

“So why don’t you explain how the inventor of basketball did ruin high school then?” one girl asks. She’s angry, but I don’t know her. I don’t know anyone, except my roommate Kristen and so far all I know about her is that she’s majoring in education, she brought the fridge, and she’s decorated her side of our dorm room to look like the inside of a Pepto-Bismol bottle. This girl doesn’t want to hear my story. She doesn’t want to be here, but I don’t, either, and now that I’m here, I was the one dumb enough to open my mouth.

“It was gym class,” I try to explain. “I don’t know. Something about ed reform. We had homework and tests and all that in gym now and I’d been up all night writing an essay about James Naismith. I hadn’t slept and I was in a rush trying to make the bus that morning.”

It had been cold, the rushing towards winter that mirrors the years that aren’t like this one. This is one where summer lingers and it resists every attempt to make it yield to fall. I remember the leaves were already falling that year, even though it was only early September. Some years it seemed like they were in a greater rush to die. In the moments between life, each leaf took its suicidal leap and fell slowly while no one noticed. We always only notice when they’re all dead and suddenly the sky hangs on us and we crave shade.

The bus was about to pull away from the curb near my house and I cried out for it, running faster and slipping on a clump of leaves. The entire patch was squishy. I wondered as I fell if I had taken out a small family of worms in my descent. My outfit was ruined, but it wasn’t the clothes that scared me…

“I tripped on leaves and fell on the driveway hard. The gravel left a slash along my cheek and it looked like someone had punched me. That was the day of school pictures, which we used for the yearbook and our IDs. Not to mention the fact that my mom…” I can’t finish. I don’t want to take about my mother. I certainly don’t feel like confiding in these girls about how disappointed she was that I had ruined everything. It wasn’t my fault that fall had come early, but I ruined the pictures and in her album of school photos, my freshman year still remains a giant, empty black page. A constant reminder that I will never be whole, never be perfect, never be what she wanted.

“What about your mom?” someone else asks.

“Nothing.” I don’t want to tell my story anymore. I want the fan to stop trying. I want it to be tomorrow and the day after and any day when I can start in the morning and get through to night without making a mistake.

It’s dropped, though, anyway, because Ellie, the RA, turns to someone else who is pocketing a handful of condoms. “You don’t need to take them all,” she barks. “I have plenty, but other people practice safe sex, too. Unless you’re planning on having a massive orgy tonight, you can probably come back and get some later.”

The condom hoarder blushes and returns half her pile and the floor meeting turns back to pointless small talk and ice breakers that no one wants to be a part of. The fan clicks another meaningless rotation. I’ve been a college student for six hours now and I’ve never been so lonely in my entire life.



Sarah Daltry is a YA author, hardcore gamer, sarcastic nerd, and obsessive Anglophile who watches too much BBC TV. She is the author of Backward Compatible: A Gamer Geek Love Story, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock: A Modern Reimagining, Bitter Fruits, and the upcoming YA fantasy, Dust. No Such Thing as Perfect was inspired by Sarah's original Flowering series, but is a completely different take on similar concepts.

When she's not writing, Sarah spends a lot of time with her Xbox and her cats.
Yay Free Things! :)
Enter to win a signed ARC!
 

 
 

Waiting on Wednesday(42) Invaded

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...


Title: Invaded (Alienated 2)
Release Date: February 3,2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.
So if anyone was a fan of the show Star-Crossed on The CW for the one& only season it aired then you'll be a fan of the Alienated books. Seriously Check out the first one!
So that's what I'm waiting. So how about you? Leave a link and let me know. :)

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Rebecca Finlayson

Hello! My name is Rebecca Finlayson (though I mostly go by Becky) and I am a Teaching Assistant and writer!Tea Fiend. 'X&Y' and 'The Secrets of Nethiaria: The Magician's Book' available on Kindle now. She lives in Coventry, UK with my husband John and our wonderful housemate, Kat. You can find me on Twitter: @finlaysonauthor











 
1)How did you come up with the concept for X&Y?
I used to work as a Teaching Assistant and one day I was supporting a Religious Studies class that was discussing genetic engineering as part of their ethics topic. It got me to thinking if a whole country implemented genetic engineering, what would it look like? That, coupled with the fact that I was reading 1984 by George Orwell at the time inspired, what I thought, was an interesting story.

2) What are you working on now?
 I just released my second book on Kindle, a fantasy novel entitled "The Secrets of Nethiaria: The Magician's Book". It tells the tale of a sixteen year old called Esme, who finds out she is the daughter of the King and Queen in a land called Ellush in the far-off world of Nethiaria. Hidden away on Earth until now for her own protection, she is fated to go back and find an immensely powerful and mysterious flower called the Laminia, whose power she will harness to defeat the evil, power-hungry Lord Mordrian. I am also in my first draft of a post-apocalyptic story called 'The Dome', in which the last of earth's people are gathered together under the safety of a technology called 'The Dome', while the earth recovers after war.

3) Favorite genre to read?
 I honestly like reading all sorts, but I think one genre I will always fall back on is fantasy. I love seeing the worlds that different people build in their minds and put onto paper. I think it's incredible. 

4) Which reading format do you prefer: Paperbacks, Hardcovers or E-books?
Paperbacks. I love the feel of a book in my hand, and while I try to take good care of them, they do end up looking a bit too 'loved' (read: worn).

5) Who or what inspired you to become a writer?
I was inspired to become a writer just because I had too many stories and characters floating around in my head to contain them all. I wouldn't say there is one particular person who has inspired be, but there are a few particular authors whose work I read drives me to become better in my writing - for example, I will read anything by Joanne Harris or Kazuo Ishiguro because their work is just outstanding. 

6) Zombie filled world  or Dystopian world  Why?
 Dystopian, purely because I feel I would be better at joining the revolution against whatever system was in place, rather than trying to escape from zombies. I'd rather take on 'The Man' than the undead. 'The Man' would not try to eat my brains, for one. 

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday (41)

  Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...
Talon (Talon, #1) Title:Talon
Author:Julie Kawanga
Release Date: Oct 28,2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
 Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.
I will pretty much read anything Julie Kawaga puts out and then I found out this new series is about dragons I got pretty excited.Not going to lie It seem pretty similar to Firelight by Sophie Jordan though so here's hoping it better in it's own right 

 So that's what I'm waiting.So how about you? Leave a link and let me know. :)

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Persephone (Daughters of Zeus #1)

Title: Persephone
Author: Kaitlin Bevis


There are worse things than death, worse people too

The “talk” was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they’re a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn’t until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth.

Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.


******************
I’m not very familiar with Greek Mythology so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I started to read this book.All I knew about the Hades & Persephone myth was that it's related to a pomegranate and the number of seeds Persephone ate...however, despite my lack of knowledge, I found it to be very entertaining. It is well written as well and the characters are quirky/engaging. 

I loved the characters. Persephone’s voice and her own personality was really able to shine through.She was tough and despite a very confusing somewhat shocking situations she rolled with the punches and became a stronger person.Yeah she young and made mistakes but even if she new to the whole Goddess thing she's a work in progress.What i really liked was  the build up of the love story and how it didn't happen all at once in a love-at-first-sight situation. Both of their characters were able to develop and grow throughout the story,it was realistic in a sense and there was none of that insta love that sometimes happens in a lot of YA novels.Bevis creates a romance between these two that is believable. Hades might have several thousand years on Persephone, but she can certainly hold her own against him.Which I thought said much about the type of character she is.

The cover might not go with the plot of this particular retelling but it definitely embodies the whole Persephone myth.The cover seem eye catching with the bright red against the soft elegant looking grey and spirals. Retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth are apparently quite popular in today's YA market. There's  Everneath, Abandon, and The Goddess Test, and The Blooming Goddess trilogy just to name a few.So far I've read Everneath  and the Blooming Goddess books and I'm liking the different take on the Persephone myths.Bevis's take is one of my favorites of the ones I've read so far.3/5


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday(40)

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I'm particularly excited for...

Title: Iron Pendulum
Author:Megan Curd
Release Date: August 28,2014
A month ago, Avery thought the world ended outside Dome Four. Thought she was one of the few of her kind. Thought the war that brought the human race to the brink of extinction was over.

But a month can change everything.

After fighting to escape a tyranny she didn't even know existed, Avery has had to come to grips with all the secrets she's uncovered. But more secrets continue to come to light, revealing how little of her world she truly knew. When evidence starts to show that Dome Four might be under siege, Avery knows what she must do.

Returning to the dome she longed to escape is a challenge for Avery, but now she knows there’s corruption lurking in the shadows. A massive steam shortage leaves half the dome without power, and people are falling ill. Dying.

And they’re blaming Avery.

A month can change everything. One more month could kill everyone. The clock is ticking.
 So that's what I'm waiting.So how about you? Leave a link and let me know. :)

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