Q: Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more? | "Ebook of the Week" is a weekly feature here at Inklings Read. Each week I feature an ebook as well as a giveaway! Ebooks featured in these posts will always be well rated and reasonably priced! Sometimes, if we're lucky, the author will drop by to say "Hi" with a few words on their book as well. Now let’s showcase Inklings Read’s Ebook of the Week! This week we have Courtney Cole, author of the The Bloodstone Saga, here with us today to tell us a bit about herself and the first book in the series, Every Last Kiss. |
| 17-year old Macy Lockhart has the weight of the world on her shoulders. For thousands of years, she has been a Keeper in the ancient organization, the Order of the Moirae. She literally holds fate in her hands. But this is something that she forgets, because her memories are wiped clean in every life until it is time for her cycle to start again. And in the last two thousand years, there has never been a problem. Until now. And now…Fate, the very thing that Macy was born to keep, is being tampered with and she has only one choice: To return to a previous life to fix it; a life where she was Cleopatra’s handmaiden, Charmian. Cue up the second problem: Unless she interferes with the fabric of time, the very thing she has returned to repair, her soul mate will die leading Marc Antony’s forces against Rome. Can she really stand aside and allow the love of her life to die all over again? |  Goodreads | Amazon (I LOVE this cover!) |
Courtney Cole is a novelist who lives near Lake Michigan with her domestic zoo (aka family) her pet iPad and her favorite cashmere socks. Courtney is the author of the Bloodstone Saga, the Moonstone Saga and the American Princess series. She's always hard at work on her latest book. Learn more about her at www.courtneycolewrites.com |
Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.Though Grave Mercy is a historical novel, it certainly didn't read like one! Ismae's story is as engrossing and action-packed as it is intelligent and emotionally driven.
Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?
Who is excited for the Hunger Games!?! I know I am ^_^ Unfortunately I won’t be able to see it until Saturday, so don’t all of you premiere folks ruin anything for me! In spirit of the release of the movie, I’ve decided to show some other options for all the Hunger Games fans out there. Check out the books below if you are looking to read something similar!| Divergent by Veronica Roth Divergent is the most recommended book to Hunger Games fans and for a good reason. This is the first book that comes to mind when people ask me for a similar recommendation. Fans will definitely enjoy this one! In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all. |  |
 | Unwind by Neal Shusterman This is a very chilling book that focuses on ethics and human cruelty. I loved this one! The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive. |
| Delirium by Lauren Oliver Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love. |  |
 | Enclave by Ann Aguirre In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning. |
| "Ebook of the Week" is a weekly feature here at Inklings Read. Each week I feature an ebook as well as a giveaway! Ebooks featured in these posts will always be well rated and reasonably priced! Sometimes, if we're lucky, the author will drop by to say "Hi" with a few words on their book as well. Now let’s showcase Inklings Read’s Ebook of the Week! This week we have Cat Kalen, author of the Wolf’s Pride series, here with us today to tell us a bit about herself and the first book in the series, Pride’s Run. |
| Seventeen year old Pride is a tracker—a werewolf with a hunger for blood. Taught to trick and to lure, she is the perfect killing machine. Kept leashed in the cellar by a master who is as ruthless as he is powerful, Pride dreams of freedom, of living a normal life, but escape from the compound is near impossible and disobedience comes with a price. When she learns her master intends to breed her she knows she has to run. Pride soon learns if she is to survive in the wild, she must trust in the boy who promises her freedom, the same boy she was sent to hunt. With life and death hanging in the balance the two find themselves on the run from the Paranormal Task Force—officers who shoot first and ask questions later—as well as her master’s handlers. Can Pride flee the man who has held her captive since birth and find sanctuary in the arms of a boy who has captured her heart? Or will her master find her first? |  Goodreads | Amazon |
 About CatCat Kalen is a multi published author in the romance genre under two pen names, Cat is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and watermelon. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cat can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.A maritime native and former financial officer, Cat has lived all over Canada but has finally settled down in her childhood hometown with her family. Please describe Pride’s Run using only 5 words! She’s the perfect killing machine. What can we expect from you in the future!? I am currently working on Pride’s Pursuit, the third book in the Wolf’s Pride series. |
Tomorrow is the first day of spring!! We've had some gorgeous weather here in MD this week, and I've been enjoying every second of it! In spirit of the new season, Inklings Read is participating in the Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. For this hop I’m giving away an entire box of books aka box of awesomeness to one lucky winner!The Earthquake Machine by Mary Pauline Lowry has received some very rave reviews! But I, along with other reviewers, reached out to Mary to express our thoughts on the cover. I felt the original cover just didn’t target the YA crowd. It was holding the book back.
What amazed me is that not only did Mary listen and thank me for my input, but she actually acted on it! She “asked award-winning author/photographer/cover designer Suza Scalora to create a cover for The Earthquake Machine that's as lush, enchanted, and edgy as the novel itself.” Here it is folks:
The Earthquake Machine tells the story of 14 year-old Rhonda. On the outside, everything looks perfect in Rhonda's world but at home Rhonda has to deal with a manipulative father who keeps her mentally ill mother hooked on pharmaceuticals. The only reliable person in Rhonda's life is her family's Mexican yardman, Jess. But when the INS deports Jess back to his home state of Oaxaca, Rhonda is left alone with her increasingly painful family situation. Determined to find her friend Jess, Rhonda seizes an opportunity to run away during a camping trip with friends. She swims to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande and makes her way to the border town of Boquillas, Mexico. There a peyote-addled bartender convinces her she won't be safe traveling alone into the country's interior. So with the bartender's help, Rhonda cuts her hair and assumes the identity of a Mexican boy named Angel. She then sets off on a burro across the desert to look for Jess. Thus begins a wild adventure that explores the borders between the United States and Mexico, adolescence and adulthood, male and female, English and Spanish, and adult coming-of-age and Young Adult novels.
Here is the original cover:
| "Ebook of the Week" is a weekly feature here at Inklings Read. Each week I feature an ebook as well as a giveaway! Ebooks featured in these posts will always be well rated and reasonably priced! Sometimes, if we're lucky, the author will drop by to say "Hi" with a few words on their book as well. Now let’s showcase Inklings Read’s Ebook of the Week! This week we have Chelsea Fine, author of The Archers of Avalon series, here with us today to tell us a bit about herself and the first book in the series, Anew. |
| Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice. Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer. Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her. |  Goodreads | Amazon |
| About ChelseaChelsea lives in Phoenix, AZ where she spends most of her time writing young adult fiction, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen.Please describe Anew using only 5 words! Mysteries, curses, forbidden love, sacrifice. What can we expect from you in the future!? I am currently working on a YA thriller (dum-dum-dumm), a Christmas love story (because who doesn't love snow and cozy kisses?), and a science fiction romance (because, clearly, I can't decide which genre I should write in, haha) |
I’m super excited to have Ari Marmell, author of Thief’s Covenant, here at Inklings Read to tell us a bit about his writing and first venture into the young adult fantasy genre!
Q. I LOVE the cover of Thief's Covenant! It's what initially drew me to the book. What role did you play (if any) in the design of the cover?
away by Kristi's passion… and thinking “I want to do that.” I started up Inklings Read shortly after and posted my first review of The Iron Daughter. I was so excited when I got my first couple followers… To this day I still get a high from every new follower and every comment!
Q: Have you ever looked at book’s cover and thought, This is going to horrible? But, was instead pleasantly surprised? Show us the cover and tell us about the book.
Starters (Starters, #1) by Lissa Price Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.Starters was fantastic! It was a refreshingly original dystopian read . Filled with twists, it kept me on my toes from page one.
He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined.
Sixteen-year-old Sydlynn Hayle is the daughter of a powerful witch and a demon lord of the seventh plane. The trouble is, she just wants to be ordinary. Syd struggles to survive the minefield of her new high school while being torn between her attraction to football hero Brad Peters and the darkly mysterious Quaid Moromond. When her coven comes under attack, Syd is forced to face the fact only her power can save her family’s magic.
About PattiWhen asked to describe Family Magic in 5 words she stated:“Teen witch craves the ordinary.” Patti Larsen has a serious passion for YA paranormal and thrillers. Now with multiple books in happy publication, she lives on the East Coast of Canada with her patient husband and four massive cats. She is currently in edits for the Diamond City Trilogy, coming out in March and writing the first book of a new series, Clone Three. |
Thief’s Covenant (Widdershins, #1) by Ari Marmell Once she was Adrienne Satti. An orphan of Davillon, she had somehow escaped destitution and climbed to the ranks of the city ’s aristocracy in a rags-to-riches story straight from an ancient fairy tale. Until one horrid night, when a conspiracy of forces—human and other—stole it all away in a flurry of blood and murder.Ok.. so here's the deal: In theory, this book is fantastic! In reality, however, Thief's Covenant didn't live up to my expectations. I was in love with the idea of the book versus in love with the book itself.
Today she is Widdershins, a thief making her way through Davillon’s underbelly with a sharp blade, a sharper wit, and the mystical aid of Olgun, a foreign god with no other worshippers but Widdershins herself. It’s not a great life, certainly nothing compared to the one she once had, but it’s hers.
But now, in the midst of Davillon’s political turmoil, an array of hands are once again rising up against her, prepared to tear down all that she’s built. The City Guard wants her in prison. Members of her own Guild want her dead. And something horrid, something dark, something ancient is reaching out for her, a past that refuses to let her go. Widdershins and Olgun are going to find answers, and justice, for what happened to her—but only if those who almost destroyed her in those years gone by don’t finish the job first.
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon, #1) by Alison Goodman Sixteen-year-old Eon has a dream, and a mission. For years, he's been studying sword-work and magic, toward one end. He and his master hope that he will be chosen as a Dragoneye-an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.Eon was unlike any YA epic fantasy I've read before! It wove fantasy and Asian mythology together seamlessly, creating a world I easily fell in love with.
But Eon has a dangerous secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been masquerading as a twelve-year-old boy. Females are forbidden to use Dragon Magic; if anyone discovers she has been hiding in plain sight, her death is assured.
When Eon's secret threatens to come to light, she and her allies are plunged into grave danger and a deadly struggle for the Imperial throne. Eon must find the strength and inner power to battle those who want to take her magic...and her life.
When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendents charged with protecting the world’s past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.
