Ebook of the Week + Giveaway: At The End

"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!  Today, John Hennessy joins us to talk a bit about his title, At The End. I couldn’t be more excited to feature it!

At the end by John Hennessy

Night 1: 12 billion taken. Day 1: Confusion. Night 2: 13 billion taken. Day 2: Panic. Night 3: 13 billion taken. Day 3: The fight for survival begins. In 2048, the human population borders 39 billion after the termination of the birth control industry, and the realities of overcrowding have sunken into the minds of the world, until billions mysteriously go missing. In the wake of civilization’s collapse, a trio of teenage gamers from Washington struggle to endure. Maggy, a strong-willed intellectual, leads Darrel and Félix, two shy geeks, on an expedition down the west coast, as they try to determine the source of humanity’s downfall. A YA post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller.

Goodreads | Buy It

Book Trailer

About John Born in 1988, John Hennessy became entranced by the world of fantasy at a young age, playing video games and reading books for many long nights/early mornings. He recently graduated from Western Washington University, and now lives in the green land of Bellingham, at work on the second book in The Cry of Havoc series. Visit his website at: http://www.johnhennessy.net Please describe At The End using only 5 words!  Near-future Earth at its end What can we expect from you in the future!?   I am currently working on part two of The Cry of Havoc series. Part one was recently made a finalist in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards in the fantasy category.

Want to connect with John?

Goodreads | Website

Mini Review: Unraveling

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Katie Schorr
Source: Audible
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Audible | Amazon | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

Unraveling is a unique sci-fi thriller that is set apart from other YA Sci-Fi novels by its original plot. The plot is so different, in fact, that I'm not going to say anything else about it except to expect the unexpected! 

This book, characters, and narration were just "meh" for me... Unfortunately, I've already forgotten most of them! Originality and good writing weren't enough to keep me hooked in Unraveling, but, to others, it may be worth checking out.

YA Kindle Deals Under $5: 5/27/12

Because tomorrow is my birthday and it's going to be a crazy week at work, Monday deals will have to be Sunday deals this week. I'm posting in advance! There are some great deals this week, so be sure to check them out. Hopefully the prices will not fluctuate too much between now and tomorrow.

Here you'll find some of the best Kindle deals available. Some books are well known and some are hidden gems that I've found, but ALL books below have 4+ star ratings on Amazon.

Here are my featured deals for the week:

All of the titles below have 4+ star ratings or are from popular series on Amazon.com.

FREE!

BEA 2012: Tips for Survival

So you’re going to BEA! That’s awesome. If you're like me and its your first year attending, then you may be FREAKING OUT a bit. To help cope with the anxiety, I’ve compiled a list of BEA Tips links from other bloggers. Read them, cherish them, and by all means follow them. These are people who have been going to this event way longer than us so let’s take some time to absorb their wisdom! Special thanks to all the great bloggers below for providing awesome tips to us newbies.

GENERAL TIPS

Survival Guide – Book Expo America
Going to BEA 2012 (Tips) – Cindy’s Love Of Books
BEA: All you need to know + more! – La Femme Readers
BEA Tips (Part 1) – Birdbrain(ed) Blog
BEA Tips (Part 2) – Birdbrain(ed) Blog
BEA Help: Resources for Bloggers – Poisoned Rationality

Staying Organized

BEA Help: Making those Autograph Schedules (#bookexpo) – Poisoned Rationality
BookExpo America: Publisher’s Index – Photo Rambles: This post features publishers at BEA and their most anticipated releases. Great YA resource!
Ticketed Authors – Book Expo America
Books@BEA – Edelweiss: Catalog of books that will be at BEA!!! Use the navigation on the left to pick a genre.
Official Mobile App – Book Expo America
My BEA Show Planner – Book Expo America

PACKING

What To Pack When You Are Going To The BEA – Good Books & Good Wine
 Packing for BEA: a meme of sorts – Bookalicio.us

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As I said, I will be going to BEA this year! If anyone would like to meet up, let me know! I know it’s going to be hectic, but I’d love to try make some time to meet fellow bloggers. Email me, tweet me, message me, whatever floats your boat :) I will be posting a tentative BEA schedule soon!

Are you going to BEA this year?

Do you have any tips for newbies?

Are there any links I should add to the list above?

Ebook of the Week + Giveaway: Water

"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!  Today, Terra Harmony joins us to talk a bit about her title, Water. I couldn’t be more excited to feature it! Not only has she put up with me pushing her feature back twice due to my being sick, but she is also generous enough to offer to giveaway one e-copy of her book to a lucky reader!

Water (Akasha, #1) by Terra Harmony

Elemental powers in the palm of her hand...and it won't be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her new-found life holds promises of purpose, romance, and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.

Goodreads | Buy It

Book Trailer

About Terra Terra is author of the Akasha Series, a set of four contemporary eco-fantasy novels. 'Water' and 'Air' are available as e-books, and 'Fire' is due to release in October 2012. Terra also has a vampire short story anthology published as an e-book called 'The Kindred Curse Anthology'. Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina and Virginia. Terra has served a 5½ year enlistment in the Marine Corp, has earned her bachelor's and master's degree and presently runs the language services division of a small business. Terra currently lives in a suburb of Washington, DC with her husband of 13 years and three children. Please describe Water  using only 5 words!  Fast-paced, adventurous, meaningful, authentic, and last but not least - entertaining!    What can we expect from you in the future!?   I just finished up the Kindred Curse Anthology, a collection of five vampire short stories for adults. This was sort of a 'guilty pleasure' writing experience for me. The vampires are now all out of my system! I am currently finishing up The Akasha Series. 'Water' and 'Air' are now available as e-books, and 'Fire' will be released in October 2012. The final book of the series, 'Earth', is due out Spring 2013. Although The Akasha Series has been fun, my thoughts are already on my next project. I am planning another eco-fantasy series, this time with mermaids and werewolves. I am in the research stages now, reading up on popular werewolf and mermaid books, and cutting out pictures for a large 'underwater' collage. The visual helps me write! A beta first chapter has been posted here.

Want to connect with Terra?

Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

YA Kindle Deals Under $5: 5/21/12

Here you'll find some of the best Kindle deals available. Some books are well known and some are hidden gems that I've found, but ALL books below have 4+ star ratings on Amazon. Let's admit it: Mondays can be a little... draining on the soul. So what works better for lifting the spirit than finding some great books for cheap!?

Here are my featured deals for the week:

All of the titles below have 4+ star ratings or are from popular series on Amazon.com.

FREE!

Review: The Selection

The Selection (The Selection, #1) by Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Amy Rubinate
Source: Audible
Audible | Amazon | Goodreads
★★★★★

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I picked up The Selection expecting a light romantic read. What I got instead was a reflective, romantic, and beautiful story with surprising depth. For having a Bachelor-esque type set up, I was amazed by the sincerity, legitimate emotion, and lack of cat fights between the girls. If I had to use one word to describe Kiera Cass' take on this story, it would be "tasteful."

The Selection features a terrifying love triangle. I was happy to see that there was no insta-love! After being with Aspen for years, it was expected that America have feelings for him, so I didn't feel cheated there. I especially enjoyed the relationship between America and Prince Maxon! America was the one person that Maxon could expect to be honest with him. And believe me, she could be a feisty one! The banter between the two was quite entertaining. A choice between two fantastic guys: How will she ever choose!?

The crazy part is that I almost stopped listening to this book due to the narrator! She has a very... different voice. She was almost robotic at times. Once I adjusted to her voice, I was able to focus on the story. I might recommend reading the book instead of listening due to the difficulty I had with her narration.

If I have one complaint about the content of this book, it would be the abrupt ending! Talk about a cliffhanger... If you have issues with cliffhangers, you might want to put this one off until the next book, because it is a bad one! All I can do is hope it doesn't take too long for the next one...

The Selection is a book that could have easily gone wrong. Instead Kiera Cass made it tasteful, fun, and intelligent. Don't be turned off by the reviews saying that it is a Bachelor spinoff. There is so much more to this book! It is definitely one to add to your summer reading list! I'm certainly looking forward to the next installment in this series.

YA Kindle Deals Under $5: 5/14/12

Quick Update: Hi Guys! I know I've been MIA lately... Unfortunately I came down with a nasty cold after my sister's graduation. Stupid WV germs... but I'm back now! So we can now return to our regularly scheduled programming:

Here you'll find some of the best Kindle deals available. Some books are well known and some are hidden gems that I've found, but ALL books below have 4+ star ratings on Amazon. Let's admit it: Mondays can be a little... draining on the soul. So what works better for lifting the spirit than finding some great books for cheap!?

Here are my featured deals for the week:

All of the titles below have 4+ star ratings or are from popular series on Amazon.com.

FREE!

Click "Read More" to see other price ranges!

Review: Touch of Frost

Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy, #1) by Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp
Format: E-Galley
Source: Author
Buy It From Amazon |  Goodreads
★★★★☆

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died…

Touch of Frost is an excellent start to the Mythos Academy series! Estep uses elements of suspense, mythology, and romance to enhance an enjoyable, yet somewhat predictable plot. Though the book had a slow start, it quickly picked up halfway through. This book may have been used to set the stage for the rest of the series but I certainly didn't mind thanks to Estep's fantastic world building.

Estep does an amazing job creating a grand image of Mythos Academy. Her writing had me rereading paragraphs so I could imagine the intricacies of the academy over and over. We've all read books where the descriptions are beautiful, but too wordy or too simple or too boring. Estep does it right by providing readers with all the necessary information, in a pretty little word package.

While we are on the topic of beautiful things, lets talk about.... Spartans. Namely Logan. While he doesn't play a huge part in Touch of Frost, he's definitely memorable. Described as the "man-whore" of Mythos Academy, I couldn't help but feel that that there was more to him than that label and that he may know more than he lets on. I'm hoping he will be a mystery that gets unraveled (...or undressed *wink wink*) in Kiss of Frost!
 
If you are looking for a quick, fun, and entertaining read with mythological influences then Touch of Frost is for you! It shows some great potential for this series and I can't wait to read the next one. I'm thinking a Mythos Academy marathon might be in order!

l{B}ook-A-Likes

You'll definitely like Touch of Frost, if you've enjoyed the following in the past:

 

Ebook of the Week + Giveaway: Gifted

"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!  Today, Liz long joins us to talk a bit about her debut title, Gifted: A Donovan Circus Novel. I couldn’t be more excited to feature it! She has also been generous enough to offer to giveaway one e-copy of her book to a lucky reader!

Gifted (Donovan Circus, #1) by Liz Long

Even in a world of freaks, being a Firestarter is considered a dangerous Gift. Lucy was born with the ability to create and control fire. She longs to leave the human world for one filled with Earthshakers, Transporters, and Chameleons, to name a few. When she rejoins the circus, it’s everything she hoped it could be—new friends, a potential love interest or two, and a place where she can be herself. When troupe members begin turning up dead, however, Lucy is suspected of foul play. She must not only prove her innocence but also realize the full extent of her power. To find the real murderer, she must uncover the truth behind her father’s fiery legacy while figuring out whom to trust within her new circle. Little does she know the history of the Donovan Circus and its enemies might actually destroy the entire gifted world.

Goodreads | Buy It

About Liz Liz Long has been writing stories since she could spell the word "unicorn" (second grade). She fears a zombie apocalypse, though admits it would give her good reason to stay inside and write more. She is a proud graduate of Longwood University with a degree in English. Gifted is her debut title, the first in the Donovan Circus series. She lives in Roanoke, VA with her husband Jason and their Jack Russell terror, Fisher. Please describe Gifted using only 5 words!  Witty, adventurous, surprising, fast-paced, action-packed. What can we expect from you in the future!? I’m currently working on the second book in the Donovan Circus series as well as a separate YA novel.

Want to connect with Liz?

Goodreads | Facebook

Review: Bitterblue

Bitterblue (Graceling Realm, #3) by Kristin Cashore
Publisher: Dial Books 
Format: ARC
Source: Won in contest 
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Buy It From Amazon |  Goodreads
★★★★☆

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

I was a bit hesitant to pick up Bitterblue, knowing that the protagonist was one of my least favorite characters from Graceling. To my surprise, I found that I really liked Bitterblue. She had more depth as a character than I thought possible after reading Graceling! If you, like me, were put off by  Bitterblue in the first book, don't let that sway you from reading this YA high-fantasy must-read!

Let's face it: Bitterblue is no short read at 545 pages. At times it progressed a bit slowly for my tastes due to the lack of action. Despite that fact, the fantastic character development kept me hooked. I really respected Bitterblue in this book. She was a strong, fair, and independent queen, even if she didn't see herself as such. Her character grew on me more and more throughout the story. Despite the length and pace of Bitterblue, I was blown away by the depth and feeling of the characters within.

There is a lot of talk of truths and lies in Bitterblue. Like watching a terrible car crash, I couldn't help but be fascinated by the horrible reach of King Leck's grasp. What a psycho!? It amazed me how much of a hold he still had on people, even after his death. Much history is unraveled in Bitterblue, and it is not of a pleasant nature. Bitterblue has to decide whether revealing or covering up that history will be best for her kingdom.

Bitterblue will be a hard book to forget. With an endearing and strong protagonist, this book is a must-read for all high-fantasy lovers!

l{B}ook-A-Likes

You'll like Bitterblue, if you've liked these in the past:

Book Trailer