Review : Fractured Light

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Here at the Crossroads I am happy to be part of the Fractured Light blog tour with Rachel McClellan! 

Fractured Light is Rachel's first young adult novel!

We received an e-book copy of this book for review from NetGalley. 

Title: Fractured Light

Author: Rachel McClellan

Publication  Date: February 8, 2012

Ages: 13 and up

Pages: 312

Publisher: Ceder Fort, Inc.
Rating: 5 Stars!

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About the Book: 
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. But she never felt ready to face them until now. Defying the Auran Council and everything she's been taught, Llona must learn to use her power over light as a weapon if she wants to survive.

RACHEL MCCLELLAN

I was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When I'm not in my writing lair, I'm partying with my husband and four small children. My love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, my imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was… Oh, and my debut YA novel Fractured Light will be out February 2012.

My Review: 


This book was a gripping combination of terror,wonder,paranormal,magick,and more! It grabs you from the very beginning. This story is about what you would do to survive? What would you do to save those you love? Including the boy you have fallen in love with but can never have?  Would you fight? Would you lay down and die and let the darkness over take you? 


This book sort of reminded me about another series that I just love! From Richelle Mead in those books the Moroi (a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic.) are not allowed to fight just as in this book. But things change when they begin to realize that their protectors or Guardians can not always be there.  In the end it is your own self that you must depend on to save your life.




The only thing I wish they would have done is made the bad guy badder. At times I wondered if the book was going to end before the bad guy got around to doing anything. I really can't wait for the next installment coming in 2013.  I hope we get more of what an Aura can do. As we have seen that I wouldn't want to be in a fight with one! 


So go pre-order this book! You won't be disappointed. 

Check out this trailer!

Fractured Light

Welcome to the Guardian of the Crossroads!  If you are new come and follow me via GFC and Facebook,Twitter,Google+ and more. You can find them on the right hand side.

Come back on the 31 to see my full review of this wonder book!

But, for now check out the trailer! 

This would make a wonder tv series!

About the Book: 

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. But she never felt ready to face them until now. Defying the Auran Council and everything she's been taught, Llona must learn to use her power over light as a weapon if she wants to survive.

RACHEL MCCLELLAN

I was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When I'm not in my writing lair, I'm partying with my husband and four small children. My love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, my imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was… Oh, and my debut YA novel Fractured Light will be out February 2012.

Check out this trailer!

Vesper: A Deviants Novel

click to buy from amazon

Title: Vesper
Author: Jeff Sampson
Ages: 13 and up
Pages: 320
Publisher: Balzer + Bray; Reprint edition  
Release Date: December 27, 2011
About the book:

Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.
The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human?
As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

› Visit Amazon's Jeff Sampson Page

Biography

My name's Jeff. By day I'm a young adult author. By night, I'm a pop culture fiend. Read more about me and my books--including brand new release Vesper: A Deviants Novel--at jeffsampsonbooks.com.

Come back on Jan 1 for review!

Flipping Friday and In My Witch Box!

So today I decided to do both!  So I'm Flipping Out because of what was in my mail box!  

I not only won a few really good 2011 Teen/Ya Novels but I also got a holiday card from non other than Cesya MaRae Cuono the Author of Elemental Reality!

Welcome to Tempting Thursday!

So for this Thursday I thought I would TEMP you into buying a new book!  

So check out my review of Juliet Immortal!

Title: Juliet Immortal

Author: Stacey Jay

Publication Date: August 9, 2011

Ages: 14 and up

Pages: 320

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers 

Biography

Stacey Jay is a recovering workaholic (or at least working hard at recovering) with three pen names, two small children, and a passion for playing pretend. She's been a full time mom-writer since 2005 and can't think of anything she'd rather be doing. Her former careers include theater performer, professional dancer, poorly paid C-movie actress, bartender, waiter, math tutor, and yoga instructor.

Find Stacey on the Web at http://staceyjay.com, or blogging at (http://staceyjayya.blogspot.com) or Livejournal (http://stacey-jay.livejournal.com). 

My Review:

This book was really good and is a must read. It gave a paranormal twist to the old story of Romeo and his Juliet. 

I wish the ending would have been a little better. And I wish we would have cleaned up a few of the other lives that just kinda disappeared in the mist of time. But all in all it was a great story. 

Followers

So come follow me and ill follow you Just comment below with what you did and where to follow you at!

The Cellar

The Cellar by A.J. Whitten

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


When I requested this title on netGalley, I didn't really know what to expect. I'm not so much about zombies, they're not really my thing, and the only other book I've read about them is the Forest of Hands and Teeth (and that one was an ok book) So I thought I would give the undead another shot.



In this reviewers opinion, the story had a lot of potential - but the writing, the characters and the development of the story were dead in it's grave.



I was very bored through most of the book as the plot was very predictable so as far as this zombie book goes it just wasn't for me.







View all my reviews

Winners for All Contests

Well I decided to go ahead and award those who entered my contests early. 
I know its the perfect time since you will all get your times before the Holidays.
So below is the list of people and what they won!!

The House of Night Contest> Included all Published House of Night Books In PRINTWinner:Maeve Winters of St. Louis, MO 
No one signed up to win the Ebooks


Shadows and Fire Contest>Included print copy of Shadows and Fire BookWinner:John Page of Allegan, MI

Notes to Self ContestNo one signed up to win

Possession Contest>Included Print Copy of Possessions by: JohnsonWinner:Elaine Bradley of Toledo, OH

 
I thank everyone who entered. 

Alienation

Title:    Alienation (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel)
Author: Jon S. Lewis 

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595547541
• ISBN-13: 978-1595547545
• Ages: 8 and up

About the Book: Series: A C.H.A.O.S. Novel | Publication Date: January 3, 2012

The invasion was only the beginning . . .
After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don't even scratch the surface.
Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?
As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they're forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.

Alienation

When I got approved for this book through Netgalley. At the time I didn't know it was a part two to a trilogy. However I didn't even find out it was a trilogy until I went to put my books on my iBooks in a kind of order by author. Then I found out it was book two. So as a true believer in starting with book one then going to two. I purchased book 1. With that said. I just finished this book two tonight and let me tell ya. 

Except for one thing that they talk about you would never know this is a book two. It has been one of the easiest books I've gotten through this year. It was a very easy read and I would rate it for ages 8 and up some of the things an 8 year old might not understand but all in all I believe they will both love the story and fall under the spell of some very nifty weapons and kick butt action. 

This book is deff for boys who love science fiction. Our main hero is Colt whom is a wonderful character who both gets to kick some alien butt as well as play with some way cool toys. His friends are loyal to a fault so much as they would stick by him through anything.  

I can't wait to read both book 1 which I now have. And book 3 when it comes out. I encourage everyone to go buy this book.  

Movies to Watch!

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Notes to Self: Author Interview with Laura Schaefer

   Title: notes to self
Author: Avery Sawyer pen name of Laura Schaefer


About the book:

Two climbed up. Two fell down.
One woke up.
In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury, Robin Saunders has to relearn who she is and find out what happened the night everything changed.
I don’t know if the lightning was actually there or if my brain added it afterward, when I searched it over and over for what Emily had said that night.
It was cold and dark—darker than we thought it would be. I remember wishing I was younger so I could admit I was too scared to climb. Or older, so I could say, “Not my thing, no thanks, let’s get out of here,” and not care if Em thought I was lame. She said we were supposed to go a little crazy once in a while; it was practically our duty. Pretty soon it would be too late.


But I knew it was already too late.

A little info about Laura Schaefer:

Under the pen name Avery Sawyer, Laura Schaefer is the author of Notes to Self, a young adult novel about a teen with a traumatic brain injury.


Schaefer is also the author of The Teashop Girls (Simon & Schuster 2009), The Secret Ingredient (Simon & Schuster 2011), and Planet Explorers Travel Guides for Kids. Learn more about her by visiting http://www.teashopgirls.com and http://www.planet-explorers.net. Laura is also on Twitter: @teashopgirl

Interview with an Author!

First off I wanted to know why did you write a book about a girl that falls some 30 feet? 

The book’s first title was 25 THINGS ABOUT ME. It started when my fiancé said the 2009 Facebook meme (does anyone remember that?) would make a good novel. I began thinking about a reason someone would want to write or revisit a list like this. Almost right away, I landed on the idea that my main character didn’t know who she was anymore, and the concept of a traumatic brain injury grew from that. TBIs have been in the news a lot lately and I was really interested in exploring how it would feel to have one. The 30 foot fall just gave a reason for the injury. The interesting thing is, most 15 year olds don’t experience TBIs, but most of them struggle with identity anyway. That’s why I think the book’s concept will connect with readers. It is about one girl deciding who she is and what really matters, something everyone has to do.

In the book NOTES TO SELF, is there a message that you want readers to know?

Life isn’t always easy, but it’s always worth living. Also, we have choices every day. The most powerful thing I think a person can learn as they grow up (at any age) is that you make your life what it is. No one else can do that for you, even if you want them to or expect them to.

Is there any truth to this book as it contained real places and rides?

Yes, Fun Towne is based on a real place in Kissimmee, Florida called Old Town. I’ve been there many times. There is a real Sling Shot ride.

What books have most influenced your life?

It’s hard to pick just a few. I love Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing (she wrote Prep). If I could magically write like anyone, it would be her.

What book are you reading right now?

I’m just finishing The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and I hope to start The Night Circus soon.

Can you share a little of what is going on in your life at this moment?

It’s a really exciting time! I just got engaged to my boyfriend, and we’re planning a small wedding for next summer. I’m also hoping to start a new novel soon about a girl exploring her past lives. Finally, I’m working a lot on my Planet Explorers series, which is a group of travel books for kids.

I noticed on Amazon when I was doing my review for Notes to Self that you had published a few books with Simon & Schuster (THE TEASHOP GIRLS and THE SECRET INGREDIENT). Why didn’t you get this book published with them as well? 

My editor at Simon & Schuster did read NOTES TO SELF, but decided to pass on publishing it. NOTES is a very, very different book than my TEASHOP novels, so I completely understood and respected her decision. I hope to do other middle grade novels with Simon & Schuster in the future, but I couldn’t let NOTES stay on my hard drive. I’m in love with the story, and I put so much of my heart and soul into it that I just had to release it.

Where in the world do you reside at this moment? *Im in florida about 45 minutes from where the book took place which I thought was cool*  

I live in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s a wonderful college town, but winters are quite long here.

What was the hardest thing about writing this book?

I did a lot of research about brain injuries in the beginning, a topic I know virtually nothing about. Getting the medical details right was tough, because it’s possible to have a wide variety of experiences, treatments and outcomes when it comes to TBIs.

Another interesting part about writing the book was coming up for air after I’d been working on it for several hours. I know I was a lot quieter than normal after particularly intense writing days, because I was so much in the world of the book and in the minds of my characters that it was hard to participate in the real world again afterward.

What advice would you give people who want to be an author as well as those of us that review books?

If you’re serious about wanting to become an author, read everything you can get your hands on, write often, and don’t give up. Your first novel probably won’t be good, unless you spend several years revising it. Keep writing, give your material to critique partners, refine and revise and do it all over again. Read classic literature, not just the latest book releases.

You can buy this book from amazon.com by clicking the book above.  You can also enter the contest to win a free ecopy.