#BookReview: These Precious Scars (This Mortal Coil 0.5) by @EmilySuvada @SimonTeen

Title: These Precious Scars

Author: Emily Suvada
Series: This Mortal Coil 0.5
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Pages: Online Ebook, 88
Pub Date: September 25th 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Book Source: Rivetedlit.com
My Rating: 4 Stars

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Synopsis:  A free YA short story - what would you pay for the chance to escape?

Jun Bei, Cole, Anna, Leoben, Ziana. Five children with extraordinary potential.

They don't get many visitors at the remote laboratory where they live under the eye of legendary geneticist, Lachlan Agatta. The man and woman who arrive are nothing like the others.

They're from Cartaxus and offer the children something rare and unfathomable: escape.

But freedom means different things to the five children. For one of them, getting want they want may mean betraying everyone else.

#TheBookShare with @MelissadelaCruz

Are you a Hamilton fan? Well, you can now scream with glee! Because the magic doesn't have to stop with you watching the play over and over or even listen to the soundtrack a million times.  You can now read Melissa De La Cruz's newest title Alex and Eliza which is a story about the young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. It was out back on the 11th and you really should grab it if you haven't. 

#BookReview: Corpse & Crown (Cadaver & Queen #2) by Alisa Kwitney #CorpseCrown #NetGalley

Title: Corpse & Crown

Author: Alisa Kwitney
Series: Cadaver & Queen #2
Genres: Young Adult, Historical, SteamPunk (Oliver Twist, Frankenstein)
Pages: 320
Pub Date: February 12th 2019
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Book Source: NetGalley
My Rating: 3 Stars

Add to Goodreads | Buy from Amazon

Synopsis: 
Oliver Twist gets a fresh take in this reimagining of the Dickensian classic taking the familiar characters and turning them on their heads in a historical thriller packed with weird science, political suspense, and steamy romance, perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco's Stalking Jack the Ripper and Marissa Meyer's Cinder.

From Alisa Kwitney comes a connected novel set in the same alternative Victorian England of Cadaver & Queen. Corpse & Crownfollows the story of Agatha DeLacey, an Ingold nursing student who travels to London and uncovers a devastating secret about the country's Bio-Mechanicals. Inspired by the classic story of Oliver Twist and complete with a dashing Artful Dodger-inspired male lead, this retelling is a satisfying follow-up to Kwitney's clever and critically acclaimed young adult debut.

#BookBlitz: The Viking’s Captive by @authquinnloftis @XpressoTours #Giveaway

The Viking’s Captive
Quinn Loftis
(Clan Hakon #2)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: November 27th 2018
Genres: Historical, Young Adult
Prophecy spoken.
Alliances broken.
Will duty come before love?
The Viking’s Captive is the exciting sequel toThe Viking’s Chosen by USA Today Bestseller Quinn Loftis.
Two worlds collide in this epic historical fiction centered on an undeniable chemistry that smolders against the odds. Richly written and injected with moments of humor, this action-packed romantic tale will leave you breathless.
Novels in The Clan Hakon Series Include:
The Viking’s Chosen (February 12, 2018)
The Viking’s Captive (November 27, 2018)
The Viking’s Consort (Fall 2019)

#BookReview: This Mortal Coil (This Mortal Coil #1) by @emilysuvada @SimonTeen #Excerpt

Title: This Mortal Coil

Author: Emily Suvada
Series:  This Mortal Coil #1
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia
Pages: Hardback, 425

Pub Date: November 7th 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Book Source: Purchased from Bookoutlet
My Rating: 5 Stars

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Synopsis: Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

#BookBlitz: Hope on the Horizon by @KCrane_katiemac #XpressoTours #Giveaway

Hope on the Horizon
Kathryn McNeill Crane
Publication date: November 29th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Falling in love isn’t on her to-do list.

Managing a two-hundred acre campground and guiding whitewater trips are enough to fill Hailey White’s lonely days. When acts of vandalism threaten her home and business, she’s forced to ask for help. Her best friend’s brother is the last person she expects to come to her rescue.

One bullet will end all his nightmares forever.

Angry voices in his head, survivor’s guilt, and a busted leg make Walker Carriker wish he were dead. When a roadside bomb ends his career as a Marine, he’s forced to stay with family in the remote mountains of North Carolina. His sister’s best friend is the last person he expects to help him find a reason to live.

She’s bubbly and optimistic, with a smattering of sarcasm.

He’s angry and bitter, with a heaping dose of cynicism.

She talks too much. He has all the answers.

These two are like oil and vinegar, but the more time they spend together, the more they heal.

When he’s lost all faith, can Hailey show Walker there’s Hope on the Horizon?

#CoverReveal: Fangs by Anna Katmore @YABoundToursPR

Fangs 

by Anna Katmore

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/Vampires

Release Date: January 4th 2019

Summary:

For nineteen years, I was just an ordinary Californian guy. Until a car crash almost killed me, and Count Dracula suddenly stuck his teeth into my throat. As his great-grandnephew and rightful heir, he ships me off to freaking Transylvania to learn how to be a vampire the hard way: with no staff to eat, no chance to escape, and no Wi-Fi. It’s just the place to go mental. And starve.

But there’s this girl. Abigail… For some reason, she likes to roam the dark and musty castle. She claims to know nothing about vampires, but I swear she tries to kill me every damn time we meet. I would have invited her to be my dinner last night if she hadn’t fled with something very dear to me. My fang.

Now, I’m waiting for sundown to find her and get my tooth back. And then I’ll kill the werewolf that howls in the forest, because that’s actually the one condition under which Uncle Vlad allows me to return home.

But the wolf problem is harder to solve than expected. And Abigail’s cookie-like scent is making me do really stupid things…

#BookReview: Twice Dead (The Necromancer's Song #1) by @CaitSeal

About the Book:

Naya, the daughter of a sea merchant captain, nervously undertakes her first solo trading mission in the necromancer-friendly country bordering her homeland of Talmir. 

Unfortunately, she never even makes it to the meeting. 

She's struck down in the streets of Ceramor. Murdered.

But death is not the end for Naya. She awakens to realize she's become an abomination--a wraith, a ghostly creature bound by runes to the bones of her former corpse. She's been resurrected in order to become a spy for her country. 

Reluctantly, she assumes the face and persona of a servant girl named Blue. 

She never intended to become embroiled in political plots, kidnapping, and murder. 

Or to fall in love with the young man and former necromancer she is destined to betray.

#BookBlitz: The Vampire King’s Mate by @caworleyauthor @XpressoTours #Giveaway

The Vampire King’s Mate
C.A. Worley
(Fate of Imperium, #2)
Publication date: November 26th 2018
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

For five long years, Viktor, The Heartless King of Prajna, has ignored the cicatrice on his palm. The birthmark, which awakens only when a vampire’s fated mate is soon to cross his path, is a complication he does not need. A chance encounter with his true mate unexpectedly rocks him to the core. Unwilling to deny the pull of her soul to his, he bonds with the female, believing he can handle the one major obstacle standing in his way of happiness.

When Eden’s betrothal to the Wolf King of the North falls through, she rejoices. For the first time in her life, she believes her fate is her own. She later finds out how very wrong she was, and runs headfirst into the arms of a vampire. Soon, nefarious forces work against the pair. While Viktor tries to protect his mate, Eden learns the consequences of falling for a king who has no heart.

***The Vampire King’s Mate is the second book in the Fate of Imperium Series. Each book is the story of a different king and his fated mate. While the three books do not have to be read in order, it is highly recommended.

#BookReview: Analiese Rising by Brenda Drake

Reviewed By: Jessica P. 

Recommended Age: Young Adult 

Genre: Fantasy 

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Book:

Half-Blood meets Antigoddess in a thrilling, romantic new series from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Drake.

When a stranger gives Analiese Jordan a list of names before he dies, the last thing she expects to see is her own on it. Not. Cool. Her search for answers leads to the man’s grandson, Marek, who has dangerous secrets of his own. Both are determined to unlock the mystery of the list.

But the truth is deadly. Analiese is a descendant of the God of Death, known as a Riser, with the power to raise the dead and control them. Finding out she has hidden powers? Cool. Finding out she turns corpses into killers? No, thank you.

Now the trail plants her and Marek in the middle of a war between gods who apparently want to raise an army of the Risen, and Analiese must figure out how to save the world—from herself.

Stacking The Shelves #TBR @Tynga

What is Stacking The Shelves all about?

We are all book lovers and the need to share our enthusiasm is sometimes overwhelming. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! 

If you’re anything like me, you are probably hoarding books and even though you are excited about your latest book arrival, it might be a while before you get to review it and Stacking The Shelves is a good way to express your undying enthusiasm for those titles!

#BookReview: Starflight (Starflight #1) by Melissa Landers

Reviewed By: Endy 

Recommended Age:
Genre: Science Fiction (No Aliens)
Goodreads | Amazon

About the Book:

Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...

Blogger Hop: If you could travel back in time to purchase the first printing of a specific novel, what book would that be? via @coffeeramblings

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer's permission, I relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

#BookReview: Zodiac (Zodiac Series #1) by Romina Russell

Reviewed By: Jessica P. 

Publisher: Razorbill

Recommended Age: Young Adult 

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction

About the Book:


At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….
Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Embark on a dazzling journey with ZODIAC, the first novel in an epic sci-fi-meets-high-fantasy series set in a galaxy inspired by the astrological signs.

#BookBlitz: Mr. Billionaire CEO by @SedonaVenez @XpressoTours #Giveaway

Mr. Billionaire CEO
Sedona Venez
Publication date: November 28th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

A forbidden, sexy office romance standalone from USA Today Bestselling Author, Sedona Venez.

Jayla is trouble, and she’s just my type of woman.

I was damned when I watched her stroll into the office building her first day of work. In a matter of minutes, she’d shattered my control.

I’ve been obsessed with her bombshell body since that day.

But I’m her boss.

So, my fixation on her is totally inappropriate, especially when she hasn’t shown a bit of sexual interest in me—or so I’d thought…up until recently.

I’m a Dom, and I sense she is a natural submissive, albeit one who seems inexperienced with men. My instincts tell me that the right man can not only bring out her external beauty but awaken her sexually as well.

Now that I’ve set my sights on her, and I’m not going to back down until I get what I want.

And, as everyone in the office knows, I always get what I want.

This standalone is safe, with no cheating, and a HEA guaranteed.

#BookReview: Wolves and Roses (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #1) by Christina Bauer

Reviewed By: Jessica P. 

Recommended Age: Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tales 

Goodreads | Amazon

About the Book:

Seventeen-year-old Bryar Rose has a problem. She’s descended from one of the three magical races—shifters, fairies, or witches. That makes her one of the Magicorum, and Magicorum always follow a fairy tale life template. In Bryar’s case, that template should be Sleeping Beauty.

Should being the key word.

Trouble is, Bryar is nowhere near the sleeping beauty life template. Not even close. She doesn’t like birds or woodland creatures. She can’t sing. And she certainly can’t stand Prince Philpot, the so-called “His Highness of Hedge Funds” that her aunties want her to marry. Even worse, Bryar’s having recurring dreams of a bad boy hottie and is obsessed with finding papyri from ancient Egypt. What’s up with that? 

“Exciting and well-conceived” – Kirkus

All Bryar wants is to attend a regular high school with normal humans and forget all about shifters, fairies, witches, and the curse that Colonel Mallory the Magnificent placed on her. And she might be able to do just that--if only she can just keep her head down until her eighteenth birthday when the spell that’s ruined her life goes buh-bye.

But that plan gets turned upside down when Bryar Rose meets Knox, the bad boy who’s literally from her dreams. Knox is a powerful werewolf, and his presence in her life changes everything, and not just because he makes her knees turn into Jell-O. If Bryar can’t figure out who—or what—she really is, it might cost both her and Knox their lives… as well as jeopardize the very nature of magic itself.

#BookReview: The Blogger Trailmap by Chivi Frost @zavesti #Giveaway

About the Book:

This book is great for beginners who are about to start a blog, as well as those bloggers who are established and ready to grow.

This book brings for you a proven plan, tools & templates you need for incredible success. Here are some ways I think the book can help you:

Set clear goals and roadmap, avoid common mistakes, and how to get started quickly.

Action Oriented Book: Implement what you learn in every section of the book through suggested actions, free downloadable templates and checklists.

Start a blog and create content that people would love to read and share.

Provide practical blueprints & templates, and demystify all the technical aspects of a blog, e.g. Magnetic Headlines, CopyWriting, Swipe Files SEO, Sales Funnel, Landing Page and eMail Harvest. All in one concise guide.

How to crush it on social media.

Secrets to rank high in search engines, grow your traffic, and get readers to come find you.

How to monetize your platform & build your business- broken down into an easy-to-follow, systematic process.

Build a list of raving fans and subscribers – on autopilot without constant hustling.

Learn that you don’t need fancy tech or cool tricks to grow your blog. 

#ShelfieBookClub: Stealing Snow (Stealing Snow, #1) by Danielle Paige #BookReview

About the Book:

First kisses sometimes wake slumbering princesses, undo spells, and spark happily ever afters.

Mine broke Bale.

Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent her life locked in Whittaker Psychiatric—but she isn’t crazy. And that’s not the worst of it. Her very first kiss proves anything but innocent…when Bale, her only love, turns violent.

Despite Snow knowing that Bale would never truly hurt her, he is taken away—dashing her last hope for any sort of future in the mental ward she calls home. With nowhere else to turn, Snow finds herself drawn to a strange new orderly who whispers secrets in the night about a mysterious past and a kingdom that’s hers for the taking—if only she can find her way past the iron gates to the Tree that has been haunting her dreams.

Beyond the Tree lies Algid, a land far away from the real world, frozen by a ruthless king. And there too await the River Witch, a village boy named Kai, the charming thief Jagger, and a prophecy that Snow will save them all.

#BookBlitz: Death & Damages: A Mystery and Thriller Collection @XpressoTours #Giveaway

Death & Damages: A Mystery and Thriller Collection
Publication date: November 27th 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Danger lurks around every corner!
Courageous cops, adventurous agents, and daring detectives hunt for the answers to stop crimes by vicious killers.
But what if the damage is already done?
Inside these pages you’ll find 24 adventures full of captivating conundrums, hair-raising homicides, and suspenseful secrets from today’s USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning authors.
Become a private investigator yourself. Inspect plots of deadly assassins, cold-blooded killers, and bone-chilling suspense inside the pages of DEATH AND DAMAGES, an enthralling mystery and thriller boxed set.
Fans of Lee Child, James Patterson, Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and John Grisham will devour these puzzling mysteries and gripping thrillers.
Pre-order today to secure this thrilling limited edition collection!

Bookish (and Not So Bookish Thoughts)

This week on Bookish {And Not So Bookish Thoughts} is the Holidays. OMG Nightmare Thursday and Black Friday was not really horrible this year other than having to tell my girls they couldn't have things.