Waiting on Wednesday: Kinked

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

KINKED

A Novel of the Elder Races #6

Thea Harrison

Adult Paranormal Romance

Releases from Berkley/Penguin on November 5th

From Goodreads:

As a harpy, Sentinel Aryal is accustomed to dealing with hate, but Sentinel Quentin Caeravorn manages to inspire in her a burning ire unlike anything she’s ever known. Aryal believes the new Sentinel to be a criminal, and vows to take him out as soon as the opportunity arises. But the harpy’s incessant wrath has pushed Quentin to the limit, and forces him to make a deadly vow of his own.

To put an end to the conflict, Dragos, Lord of the Wyr, sends them on a reconnaissance mission to the Elven land of Numenlaur. Forced to work together, Aryal and Quentin’s mutual antagonism escalates. Each fight draws forth more passion—culminating in an explosively sexual confrontation. But when their quest reveals real danger, Aryal and Quentin must resolve their differences in ways beyond the physical, before the entire Wyr is threatened.

The Novels of the Elder Races is one of my very favorite paranormal romance series, but for those of you who haven't read any of them yet, fear not, as this is a series where each book can work as a standalone. Yes, you'll miss out on a little backstory and some world-building, but each book (with the exception of book 5 which is a direct sequel to book 1) features a new couple with their own distinct personalities and problems.

I'm perhaps more excited for the release of this book than I have been for any of the others (which is saying something) because it features one of my very favorite romantic setups: Enemies to lovers. Oh yes. Give me a deeply antagonistic relationship any day and I'm a very happy woman. Aryal and Quentin DESPISE each other. Despise. Want-to-punch-each-other-in-the-face-and-will-smile-while-doing-it kind of despise. I cannot wait for the moment when all that anger turns into something else. *rubs hands together impatiently*

Infinityglass Book Birthday Celebration: Mini Review + Giveaway

INFINITYGLASS
Hourglass #3
Myra McEntire
Paranormal Young Adult
336 pages
Releases Today!
Egmont
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.

With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.

But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?

MY THOUGHTS
Infinityglass sees the continuation of the battle between those who thirst for power and those who would thwart them, but this time from the dual first-person perspectives of Hourglass member Dune and newly-discovered infinityglass Hallie. Like Timepiece before it, Infinityglass proves to be a bit more complex both in terms of the space-time continuum and with regard to Hallie’s abilities with the rips. There are times when the explanations for how she’s able to close the rips are fleeting and the story moves on before we’ve fully comprehended what took place, but the strength of this final romantic pairing easily pulls us through when the immeasurable possibilities stemming from the disruption of time and space threaten to overwhelm.

Hallie, for all that she enjoys playing games with the few people with whom she’s allowed contact thanks to her painfully sheltered life, is someone easy to like and even easier to root for, her delicate relationship with her father and her deplorable relationship with her mother causing the protective instinct in us to flare up even though she’s perfectly capable of handling herself. Dune is equally likable, a few secrets from his past brought to light to give us a more complete understanding of the scope of his ability and why he works so hard to keep it under wraps. The two of them together have undeniable chemistry, delighting all of us romantics who love to see a relationship unfold even (or perhaps especially) in the middle of chaos.

Though there is some confusion in the final showdown between Teague and the Hourglass team (I’m not entirely sure exactly what happened or why it worked), it’s a pleasure to see the entire cast of characters working together in this final book, making us laugh and swoon and wish for another few books for the remaining characters who have yet to be center stage.

Rating: 4/5

This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

• • • • • • • • • • 
 

MYRA McENTIRE

Myra McEntire has had her nose in a book since she could hold one. She was once caught reading in the shower (true story) and only stopped when her father disconnected the hot water heater. She lives in  Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two boys.  

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Hourglass Tumblr • Amazon • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Media Masters Publicity and Egmont USA, I have a fantastic giveaway to share with you all today! One lucky winner will receive copies of all three books in this series plus a very cool "melting" clock designed specifically to hang from a bookshelf (see above picture). How fun is that? To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US residents only.

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Review: Biting Bad

BITING BAD
Chicagoland Vampires #8
Chloe Neill
Adult Urban Fantasy
368 pages
Releases August 6th
NAL/Penguin
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Merit has been a vampire for only a short while, but she’s already seen a lifetime’s worth of trouble. She and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, have risked their lives time and again to save the city they love. But not all of Chicago is loving them back.

Anti-vampire riots are erupting all over town, striking vampires where it hurts the most. A splinter group armed with Molotov cocktails and deep-seated hate is intent on clearing the fanged from the Windy City come hell or high water.

Merit and her allies rush to figure out who’s behind the attacks, who will be targeted next, and whether there’s any way to stop the wanton destruction. The battle for Chicago is just beginning, and Merit is running out of time.

MY THOUGHTS
The eighth installment of the Chicagoland Vampires series, Biting Bad returns us to a world that has become beautifully familiar, the cracking of the spine allowing us to wander into the waiting arms of Merit and company who simply radiate comfort and warmth after such a prolonged relationship with them. While Biting Bad doesn’t introduce any new villains to wreak havoc on Merit’s already infinitely complicated life, it does see the expansion of an already existing problem while giving us plenty of time to enjoy the new stability of Merit’s relationship with Master of Cadogan House Ethan Sullivan. It’s perhaps not the most dramatic or intense of the series, but there’s something hugely satisfying about this story just the same, the romance between Merit and Ethan that was previously defined by gratifyingly high peaks and frustratingly low valleys finally finding even ground.

Merit is someone whose shoes are easy to slide back into no matter how long it’s been since we were with her last, always a woman eager to help in any way she can as she continues growing into herself now that she’s both vampire and Sentinel of her House, as well as girlfriend to its rather stoic and undemonstrative Master. Her sense of humor is charmingly wearing off on Ethan though, the banter between the two of them laced with genuine affection free of the weight of their respective positions in the House, and it brings both relief and joy to see the two of them completely open in their communications, secrets and hidden feelings a thing of the past as they both work hard to ensure they have the future they so desperately want.

Though all is gloriously well on the romantic front for the two of them, things in Chicago continue to deteriorate as public hatred for vampires reaches a breaking point, and while the riots and the reason behind them are significant and have far-reaching implications, our happiness with regard to Merit and Ethan simply overshadows any worries the riot revelations cause. As a result, Biting Bad doesn’t feel quite as action-packed as some of Merit’s past adventures have been, remaining a bit more even keel and thus granting us time to breathe and focus on the two people who are the heart of this series.

We’re left with our couple in a rather precarious position, though it’s not a cliffhanger in the truest sense and given our trust in Ethan and Merit is at its all-time highest by the time we reach the last page, we have little doubt they'll sort out what needs sorting. Overall, Biting Bad is as enjoyable as always if a bit slower than previous books, Ethan and Merit finally shining from the pages in a way we’d been hoping for all along.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Chloe:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Things of Awesome: August Edition

Hey Everyone!

It's been a while since I've done a Things of Awesome post because I pretty much fail at being consistent when it comes to my own features on this blog. A feature or meme someone else has created? I'm on top of it almost every week, but apparently that same determination to stick with something cannot be applied to my own monthly feature. *sigh* Oh well. I do have some really fun things to share with you for this month though, so I hope you enjoy!

SCORCHED PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN

This book was one of the ones I was most excited to grab at BEA this year because DRAGONS. Yes. I haven't read very many books that feature dragons, so I was pumped to get my hands on this and promptly devoured it as soon as I got home. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will post my review when it gets a little closer to release day on September 3rd!

The team at Sourcebooks has put together a fun pre-order campaign for this book, so I'll let them explain how it's all going to work:

It’s Game of Thrones meets The Terminator in award-winning author Mari Mancusi’s newest, powerful new series, Scorched which will be in stores on September 3rd!

A Gift for You, for Pre-Ordering SCORCHED by Mari Mancusi

We have a special offer for U.S. and Canada YA fans for the release of Scorched by Mari Mancusi in stores in a little over three weeks! If you pre-order the book, we will send you an exclusive dragon charm—perfect to wear as jewelry or to decorate as an accessory. You have until September 2 or until quantities run out.

Here’s how to get your charm:

1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.)

2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com. Put “Scorched Pre-Order” in the subject line. Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the dragon charm! If you’ve already pre-ordered this book—not a problem! Send us your receipt!

3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out.

4. Enjoy Scorched when it comes out in September!

Optional: take a pic of you and your dragon charm and share it with Mari Mancusi or Sourcebooks Fire on Twitter! You can find Mari @marimancusi and Sourcebooks Fire @sourcebooksfire.

COVER REVEAL: BROKEN

In addition to launching the pre-order campaign for Scorched, Sourcebooks has also recently revealed the cover for Broken, a new young adult novel from CJ Lyons releasing November 5th. Isn't it gorgeous?

Fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has one chance for a normal life. Only problem? It just might kill her. Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, Scarlet has never taken the school bus. Or giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. Scarlet has come to terms with the fact that despite the best efforts of her doctors and parents, she's going to die. Literally of a broken heart.  So when her parents offer her a week to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now... or never.

Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every sideways glance in the hallway. But for the first time in her life she makes real friends. She also makes new discoveries about the truth behind her illness... a truth that might just kill her before her heart does.

• • • Find CJ online • • •

CRAVE

Releasing this week is Crave by Monica Murphy, a new adult contemporary romance from Avon Books, and they have decided to tease readers into a frenzied state of anticipation by releasing the first three chapters in advance. Woot! Should you find yourself dying to read the rest of the book, be sure and pre-order now as Crave is currently available at a special price of $1.99, but only until Tuesday (August 6th) when the book releases. Find out more about Crave and check out the link to the first three chapters below!

Billionaire Archer Bancroft always gets what he wants—and he’s wanted Ivy Emerson, his best friend’s sister, for far too long. Being forbidden and untouchable only makes her more tempting. When a million-dollar bet with his friends throws down a challenge-last bachelor standing takes it all-Archer knows he can win. That is, until one enchanted evening with Ivy takes his heart for a ride.

Ivy knows Archer is nothing but bad news: Infuriating, arrogant…and completely intoxicating. But despite her best efforts, she can’t seem to keep away. When a stolen kiss leads to a night of heated passion, Ivy realizes she’s in trouble and in head over heels.

But in the light of day, everything seems clearer and Archer’s not so sure a one-night stand is all he wants. Concocting a plan to keep Ivy by his side, Archer might just be willing to lose this bet…and win the jackpot instead.

• • • Read Chapters 1-3 • • •

ARE YOU ALLEGIANT?

Who's excited for the release of Veronica Roth's Allegiant in October? *raises hand* I still haven't read Insurgent yet, I decided to wait until Allegiant came out so I could read them at the same time, that way I wouldn't have to play catch up and try and remember everything that happened. *pats self on back for thinking ahead*

HarperTeen is of course going to be launching an outstanding campaign full of juicy tidbits, prize packs, exclusive sneak peeks, and more, and they've asked me to help in that endeavor, so stay tuned for much Allegiant epicness to come!

As for now, they've released the first set of online assets, complete with headers, backgrounds, buttons and badges should you be interested in decorating your blog, website, or desktop and letting your Allegiant fangirl colors fly. You can find all the graphics HERE. Enjoy!

My favorite background:

THE VAMPIRE'S HOURGLASS: COVER REVEAL + GIVEAWAY

Lastly, I'm excited today to reveal the cover of the newest book in the Of Light and Darkness series by bestselling author Shayne Leighton. The Vampire's Hourglass (New Adult Paranormal Romance) is scheduled to be published by Decadent publishing the end of this year or beginning of next. Be sure and check out the bottom of the post for a fabulous giveaway!

After narrowly surviving a near-death experience in an effort to save Valek from yet another showdown with Aiden, Charlotte awakens inside the forsaken, crumbling walls of the Regime Palace. Though she finds herself surrounded by her closest friends, she is conflicted over her feelings of the sudden absence of her Vampire guardian from her life.
 

With Nikolai there to console her, Charlotte cannot shake the undeniable chemistry she feels for this familiar stranger. But they are running out of time. Charlotte’s peculiar ailment will return and Sarah, the witch, will sacrifice her youth and beauty in order to save her best friend, unless they find the secret, Dark City.
 

Charlotte, Nikolai, Sarah, and several other favored characters travel down to the underbellies of Prague to find Valek. But what they end up discovering are the dark and nasty secrets the elder Vampires have been hiding for centuries. Charlotte must overcome her mortal limitations to win back the heart of the one she truly loves and escape the gates of Abelim with her throat intact in this enthralling, highly-anticipated third installment of the Of Light and Darkness Series.

 Exclusive Excerpt:

           “Does it hurt? You know...when I’m around?”

            He was talking about the scar that still thrived at the side of her throat. The one that appeared there after Valek left his first, initial bite months ago in Francis’ home. The one that had ailed her since and nearly killed her until she unwittingly saved herself by stabbing a hole in her own chest. Not her empty, openly bleeding heart and her feeling of abandonment and being alone, but a literal hole that she created herself some snowy weeks ago when she attempted to end it all to prove herself as something more than just an expendable mortal in this game of light and darkness. She wanted to finally be recognized as a hero, nearly having killed herself for the sake of saving her friends from Aiden. Knowing the tainted taste of the blood from her ruptured heart would drive him away.

            But what did she have to prove for it now? Another giant scar. And more than that, her nightmare came true. Valek was nowhere to be found, no matter how hard she looked. After everything he did, and everything that had happened because of his carelessness, she wasn’t sure how badly she wanted to find him. That thought made her heart constrict. But then again, Aiden had disappeared as well. At least there was that.

       “Not really. Not as much as the emotional pain underneath it,” she finally answered Nikolai’s question honestly. “The heartbreak hurts worse than the scar ever could.”

GIVEAWAY

Signed copies of The Vampire's Daughter and The Vampire's Reflection by Shayne Leighton! This giveaway is open worldwide and ends on August 8th, 2013. Must be 13 or older to enter (with parental permission).

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Guest Post + Giveaway: J.L. Bryan + Nomad

Today I'm thrilled to welcome author JL Bryan back to the blog to talk to us about time travel and his newest release, Nomad. I first "met" JL online several years ago when I was in my first year of blogging and he was releasing the very first book in the Jenny Pox series, and I'm beyond excited to still be blogging and promoting his work today. I was a huge fan of that series and can't wait to give this new book a try!

TIME TRAVEL VACATION CHECKLIST

It’s August. You’ve packed the suitcases, kids, and dog into the RV. You’ve even got Uncle Junior tagging along this year—he’ll help watch the kids in exchange for a steady supply of booze. The flux capacitor in your Winnebago is pulsing bright and clear.

It sounds like the start of a perfect family time-travel summer vacation, but is it? The answer might surprise you.

Over 95% of families who travel through time on vacation are injured or killed. Don’t become a statistic! Family Vacationeering magazine has assembled a checklist of must-haves before you and your family activate that time machine.

1. Helmets. Whether you’re visiting ancient battlefields or tooling around the radiation-zone hellscape of 2099, you’ll want a helmet that protects you against everything from archer arrows to xenon weaponized gas! Don’t forget helmets for your kids, dogs, and cats, too! (available on our website) If your kids complain that helmets don’t look cool, just tell them: “You know what else doesn’t look cool? Getting your skull bashed in by a prehistoric cave-beast.”

2. First Aid. You don’t know what you might encounter when you’re taking little Billy to see a real live brontosaurus—Jurassic mosquitoes are the size of condors and carry diseases about which modern science knows nothing. We recommend you buy the largest and most expensive first aid kit available (available on our website). A doc-bot from the year 2794 is a handy device that can stitch a cut or perform major brain surgery as needed. Doc-bots are prone to anxiety, however, so we recommend the most expensive brand (will be available on our website in 2794—pre-order now!)

3. Cameras. Yes, you’ve told us all about how your expensive phone takes such great pictures (and you mention it again every time you use Instagram). Big deal. When you’re posing for snapshots with Elizabeth the Great, Jack the Ripper, and Attila the Hun, you’ll find that real film does so much more to capture the excitement of the day. (shop for cameras on our website)

4. Rapid-Fire or Heavy Artillery Weapon. If you blow a tire while touring the Dark Ages, don’t let local warlords get medieval on your family! Defend yourself from our primitive ancestry with an AK-47 or a Smith & Wesson Atomic Cannon (available on our website). Weapons of mass destruction—why settle for anything less?

5. Snacks. Kids get cranky on long rides, and it’s just not cost-effective to stop at a rustic tavern for every single meal (or a nutro-smoothie injection booth, if you’re traveling into the future rather than the past). A smart money-saving tip is to carry a cooler full of kid snacks—juice, crackers, cookies, tubes of Oreo filling—and let them gorge themselves into a carb-induced coma. While your offspring snore and drool, and Uncle Junior sleeps it off, you and your spouse can finally have a little snuggle-time to yourselves!

When taking your family into unknown regions of history where you don’t know the language or customs, and universe-destroying paradoxes are always a possibility, remember: safety first!

• • • • • • • • • • 

NOMAD

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.

By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

Amazon • Nook • Smashwords • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • •

JL BRYAN

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife Christina, where he spends most of his day serving the toddler and animal community inside his house. He is the author of the Paranormals series and the Songs of Magic series.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

• • • • • • • • • • 

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to JL I have an autographed paperback copy of Nomad to offer up for grabs on the blog today, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter! Giveaway is open to US residents only. Good luck!

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The Hourglass Series: Mini Reviews of Hourglass + Timepiece

HOURGLASS
Hourglass #1
Myra McEntire
Paranormal Young Adult
390 pages
Egmont USA
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

MY THOUGHTS
Hourglass is a story we enter into with no small amount of trepidation, time travel a subject matter that can often be extraordinarily confusing when trying to understand the how’s of it all and the ramifications of any minuscule change in the past, but Hourglass luckily focuses predominantly on Emerson’s ability to see people from other times rather than on the science (so to speak) of the travel itself. There are moments when the focus being elsewhere is both a blessing and a curse however, the ease with which Emerson is able to make her first trip to the past with neither any previous experience nor the knowledge she was even capable of doing so causing us to itch slightly with the desire for a tad more explanation, but such a desire is certainly nitpicky at best.

Emerson is a highly enjoyable heroine, her obvious struggle with seeing things other people can’t creating an almost instant connection as we want nothing more for her than to feel comfortable in her own skin after all she’s been through, and aside from a few rash decisions here and there stemming from an unquenchable (but understandable) curiosity about the Hourglass and her abilities in general, she is easy to root for throughout. The tension between her and Michael is utterly delicious, a little push and pull present but in no way irritating, the obstacles between them and their few minor misunderstandings all adding a believability to their interactions given how very out of sorts first love can make us feel.

Rating: 4/5
 

TIMEPIECE
Hourglass #2
Myra McEntire
Paranormal Young Adult
325 pages
Egmont USA
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples - cracks in time. Are his powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before he can find out, Jonathan landers, the man who tried to murder is father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers' return, the Hourglass organization is given an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered - with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

MY THOUGHTS
Timepiece moves us from Emerson’s first person point of view to Kaleb’s, a switch that has us excited to crack the spine of this second installment given the hurt and pain we watched him attempt to numb with alcohol in book one, hoping against hope he finds solace somewhere other the bottle in this installment. Luckily for us, Kaleb’s mind, while battered and bruised thanks not only to his ability as an Empath but also to the events of the past several months, is still a fun place to be, his sense of humor and his status as an unrepentant flirt adding a touch of levity to what would otherwise be a darker tale than Hourglass.

While highly entertaining and thoroughly action-packed, Timepiece isn’t quite as strong as its predecessor merely from the standpoint that the disruptions in the space-time continuum are becoming greater and broader in scale, the confusion factor that accompanies time travel stories thus ratcheting up a few notches as we realize just how much Jack’s adjustments to various people’s timelines are affecting the current reality. There’s also a cliffhanger to contend with in this middle book, something that was blissfully absent from book one, but despite those drawbacks it’s still a story eagerly devoured with a strong set of characters that ensure we are invested in every aspect of their lives.

Rating: 3.5/5

Find Myra:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Amazon • Goodreads 

As part of the countdown toward the August 6th release of the third and final book in this trilogy, Infinityglass, Myra has been releasing fun teaser quotes each week on an Hourglass series tumblr. I wanted to go ahead and share my favorite of the ones she's posted so far because I adored this last book. See the above link to view them all!

Gotta love Hallie! She's blunt. I like it.