HOLLOW (THE IMMORTAL ARCHIVES #4) Surprise Release!

The fourth installment of the Immortal Archives is finally here!

They won't even see it coming...

The pure line has flourished silently for thousands of years, their secrets unbeknownst to even their closest fellow supernaturals. But the force that wiped out their numbers in the beginning has returned to finish the job, striking against the pures with invisible monstrosities only Emily and Ruby can see. Badly outnumbered and short on time, this battle will bring about a dark and deadly reality no one is ready for.

New Adult Urban Fantasy
Release Date: May 14, 2018

Now Available!
eBooks: Amazon US, UK, DE, IN, FR, ES, IT, NL, JP, BR, CA, MX, AU, Nook, Kobo, Google Play. 

Paperback pending.

Stardust (Of Dust & Darkness #2) : Synopsis and Release Week Sign-Ups

I know, I know. This has been a long time coming. I'm sorry it took so long to get this out and I promise you won't have to wait that long for the final book. As soon as I'm done writing Nearly Undone, I'm going straight to Ashes & Dust so I can have both of these trilogies wrapped up. Below is the synopsis, and if you're interested in participating in the Release Week Giveaway, sign up here.

Releasing February 15, 2016

He took my wings, my freedom. Degraded me in every way possible. Deep inside me a fire burns, awaiting the day I get to return the favor. Break. By break. By break.

Wrongfully imprisoned and brutally savaged by the warden of a secret slave camp, Rosalie craves vengeance. She may have been the only pixie to escape the compound, but she’s anything but safe. Alone in the forest, grounded with broken wings, her journey to find help is long and perilous. And Jack is nowhere to be seen. Forced to stray off their agreed upon path, Rosalie feels more lost in the dark than ever. Home is but a dream, and when she learns things are not as they seem, even those closest cannot be trusted. The rules of the game are changing, desperation is winning out. And unfortunately for Rosalie, she finds herself on the verge of losing a lot more than love and cherished wings.

See it at GoodReads.

The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa (ARC)

The Iron Traitor (Call of the Forgotten #2)
Julie Kagawa
Pub Date: October 29, 2013

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for - his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all. 

Ethan Chase can't seem to keep his feet in the real world. He just got back from the Nevernever and already his conscious to help a family member is guilting him back in. Anwyl, Keiran's summer fey girlfriend is on the verge of fading into nonexistence, which happens to all fey since the mortal realm has become a world of nonbelievers. Anwyl has accepted her fate, but Keiran refuses to lie down, determined to find a cure for her and all the other Forgotten trying to hold on. Unfortunately, he's willing to risk not only his life to save her, but as the journey takes it's toll and his soul begins to corrupt, he's willing to risk a hell of a lot more.

 

Keiran was a bit frustrating for me in The Iron Traitor. And with a title like that and knowing the prophecy regarding both Ethan and Keiran, you know what's coming, and you're forced to just sit there and watch a guy deteriorate in a way that will cause him to turn his back on his own family, consequences be damned. Sad thing is, Ash even told him there were other ways to go about it, but he still continues on doing his own thing, making more questionable moral risks with each fiasco. But still, his desperation makes you kind of hurt for the guy too.

 

I can honestly say I enjoyed this installment of the Iron Fey better than the first. The story was more captivating, I actually cared about what happened to the characters, and for once, I didn't want to use Kenzie's face as a punching bag. I won't lie - Megan, Ash and Puck are such compelling characters that they will forever steal the spotlight, but Ethan, Kenzie and Keiran are becoming respectable runner-ups.

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen for an honest review.

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (ARC)

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey : Call of the Forgotten #1)
Julie Kagawa
Exp. Pub: October 23, 2012 TOMORROW!!!

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them. That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Florence by Ciye Cho

Florence
Ciye Cho
Pub.: June 28, 2012

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.

Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (ARC)

The Iron Knight
Julie Kagawa
Pub: October 26, 2011

Synopsis: Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

I never thought I'd say this about any character in any book, but I am sooo...

This is the first I've reviewed of the series, and I have to admit that The Iron Queen is actually my favorite and the best of the four. But...I love finally getting the story from Ice-Boy's point of view. A human lost in Faery, Meghan's fish out of water POV was fun to follow, but I often wondered went on behind the ever cold glares of the Winter Prince.

Note: Spoilers ahead if you haven't read the first three books!

In The Iron Queen, Meghan released Ash from the duty of being her sworn knight, ultimately untethering their bond and sparing his life. And before she transfered the power of the Iron King into the land itself, she ordered Ash to leave the Iron Realm and to never come back, knowing he would otherwise, even though the iron would kill him in a heartbeat now that his protective charm was spent. Who knew once Meghan gave the power to the Iron Realm itself that the land would turn around and return the favor, healing her injuries and making her the official Iron Queen. But what's done is done. Meghan now an Iron faery, and Ash a Winter faery, the two realms would not be allowed to marry...not that Ash could survive in Meghan's kingdom anyway. Having sworn that he would do whatever it takes to be by her side to love and protect her, Ash journeys beyond the end of the faery world in search of a soul.

Along with Puck, the Cat Sith, and two more unexpected allies, five members of the faery world travel beyond the end of the world and through the gauntlet so Ash can go through the trials to earn a soul. Becoming human is the only way in which Ash can stand beside Meghan, but does he really know what it means to have a soul? Subjected to physical weakness, lack of magic, a conscience and mortality, Ash is forced to endure everything that is beautiful - and deadly - about being human. When he realizes he'll never be able to physically protect Meghan again, will he really go through with accepting a soul, or remain the ever strong Winter Prince to protect her from afar...even if it means being apart forever?

Friendships will be tested. Actions will have consequences. Lives will be lost. And the deathly duel hanging over the heads of Ash and Puck will finally come to an end.

What can I say about The Iron Knight? Well, most likely you've already beaten me to this novel. I can only say I'm sorry it took me this long to read the last two books. What I really enjoyed about following Ash was getting a glimpse of the decades he spent as the Winter Prince. Temporarily given a soul, he's forced to endure all the cruel, souless things that he did to others through the course of his life...and boy did he do some nasty things. It's like he stood before the pearly gates and was forced to account for every bad thing he ever did. Besides an overwhelmingly guilty conscience plaguing his soul, his lack of magic and strength make him realize just how weak he'll be if he earns a soul and accepts. He'll never be able to protect Meghan, who will undoubtably be under constant attack by members of the other realms. So what's an Ice-Boy to do? Meghan proved to be an exceptionally strong-willed human forced to survive in a magically-influenced land that constantly tried to kill her off. Could Ash atone for his sins and prove himself worthy as well? Guess you'll have to read to find out for yourself! Yeah...I'm cruel that way. But I promise, you'll be rewarded with an ending you won't see coming.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (ARC)

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
Julie Kagawa
Exp. Pub: April 24, 2012 TOMORROW!!!

Synopsis: In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

The Book of Eli meets Alice in Resident Evil-land. Yep...you read it right.

Wow. Um...WOW! I've read the first two Iron Fey books by Julie Kagawa and plan to read the rest, but The Immortal Rules jumps leaps and bounds over that series. Seriously, this book was even better than the Hunger Games.

Allie is an endearing character to watch as she develops through this nightmarish world. She was born in the fringe of a vampire city called New Covington. As an unregistered inhabitant, she doesn't have to give routine blood donations to the vampires, but it also means she has to steal and fend for herself just to keep fed. When she ventures through the tunnels and into the ruins outside the city, she comes across a treasure trove of food in an old bunker basement. Sadly, removing the food doesn't go well, and long story short,  she ends up a vampire. Now on the wrong side of prejudice, even her fellow fringer rifrafs sell her out and she's forced to leave the city. Determined to keep her humanity intact, she travels with a group of humans looking for the safety of a vampire-free city called Eden. Kagawa really takes the time to show Allie's transformation and the hardship of fighting the urge to feed. It was descriptive, raw and lacked a sugar coat; Allie was ready to rip out the throats of children and a guy she was fighting hard not to fall for.

The Immortal Rules is an addictive read. Once Allie becomes a vampire and leaves New Covington, danger lies around every corner, even for a vampire. There's tons of action, a brewing romantic interest between a vamp and a religious boy with a prejudice against vampires, and several story lines come together perfectly in the end and leave you salivating for book two. Buy the hardcopy people, this one gets a permanent spot on the bookshelf for generations to come.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.

Elemental Reality by Cesya MaRae Cuono

Elemental Reality
Elemental #1
Cesya MaRae Cuono

Synopsis: When Callie Pierce was ten, her mother disappeared without a trace. On the eve of her disappearance twelve years later, the earth seemingly comes alive. The elements speak to Callie, and that's only the beginning. Everything she has ever known was a twisted fabrication to protect her. Now the truth is set free. Callie and her sister are more powerful than any Faerie ever born. Now they have to use their powers to save their mother and family from the evil hands of fate that threaten to tear them apart. Welcome to her elemental reality.

That ending was just wicked. Seriously evil.

Callie and Lola Pierce were born Alkuaine faeries, a rarity in the fae world, which meant their lives were in constant danger from the demons that try to wipe them out and tip the faerie-demon war in their favor. Why? Because the Alkuaine faeries can conjure and manipulate all five elements: earth, wind, fire, water and electricity, which make them hard to destroy. In order to protect their children, their parents fled the faerie world and got lost in the human world. They got a decent decade in before their mother did a disappearing act. It wasn't until they learned what they were another ten years laters did they also learn their mother was taken by a demon. Now grown up and coming into their powers, the truth comes out and the girls are determined to save their mother.

Of course Callie won't have to go through it alone, as her soul mate in the faerie world was drawn to her the moment her powers surfaced. Oli was absolutely delicious. Their interest in one another moves a little fast, as two known soul mates probably would, but it's still clean throughout the novel. That said, their connection sizzled...and their scenes are freakin' HOT!!!  Poor Lola though doesn't feel any kind of pull and is left wondering what, and if, there's a soul mate out there for her.

I'm not one to spoil how the battle turns out, all I can say is the ending is absolutely wicked and has got me dancing impatiently on tiptoes until Battlescars comes out. Elemental Reality was fun, refreshing and the storyline unique, with characters that make you smile.

Novel provided by publisher for honest review.

Cover Reveal for DUST (YA Fae Fantasy), ORDAINED and METAMORPHOSIS (YA Urban Fantasy)

4 - The number of times my delicate wings have been broken and clamped behind my back.

68 - The number inked upon my skin marking me the sixty-eighth pixie to be stolen.

87 - The number of days I’ve been trapped within this cave, a slave to my new enemy.

88 - The first day the faeries will regret stealing me.

Healthy. Cheery. Vivacious. All traits Rosalie has before becoming enslaved by the faeries to make an endless supply of pixie dust. Now this hardened pixie is anything but. When this rebellious teenager attempts an escape, she’s isolated in cramped quarters until she learns her place. Just as she begins to let go of all that hope, she finds an unlikely friend in Jack, the faerie assigned to guard her. Interspecies dating is forbidden in the fae world, so their growing attraction is unacceptable. And even if Jack can find a way to free her, the prison is the only place they can truly be together.

Coming 2013! Find it on GoodReads.

The second cover reveal today is for Ordained. It's been out for a year and I get a lot of remarks that the title and the cross on the cover make people think the novel is filled with religious tones, and it's not. So I decided to go ahead and freshen it up a bit.

Yep, the new version has a little award on it. That's because Ordained recently won the fantasy division over at Reader Views, where readers determine the winners. Since I won, I got a nifty new TRAILER made by Blazing Trailers. You can check it out here.

Normally, the school creates the hunters - not the monsters.

Abby Sorrensten likes to play rough. Ripping the horns off the heads of demons, manipulating lightning and setting things on fire with the flick of your wrist can give you a serious rush. So she probably wasn't the best choice for the Order's experimental training program. Thirteen years of isolation, lack of affection and a bruised and broken body from horrendous training sessions creates more than just an exceptional fighter. It creates an evil within - an evil responsible for the several deaths the night she left.

Two hundred years later Abby resurfaces as the very thing the Order trained her to kill: a vampire. A mythical demon has set his sights on the school and only the ordained hunter has the powers to face it. Unbenknownst to the Order, Abby's their precious ordained one and their only chance for survival. As much as she would love to leave them hanging, she's not willing to risk the life of Emily, a fellow friend and hunter also fed up with the organization.

But for Abby, locking herself away in a fortress filled with angry descendents of those she killed causes suspicions and tensions to run high. Abby must learn the demon's weaknesses for battle before the Order learns hers.

Paperbacks available on Amazon US, UK, DE and FR, and my E-Store.

eBooks available on Kindle US, UK, DE, FR, IT and ES, Nook and Smashwords.

***The paperback is already available but it may take a few days for Amazon to swap the pics.

And since I updated Ordained, I thought I may as well go ahead and update Metamorphosis. :) Which means I'll also have to come up with something new for Catacombs when I release it!

Change is not always a good thing...

Some survived the battle – but not without a price. As one heart starts up again, another dies down. The pure vampires learn their immortality isn't as strong as they'd thought – the status of their hearts determines their vulnerability. And when the truth gets out, a betrayal by one of their own will cost more lives.

***The new cover isn't live on the sites yet but should be by weekend's end.***

Paperbacks available on Amazon US and my E-store.

eBooks available on Kindle US, UK, DE, FR, IT and ES, Nook and Smashwords.

Winterborne by Augusta Blythe

Winterborne
(Universe Unbound #1)
Augusta Blythe

Synopsis: Sixteen-year old Mia Winterborne is destined to be special. Details are sketchy, though, as her dad disappeared with all the answers when she was five. Mia only knows that she'll inherit her kickass superpowers on her seventeenth birthday. Helping Mia prepare for her anticipated ascendancy is Loie Bryce, her best friend and eternal sidekick extraordinaire. The girls' intense friendship has never wavered until now, when Andreas arrives in Salcey Ridge. They both fall hard for the British hottie, who quickly becomes a fixture in their lives. When they discover that Andreas is not who he appears to be, the frightening reality of Mia's powers finally hits home. The nearer Mia's birthday draws, the more the danger escalates and long-buried lies are exposed, putting the girls on a path that they never expected.

Winterborne was unique in that for once we get to witness the action through the eyes of the supernatural's side-kick. Mia has always known that when she turned sixteen, she was going to inherit some pretty wicked supernatural powers. Her dad was a Universal, a human with extraordinary powers that helped keep the Ancients (pixies, leprechauns, hellhounds, etc) in line. As Mia nears her birthday, she and her side-kick Loie are practicing like mad during summer to see if her powers are leaking through yet. But the only thing really going on are all these weird occurrences happening around them, like a bunch of foreign birds trying to divebomb them and icky green slime around their home. I say 'their' home cbeause even though their just besties, Loie has a room of her own at the Winterborne manor. Hey, if your parents died when you were five and all you were left with was a drunk, angry grandmother that didn't care if you came home, you'd stay away too. Lucky for Loie, Mrs. Winterborne was really great friends with her mom and considered Loie her second daughter.

Anyways, summer's dragging on so enter the hottie from Britain that just moved to town. Turns out he's a Universal too, sent to watch over Mia. Ancients have apparently been trying and failing to attack Mia for awhile and now that she's close to ascension, they're desperate to kill her off. They're even willing to go after human Loie, so she gets protection by association. 

I wasn't particularly fond of Mia through most of the novel. It's not that she's cruel or uncaring, but she's quite selfish, always focusing on herself. She even got upset with Loie for kissing Andreas, whom they both liked, as if Loie didn't deserve a chance to be the center of his affections. And it doesn't help that Loie keeps Her Heiness on the throne by always doing what she wants and feeding her rapid-growing egotism. But luckily Mia gets smothered with a hefty dose of humility so I ended this novel with a smile on my face and a sense of justice for side-kicks everywhere!

Winterborne had plenty of action, mystery. and paranormal characters popping in to ruin their special moments. Some things were predictable but you probably won't hit it exactly on the mark like you think you will. I'm not ashamed to admit that I started the sequel Ravenstoke the moment I finished this novel because I really want to see where this is going. Now that the powers have ascended, I'm really anxious to see how Mia and Loie take to this new world and deal with the constant threat of Ancients hunting them down...and if we get to see what Sanctuary looks like where a lot of the Universals hide out at.

Add it to your GoodReads and find it at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Copy provided by Author for honest review.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs
Publication: June 7, 2011

Synopsis: A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

Fresh, creepy and unique. All those crazy stories Jacob's grandfather used to tell him about going after the monsters could easily be explained by Nazi memories plaguing him, but who'd have thought the monsters his grandfather was referring to were actual monsters? Certainly not Jacob, who saw one in the woods the night his grandfather died and later haunted him in his dreams. Everyone kept telling Jacob that he was simply traumatized, but he began to wonder if there was something more to the stories his grandfather told him as a child about Miss Peregrine and the children that lived on an island off Wales. The peculiar ones that levitated, lifted heavy objects, were invisible, etc. He once thought the old photos had been manipulated, but once he saw a monster in the woods that night, he's not so sure anymore.

Jacob sets out to the little island of mystery, and once he finds the old mansion that was once bombed during the war, his world gets turned upside down as he learns more about his grandfather, the children he lived with at one time, and even the possibility of Jacob being a little 'peculiar' himself, and finds himself  in the middle of a war the real world doesn't even realize is going on around them.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this when I first started out...possibly something with a little more horror, but I was pleasantly surprised nonetheless. This novel had a little bit of everything - suspense, mystery, paranormal elements and even a smidgen of romance. Old, creepy photographs fill the pages within and offer visuals I'm not sure my imagination could have done any better creating. The approach this novel took was fresh and creative and I'm looking forward to the next installment!