Audiobook Review: Angelbound by Christina Bauer

Angelbound (Angelbound Origins, Bk 1)

By Christina Bauer

Narrated by Christina Bauer

Blurb: 

Eighteen-year-old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She's not your everyday quasi-demon, half-demon, and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory's arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she has not lost a battle yet.

But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights are not enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla's school, she knows that things are changing and it is not looking good for the quasi-demons. Myla starts to question everything, and does not like the answers she finds. What happened 17 years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won't anyone tell her who her father is?

Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy half-human and half-angel demon hunter. But what does a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It's a good thing that Myla is not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla is going to shake up Purgatory.

©2014 Monster House Books LLC (P)2016 Monster House Books LLC

Available for purchase at

Audible | Kindle | Amazon Paperback | 

Viviana's Review: 

A new to me author and I am so glad I picked it up. I'm a lover of Fantasy Romance but was a wee bit hesitant as it's a YA, but I quickly fell in love! It's an interesting storyline. Slow paced at the beginning due to world building and so is the slow burn of the romance. WORTH THE WAIT!! Truly!!

Prepare yourself as this is the sort of book that is going to make you want to grab every single title in the series and devour them all... immediately!! From the creative twists in the world building, to characters that are lovable, you want to befriend and those that you totally understand why they must be gone! 

FYI - as this is the first book in the series there is a LOT of information that is needed and the 'norm' in many fantasies, sci-fis & PNRs. 

The author Christina Bauer also narrates the book, which to be honest, made me raise and eyebrow and think "okaaayyy". I was extremely pleasantly surprised! I liked her voice!! She can totally have a career as a narrator if she wanted to!! 

As much as I liked Christina's narration, the one character voice she did that just grate on my nerves was Cissy. There was a deep "Valley Girl" accent that was just too much and takes you out of the story. It wasn't consistent either. Some time it was heavily done and others, it started off soft and then BAM there it was... ugh. That was the only thing I had issues with. 

Totally grabbing the next book in the series! 

Rating: 4.5 Stars - I REALLY LOVED IT

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Series by Carrie Ann Ryan

Carrie Ann Ryan is finally revealing the details of her secret series – it’s a YA fantasy series, Elements of Five! The first book, FROM BREATH AND RUIN, releases March 19^th, 2019! See the STUNNING cover and find out more below!

 

About FROM BREATH AND RUIN

Available March 19, 2019

In her YA debut, New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan dives into a world with magic and sacrifice with the Elements of Five.

Five hundred years ago, the Maison Realm was shattered, divided into warring kingdoms of elemental Wielders with fate and truth shadowed and uncertain. Now, factions of both the light and dark venture into the human realm in search of the prophesied Spirit Priestess who is said to Wield the Elements of Five and bring the two fractured kingdoms together.

Lyric has no idea that there’s a realm outside the human one she lives in. When fate and circumstances are pulled from her hands after an accident, and she finds out that nothing is at it seems.

There is a war surrounding her and when Lyric realizes that they are searching for her, she must rely on those she once trusted: a boy who isn’t who she thought, and a new realm of warriors who have come to protect her as she trains.

For the darkness is coming, and the Queen of Obscurité wants to ensure that the King of Lumière can’t get his hands on Lyric. And the only way to ensure that is if Lyric herself is no more…no matter the cost to prophecy.

Preorder your copy of FROM BREATH AND RUIN now!

Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Audible | iTunes | B&N | Kobo 

 

About the ELEMENTS OF FIVE series

One thousand years ago, there was one realm of magic. The Maison Realm. It held five kingdoms with five kings or queens, who worked together to keep the Maison people safe and ensure the balance of magic. Over the last five hundred years following the Fall, the great war that began the fracture, many of the kingdoms’ inhabitants intermated, and the magics soon became tied to one another in pairs. Except for the Spirit Wielders. The two remaining kingdoms are now converging, and the veil between the two is fading. Only the human realm lies between the two, and no one there knows there is a war surrounding them.

Over time, certain children of the Fall began to leave their respective kingdoms to venture into the human realm in search of the prophesied Spirit Priestess who is said to wield the Elements of Five and bring the two fractured kingdoms together. For the realms are dying without their sister magics. And soon, there will be no more power left to rule the kingdoms, for there will be no more kingdoms left to rule.

 

From Carrie Ann Ryan

 

I finally get to announce the Secret Project I’ve been talking about for months! It’s a YA FANTASY SERIES! I’ve been wanting to write this series for years and I finally get to share it! I’ll be writing my adult romances on the same schedule and will be fitting my YA in. I hope you join me on this journey!

If you want to join my YA Page and Newsletter, the links are below. If you’re already part of my full newsletter and FB page, you’re good to go as well!

YA Page http://bit.ly/2PMGPZb Carrie Ann Ryan Page http://bit.ly/2PMYgcd

YA Newsletter http://bit.ly/2PMDWYx Carrie Ann Ryan Full Newsletter http://bit.ly/2POSvuG

 

About Carrie Ann Ryan

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest

New Series by Molly Harper Announcement!!!

A brand new series from Molly Harper!!

CHANGELING 

is the first title in a three-book series.

CHANGELING

Blurb:

If 14-year-old Cassandra Reed makes it through her first day at Miss Castwell’s Institute for the Magical Instruction of Young Ladies without anyone discovering her secret, maybe, just maybe, she’ll let herself believe that she really does belong at Miss Castwell’s. 

Except Cassandra Reed’s real name is Sarah Smith and up until now, she lived her whole life in the Warren, serving a magical family, the Winters, as all non-magical “Snipes” are bound by magical Guardian law to do. That is, until one day, Sarah accidentally levitates Mrs. Winter’s favorite vase in the parlor to keep it from being broken. 

But Snipes aren’t supposed to have magical powers…and the existence of a magical Snipe threatens the world order dictated during the Guardians’ Restoration years ago. If she wants to keep her family safe and protect her own skin, Sarah must figure out how to fit into posh Guardian society, master her newfound magical powers and discover the truth about how an ordinary girl can become magical...

Available for pre-order at 

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

Release Date:

August 22, 2018

This is a great Q&A with Molly and Darcy! 

About The Author

Molly Harper is the author of two popular series of paranormal romance, the Half-Moon Hollow series and the Naked Werewolf series. She also writes the Bluegrass ebook series of contemporary romance. A former humor columnist and newspaper reporter, she lives in Michigan with her family, where she is currently working on the next Southern Eclectic novel. Visit her on the web at MollyHarper.com.

You can find Molly at

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | Tantor

Release Day Blitz: The Watcher by Louise James

A classic struggle between good vs. evil! 

The Watcher

(The Ent Chronicles Series, Bk 1)

by Louise James

Blurb:

Long ago a powerful coalition of wizards and witches—The Seven—began a quest to recover hallowed grounds in the Earthling Realm. The day had arrived to claim Hailstone Hamlet! A Dark Wizard, Lord Haydron expects no one to survive the destruction, but he was wrong.

An apprentice Healer miraculously survives with no memory of what occurred but, why was she spared?

Unexpectedly, her locket opens as if by magik, and a cheery old woman speaking in a funny accent appears.

“Come for ye have I. Away from here ye must stay.

Troubles come with darkness of night; The Watcher protects and The Lantern lights.” 

Ewallea assures her that she will remain by her side as they seek answers. Overwhelmed and injured, Amellea passes out only to wake in the arms of a handsome young man, riding upon the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. The Hunter believes she was spared for a purpose and their destinies are entwined. He pledges to help her locate friends and family. 

The feisty beauty and her new companions find themselves on a journey of unexpected adventures to reach an enchanted forest, filled with mischievous fantastical creatures.

Available for purchase at 

Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Nook | Kobo | iTunes

Join the Halloween Release Day Party!!

Click here to celebrate the release and have lots fun!

Excerpt 

Chapter Two – Nymph Dreams

      Suddenly, Amellea was all alone in a dream…or she was hallucinating again, she guessed. No one was with her in the forest. The night was bright below a starlit sky. The cool, crisp air was filled with a heady, hypnotic smell from flowers she could not identify.

Startled, Amellea saw three lights she thought must be fireflies zoom past her. The lights glowed and circled around her until they appeared to be a single, large, glowing light. Were those wings she saw? No, it can’t be. She’d heard legends about fairies, but she had never seen one.

      “Legends, humph!” Then, right out of thin air, materialized three beautiful creatures who were no doubt Fairies, glowing as though a light followed them while casting glitter about with each step they took. Amellea was face-to-face with real Fairies—three, to be precise! “Amazing…”

      “Hootie-whooo, look at you! Sisters, I think she is a beauty, even to rival our Ewa. Well, do you have anything to say for yourself?” The surly Nymph pranced around Amellea, inspecting her. Amellea just watched, completely dumbfounded, as the glowing Fairy addressed her.

      “Lylahbelle, honestly! Do not taunt the fair maiden. Can’t you see she has been hurt? She’s had a terrible shock!” Annabelle, the dark-haired Nymph and clearly the oldest of the three sisters, chided.

      “Merabelle is not jealous. No, you would not even look at a Halfling sideways, even if he is Chief Hunter and leader of the RealmWalkers.

Are you Annabelle? This one certainly does enjoy the comforts of Maleek’s strong arms. He seems to enjoy looking at her, too. Her hair is the color of sunset and soft as corn silk.”

Lylahbelle continued her inspection of Amellea, touching her hair. “But…it is very tangled.”

Merabelle sensed explosive energy radiating off Amellea. The two Nymphs looked at each other, and with a nod, they grabbed Amellea’s arms, preventing her swing from contacting with Lylahbelle’s face.

Amellea struggled and could not free her arms from the delicate but very strong Nymphs. Electric sparks snapped and crackled around them.

      “Why did you try to hurt me…you, you, you dirty Earthling?” Lylahbelle thought.  You will pay dearly for this indiscretion; if not today, very soon.

      “Uh-oh…we are being summoned.” Annabelle and Merabelle released her arms and stepped closer to Lylahbelle.

      “I don’t think I like Fairies at all; you are rude!” Amellea stomped her foot. Annabelle and Merabelle looked at each other, moving between the adversaries and stepping closer to Lylahbelle.

      “Uh-oh, this can’t be good!” Merabelle exclaimed, reaching for her sister. She could see the volcanic tongue-lashing Lylah had planned to explode on Amellea.

      “We. Are. Not. Peedie. Folk. Thank. You. Very. Much!” Lylahbelle screamed. “Nymphs are who we are. I could sing you straight to your death! You silly Earthlings know nothing of the power we wield.”

      Amellea straightened her shoulders, rising to her full height, albeit shorter than the Nymph. “No. I just decided. I don’t like ‘Nymphs,’ if they are as rude as you are, Lylahbelle! Now you three get out of my ‘dream’ or ‘head’ before I punch ‘you,’ Lylah, in the face. You just go wherever you came from before I use some of this electricity pouring out of my hands and zap you with it!”

Amellea wiggled her fingers, reaching out toward the Nymph as sparks crackled from the tips. “I hope I have this Magik gift when I am awake. It might come in handy.”

      “The Earthlings do not know much about Magik folk. I am sure she meant no harm, Lylah. Do not continue to provoke her now, because we have work to do. The Watcher calls, sisters. We must not delay,” Annabelle spoke with authority and smiled kindly at Amellea.

“We three will receive Ewa’s ire when she finds out we visited the Earthling’s dreams. She warned us to be on our best behavior, sisters.” Annabelle reached for her sisters’ hands, moving a safe distance away from Amellea. The Nymphs rotated in a circle as the clock hands moved once, then rotated in the opposite direction twice, repeating the motion faster and faster. With each rotation, the three became smaller and smaller until they were just tiny glowing dots. Fireflies, just like the first time Amellea saw the Nymphs.

      “Quick! Hit her with the dust so she will go back to sleep, thinking this was all a bad dream. Don’t use too little dust or she will remember us when she wakes!” cautioned Annabelle, but Lylahbelle smirked and shook her wings vigorously as the three retreated to see the Watcher.

      “I know just what to dust her with, sisters! I have the perfect remedy!”

Lylahbelle had no qualms about using the strongest sleep remedy she knew to take care of Amellea. She could be the next Sleeping Beauty. Her sisters could not blame her for taking care of an Earthling slandering her race and attempting to harm her. No matter if she deserved it. Ewallea would never know, unless her palsy-walsy sister, Merabelle, spilled the beans.

“My goose is cooked. Merabelle will spill. I better lay low for a while until this all blows over.” Lylah had a plan.

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE

About The Author

 I am a creative, loquacious Southern artist who has always liked to tell a good story. After I retired as a public and collegiate art educator, I needed to reinvent myself.  Thanks to the encouragement of professionals, friends and family, and God’s amazing grace, I have found a new passion—writing fantasy and paranormal stories.

I have always been a mental traveler, reading books and physically traveling across much of the USA and Canada. I have been actively writing for three years, publishing late in 2017. It is my hope that my novels reach across generations, entertaining multiple audiences. I want my readers to escape through fantasy to mentally travel to other worlds and to find a smile, friend or foe written between the pages of the stories I write. It is my sincere hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing! –lj

You can connect with Louise James at

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon 

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Audiobook Review: Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare

Lord of Shadows
(The Dark Artifices Series, #2)
by Cassandra Clare 
Narrated by James Marsters 

Blurb: 
Sunny Los Angeles can be a dark place indeed in Cassandra Clare’s Lord of Shadows, the sequel to the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Lady Midnight. Lord of Shadows is a Shadowhunters novel.

Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents. She thought she’d be at peace. But she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark. But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?

And the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late.

Available for purchase at 

               

Viviana's Review: 

I was excited to be able to listen to the second book in THE DARK ARTIFICES SERIES, especially since its narrated by James Marsters! Grouping up in the 90s, I was a huge Buffy fan and thus James played SPIKE! I was curious.... I know the voice, but how would it be with him as the narrator. But more about the narrator later.

About a year has past since the first book, "Lady Midnight" was released and I was a tad concerned that I wouldn't be able to remember some of the details and be lost while reading "Lord of Shadows". While I wasn't totally lost, there were some details that I struggled to remembered. I think it would have been best if I did a "re-listen" to book 1 to best enjoy "Lord of Shadows".

The story picks up right after the events of "Lady Midnight" and is full of action. There is also lots of new developments with the story and the relationships between the characters. This is where I got a little lost because the number of characters is a lot and more are introduced.

The one thing that stood out the most about this book is the level of social issues weaved into and was part of the story. It was a HUGE part of the overall plot/story and the characters. The social issue is one that is also currently occurring today in our "real world". Its an important issue and I'm glad it is one that was included. I do believe it may have been a bit too much though. It detracted from the plot/story a bit. It also made the story longer then it needed to be.

There "seems" to be a love triangle but there really isn't. The relationship between Julian and Emma is strained due to the love that they have for each other that cannot be. Emma is trying to save Julian but their situation could have been dealt with so much better if they simply TALKED about what was going on and the hurdles they faced. Especially since in the end, everything comes out and they are left with trying to figure out how to move forward.

There was a lot of things that the reader discovers along the way and one that leaves the reader thinking "ohhh wonder how THAT is going to turn out!". I don't want to include spoilers or reveal too much, but I'm seriously curious about things will end for Mark and the others.

OH MY GOD, the end. This is something that I chatted with a friend that had also read the book. When such an ending occurs, it needed to be discussed. I honestly don't think it was necessary. There had been enough going on and the Blackthorns have gone through enough. If it wasn't for the fact that I was listening to the book, I would have slammed the book shut and thrown across the room.

Narrator Review: 
As I had mentioned earlier, this was the first time I listen to anything narrated by James Masters. He did such a phenomenal job that I searched for what else he had narrated.

Rating: 3 Stars - I Liked It

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Audio in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audiobook Lovin Presents 2017: Molly E. Lee Interview & Giveaway

Excited to have Author Molly E. Lee with us today!

Cover Reveal Blitz & Giveaway: Moon Rise (Twilight Shifters #2) by Kate Danley

Moon Rise 

(Twilight Shifters #2) 

By Kate Danley

Blurb:

Just because the battle was won does not mean the war is over. Aein, Lars, and Finn are sent back to the swamps to protect the one object which may save their pack. But in the recent turmoil, the border has been left unguarded and nightmarish creatures are slipping through. There is a reason why two people must always be there to hold the boundary, a lesson which Aein, Lars, and Finn are about to learn.

Available for pre-order at 

Release Date: 

May 28, 2015

Teaser:

"Run," she whispered to Lars.  But it was too late.  A guard seized her by the arm and threw her to the ground, pressing his foot painfully into the back of her neck.  She rolled her eyes to the side and saw they had forced Lars to the ground, too, pinning his elbows behind him.  The remaining soldiers held their swords at the ready if they tried to break away.

Lord Arnkell was leaner, his shorn brown hair was longer, but otherwise he had not changed.  His square, chiseled jaw twitched as he looked at them with a mixture of contempt and amusement.  His soft, leather-soled shoes barely made a sound as he walked towards Aein.  He was always quiet before he struck.  He wrapped his massive, calloused hand in her hair, and yanked her to her knees.  He brought his face so close, she could smell the musky scent of his body, a scent she had found intoxicating when she worked as a kitchen wench.  Now it turned her stomach. 

He ran his finger across her cheek possessively.  "And how is my favorite little traitor?"  Aein tried to pull away, but he grabbed her face and brought her around until she was staring into his flat, brown eyes.  "Now, now.  Isn't this what you always wanted?  The undivided attention of your lord and master?"

About The Author

Kate Danley began her writing career as an indie author in 2010. Since then, she spent five weeks on the USA Today bestseller list, has been honored with various awards, including the Garcia Award for Best Fiction Book of the Year, and her Maggie MacKay series has been optioned for film and television development. Her plays have been produced in London, New York, Seattle, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. She has over 300+ film, television, and theatre credits to her name, and specializes in sketch, improv, and Shakespeare. She wrote sketch for a weekly show in Hollywood and has performed her original stand-up at various clubs in LA. She learned on-camera puppetry from Mr. Snuffleupagus and played the head of a 20-foot dinosaur on an NBC pilot. She lost on Hollywood Squares.

You can find Kate at

         

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Anniversary Blitz: Travel Glasses by Chess Desalls

Travel Glasses 

(The Call to Search Everywhen #1)

by Chess Desalls 

Blurb: 

Calla Winston’s mobile devices sit in a corner of her room, covered in dust. Weeks ago, she shared photos and laughs with her best online friend. Now, after having felt the sting of betrayal, she prefers being hidden and friendless. She equates privacy with security and technology with pain.

Then she meets Valcas, an otherworldly time traveler who traverses time and space with a pair of altered sunglasses. When an ethereal being knocks Calla to the ground near her family’s lakeside cottage, Valcas uses the Travel Glasses to help her escape. He offers his further protection in exchange for a promise. Intrigued by Valcas and the possibility of time travel, Calla accepts. That is until she learns that his search for her was no mere coincidence.

Calla sets off on her own, taking the Travel Glasses with her. Torn between searching for her estranged father and reuniting with the rest of her family, she tracks down the inventor of the Travel Glasses in hopes of discovering more about Valcas’ past and motivations. The Travel Glasses take Calla’s mistrust of technology to all new levels. But without them, she’ll never make it back home. With Valcas hot on her trail, Calla hopes to find what she’s looking for before he catches up.

The Call to Search Everywhen is a serial series of novel-length installments. Travel Glasses is YA fantasy filled with metafiction and other literary twistiness. It's a thought-provoking narrative about trust, relationships, reality and illusion. 

Many thanks to the cover design team at www.damonza.com for the beautiful new cover art.

Available for purchase at 

               

 Excerpt

THE FIREPLACE glowed and crackled behind me as the light of the flames reflected off of Valcas’ lenses. I sipped tea while sitting cross-legged on a sleeping bag.

“Time travel is possible and has been in operation for a long time,” he began. “There are at least two known methods of travel. This,” he said as he removed his glasses and handed them to me. “Is my way.”

Valcas’ sunglasses did not look extraordinary. They were large enough to block light from the front and sides. Both the frames and lenses were of a similar black opaque material, light and smooth like plastic. The tops and sides of each rounded rectangular lens were shuttered. I turned the glasses in my hands, looking them over, expecting to see a power switch and control buttons. There weren’t any. Still holding the glasses in my hands, I looked up at Valcas—I was finally going to see his eyes. When I did, I froze.

“Calla?”

Transfixed, my eyes locked onto his. I couldn’t move them away no matter how hard I tried. Green and brown were both wrong. Valcas’ eyes were of the palest blue I’d ever seen, a milky silver-blue, with an iridescent shimmer. Too eerie to be beautiful, they appeared fake, unnatural, like holographic images fixed onto his face.

Valcas grabbed the glasses out of my hands and covered his eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you first.”

For some reason it bothered me when he sounded pained.

“How am I supposed to help you?” I asked.

His brows furrowed. “I’m not sure how to explain it, but I need someone to pose as my betrothed. It would be purely ceremonial. I’m in a tight situation.”

I frowned. “And that thing that was after me?”

“It means that you can never go back home to the lake. It could find you there again. If you come with me, I can make sure you’re protected from it.”

At this point my eyes burned and head ached. It was getting late, and I had a lot to think about. “I…well, I need some sleep.”

“Of course,” Valcas replied as if he’d decided the matter. “There will be plenty of time to discuss the specifics tomorrow morning.”

Exhaustion set in quickly once I got settled in the sleeping bag. I didn’t dream that night, but before I fell asleep, my thoughts wandered back to the dark glasses and those eyes.

About The Author

Chess Desalls recently authored the first two installments of the YA time travel series, The Call to Search Everywhen. She's a longtime reader of fantasy and sci-fi novels, particularly young adult fiction. When she's not reading or writing, she enjoys traveling and trying to stay in tune on her flute.

You can find Chess at 

                  

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