Waiting on Wednesday #40

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on.....  

Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub
Releases on: July 9th 2013

Romeo and Juliet are gone. Will love live on? Despite the glooming peace that's settled on Verona after the recent tragedy, Montagues and Capulets are brawling in the streets. Faced with more bloody battles, Prince Escalus concludes that the only way to truly marry the fortunes of these two families is to literally marry them together. Everyone is skeptical, but none more so than the pair selected, for the most eligible Montague bachelor is Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, still anguished by the loss of his companions, and the chosen Capulet maid is Juliet's older cousin Rosaline, the girl Romeo first loved and whose refusal of Romeo's affection paved the way for bloodshed. Contrary to their late cousins, there's no love lost between Benvolio and Rosaline, yet they forge a bond to end the renewed feud not only to escape their forced betrothal, but to save their lives and the city of Verona itself.

Add it on Goodreads!
Thoughts:
Alright. So we've all read Romeo & Juliet. And if you haven't...well. Didn't you go to school? Ha! But what happens after Romeo & Juliet experience their fateful ending. Personally, I've never really thought about it....until now. I'm hoping to find out in Still Star-Crossed!! Eeee! This looks good. The prospect of this new romance sounds amazing!
      What do you think of the sound of Still Star-Crossed! And will you be adding it to your TBR list?

Book Shelf: Blood Prophecy (Drake Chronicles #6) by Alyxandra Harvey

Solange Drake will not claim her birthright; she will not be queen as vampire tradition dictates. But change always comes at a cost....

Possessed by a vengeful twelfth-century witch, Solange commits heinous crimes against the vampire tribes that she pledged to empower. Motives are questioned. Trust is broken. The treaty between the Drakes and the Helios-Ra is under threat. Solange must escape the folds of memory and time and fight for the fate of the royal crown - and win. Her destiny, and her heart, depends on it.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Blood Prophecy is the 6th and final installment in Alyxandra Harvey's exhilarating Drake Chronicles and an exciting mix of romance, action and endless danger!

Honestly, this series has been such a joy to read! From start to finish, Alyxandra Harvey has enticed me into her world of vampires and vampire hunters, where love and friendship mingle with mystery, betrayal and more excitement than you'll know what to do with! No matter what people say about vampires being done and dusted (no pun intended), that in no way has any baring on this fun, witty, perfectly written series that I've just simply adored reading!

Featuring the Drake family as well as a vast array of other fantastic and memorable characters such as Lucy, Hunter, Kieran, Isabeau and endless others, the Drake Chronicles has showcased storyline after storyline that is exciting and fun to read about, with Blood Prophecy being no exception.

Our two main characters throughout the series, vampire princess Solange and her human best friend Lucy are back in this book and face some of their toughest trials yet as they attempt to protect the ones they love while struggling to save Solange from her possession by the mysterious and powerful Viola. Not to mention later they must band together with all they love to prevent an all out war between the different vampire tribes and hunters.

Picking up after the shocking conclusion of the last book, there is quite a lot that happens throughout this book. Easily the longest of the series, Blood Prophecy goes from one extreme and one danger to another; with action sequences, romance galore and quick, witty dialogue. In this book the Drake clan continue to work together to try to save Solange, while on the other side Solange is trapped inside her own mind and Viola's passed. Here, we learn more about Solange's condition and the battle she faces, still having been possessed by Viola and I will say I was quite surprised to discover Viola's link to Solange in this book. It was really very interesting--Harvey has tied it all in perfectly and managed to weave it all in with the Drake history to create a really intriguing explanation.

Solange has her fair share of battles in this book but it was really nice to see her get back to the girl she was in the first book and really become "herself" again. She's been through a lot and I think Harvey wrote her story well. All the characters I've come to adore in this series as back in this book....Hunter and Quinn, Connor and Cristabel, Logan and Isabeau, Helena and Liam, Kieran, Chloe, Jenna, Duncan, the oh-so-incredible Nicholas, but as always it's Lucy that steals the show with all the wit, fire and lack-of-inhabitations that make Lucky Hamilton such a fantastic character to read about!

As I've mentioned previously, the fantastic group of character Harvey has created have make this series what it is but at the end of the day, it's been Lucy who has made this series and in Blood Prophecy she's back in all her rash, loving glory, with her quick tongue, one liners and fierce, unwavering loyalty to the Drakes. I LOVE Lucy. Plain and simply. No if's or but's about it. This girl is just plain awesomeness. She's so brave and fearless, with no doubts when it comes to her friends and those she loves. She's never seen the Drakes as anything but the family she loves and it's this loyalty and dedication that have made reading about her so much fun. From the steady friendship she has with Solange, to the sweet and endearing, yet passionately intense relationship she develops with Nicholas to the comradeships she develops with Kieran and Hunter once at Helios-Ra Academy, Lucy gave the series such flair and life!

I've loved Lucy and Nicholas and Solange and Hunter and Quinn and Kieran and every single one of the Drakes. They've all been so different and loveable, that Alyxandra Harvey truly made me care about them throughout the entire time I've read this series. Each and every book sucked me in more and as I because enamored with the story and in love with the characters, I felt a part of the world and story, so much so that I've really heartbroken to see it end.

Alyxandra Harvey has created something really fun and refreshing with the Drake Chronicles and as she ends it on a solemn, but perfect note, I know this is one series I'll re-read again and again. With our Australian edition sporting a short story featuring Duncan and Skye, I can't help hoping Harvey will one day write a spin off featuring vampires from some of the other tribes, but regardless of my wishful thinking, I know Alyxndra Harvey will be excellent no matter what she does next!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review from Bloomsbury Australia (Thank you so much Sonia!!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Booktopia | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
Recommendation:  This is fun and sassy and I think people who still enjoy vampire fiction and who want something entertaining will love this!
Cover: I quite like it--all our Aussie covers have been excellent in this series.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Obviously this is the conclusion to the series, but I'll read more by Alyxandra Harvey without a doubt.....

Release Day Celebration: You Are Mine by Janeal Falor- Excerpt & Giveaway!

 

Today, I want to say a big Happy Release Day to You Are Mine by Janeal Falor! Releasing today, You Are Mine is Janeal's debut novel and is now available on Amazon. Plus to celebrate I have an exclusive expert and a giveaway from Janeal Falor herself that I'm thrilled to share with you!

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Add if Goodreads or purchase it on Amazon!

Excerpt: The judge stands and looks, not at the Grand Chancellor like I'm expecting, but right at me. His eyes wide. “Dead.”

The masses let out a cry. Some fall to their seats. Dead? How can he be dead? He's supposed to lord over me, not die. Can I really be free of him? My chest lightens.

Someone tugs on my arm. Cynthia. She forces me to drink the brew I avoided earlier. Then another. With shaking hands, she drinks one herself and helps me to my chair. Everything goes abnormally silent. The soothing concoction already sweeping through me. I grow distant from myself. The scene before me further away than ever.

The Envadi bends to the ground, his fingers swirling in the dirt. His lips move with words, but they don't carry, even in the silence. Once they stop, he brushes the dirt off and stares straight at me. Even from my distant state, goosebumps raise on my arms.

“Citizens.” The Grand Chancellor's voice draws my gaze. He stands, face void of expression. “We will all mourn the loss of Chancellor Thomas. He was a rising star, fated to leave his potential unfulfilled.” He pauses. “As our tournament rules dictate, Envadi Zade now becomes Master of all Chancellor Thomas had.” He holds his hand out to the Envadi. “Chancellor Zade.”

The Envadi is still watching me. He nods his head.

Suddenly, Father is yelling from the Grand Chancellor's box. “You will not have her!”

The words take a moment to find me through the muffle my world has become. As the significance of his words take hold, the field becomes splotched with black. I blink a few times. The whole world darkens.

_____________________
I'm really quite expecited to read this book--I will be reviewing it [hopefully] in the near future and I truly think it looks really good! Oh, and of course I'm in love with the cover ;) But for now, on to the giveaway......

GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to Janeal Falor I have a ecopy of You Are Mine to giveaway to one of my readers! To win simply comment on this post with a way to contact you, it's that easy!

-Winner can ePub, Mobi, PDF, or a Smashwords coupon
-Giveaway is open to everyone!
-Giveaway will run from May 6th (today) until the 20th of May--winner will be contacted by email :)



Meet Janeal!

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

Visit Janeal:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook   _______________________   Thanks to Janeal for sharing this excerpt with us today and congrats again on the release of You Are Mine!      

The Weekly Wrap-Up #10

Credit goes to Ashley of Ashley Loves Books for the picture and wrap up idea!
Hello my lovelies! So, we've said goodbye to April and hello to May this week. My goodness where has the year gone already! Mine's just been flying....

__________________
  This week at The Rest Is Still Unwritten......   I showcased last weeks book goodness with an Owl Post!    I Reviewed: -Boundless by Cynthia Hand 4/5 stars--the thrilling end to the trilogy! -The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan 4/5 stars--a fantastic self-published series! - I helped reveal the cover for You Are Mine by Janeal Falor. This cover is rocking!!!  

 -The Phantasma Tour stopped by as promised and author Penelope Reece guest posted. I'm also giving away a copy of the book. Head here to read all about it!     Coming Soon!

 -It's going to be a quite week in terms of blog tours, but there will be plently of reviews and even a giveaway ;)

 

  Around the Blogosphere!  

 

-HarlequinTEEN Australia are giving away 30 SIGNED titles of Rachel Vincent's to AU/NZ fans when you purchase one of her books in print or ecopy from their website! Head to their Facebook page to get details!

 

  -To celebrate the release of the first 4 Lords of the Underworld books with brand new covers, author Gena Showalter is holding a contest to win 5 SIGNED books and fantastic bookmarks. Head to her website to enter! I'm a MASSIVE fan of Ms Showalter and I do dig these new cover--even if I love the old ones more, LOL! _________________   And that's the week at The Rest Is Still Unwritten this!      

Blog Tour: Phantasma by Penelope Reece-Guest Post, Excerpt & GIVEAWAY! **CLOSED**

Welcome to the Phantasma by Penelope Reece Blog Tour! Today as part of the tour author Penelope Reece talks about her decent into writing and I also have an excerpt and giveaway to share with you guys thanks to the lovely lady herself.

Alphie Brewster attends school, has friends, and a loving family. She’s even taken an interest in the hot new neighbor. It’s the normal life of your average eighteen-year-old. There’s only one problem. Alphie isn’t normal. She’s anything but. You see, Alphie’s got this problem. She’s always tired, is plagued with vivid nightmares, and can’t remember her past.

After Alphie stumbles upon a necklace that once belonged to her grandfather, and unintentionally opens a portal that sends a ghostly figure hurtling out at her from her bedroom mirror, she finds herself faced with another problem. A six foot four inch tall eccentric spook, named Noer, who fills her with fire while draining her energy as if she were a Duracell Battery.

With Noer constantly making her go all weak in the knees, Alphie wants nothing more than to be rid of both him and the necklace. Especially, since the sexy neighbor, Cary, has taken a fancy to her. And that’s not all. With both spook and Cary fighting for her attentions, Alphie starts to remember things. Things that she wished would stay buried. Then Alphie visits Noer’s home in Limbo, and things start to get even weirder.

If that all isn’t complicated enough, a vicious stranger comes looking for the necklace. And this stranger will do anything to get it. Within this chaos, will Alphie be able to come to terms with her past in order to save her family? Or will she become just another lost soul without a body?

Add Phantasma on Goodreads or buy it on Amazon!

Guest Post:
Penelope Reece on when she decided to become a writer....
It all started when I was a child playing that holy - anything goes - game of make-believe. I used to pretend I was an author writing beautiful prose in my little composition notebook. But what I was really doing was copying one of my favorite children’s stories, verbatim.

First, I ought to clarify; I didn’t always want to be a writer. Heck, my first few years in elementary I hated reading. I even fell behind in second grade because I just thought it was boring, I guess. Then in fourth grade, I won at bingo. On the prize table lay an old book by the name of Shadow Castle by Marian Cockrell. I don’t know why I chose it. It wasn’t like I’d win a Pizza Hut pizza for reading it (That was the only reason I read anything – to win that personal pan pizza). But it was a lot better than winning a pencil. So, I chose it and read it, and from that moment on I loved books. I loved the story and daydreamed about it for weeks, months, well… I still dream about it. It was the story that made me love stories.

After my bouts of innocently copying books – my great-grandmother never let on – I moved on to my own stories, ones that began “It was a dark and stormy night.” Back then I believed every story of worth began that way.

Then one day my mother let me play on her old typewriter and as soon as my fingers smacked those buttons I was off and running. I wrote fantasy novels about fairies and humans. I believe my first story, mind you I was probably eleven or twelve at the time, was called Into the Land of the Shamrocks. It was never finished and I still have it… somewhere.

Once I established my love for reading, I wanted to read everything. Of course all we had in the house were historical romances (you know the ones with Fabio on the cover). I think that’s why I love romance novels the most, because I grew up reading them. I just loved reading. I loved the escape.

I couldn’t possibly list every book I’ve ever read because I’ve read a lot. And I can say with confidence that I have learned at least one valuable skill from every single one of those novels and try to incorporate these skills into my writing.

If you want to know when I decided, “This is it! Writing is for me,” that didn’t happen until my senior year of high school when I signed up for creative writing. It was that class that swayed me from a dream of living with the gorillas like Jane Goodall, to sharing my daydreams with other people.

However, I can’t let creative writing class take all the credit, because had there been no Shadow Castle, there’d have been no love for books. And without that love, I’d have never taken creative writing.

Since that day in fourth grade, I’ve read Shadow Castle so many times that I’ve had to tape the pages because they were falling out. In a way you could say this was the book that started it all. This was the biggest inspiration in my life. It opened a whole world up to me, a world of fantasy. And one day, I hope to read it to my children. Perhaps it will become their doorway into the land of books as it was for me.
 

Meet Penelope Reece!

Penelope Reece, Penn for short (b. 1984), is an author living in Central Indiana with her husband of
two years and her tiny pomeranian Kodi.

She graduated from Indiana University in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in English. She then went on to spend nearly three years in South Korea where she taught English in a private academy. It was here that she met and married her husband in June of 2010.

They recently moved back to the States in March of 2012.

Penelope's been writing ever since her nerdy highschool days where her joys were limited to marching band and day dreaming.

Her other joys include reading, crocheting, snuggling her little Kodi-man, and watching comedic TV shows such as Parks and the IT Crowd. She also enjoys watching Korean dramas, listening to her husband sing. As well as being hyper and annoying her husband as much as she can!

Visit Penelope:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
__________________________
Excerpt from Phantasma:
  Something was sitting on my chest! The weight of its body pressed me down into the mattress, forcing the air out of my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. My heart thumped wildly, banging against my constricted rib cage. Terror ran its icy fingers up my spine. My body tingled, but remained frozen in place. My head spun as it fought for control.

Opening my eyes to the darkness, I saw her. One leg lying bent in front of her, while she held the knee of the other against her chest. She leaned forward and, with her butt grinding into my sternum, rested her foot above my shoulder. Red eyes glowered at me, a fire burning within their depths.

“Give it back,” she rasped. I tried to speak and couldn’t. “It’s my body!”

I blinked; her face was now a breath away from mine. Her cherry blonde bangs tickled my eyes. Our eyes. She was me. But I wasn’t her.

“It doesn’t belong to you. It never did. Now give it back!” Her hands gripped my throat, squeezing.

___________________

GIVEAWAY!

As promised, thanks to Penelope Reece I have a Kindle copy of Phantasma to giveaway to one lucky follower!

To enter simply comment on this post with a way to contact you. Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL and will run from May 3rd (today) until May 17th.

And for fun (if you want) let us know which book began YOUR love of reading!

___________________   I'd like to thank Penelope Reece for inviting me to be a part of the tour for Phantasma. Head on over to Penelope's website for more fun tour related goodies and to follow the rest of the tour!

Book Shelf: The Faerie Guardian (Creepy Hollow #1) by Rachel Morgan

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamor follows her into the Fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the Fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it’ll take all her training to get out alive.

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

The Faerie Guardian is a fantastic adventure tale from Rachel Morgan that features an addicting storyline and fantastic characters and will absolutely leave you wanting more!

I have to say, I’m quite impressed with this series from author Rachel Morgan. Obviously I’ve read my fair share of faerie tales, both professionally published and self-published and this series is actually easily becoming one of my favorites. The story is fun and fresh and endlessly exciting, while Morgan’s writing is crisp, perfect and fitting.

Featuring Violet Fairdale, a trainee guardian and bonified bad ass, this edition of The Creepy Hollow series are the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th volumes together in one book. Having already read and reviewed volume 1 back in March 2012, I kinda already knew what I was getting into with this book. And yet I had no idea some of the twists and unexpected turns Rachel Morgan threw in were coming.

I love the characters in this series! Especially our heroine and leading lady, Violet. Violet is a fierce, brave, kick ass female lead. She’s strong and brave, and incredible fun to read about. She’s intelligent and quick thinking on her feet, with a quick tongue and snarky attitude. It’s slowly becoming evident that she has vulnerabilities as well, as some of the events of this book affect her, but that doesn’t make her any less brilliant to follow and read about.

I’m also a fan of Nate and Ryn, though for very different reasons. Both are more than they seem and it becomes evident as this book unfolds that Morgan has some tricks up her sleeves where these two are concerned. I’m looking forward to see what’s going to happen in the future, though I have a strange feeling I know where things are heading. Not that I’m complaining…..

I was shocked with the unexpected betrayals and revelations, Morgan put her characters through in this book. With various plot developments popping up throughout the book, there are many questions left unanswered and so many directions Rachel Morgan could take her series.

Fans of Aprilynne Pike are sure to adore this one and with the release of the next book The Faerie Prince right around the corner, one thing is for sure….this is one book you do not want to miss!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by the author (Thank you Rachel!!)
Format: Kindle ebook
Buy it: Amazon (ebook) | Amazon (Paperback)
Recommendation: Anyone who enjoys tales of the fae will adore this one
Cover: It's quite pretty--I do love the colour!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Absolutely!

Cover Reveal: You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

Happy Wednesday book lovers!

Today, I'm thrilled to share with you the cover for You Are Mine by Janeal Falor, thanks to Janeal Falor and Xpresso Book Tours!


You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Add on Goodreads!   Isn't this cover stunning?!?! I think it's incredibly striking. Janeal Falor has done a terrific job designing it!

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

Visit Janeal:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

You Are Mine releases on May 6th and to celebrate Janeal Falor will be sharing an excerpt here at The Rest Is Still Unwritten as well as giving away an ecopy so be sure to stop back for your chance to win a copy of this fantastic book!