Swoon Thursday 5/31/12

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme.  Here's how it works.

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! I want to know & so do the chicks at YABound!

This week I have a moment with Jackson from the new book Madly & the Jackal by M. Leighton


I'm only doing the longer version this week.  I'm sure you'll see why.  Enjoy.

 Jackson's lips curved knowingly.  "Tonight, huh?"  I couldn't stop the tiny, shy smile that trembled on the edges of my lips.  

"Sure.  Why not?  I mean, we'd better get started, right?  The sooner, the better."

"Yeah, yeah.  Of course," he said, walking slowly toward me.  "In fact, we might have to pull a few all-nighters."  When he reached me, he bent and placed his hands on the mattress on either side of my thighs, his face inches from mine.  "You know, just to make sure we don't miss anything." He buried his face in the curve of my neck.  "I'd hate to miss one tiny spot," he breathed, nipping the skin under my ear.  "I want to know every single detail."

Chills spread down my chest and back.  "You are positively wicked," I commented breathlessly.

Mmmm was his only response. (Location 1798 of 4223)

Yeah, I know....*fanning*.  Case you forgot, this is what Jackson looks like AND the author agrees!

Let me know what you think of Jackson - the swoon or the picture in the comments AND tell me if you had a swoon this week.

Soul Savers Tour + GIVEAWAY

I'm excited to be part of the Soul Savers Book tour!  I got to pick a character and ask a question.  

I picked Ian.

Where do your loyalties lie?

Ian (with Irish accent): With my true family, the only ones who ever cared what I want. The Daemoni, ‘course. They lemme be who I wanna be without all those flippin’ rules of the Amadis. All those lasses want is control. Only concerned about the humans and everyone’s souls. Blech. Who cares ‘bout all that? Let us do what we want to do. Let us be ourselves – the monsters we are. If the humans can’t handle it, then they shouldn’t be rulin’ the world anyway. That should be us in power. The Daemoni. One day, we will be. Soon. Then everyone – including those Amadis lasses – will be bowing at my feet and pledgin’ their loyalty to us. *rubs hands together* Lookin’ forward to that day.

What'd ya think of him????  I'm interested to find out more about him and what's up.  LOVE the accent. 

I haven't read this series yet.  I definitely want to.   Here's the deets on them.

Genesis (novella #0.5)

From Goodreads:

A father who reveals his truth.
Twins who take different paths—one light, one dark.
Angels who have plans for them both
And Demons who do as well.
So the Earthly battle for souls ignites…

A tale that is over 2,000 years old, this is the story of the Amadis beginnings.

Promise (Book 1)

From Goodreads:

Alexis Ames decides to learn who she really is, with or without the help of her mother, who guards their secrets closely. After meeting Tristan Knight and discovering that he's not normal either, the secrets begin to unravel. Their union brings promise to the future of mankind. But it also incites a dangerous pursuit by the enemy. Because they are a match made in Heaven and in Hell.

    

Purpose (Book 2)

From Goodreads:

Lost in despair, Alexis teeters on the edge of an abyss, her lifeline of hope fraying into a thin thread. If it snaps, she’ll plunge into complete darkness. With the help of her son and her writing, she’s been able to hold on. Until now. Erratic impulses, disturbing delusions and her own demonic blood threaten her sanity. When she’s forced to choose between hanging onto hope or letting go to serve her Amadis purposes, she faces a decision with inconceivable sacrifices.

Alexis runs to the one place she thinks will provide answers, only to find herself at the center of another battle of good versus evil, not only with the Daemoni, not only within herself…but also against the worst opponent imaginable. But even if she wins, what will she lose.

  

Devotion (Book 3)

From Goodreads:

With powerful abilities gained from the Ang’dora and Tristan back by her side, Alexis thinks she’s ready for the next challenge— protecting her son from what appears to be the inevitable. But she has so much to learn about her powers, her new world and the people in it. Nothing is what it seems to be on the surface, including the Amadis.

Power-hungry politicians comprise the council and make impossible demands. A traitor lurks among them all, inciting trouble that could destroy the Amadis and, ultimately, humanity. The Daemoni wreak havoc in the human world, with the ultimatum that they’ll continue attacking innocents until Alexis and Tristan are expelled from the Amadis’ protection. The couple’s own society begins to shut them out. But that’s not all.

Someone’s keeping a secret. A big one. Faith and hope in Alexis and Tristan will be restored if she can uncover the truth in time.

But the search for answers leads only to the discovery of more betrayals by those closest to Alexis. Her devotion is put to the test—devotion to her husband, to her family, to her people and to her beliefs—leaving her to question whom she’s fighting.

Kristie Cook is a lifelong writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. Besides writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three teenage sons, a beagle and a puggle. 

Kristie Cook | Goodreads 

Twitter | FB

Purchase Devotion

Amazon | B&N

  

 ****GIVEAWAY****

I have TWO giveaways as part of this stop.  The first on is the rafflecopter below for an eBook copy of Devotion!  Just fill out the rafflecopter.  

The other one is for the Grand Prize -

• Grand Prize – Nook Simple Touch (US only)

• 1st Prize — All 4 of my books signed (US only)

• 2nd Prize — Soul Savers Swag bag (US only)

• International Prize — All 4 books as ebooks

To enter this Giveaway, just comment on this post - tell me what you think of Ian's answer to my question.  Leave an email & tell us if you are INT or US.

To check out the full tour schedule here.  Any comment on any post is an extra entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the winner is....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

She chose Pure as her JLA book of choice.

This winner is confirmed.

Thanks everyone who entered.

 

Celebration Character Interview with Perry from Under the Never Sky + GIVEAWAY

Yep, it's Wednesday again and I have another Character Interview for you!  Kinda getting used to this.  Not sure what I'm gonna do when it's over.  But for now, I have a few more weeks scheduled so no worries.

WHO do I have for you today?  The very quiet Perry from Under the Never Sky by Veronic Rossie.

Hope you're gonna read this one cause it rocks!  Check out my review here.

Without further rambling on my part, I give you Perry.

So Perry, I'm not surprised we are talking in the forest.  Not sure you are ever comfortable anywhere else.  You do know where we are, right?

 

I do, yeah. I know these woods pretty well.

Thanks for talking to me.  I know strangers are well.... strange.  But I'm sure YOU can tell that I am totally not lying and only want to ask you some questions. Besides, I have totally fallen for your story.  Honest!

Thank you. I appreciate it.

So, speaking of your story, tell me about Talon, something we don't learn in the book.  How did he get his name?  Or his favorite game to play?

I'm the youngest of three, but I always wanted a little brother. My sister-in-law, Mila, knew that. She knew how excited I was when she had Talon, so she named him, in a way, after me. A talon is a falcon's claw. She was really thoughtful like that.

You have an issue with words.  Why do you think that is?

I don't have an issue with words. I just try to use as few of them as possible. I'd rather listen than talk.

Has there ever been anyone special for you, I mean before you met Aria?

Yeah. There was. Her name is Brooke. She was the first girl I liked. She's a good friend and a great person.

And about Aria, what was your first impression of her - back at Ag 6?

My first impression? I thought she was pretty. I mean... she is. And I thought the way she was staring at simple things was strange. Like at leaves and at the trees. It was like she'd never seen them before, which is true in a way.

Now that you know her better, can you describe her in 5 words?

Beautiful. Smart. Kind. Curious. Stubborn. Maybe I should say that last one a few times. (smiles)

Describe the perfect day for me.  Who would you be with and what would you do?

I'd be with Aria. We'd hunt for a while. Then maybe she'd sing to me, and we'd nap in the shade. The rest is... Well, it's private.

If you could have one wish, no questions, what would it be and why?

I'd want the people I love to be safe.

Randomness:

M&M or skittles? What are those?                

Burger or steak? Steak

Mountains or ocean? Mountains by the sea, like where I live.

Day or night? Night

Brown or Blue eyes? Gray

Blond or brown hair? Black

CD or iPod? Aria's voice

DVD or movie theater? The ocean

So Perry, thanks for talking to me.  I'm hoping you find that clear blue sky and that maybe you take a chance on Aud and Scires being together.

Thank you for having me, and I hope so too. 

Veronica Rossi | Twitter | FB | Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

*** Giveaway ***

What's better with a celebration than a giveaway.  SO, I'm giving away winner's choice of eBook/Hardback of Under the Never Sky.  Follow StuckInBooks and fill out the rafflecopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Teaser Tuesday 5/29/12 & GIVEAWAY reminder

This is a weekly bookish meme is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To participate you:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Last night I was asking peeps on twitter about their favorite reads so far this year.  When they turned the tables and wanted mine., I was like....um too many to write in a twitter tweet.  I decided to go back to my 5 stars for the year and take a look.  There was a pretty good list of books I've really liked this year.  Here they are:

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

What a Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn

What a Boy Needs  by Nyrae Dawn

Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn (aka JLA)

Wishing for Someday Soon by Tiffany King

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Shift by M.R. Merrick

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

So these were the books on my mind when I sat down to choose my teaser this week.  I decided on Shift, because there's still this fabulous GIVEAWAY the author is doing.  So here's a tease from a scene I loved in Shift.  Little testosterone being thrown around. Haha

"That pup is part of our pack now.  It's our duty to train him, with, or without, your permission."

You don't have my permission," I said, stepping in front of Jax.

Rayna stepped up beside me and Jax smirked.

"I've got no time for a demanding child and his girlfriend.  Stand down."

"Does this look like the army? This is my house, not your backyard, so don't try marking your territory here." Page 87


Love my boy Chase.  He's one tough demon hunter and he so doesn't like being pushed around.  Remind you of anyone????

Let me know what you think of my teaser and let me know what your teaser is this week in the comments.

****GIVEAWAY REMINDER****

The author of Shift is running two giveaways for SIGNED copies of Exiled & Shift right now.  The Goodreads one can be seen at the top of my blog.  You can check out the other one here.

-------->That giveaway on his blog includes the posters for the books.  I recently got to see those in person and WOW are they gorgeous!!! They're photo quality prints! Totally worth the trip to his blog to enter. <---------

Happy Book Birthday Madly and the Jackal by M. Leighton

Available TODAY 

Madly and the Jackal #3

How deep does love run? Deeper than the ocean? Deeper than memory? Deeper than magic?

Following their plan to save Atlas, Madly and Jackson return the spirit of Wolfhardt to his prison beneath the sea. But even the best laid plans couldn’t account for the surprises they find. This time, Lore aren’t their only challenges.

Madly is special in ways no one could have guessed and dark forces seek to control her. They want her power, but first they must weaken her. They need her beaten. Vulnerable. Near death. And alone. But that task isn’t an easy one with Jackson at her side. The strongest of their kind, the only way to separate Jackson from Madly is to destroy his love for her, to erase it from his mind. And his heart.

Is it possible to steal Jackson’s love from Madly? Or is their love the only truly unbreakable thing?

Book 3 in the Madly series is out TODAY and I am super excited to get some more JACKSON TIME! 

THAT is my Jackson!!!! And according to M. Leighton, that's pretty much him!!!!

Need MORE convincing that you should read this book?  Check out this excerpt that I have for you.

From Madly & the Jackal  Opening my eyes so I didn’t have to “see” through my mind, I found that I was nearly blind. It was almost completely dark inside the cave. If it weren’t for the dappled spots of pale light refracting off the waterfall, I wouldn’t have been able to see at all. “So, what now?” I asked, feeling pleased with myself over my accomplishment. However, reality was soon to intrude upon my pleasure. “Madly,” Jackson began, his tone causing my stomach to fill with dread. “You know our plan to rescue Truly is out of the question now, right?” “No, it’s not. I know we’ve missed our meeting with Aaron, but I could try and contact him. Or my father. We could—” “It’s over Madly. We’ll have to try again later. Not only is Leviathan looking for us, and most likely not for polite conversation, you’re not safe down here. Not even with your father in your own house. No one should’ve known we were here. No one but the four of us.” “But who… I mean, how… we didn’t…” “I know, I’m confused, too. But what we do know is that, right now, the only people who can be trusted are in this room.” I wanted desperately to argue, to defend my father vehemently, but I couldn’t. Jackson was right. Something was wrong. “You know my father would never—” “I’m not suggesting that he’d do otherwise, Madly. I’m just saying there are things going on down here that we didn’t account for. Now that we have more information, we can try something else when we bring the next Lore back. But right now, I have to get you out of here.” “Jackson, I can’t leave my—” “You have to. You know that. You don’t have a choice.” When I started to challenge that point, Jackson quickly continued. “Not really. You’re the best chance Atlas has and you know it.” Feeling the hopelessness of the situation crowding in on me, I fought the tears the prickled against my eyelids. Although I didn’t say a word, didn’t make a sound, Jackson knew what I wasn’t saying. “Come here,” he said, opening up arms that I could barely see. Emotion tightening my chest, I walked into Jackson’s embrace and laid my head over his heart. Within his strong hold, nothing felt hopeless, everything felt possible, and I needed a big dose of that optimism. As he stroked my hair and spoke softly, I felt the world slowly return to rights. “We’ll stay here for a while tonight in case Leviathan is still looking for us. Then, in a few hours, we’ll find a distraction we can use to get us past the shield. Once we’re back in Slumber, we’ll find the next Lore and return them. By then we’ll have a plan and we’ll save your family and the rest of Atlas.” It sounded so logical, so simple. So…do-able. “Promise?” I mumbled quietly, knowing he could make no such promise. I raised my head to look up at him. He traced his fingertip from my temple down my cheek to my lips, brushing them lightly. Bending his head to mine, he whispered across my mouth, “Trust me.” His kiss was like a warm breeze, barely there, and then he lifted his head to stare down into my eyes. I couldn’t see him clearly, just the bits and pieces the shimmering light illuminated. It made the water droplets on his skin and in his hair glisten like diamonds, even the ones that clung to his lashes. “Don’t do that,” he groaned quietly. “Do what?” I asked, genuinely confused. “Look at me like that.” Desire rippled through me. “Like what?” “Like you want to lick all the water off me.” “Is that how I’m looking at you?” I knew I was being coy. “You know it is.” “So what if I do? What if I want to touch my tongue to every drop of water on your skin? Is that such a bad thing?” As I spoke, I leaned back a bit further and let my eyes rove his face and chest. A single droplet ran from the hollow of his throat down the center of his chest. Reaching out, I caught it on the tip of my finger and stuck it in my mouth. I heard Jackson gasp seconds before he crushed me to him. His lips on mine were flames that spread through me like wildfire. His arms tightened around me. One big hand splayed between my shoulder blades, the other on my butt. Both pulled me toward him, pressing me against him in the most intimate way. I could feel his hardness against the soft part of my belly and lava poured down my legs. He ground his hips into mine and his moan tickled its way all the way up my tongue, sending a shiver down my back. Reaching up, I threaded my fingers into his short hair and held him close, wishing he could devour me, and I him. I ached for Jackson in ways I’d never ached for anyone, ached for him in places I didn’t know could ache in such a way. I was panting, rubbing my body against Jackson’s when he tore his mouth away from mine and held me at arm’s length. I could hear his heavy breathing. I could feel his desire for me like a thickness in the air. It filled the cave, warmed my skin.

If you haven't seen this series, you need to check it out. Here's the deets.

Madly #1 (novella)

Madly is your average nearly-eighteen year old girl—for a princess, that is.

Madly James is thoroughly enjoying her internship in the small town of Slumber when the unthinkable happens—there’s a prison break in Atlas, the magically-protected home of Madly’s race. A traitor has set free eight Lore, the spirits of what humans know as fairy tales, and they are making their way to Slumber to awaken their descendants.

In order to save her home, the lives of her family, and all of humanity, Madly must learn to wield her exceptional powers and recapture the Lore before it’s too late and all is lost. But Madly’s only help are her two best friends and the Sentinel, Jackson Hamilton, that threatens both her heart and her destiny. Madly has loved Jackson as long as she can remember, but he is the one thing even a princess can’t have. Can she resist love to become the queen she was fated to be? Or can she find a way to have both?

This novelette introduces you to Madly and prepares you for the quest of a lifetime

 
Madly & Wolfhardt  #2

Madly is your average nearly-eighteen year old girl—for a princess, that is.

Madly James is thoroughly enjoying her internship in the small town of Slumber when the unthinkable happens—there’s a prison break in Atlas, the magically-protected home of Madly’s race. A traitor has set free eight Lore, the spirits of what humans know as fairy tales, and they are making their way to Slumber to awaken their descendants.

The first spirit to arrive is that of Ulrich Wolfhardt, a man that was once obsessed with wolves and a young maiden he would follow through the woods. After a bite from a wolf, Wolfhardt’s obsession with the girl became an unnatural hunger and the young maiden’s grandmother cursed him with a fate worse than death. And now he’s back…with a vengeance and a bite that can infect others as well.

Madly must learn the identity of Wolfhardt’s descendant and stop him before he kills again and spreads his curse across the earth. But the only person strong enough to help Madly is Jackson, the Sentinel who vowed to protect her and the one person capable of breaking her heart. Can Madly resist forbidden love long enough to save the world from Wolfhardt? Or will she have to sacrifice her heart and her destiny to save the ones she loves?

Check out my review of the first two books here.

Check out my friend Heather's review of book three here.

M. Leighton | Twitter | FB |Goodreads| Amazon | B&N

Book Blast ~ Betrayed + GIVEAWAY

Betrayed, The Guardian Legacy #2

An Young adult book

Betrayed

Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.

Ednah Walters | Blog | FB | Twitter | Goodreads | Google +  

Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK: 

Just like Awakened, Betrayed has risen above all the other books in this genre. She has created such an amazing world for her Guardians & demons where good and evil are not as simple as it seems they should be. ~J. Whitus (Book Junkies) Walking On Bookshelves

I just love a spunky heroine so I was excited to keep reading about Lil, the demon hunter I got to know in Awakened (book one of The Guardian Legacy series). Walters takes the story and world she built so well in Awakened and adds in an intense plot with lots of twists to make for a strong sequel.~ Kelli (I'd So Rather Be Reading)


Lil is one of my favorite female leads, with all of the traits that you want a strong female lead to have. She's smart, strong, loyal and doesn't know how to back down.~ Missy (Missy's Reads & Reviews)

Lil has her work cut out for her in this book and she never failed me once! There is action in this book as well as a lot of emotional turmoil.~ Cathy Garcia 

EDNAH WALTERS BIO:

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mysteries and fell in love with books

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and epic adventures. When I finished my college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn't enough. So I started to write.

I've written picture books (unpublished), contemporary and romantic suspense (under the pen name E. B. Walters), and finally YA fantasy (as Ednah Walters).

AWAKENED (2010) is the prequel to the YA series about the Nephilim, The Guardian Legacy series. BETRAYED(book # 1) is now available wherever books are sold, HUNTED (book # 2) will be released in February 2013 andFORGOTTEN (later in 2013).

My adult contemporary with or without suspense is about a west coast Irish-American family series. I've published four Fitzgerald books: SLOW BURN (April 5th 2011), MINE UNTIL DAWN (June 29th 2011), KISS ME CRAZY (Sept 25th 2011) and DANGEROUS LOVE (Jan 29th 2012)

When I'm not writing, I do things with my family, five children and my darling husband of 18 years. I live in a picturesque valley in northern Utah, the setting for my YA series.

***Giveaway Details***
$100 Amazon.com Gift Code
Ends 6/5/12

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review through netgalley.

Available June 11, 2012

Adult romance- 18+ for sure!

Summary from Goodreads:

Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last night” is just the beginning.

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

My Thoughts:

 

4 stars - Scorching HAWT with a few laughs

Let me start by saying that this book is much more erotic than things I normally read.  Not really sure that's my thing.  So my review will be about the story line.

I can't help but be drawn to stories where the relationship is impossible.  That's a classic set-up for any romance.  Ruthie does a great job of taking that and making it fresh.  Maybe it was the London setting and Nev's wonderful accent or the story with the tattoos but blue blood meets bad girl definitely rocked this tale.

I loved Nev and I really enjoyed the parts from his POV.  An artist and a gentleman, there's a lot of love about this guy besides his rock hard chest.  I will admit that I was a little taken back with his initial forwardness with Cath but I quickly got over it.  He made some mistakes but I loved how he tried to fix them.

Cath was a puzzle to me.  We learn over the course of the book bits and pieces of her troubled past.  She's not real good with choices but she sells herself short a lot of the time.  I grew to respect her.

The story was fast paced and scorching hott!  Saw some of it coming but the ending made me cry - in a good way.

If you like the adult romance reads with a healthy dose of erotica then this is great choice.

If you want a taste of this book, check out the excerpt I posted last month.

Ruthie Knox | Twitter | FB | Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Madly & Wolfhardt by M. Leighton ~ Review

So before I review Madly & Wolfhardt, I want to do a mini review on the little novella that comes before that book.  This book introduces us to the world of the Mer and to Madly James.

Source:  Purchased the eBook for only $.99

Summary from Goodreads:

Madly is your average nearly-eighteen year old girl—for a princess, that is.

Madly James is thoroughly enjoying her internship in the small town of Slumber when the unthinkable happens—there’s a prison break in Atlas, the magically-protected home of Madly’s race. A traitor has set free eight Lore, the spirits of what humans know as fairy tales, and they are making their way to Slumber to awaken their descendants.

In order to save her home, the lives of her family, and all of humanity, Madly must learn to wield her exceptional powers and recapture the Lore before it’s too late and all is lost. But Madly’s only help are her two best friends and the Sentinel, Jackson Hamilton, that threatens both her heart and her destiny. Madly has loved Jackson as long as she can remember, but he is the one thing even a princess can’t have. Can she resist love to become the queen she was fated to be? Or can she find a way to have both?

This novelette introduces you to Madly and prepares you for the quest of a lifetime


My Thoughts:

This is a short little introduction to the world of Madly and the mer people.  Madly - love that name btw - is of royal blood, princess in line for the throne.  She is strong willed and determined, not willing to sit back and wait to be taken care of by her sentential guards.  I like that about her.  She has a great friendship with Jersey - another fabulous name - and an interesting relationship with her soon to be fiancee, Aiden.  The cast of characters are complete with Jackson, the head sentential in charge of protecting Madly AND the crush Madly has had since age 15.   

Only the second mer story I have read, I'm enjoying them more and more.  Why haven't been reading them sooner?  Good question.

I must say that this is the back story for the really fabulous read, Madly & Wolfhardt but I highly recommend that you start with this one.  Madly & Wolfhardt does stand on it's own, but I wanted that little bit of extra story that you get from reading this one.  Check it out for sure.

 

Now let's look at the main event, shall we.

Source:  The wonderful Heather Self lent me the kindle version, but I may have to purchase my own copy.

My Summary:

Madly is supposed to be concentrating on capturing the escaped lore so that she can rescue her parents in Atlas, but Jackson's return to her life has her very distracted.  He's there to protect her, with his life if necessary - something he is very willing to do.  She's the princess in line for the throne.  A relationship between them is not only inappropriate it's also forbidden.  Madly knows all of this but she can't stop thinking about him sleeping a mere feet from her.  In the mean time, Aiden - Madly's soon to be fiancee - is falling for the human descendant of the very lore they are hunting.  If the relationship issues weren't enough drama, the seers are acting weird.  Can Madly pull it together soon enough to capture Wolfhardt and have a chance to save her parents, or will her heart prevent her from succeeding?

My Thoughts:



4 stars - Sizzling hot romance & fun fishies in this one

As I said, this is only my second venture into a mer story and I'm wondering why I haven't read them in the past.  Thanks so much to Heather, who got me hooked on this one very quickly.  I needed something light and fast to get me past some pretty weighty books I've read lately.  This one fit the bill perfectly.

I love the forbidden love between Madly and Jackson.  There is no real love triangle going on here, which frankly was refreshing.  Aiden is around but he's never really a love interest.  Madly expects to be mated with him in the future but she has no feeling for him beyond brotherly love.  And Jackson?  Well he's the somewhat brooding hunk of a guy who puts his duty above everything else, except perhaps Madly's safety.  His mysterious anger adds to the very male vibes he's throwing off.  I loved the dynamics between them.  So hot and so much fun to read.  If you missed it, here's my Swoon Thursday from last week featuring none other than Madly and Jackson.

I really loved Jersey's silly personality.  Her goofy antics are just what Madly needs a lot of the time, even if the bell is gonna drive her over the edge.  Jersey is Jackson's sister.  She knows her brother's heart and that's important information that she's NOT sharing with Madly - Jersey may have some clam in her! 

Aiden is supposed to be Madly's fiancee very soon but that doesn't seem to be working out too well.  I really enjoyed his humor and the great relationship that he and Madly share.  It was so nice not to have a pouting male as the third wheel.

The story was fast paced and had a unexpected twist or two.  I could have read it in an afternoon but I decided to go back and read Madly before I finished this one.

If you love the YA urban fantasy scene, then this one is a must read!

M. Leighton | Twitter | FB | Goodreads

Amazon | B&N
Read chapter 1 here  

Splash into Summer Giveaway Hop

Summer reading is what I live for! There are some fabulous books out right now and it's so hard to choose just one to give away so I've come up with some options and YOU get to choose which one you would want.

 

Yeah, I know it's impossible choice.  But at least it's YOUR choice and not mine! HeeHee

You now the drill.  Follow StuckInBooks and fill out the rafflecopter below. 

While you're here - check out my other giveaways.

Any current JLA book

Signed copies of Exiled & Shift

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now hop along to the next blog....

The winner is....

Rogier Caprino

An email has been sent to the winner and he has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to everyone who entered. 

And the winner is...

Jolene A

An email has been sent to the winner and she has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Swoon Thursday ~ 5/24/12

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme.  Here's how it works.

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! I want to know & so do the chicks at YABound!

I got this book in my email this week.  You might have seen some of us tweeting about it while reading it Tuesday night - NOT nice I know but it's so good we had to SQEE! between ourselves.  Anyway, there was NO way I wasn't sharing this for my swoon this week.

This book is the sequel to What a Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawn.  What a Boy Needs will be out June 12th.  Enjoy!

Twitter version:

 "I kiss her deeper, letting my tongue get intimate with every part of her mouth. " Page 86

Longer bloggy version:

"Her hand tugs at my hair and she makes this tiny little noise in her throat that I don't hear, but feel.  Feel her lying next to me, kissing me as we lay on our sides of the bed. I kiss her deeper, letting my tongue get intimate with every part of her mouth.  And she does the same, tasting me and then letting me taste her.  All I can think is this is kissing.  This.  Which is stupid because like I said, I've kissed girls, lots of girls, but none of them came close to what this feels like."  Page 86

So Jaden is out of this world awesome in this book.  I absolutely LOVE him.  You need to make sure and pick this one up as soon as it's available.

Make sure you add this one to your TBR pile.  Then let me know what you think in the comments.

What a Boy Wants (Book 1)    ~   What a Boy Needs (Book 2)

Book Blast ~ Masters of the Veil & GIVEAWAY

Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer. Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot. As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown. but all humankind.

So before “Masters of the Veil,” happened, Dan sat down and interviewed some of his characters. We won’t get into the details of how Dan got into Atlas Crown (the magical community where the story takes place), but let’s just say it wasn’t easy.

Super short character bios:

Sam Lock: High school football star. Popular, sociable, and knows nothing about magic… yet.

Daphne Sunder: Beautiful, intelligent, and one of the most popular young sorcerers in Atlas Crown.

Cassiella Pyx: Shy, kind, and sort of nerdy. Even though she keeps a low profile, she is also one of the more powerful young sorcerers.

Glissandro Thicket: Glissandro is a young, mute sorcerer who speaks magically through music. He uses the horn of a skull-wolf to create his musical language. He also keeps to himself.

Petir LaVink: Grumpy young sorcerer. He hates outsiders. VERY good at magic.

Rona Rono: Teaches the best young sorcerers in Atlas Crown (Daphne, Cassiella, Glissandro, and Petir). Was a tribal king in Africa before he was brought to Atlas Crown.

May: Liaison from Atlas Crown to the outside world.

  

***

 

Here are some of the highlights of the interview.

Dan asked: “What’s your dream in life?”

Sam Lock: I’m living it, baby! Did you see how many scouts were at my last game?

Petir LaVink: You don’t belong here (at this point, Petir raises his second-skin* at Dan). You’re lucky May says you’re ok, or I would… You know what? I’m leaving (he leaves the room in a huff).

Daphne: Easy. I’m going to be head grower some day. Can you Just imagine being in charge of the seven grow fields? Just being around all the animals, and plants, and colors. It’s like the most important job in Atlas Crown.

Cassiella: I don’t know. I guess… I don’t know. It would be nice to meet somebody (she looks down at her feet). Can we go to the next question?

Glissandro: <Translated from music> To be the first in my family to go through mystical Omani** I want to make my brother proud.

*A hand covering made from magical materials, which allows you to “grip” the Veil. Essentially, it’s how you do magic.

**Coming of age ceremony that determines what branch of magic you study

 

***

Dan asked: “What’s your favorite thing to do?”

Sam Lock: (Picks at his football jersey) Seriously?

Daphne: Well, me and my girlfriends love to go to the hot springs and relax. (She shrugs) And it doesn’t hurt that there’s usually some cute guys there.

Glissandro: <Translated> The Tinker Hut. You should see all the magical contraptions he has. Buttons that change the fabric of your robe, dancing figures, detectors, little globes that you shake and it snows around you. And there’s always something new.

Cassiella: I like the library.

Rona Rono: I teach. There’s nothing I like more. The first time one of my students drapes* an object, well, there’s no better feeling.

*Draping is a magical technique that involves wrapping the Veil around something to give it magical properties.

 

***

Dan asked: “What’s the most impressive magic you’re ever seen performed?”

Sam Lock: (Grinning like an idiot) Did you say magic? You mean figuratively, right? Because there was this one-handed catch I had where I dove [rest of answer omitted because of extreme length].

Daphne: One time I was with May in the grow fields and she called like every bird in Atlas Crown. Thousand of birds, every color imaginable, all came and May tossed handfuls of seeds into the air and the birds each caught one and flew away. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. There was no chaos. The birds all fell in line like a dance. May said that another magical community had lost one of their fields—she never told me how—so she was sending a new one. It doesn’t get much better than natural magic.

Cassiella: I love watching Rona. He can drape anything. He made me a wooden flower that only blooms on the full moon, but when it opens up it gives off whatever smell would make me most happy. Last moon it smelled like honey and nettle-melon. 

Rona Rono: (His eyes darken) If you don’t mind, I’d like to skip that question.

***

 

After the interview, the characters shared their thoughts on meeting Dan:

Sam Lock: He’s kind of small. I doubt he’d be very good on the field. He’s not like the son of a coach or something, is he? Oh. He’s a writer? Yeah, that makes more sense. So why did I meet with him?

Daphne Sunder: I guess he seems nice. Not my type. It’s not his fault though, I just wouldn’t ever date a flathand*.

*A flathand is someone who cannot connect with the Veil.

Cassiella Pyx: I really like blue eyes (at this point in the interview, Cassiella blushes). Don’t tell him I said that!

Glissandro Thicket: <Translated from music> He kept mentioning saxophone? What’s a saxophone?

Rona Rono: (Shakes his head) He seems to have the right heart, but She [The Veil] hasn’t chosen him. It’s too bad. I would have loved to teach him.

Book Trailer

PRAISE:

"This Book was brilliant, creative, and completely magical. If you want an amazing book to read in 2012, I would suggest you go to the bookstore and pick up a copy of Masters of the Veil."  ~Julia @Inkbitten

"I loved this book. I could list all the reasons, but there is one piece of praise I think sums up the book best. My son grabbed it as soon as I was finished reading it and hasn't put it down since. Dan Cohen has a winner with this series."

~Author Michelle Pickett

"A funny, imaginative, and delightful read!"

~Author Kate Kaynak

Author Daniel A. Cohen
Daniel A. Cohen was just your average business student. Microeconomics, finance, marketing… you name it, he had to do a PowerPoint presentation on it. One dark and stormy night, he was bitten by the radioactive realization that memorizing business jargon could possibly be the most boring activity known to man.

After gaining eagle-eye vision, abs that could grate cheese, and a talent for imagining things (including his cheese-grating abs), he wrote his first novel and began his epic battle against the formidable business jargon. He continues to fight the good fight by playing saxophone and writing YA fantasy, forever hoping his Veil trilogy will help inspire others to join his cause.

Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | FB | Amazon | B&N

Giveaway Details
 
Author Daniel Cohen is offering one lucky person a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card.
Last day to enter is May 31st

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway