Sunday Post #114

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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It's been a week. Evenings have been on the go. Football parents meeting, take car to garage, pick car up from garage, go over recruiting site with kiddo, and heavens knows what else. I think this week is going to be close to the same. Kiddo gets his leg cast off on Tuesday, Wednesday he starts back to therapy, Thursday we are going to a college fair, and whatever else we can slip in there. lol. I knew it'd be crazy busy with Kiddo until he finds a college and such, but wow it's a lot of work!

I did get to visit blogs a bit this past week through it all and hope to continue to do so this week. It might only be two evenings, but I hope to get there. :)

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The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... I didn't get on the treadmill at all this week with all we had going on.

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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:

Haven't started anything new.


Current Audiobook:
The New Agenda by Simone Pond

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Nothing

Finished Last Week: 

Trueheart by Mel Sterling

Audiobooks from Audible:

His Dark Empire by M.R. Forbes

Finished Podcast Book Listen:

Nothing

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Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)

Posts:

Around the Internet...


Reviews:

Modern Sorcery by Gary Jonas

Complication by K.A. Salidas

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:

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This Week to Come on the Blog:

I have two reviews scheduled.
  Earth Requiem
  Destiny

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Received Last Weeks:

Review & Review Consideration:



Audio Books Requested for Review:

The Games of Supervillainy by C.T. Phipps
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Get ready for the action-packed follow up to The Rules of Supervillainy. This time with zombies, zombified heroes and villains, cults, magic, superscience, a dragon, a Greek demigod, and so much more! 

Gary and Cloak have returned from the supervillain prison on the moon only to discover the city he plans to conquer and rule with an iron fist has been overrun with the living dead. Once again taking up the mantle of Merciless, the villain without mercy, Gary will have to pull it together quickly, find his wife, his gang, and a whole lot of help to stop the Brotherhood of Infamy from slaughtering the population of Falconcrest City and opening a portal to summon a Primal force of creation. 

But Gary has a plan, or at least he's sure he'll have one soon. Just give him a second.

Acheron Highway by Gary Jones
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Goodreads Synopsis:
"He stole my heart, Mr. Shade. I want you to find him and steal it back."

The dead won't stay buried in Denver, so Jonathan Shade isn't too surprised when a deceased woman shows up wanting to hire him. A necromancer stalker has stolen her heart--literally--and she needs it if she's going to live.

But Shade's jobs are never simple. The dead won't leave him alone. They work for a lovesick goddess who wants Shade to turn over her former lover. Chased by zombies, and then by an army of skeletons, Shade and his magically-engineered partner, Kelly Chan, fight to stay alive.

Keep your hands and feet in the vehicle at all times, and hang on, because there are no safe exits from Acheron Highway...

Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Book:

Audio:

Free Ebooks:

(On my Kindle App) Links to books under title. They may or may not be free at this time.

Home from the Hill by Jolie Mason
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Things have changed on the Bell, thanks to the war. Luca finds herself doing some pretty colorful runs for the Carnes Syndicate these days, beginning with a little weapons smuggling. It's not the smuggling that's dangerous, though.It's the thugs following her that catch her first mate's attention. 

Emery Charles trained for years to do the Empire's dirty work, and he did it without flinching. His refusal to bring in the captain of the Carry Bell gets a bounty on his head, and a swarm of operatives out to do the job. 

Now, they have to find a way out of this rat's maze of spies, war and biological weapons alive. Falling in love is bound to complicate everything, but he's not sure he has another option.

Trees, Like Candles, Dripping Wax by Resa Nelson
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Goodreads Synopsis:
When Cathy opens the kitchen curtains, she looks outside and wonders why the trees are melting. 

She’s scared when she realizes she’s the only one who can see them. The trees look normal to everyone else. Afraid there’s something wrong with her, Cathy keeps the melting trees a secret. 

After all, things are bad enough. She’s starting her senior year in high school as the new kid. Cathy wants to make friends but also has to navigate the treacherous waters of high school politics. All the while, everywhere she looks, the trees are melting and Cathy doesn’t know why she’s the only one who can see them. So she begins to draw what she sees. 
But will her drawings reveal her secret? Could they jeopardize her chances of getting into college? Or will they lead her to a much-needed ally? 

This story was originally published in Fantasy magazine. Appropriate for all ages. 

Road to Shandara by Ken Lozito
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Goodreads Synopsis:
From Earth, A Hero Will Rise…

An epic fantasy adventure series begins
My name is Aaron Jace. Until a few months ago I’d never heard of the world Safanar or a place called Shandara. I was a normal guy about to graduate from college and now….now I’m being hunted, even in the solace of my dreams. My life has been a lie and I’ve been pulled into a war that spans worlds. I am the last scion of the house Alenzar’seth, the lords of Shandara. The ones on the hunt are after the one thing that will grant them ultimate power over the world….Me.

Synopsis

Aaron Jace is about to graduate from college when his grandfather unexpectedly dies. He finds a mysterious note that tells him he is a descendant from an ancient and powerful family called the Alenzar'seth, the Lords of Shandara. Along with the note is a family heirloom with a magic all its own, and two mystical swords forged as if they were made for him. The problem is he has never heard the name Alenzar’seth or of a place called Shandara. With the death of his grandfather, Aaron is thrust headlong into a war where the enemies of Shandara have the power to reach across worlds to pull him into the fight. He is being hunted and his family is in danger as Tarimus, a demon sentinel from the world of Safanar, leads the charge to steal the power of the Alenzar'seth before Aaron has a chance to learn his full potential.

In a race that begins on Earth, Aaron will journey to Safanar launching him on a thrilling fantasy action adventure in search of the fabled land of Shandara and learn that while some nations hold the Alenzar'seth in high esteem, others rejoice in its demise and are still searching for the source of power laid hidden amidst the ruins known only to a powerful few.

During his quest, Aaron will discover that the world of Safanar is built upon the stuff of legends and fantasy with dragons and castles, to cities closely resembling the modern cities of Earth with hints to science and technology that even surpass that of Earth. The Road To Shandara is an epic tale of action adventure with ancient and powerful families on distant worlds involving sacred allegiances and loyalties that span lifetimes.

The Road to Shandara is the first book of the Epic Fantasy Series of the Safanarion Order.

This is not your traditional fantasy novel.

A Winter of Rolling Thunder by Resa Nelson
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Every time Elaine has a new boyfriend, she goes out of her way to make time for her best friend Meg. But when the tables are turned and Meg begins a new relationship, Elaine feels left out in the cold. 

During a normal workday, sudden changes startle everyone. A white light flashes in the sky. A shock wave shudders through the earth. Traffic freezes because car engines fail, and elevators won’t work. Everyone panics, many believing a bomb has been dropped and that nuclear winter has begun. People race to find the fastest way home to their loved ones. 
Elaine finds herself lapsing in and out of consciousness. Every time she awakes, the world has shifted in a new, surrealistic way. Strangely colored storm clouds race across the sky. Some people float up and down in the air. Nothing makes sense. And yet, every time the world changes, she gains a better understanding of what kind of friend Meg really is. 

This story was originally published in Tomorrow SF magazine. Appropriate for all ages. 

The Conduit by Stacey Rourke
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Goodreads Synopsis:
All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world.

While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini.

Okay, little side note here. If a psychopathic killer asks if you want to see a trick, say no. That’s the smart thing to do. I, on the other hand, responded, “Bring it.”
-excerpt from THE CONDUIT

Rebecca's Hell by Resa Nelson
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Peter is a 35-year-old curmudgeon making his living as an art history professor. A brilliant artist, his career has never developed what it could have been, thanks to his fellow art professor, Rebecca. She received the recognition Peter believes he deserved, but she’s allowed her career as an artist to falter and go nowhere. 

Peter knows it’s not her fault. He’s been in love with Rebecca since they were students, although he’s never found the courage to show it. Desperate, he encourages her to divorce her husband, the art critic who failed to help her launch what could have been a successful career. Embittered, Peter takes his frustrations out on his students. 

At a Halloween party, Peter’s concerns for Rebecca escalate when she tells him that Earth is hell. The world begins to merge with art by famous painters, and Peter struggles to separate reality from Impressionism. Soon enough he will understand Rebecca’s Hell and what it has in store for him. Recommended for adults (ages 17 and up).

Nightwalker by Allyson James
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Stormwalker Janet Begay, proprietor of the Crossroads Hotel, a place where the paranormal stop for a safe night’s rest, discovers the hard way that a slayer is targeting Ansel, a Nightwalker who’s become the hotel's more-or-less permanent resident.

When Janet and her lover Mick intervene to save Ansel’s un-life, they find that the attack is the beginning of an oncoming storm. Janet has her hands full already with the upcoming marriage of her father, the return of a woman who claims to be Coyote’s wife, her crazy half-sister, a couple dragons on her back, and her worry about Mick, who’s behaving strangely again. 

But it seems that everyone is after Ansel, who fears he killed the woman he loves in a Nightwalker frenzy. Janet must choose between protecting Ansel, or facing the most powerful magical beings in the world, who are willing to destroy Janet, Mick, her hotel, and everyone she cares about to get to Ansel and his secrets.

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel by Brian McClellan
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Special Detective Constable Adamat may be the most capable young investigator in all of Adopest. He's sharp, thoughtful, and his particular sorcery gives him a flawless memory. A transfer to the First Precinct seems like the perfect opportunity to showcase his abilities and advance his career. 

But things work differently in the First Precinct. The murder of a businessman's mistress quickly pulls Adamat into an unexpected world of conspiracy and politics where he's forced to use all his wits to stay one step ahead of unseen enemies and keep his friends—and himself—from the guillotine. 

Occurs twenty-two years before the events in Promise of Blood.


(On my Nook)

Free Audio Books/Stories:

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Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron

The Sentinel by Chris Lester

The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester

Danube Waves by Katharina Bordet

Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton

Spark by Starla Huchton
House of Grey 6 by Collin Earl

The Secret World Chronicle: World Divided by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
The Secret World Chronicle: Waiting On by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
The Secret World Chronicle: Revolutions by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone

Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones

The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
Earth's Requiem by Ann Gimpel

Destiny by David Wood & Sean Ellis

Bound by Prophecy by Stormy Smith

Serpent Singer and Other Stories by M.H. Bonham

Bound Together by Stormy Smith

His Dark Empire by M.R. Forbes
Trueheart by Mel Sterling

Audio Book Review: Complication

Complication

By:  K.A. Salidas

Publish Date:  April 14, 2014, Audiobook Release December 15, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 4 hrs 40 mins
Narrated By:  Kerri McCann

Genre:  Paranormal

Series:  2nd in Chronicles of the Uprising series; 1st book ~ Dissension

First Impression:  Mira is free, but what will happen at the next place? With their rules. Mira tries to make a difference, one person at a time.

Synopsis:
Narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Magistrate, Mira travels west, toward the coast. With three weakened human fugitives accompanying her, she searches for the mythical land of Sanctuary.

After encountering a pack of wolf shifters, headed by the charismatic—and brazen—Stryker, Mira learns that Sanctuary is real after all. Caldera Grove: home of the Otherkin. Hidden in the mouth of a dormant volcano, it has protected its residents from humans since the early days following the great cataclysm. For Mira— a vampire— Caldera Grove is a land of peace; an escape from the relentless persecution of the humans who once enslaved her, and an end to the daily struggle and bloodshed of being a gladiator.

For the humans accompanying her, Caldera Grove means death. Humans, greedy and untrustworthy creatures, are destroyed before they can penetrate its borders.

To plead her case for entry into Caldera, Mira must abandon her companions, albeit temporarily, and follow Stryker into the heart of the city. What she finds within Caldera Grove presents her with an unenviable decision between her own desires for freedom and peace, or honor and the human companions who risked it all for her.

First Sentence:
Thousands of twinkling stars lit the night sky above, a glorious sight Mira had not seen in more years than she could count.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I requested to review a copy of this audiobook for an honest review from the author.

Mira hates humans for what she was forced to do for the last 30 years. Kill or be killed for their entertainment. But, now that she's escaped New Haven, she finds herself with three humans who helped her. They are more than what she thought, as she is to them. The four travel together to find safety at Sanctuary. But they all may not be safe in Caldera Grove, where humans are forbidden for their treatment of the immortals.

I was nervous coming into this audio book as Kerri is not the narrator from the first book. I shouldn't have worried at all. Kerri is soft and clear spoken with the draw to her pacing that we can easily understand and fits Mira's personality. I was impressed early on. Kerri also slips into the persona of the characters as she reads with personalities coming through in voice and attitude. She does different tones and annunciations for words and attitudes of different characters, such as Lucian as he has a distinct feel that shows he's positive in what he says and use to having power.

K.A. has brought Mira to the next step in her life. We pick up where Dissension ended and find our way into Sanctuary. However, Mira has to make some hard choices. Mira already knows what she'll do though, it's just a matter of will the events that unfold allow room for her to stick to that decision.

As we see the world grow, we meet new 'friends' in this book. Mira makes new allies that she can count on in a new world she only ever imaged in her dreams. There are more in the immortal category than she had ever thought possible. We meet a few of those, though two of them we learn what their specialty is. Stryker is a new character we come to know well. I wasn't sure I'd like him at first meeting. But, by the end of the book I loved him! He's strong, Alpha, but he's also smart and sees things are changing with the events around them.

We get our fighting, even though Mira is trying to get away from that. We also get some bonding time as friends. This is the best part. There is also a possibility of a budding romance? Maybe? I'm curious to see how this works out as there is a potential of two men for Mira. It's just starting to be seen, so I'm curious to see how it's handled in the future stories.

This book is complete. I'm not left disappointed with the ending. It's an ending that leads you right into the next book (which is out) but not hanging off the cliff at the abrupt ending. Well done! I love these endings, it's like a soft hook - you want to continue but you are left hanging on by your finger tips.

I love the vision K.A. has created in Mira. She's a strong character that has grown from the moment we saw her, and tries to be more than the prejudiced that is every strongly present in the world. I still believe, more than ever, that K.A. will be know for what she has created in this series. I'm only at book two, but love what I'm getting and will continue the series.

Audio Book Review: Modern Sorcery

Modern Sorcery

By:  Gary Jonas

Publish Date:  October 21, 2014, Audiobook December 9, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 6 hrs 13 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Hempel

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in Jonathan Shade series

Impression:  Light mystery with magic. Introducing us to the world of Jonathan Shade.

Synopsis:
A SAVAGE MURDER
A husband armed with a sword hacks apart his wife in a Denver grocery store. There are dozens of witnesses, and the crime is captured on the security cameras. To the police, it’s an open-and-shut case.

To Naomi, the daughter of the couple, it’s evidence of dark magic. She hires her ex-lover, a private investigator named Jonathan Shade to prove her father is innocent.

Shade specializes in paranormal cases, but he isn’t buying it. Still, he takes the case, hoping to rekindle their relationship. Instead, Shade finds himself mixed up in supernatural intrigue with wizards, magically engineered assassins, and an ancient sorcerer returned to life who’s willing to kill anyone who stands in his way.

Too bad Shade doesn't have any magic.

First Sentence:
When I stepped off the elevator and started toward my office, Esther stuck her head through the wall.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

Jonathan returns to his office to find a client waiting. Naomi Miller. Who is also his ex who left when he asked her to marry him. Naomi wants to hire Jonathan to find her father's innocence, for killing his wife and her mother. There is solid evidence against David, but Naomi hopes Jonathan will find evidence of magic being used on David. What starts as a simple cut and dry case turns into more when Jonathan learns of powerful crystals that were guarded by David, and are to be destroyed. Now whoever is after the crystals housing the spirit of a dangerous wizard, are after Naomi. And Jonathan is determined not to let anything happen to the woman he still loves.

This is a first for me listening to Joe Hempel voice a story. Joe does slight softness and hardness differences in his voice for the woman and men. The narrator also does a southern accent done for a character. The story is from Jonathan's POV, so the story is mainly one voice except when others are talking. I didn't notice that there was much variation in voices though. Joe's voice is clear and easy to understand. The quality of the air around him is clean which makes it easy to listen to the story without distraction.

The story feels as it's light with the jokes Jonathan makes. The writing is easy to follow as we go along in the story finding what Naomi's true agenda is in hiring Jonathan. We are introduced to those that surround Jonathan in a progression that we won't forget them.

First we meet Esther. Oh I loved Esther from the first moment we see her in the very first sentence of the story. She wears a flapper dress as that's what she died in. Then we meet Kelly, his partner in business and who teaches martial arts. There is a story to Kelly, and I'm looking forward to getting more and more with each story. She's strong and something special. It seems she was made this way from the things we learn here. We do meet a detective that is Jonathan's connection to the police. Then we meet Sharon. Aaah. We learn Sharon has her own troubles and history too. This is another very, very interesting past I look forward to hearing about. Of course I can't forget about Jonathan! He's one that comes across with a great sense of humor. He doesn't make me bust out laughing, but I see his humor as trying to break the ice, whether of a tense situation because of conversation topic or fighting with the bad guy. It felt as though there is a potential for Jonathan mentioned at the end of the book. I'm curious where his ability will go in time.

This was a nice start to a series that feels light, fun and interesting to read. I got my cases for Jonathan to solve, that is more than meets the eye, along with action and fighting with magic. There is resolve to the story yet I'm still curious to carry on with the characters and learn their secrets. I do hope to continue with the series!

Sunday Post #113

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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I'll start with the most important thing. My son. He went in for surgery, second on his knee, on Wednesday. I wasn't sure what would come of the day. Of course his arrival time was 6:45 AM, to a surgery center an hour away. *groan* We were up at a crazy hour to get there. We got there, and I had a flat tire. *head desk* I'm becoming a pro at changing tires, but thankfully my husband was there and it went even faster with the two of us working together. What caused the flat? I believe it was a water bottle that blew in front of my car and I couldn't swerve to avoid hitting it. Yes, only me. As the last flat tire was from a chicken bone. Only me. But, back to my son. He went in for surgery at 7:30 AM, the first of the day at the facility and for our doctor. We talked to the doctor about 9:15 AM and were called back to him waking from anesthesia at about 10:00 AM. He look WONDERFUL! Kiddo didn't have any of the reactions he did the last time. He was awake and doing great. We told them about how he came out of anesthesia last time along with the loss of use of his leg from the nerve block they used. This time they changed things up. Wow! He was walking with his cast that evening and went to school the next day! Crazy! He was having no pain at all.

What did they find? The Doctor said there was a lot of scar tissue in there. So he cleaned it all out and notched his knee cap a bit more so if any scar tissue grew back, it wouldn't hinder his straightening of the knee. He's doing so amazingly well!

He also has what they call a drop off cast on, which after just a few days has become a pain in his side. lol. He's to keep it on for 2 weeks and we are to stack towels between his ankle and the cast to elevate his leg which is straightening the leg more.

There it is! It's a full leg cast, just below hip to heel. And he chose the pink color for the cast. Though I think the doctor was picking on him when Kiddo asked the colors. The doctor said, pink or purple. Kiddo picked pink as it's an amazing color and all the boys have been wearing it. He's been wearing it, and you don't pick on the football players, right? lol. I don't think anyone's said anything about it being pink though. If so, kiddo doesn't care. 

Then we got hit with the "winter storm of 2016" (crazy how they name these things). We ended up with somewhere around 10 inches? It's hard to tell as that would be the low spots. The deep spots were about 1 foot and 1/2 to 2 feet deep. It was a lot of snow yesterday. 

So, needless to say, I've not been on the computer at all this week. I have responding comments to make on my blog and visiting to do to all of yours. *sigh* I'll try to do better this week. Hopefully life cooperates with me.

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The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... I


Episode 14, Season 1:
It seems that the Doctors friend had left a special message at the end of her recording. Where to look for Patient 29's file. I went out to a special facility where copies of the file were kept. But! The owner of the facility and ran the program shows up with others. I have to get out, with the file!


Episode 15, Season 1:
This was a fun run. I am on a mission to find fun items from the toy store. But to learn that the two voices in my ear are both fans of role playing games was a hoot. I did smile while I was doing this run. It was fun.

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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:

Trueheart by Mel Sterling
AND
Work reads as well.

Current Audiobook:
Will start His Dark Empire by M.R. Forbes on Monday.

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Nothing

Finished Last Week: 

Nothing in reading.

Audiobooks from Audible:

Bound by Prophecy by Stormy Smith
Serpent Singer and Other Stories by M.H. Bonham
Bound Together by Stormy Smith

Finished Podcast Book Listen:

Nothing

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Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)

The Magician by E.J. Stevens

Posts:

Around the Internet...


Reviews:

Witch Wood by Melanie Karsak

Rise of the Northmen edited by Saranna DeWylde

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:

E.J. Stevens had a cover reveal with GIVEAWAY!

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This Week to Come on the Blog:

I have two reviews scheduled.
  Modern Sorcery
  Complication

~~~~~~~~~~

Received Last Weeks:

Review & Review Consideration:

Audio Books Requested for Review:

Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Book:

I got a 15% off 1 item at Barnes and Nobles last week so I took that and my $20 gift card from Christmas and went shopping.
I got these 3 book for $20. The Gate Thief & Words of Radiance in hard cover were only $5.98 each! Steal!

Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Anyan may be trapped in an evil dragon and Blondie may be gone, but Jane knows one thing: she's not about to give up. She's ready to tear down heaven and earth to save her lover, despite those who believe he's lost.

Luckily for Jane, those who've given up on Anyan do not include those closest to her. Defying The Powers That Be, Jane and Company form their own crack squad of misfits, in whose hands the fate of the world may well rest.

With a little help from her friends, the Universe, and lots of snacks, Jane embarks on her greatest adventure yet, confident that with great sacrifice comes great reward. The question is, who will be that sacrifice?

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive sequence began in 2010 with the New York Times bestseller The Way of Kings. Now, the eagerly anticipated Words of Radiance continues the epic story and answers many of your questions.

Six years ago, the Assassin in White, a hireling of the inscrutable Parshendi, assassinated the Alethi king on the very night a treaty between men and Parshendi was being celebrated. So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi.
Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.
Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.
Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.

The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card
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Goodreads Synopsis:
In this sequel to The Lost Gate, bestselling author Orson Scott Card continues his fantastic tale of the Mages of Westil who live in exile on Earth in The Gate Thief, a novel of the Mither Mages.

Here on Earth, Danny North is still in high school, yet he holds in his heart and mind all the stolen outselves of thirteen centuries of gatemages. The Families still want to kill him if they can't control him…and they can't control him. He is far too powerful.

And on Westil, Wad is now nearly powerless—he lost everything to Danny in their struggle. Even if he can survive the revenge of his enemies, he still must somehow make peace with the Gatemage Daniel North.

For when Danny took that power from Loki, he also took the responsibility for the Great Gates. And when he comes face-to-face with the mages who call themselves Bel and Ishtoreth, he will come to understand just why Loki closed the gates all those centuries ago.



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Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Gryphons flying past skyscrapers? Wizards battling it out in coffeehouses? Women riding motorcycles with large swords strapped to their backs? All normal sights since the Great Collision happened twenty-six years ago.

Well, not normal for everyone. Larissa Miller may have been born after the Great Collision, but as a history teacher who lives in the human-only city, she has never come into contact with any other race or species, nor has she wanted to. Her life is as ordinary as it gets - that is, until one day she walks out of her apartment and is attacked by a mob of Zombies, only to be saved by a Gargoyle.

Gargoyles trust no one outside their Clan, but due to a cryptic prophecy, Terak, Leader of the Gargoyles, has been watching over the human woman for months. While he can find no reason why the woman has been singled out, something about her stirs every protective instinct within him. When the attack confirms that the threats against her exist and are real, he convinces Larissa that though their races have never been allies, the best chance of discovering why she has been brought into his world is by working together.

In the course of their investigation Terak becomes entranced by his little human. But when he discovers why Necromancers want her and the great reward that awaits him if he betrays her, he must choose between the welfare of his Clan and not only Larissa’s life, but the fate of this New Realm as well.

The Institute by Kayla Howarth
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Living in constant fear. Always looking over your shoulder. The source of your fear? The Institute.

Allira Daniels will do anything to keep her Defective brother safe from the Institute. They claim to protect Defectives, but it’s human nature to fear the unknown. Defectives are dangerous, they possess abilities that no human should be able to. To Allira and the rest of her family, the Institute seems more like a prison than the safe-haven they promote themselves to be. Protecting Shilah from that fate is their number one priority.

When Allira stumbles across a car crash involving two of her school classmates, she ignores all of her father’s warnings of laying low and not drawing attention to herself. By doing so, she may have just caught the eye of the Institute. She’s not Defective, but what seventeen-year-old girl has the ability to pull two teenage boys away from a fiery rubble and walk away without a scratch? It would definitely be seen as suspicious.

Allira and her family need to make decisions. Do they stay, or do they flee again? Will they be coming for her? Will her whole family come under investigation? Will they discover Shilah and his ability to predict the future?

Are you Defective? The Institute is coming for you. 

Timon and The Spacetime Engineers by Sabine K. Atkins
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Goodreads Synopsis:
When a menace stirs in Hyperspace, threatening to destroy all universes, a boy from Earth is the only one who can stop it. 

In this fun, family friendly cosmic adventure filled with aliens, monsters, robots, and much more, Timon's biggest wish comes true when he joins the spacetime engineers corps as their youngest trainee. He's looking forward to creating paths for all the space-faring civilizations Earth has joined just recently. Soon, however, he finds out that god-like beings from another dimension are fighting for his allegiance, and a dangerous race through wormholes and interdimensional portals begins.

Stone Embrace by Danielle Monsch
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Goodreads Synopsis:
In the New Realms, love can be the most dangerous battle of all...

Terak has fought all enemies to claim Larissa. It doesn't matter his own Clan looks upon the union with misgivings. It doesn't matter her family see a monster when they see him.

It doesn't matter, because Larissa is his. 

And any who would try to take her away? They'll see what a Gargoyle will do to protect his mate.

*****

NOTE: Stone Embrace is not a complete story. It would best be described as an extended 30 page epilogue to the novel Stone Guardian. You'll probably have the most enjoyment reading this story if you have read Stone Guardian and already know the characters and world of the Entwined Realms series.


(On my Nook)

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Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron

The Sentinel by Chris Lester

The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester

Danube Waves by Katharina Bordet

Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan

Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton

Spark by Starla Huchton
House of Grey 6 by Collin Earl

The Secret World Chronicle: World Divided by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
The Secret World Chronicle: Waiting On by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
The Secret World Chronicle: Revolutions by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone

Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones

The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan
Modern Sorcery by Gary Jonas

Earth's Requiem by Ann Gimpel
Complication by K.A. Salidas

Destiny by David Wood & Sean Ellis

Bound by Prophecy by Stormy Smith

Serpent Singer and Other Stories by M.H. Bonham

Bound Together by Stormy Smith