Afterlife by Megg Jensen ( book 2 in The Swarm Trilogy )

 The fire inside Lianne threatened to consume her, but she fought back and won. Unfortunately the collateral damage of her decisions won’t stop haunting her. She embarks on a secret trip to find Mags and return her son, but her search leads her into another nest of lies.

Everyone’s safety is in Lianne’s hands as the Malborn, an enemy more fearsome than her own people, looms over them. Will Lianne be able to unravel the secrets in time to save the ones she loves the most? Or will her lack of faith in her own decisions lead to disaster?

Afterlife weaves some of the favorite characters from the Cloud Prophet Trilogy (Anathema, Oubliette, and Severed) into The Swarm Trilogy as Lianne comes face-to-face with a character introduced at the end of Severed.

REVIEW: Megg Jensen, I hope to Eloh that you never stop writing!!!! I loved book two in The Swarm Trilogy!!!! I love how The Cloud Prophet Trilogy is connected to this trilogy...especially in this book! I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but this is a MUST READ! I loved following Lianne into a new adventure. The world that is created in these books is just amazing, and I was nose in book (kindle) until the end. There is love, passion, courage, war, and sadly....death. Yep,  you heard right...BUT my lips are sealed shut!!! I honestly hope you read both The Cloud Prophet Trilogy AND The Swarm Trilogy. I cannot wait until the final book in The Swarm Trilogy is released!!!!

♥ Shelby

Review: Between Seasons by Aida Brassington

SUMMARY: Patrick Boyle dies in the fall of 1970, just days before he's due to report for the Vietnam War draft, which seems like a good thing until he realizes he's stuck in the house with no indication of when he'll be escorted to heaven. And after his parents leave the house, he's trapped without company -- until a mysterious woman who can channel his memories buys the house forty years later. The spring brings with it new life, but falling in love with the new owner may only bring heartbreak to them both.

REVIEW: Oh man, did I love this story! I've read stories about people being stuck in the afterlife many times, but this was so different and unique...and totally bizarre. Between Seasons is so clever and imaginative. I thought I would get bored with following Patrick around for awhile but there was still so many little things to keep me intrigued. Then enters Sara. She's the new owner with a trouble past and a family that doesn't understand her. I loved her character and she seemed so genuine and honest. This story envelops a heartfelt romance unlike an others I have read. When I finished this book I had to just sit there and reflect on everything for awhile. Warning....you are left hanging a bit. I cannot wait for the sequel North of Frost though, and I'm sure anyone who reads this will feel the same!

♥Shelby

The Childe Blog Tour: Author Guest Post with Favorite Reads!

Favorite Reads: Traditionally Published

So just because we’re self-published authors, does not mean that we don’t still absolutely LOVE books that are traditionally published. So without further ado here’s list of books that we grew up loving, a list of those that we currently love, and also a list of those we know we’ll love once we read them:

Carol’s Favorite Reads Growing Up:

First of all I must say that I LOVE to read. I’m also not a genre snob either, and thoroughly enjoy reading many types of books. Here are some that I read when I was younger and can read over and over again:

- Dracula by Bram Stoker - who doesn’t love a good book with bite!

- The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - I so wish I had a wardrobe like theirs!

- Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell - who doesn’t like a book about war and romance!

- The Stand by Stephen King – a plague and a determination to survive against an age old evil? Count me in!

- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - a world of make-believe with a touch of epic fantasy? That’s right up my alley!

- Salem’s Lot by Stephen King - a writer going back to a town and finding secrets he wished he never uncovered, ohhh I like the scary stuff.

Carol’s Favorite Current Reads:

- Let’s Roll by Lisa Beamer

- Anything by Sherilynn Kenyon (both her Adult and YA series)

- Anything by Lynsay Sands

- Anything by Kerrelyn Sparks

- The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Carol Wants To Read:

- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah E. Harkness

- The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

- The Tiger’s Curse Series by Colleen Houck

- The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Adam’s Favorite Reads Growing Up:

I’d like to echo my mom’s sentiments by saying that I LOVE to read as well! As a child I used to devour books and was infatuated with the Goosebumps series and the Fear Street series. Unlike my mom though, I’m picky about the genres I read. I usually stick with YA paranormal, fantasy, or contemporary. I also read some MG if the story really catches my attention. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve read and enjoyed many books in all different genre’s, but I tend to read only for escape and I find that I have the most fun when I read YA novels. Here are some books that I consider to be my favorite reads while growing up, and that really helped shape my love for reading:

- Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stine

- Fear Street Series by R.L. Stine

- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton – This one’s a classic kids, enough said.

- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl – I wanted to be Charlie when I was a kid!

- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – Oh the imagination and the originality in this book…I loved it.

- Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm – What’s not to like about the ORIGINAL fairy tales.

Adam’s Favorite Current Reads:

- Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (Yes all of them, haha!) – This series literally lit a fire in me to read as many YA books as I could humanly possible.

- The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins – I’m not really a big fan of all these YA dystopian novels that have been raved about recently, but I really enjoyed this unique and harrowing story of survival!

- Hex Hall and Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

- Clarity by Kim Harrington.

Adam Wants To Read:

- The Paranormalcy Series by Kiersten White

- The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead

- The Tiger’s Curse Series by Colleen Houck

- The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

- The Diary of A Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney

REVIEW: The Initiate by Megg Jensen

SUMMARY:
Forced into becoming an initiate, Eloh will try to find a way to beat the odds, stay with her boyfriend, and survive the fires that threaten to consume her. But will her lack of faith in the gods and her disbelief in their magic doom her to a painful death?

Before Anathema...                                                                                                                                   
Before Sleepers...
There was The Initiate
Over a thousand years ago, the gods left Eloh's people and took their magic with them. To win back their favor, her people sacrifice ten female initiates every ten years. No has ever survived. There has never been a Chosen One.

REVIEW: Um Hello??? Has there every been anything Megg Jensen has wrote that I didn't like? Answer = NO! I loved this short connecting the two trilogies. The story of Eloh is wonderful, and puts a lot into perspective after reading the Cloud Prophet Trilogy and Sleepers.  The whole sacrificing ritual is insane! In the Initiate you will realize just how strong Eloh is. I seriously want to spoil it for you all and say what happens....Gah! Reviewing can be so hard!!! *stomps feet* Now that you know how bad I want to tell you more about this story, I hope that you go read it for yourself. And EVERYTHING else that Megg has written. And in case you're wondering, I won copies of Anathema and Oubliette in a giveaway awhile ago. This started my love for all these books. I know I talk about them a lot, so I just wanted to make it clear that I don't get paid for reviews or anything. Just write about what I love.

♥ Shelby

♥ Shelby

REVIEW: From Now Until Forever by Sherry Gloag

SUMMARY: For Prince Liam, families meant bad news, unwanted commitments, and the loss of his personal freedom. Love spawned white picket fences, slippers at the hearth with a wife and kids making demands, so why did those images disappear when he met Melanie Babcot?

Melanie Babcot fought hard to escape the horrors of her youth and vowed to remain single and free, so when paid to protect Prince Liam from insurgents why did her personal pledge fly out the window?

REVIEW: Ok, this story has great potential. Problem for me was that there didn't seem to be enough substance to it. I know it was supposed to be short, but everything happened so fast that I didn't connect to the characters as well as I know I could have, had it been longer. I REALLY did love the whole story plot. It is different from what I have read recently and it was quite refreshing. I liked how Prince Liam was a playboy until Melanie came into his life. How he couldn't see her like any other woman he had ever been with. I also loved how the characters were stubborn...that always makes for a bit of humor. The one thing I liked most was how Liam and Melanie always seemed bonded to each other no matter the situation. Even if they tried not to care.  Overall, I really liked From Now Until Forever. I wanted to love it, since I thought the whole story was very creative, but there just wasn't enough there.

♥ Shelby

BLOG TOUR: The CHILDE by C.A. Kunz

Welcome everyone to The Childe BLOG TOUR!!!!! I'm so excited to a part of this tour! There are lots of stops this month so make sure you check them ALL out for your chance at winning a KINDLE FIRE!!!! Also, there will be a chance to win a paperback copy of The Childe and a swag pack. Keep reading to find out more!!!

Summary:

 Cat Colvin
Average Teenager?
Or Something Else Entirely?

Cat Colvin is pretty much your typical run-of-the-mill teenager. Sure, she’s taller than most girls, has a mane of fiery red hair that’s impossible to tame, is left-handed, and her eyes are two different colors, but that’s where the differences end... unless you include the minor detail of her slow transformation into a Childe.

High school can definitely be challenging, and for Cat it’s no different. This is especially true when she’s faced with the daunting task of trying to hide her budding Childe traits as they begin to reveal themselves at the most inopportune times. To make matters worse, her family is oddly dead set against Ryan, the boy she grows to like. But everyone has their secrets: is Ryan really what he seems to be, and what is Cat’s family not telling her?

The Childe is the first book in this coming-of-age fantasy series which follows Cat's life through the twists and turns toward finding out whom and what she really is. Come and take the plunge with Cat into a world filled with mystery, biting humor, and the paranormal.

Review:

I have to say...I LOVED this book. The Childe is such an inviting book, one you can really get into and not put it down till its done. Then, your left begging for more. Which, thankfully, there is more! The story is very creatively written, and I just loved the characters. The authors did a fantastic job of making the story feel real. It felt as though it could be my town. My friends. My life. Ok, maybe 10yrs ago, but still...you get the point. Cat is a wonderful character that is easy to connect with. Her and her friends are just your average teenagers, with average problems. Or so it seems.... Cat doesn't realize that she is constantly under protection from her family. Then she starts having fainting spells, visions, and seeing odd people around.  Slowly doors are being opened around her, and she begins to see that things aren't what they seem. I wish I could keep going on about this book, but I would definitely spoil it for you all. So I wrap this up by saying GO CHECK THIS BOOK OUT!!! You won't be disappointed! I can't wait to get my hands on Dark Days, the second book in this series!


GIVEAWAY:

Ok, for a chance to win a paperback copy of The Childe and a swag pack:
1. Comment leaving a valid email address.
The authors will randomly pick a commenter from one of this weeks blog postings. You can find the links to the other participating blogs here : http://www.bookscompleteme.com/2012/01/cover-reveal-for-dark-days-and-blog.html

For your chance to win a KINDLE FIRE you will have to wait until at least 5 people have commented. Then the authors will leave a question related to the blog post. You will need to send your answers to kindlefirechilde@gmail.com and you get 5pts.  Here is how the points break down

5 points - for answering the question correctly through email

1 point – be a follower of this blog

1 point – for tweeting about the blog post (must post their link)

1 point – for following C.A. Kunz’s blog (must post their GFC name)

1 point – Sharing the post on Facebook (must post their link)

1 point – Like either C.A. Kunz’s Facebook page or The Childe Facebook Page.

Thanks for participating and GOOD LUCK!!!!

♥ Shelby