Cover Reveal: Catalyst - Casey L. Bond

Catalyst

By- Casey L. Bond

Genre- YA Dystopian

Expected Publication Date- June 3rd, 2015

The city of Confidence is surrounded by a thick, concrete wall. These walls are built to protect those within and to keep dangers outside. What happens when the only danger to the citizens within is its leadership?

When a young man on a suicide mission meets a young woman with a terminal illness, both of them use one another as a means to their own ends. They never expect to become friends. They never expect to become so much more to each other. Their backgrounds and the secrets they uncover are more dangerous than any plans they could make together or separately.

Revolution begins with a spark.

Book Review: The Sin Eater's Daughter - Melinda Salisbury

Title: The Sin Eater's Daughter
Author: Melinda Salisbury

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  

I am the perfect weapon.
I kill with a single touch.
Twylla is blessed. The Gods have chosen her to marry a prince, and rule the kingdom. But the favour of the Gods has it's price. A deadly poison infuses her skin. Those who anger the queen must die under Twylla's fatal touch.
Only Lief, an outspoken new guard, can see past Twylla's chilling role to the girls she truly is.
Yet in a court as dangerous and the queen's, some truths should not be told...

My Review:

W-O-W. I just finished listening to The Sin Eater’s Daughter, and that is the first word that comes to mind. On average it takes me 2 days to listen to an audio book, and yesterday I was thinking, 'yes I love these characters and the world that Melinda Salisbury has created, but while we're getting a lot of background, world building and learning about the legends and where Twylla comes from and who she is now, there’s just not a lot of action.' Today, however, as I was listening there was a bit more drama, a bit more action, and loads and loads of revelation. I’m a lover of fairy tales, I absolutely adore reading new adaptations to old stories and how the authors begin to make an old world new or completely different. I had never heard the story of The Sleeping Prince prior to listening to this book, but I can tell you I’m completely engrossed now. This book (fairy tale) of legends, gods, and betrayal was wonderfully written, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Rated:  PG-13 - Book has 'fade to black' sex.  No cussing.

Genre: If I go by my normal standards, I'd have to put this as a New Adult, although it's pegged as Young Adult in stores.

Rating: 5 Stars

~* Books by Melinda Salisbury *~

Book Review: Etherworld - Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam

Title:  Etherworld (Elusion)

Authors:  Claudia Gabel, Cheryl Klam

Synopsis from Goodreads:  

In this sequel to Elusion, three teens fight a virtual reality program that threatens to destroy their minds. Dangerous secrets and lies add up to a thrilling futuristic fantasy with an Inception-inspired twist. 

Elusion was hailed as an exciting leap in technology—until users began to disappear amid rumors of addiction. Regan’s search for the truth led her and her new love interest, Josh, to Etherworld. Etherworld is a dimension hidden deep beyond Elusion's firewall, where players can hide, and ultimately fight back. Regan's father and others are here working to destroy Etherworld, but the longer they stay the less likely they'll be able to return to the real world alive.
Escape means attacking Elusion from within the program. 

It's dangerous and it’s a puzzle. And even if they manage it, how will they be able to stop Orexis from distributing Elusion to the masses when the people who run it are corrupt?

My Review:
Etherworld was satisfying in that this was not book two of a three book series, and this made me so happy, mostly because as the story was unfolding I couldn't figure out how it would possibly end in a way to need an additional novel. I love the virtual reality/Matrix like feel of the entire series. Etherworld picked up practically where Elusion left off, and moves pretty quickly through the story; at no point did I feel like it was just dragging on. This book is even less focused on the romance than Elusion was, and the main focus was mostly about getting everyone to safety and bringing the truth to light, but that doesn't mean that Regan and Josh don’t get a few precious moments together. My only problem with Etherworld was that as facts unfolded I was a little lost as to the motives behind some of the decisions the characters were making (I’m purposefully being vague to avoid spoilers), and because of that the story did feel a little bit forced. Otherwise, this is a great scifi/dystopian-like series.

Rated: PG-13; because of eluded to Sex
Genre: Young Adult – Dystopian, Romance
Rating: 4 Stars

~* Books by Claudia Gabel *~

Cover Reveal: Red Nights - Shari J. Ryan

I’m Felicity Stone, a twenty-five-year-old with my whole life ahead of me. Well, until recently.

I didn’t do it. Why would they think I did? Why would I want my twin brother dead? Why is everyone looking at me like I’m a criminal?

Well, everyone except him… Hayes Peyton, the charmingly beautiful stranger I met in the park at midnight—a totally legitimate place to meet the man of my dreams. Plus, he knows I’m innocent.

Believing him is easy. So very easy. Maybe too easy?

But when you hear things like: ‘All good is laced with some bad, and everything you think is the truth—is nothing more than a blatant lie,’ it makes you question reality.

In Shari J. Ryan’s latest Romantic Suspense, Red Nights, you wonder how dark your world can get before all you see is red.

Shari J. Ryan is an Amazon Top 100 Bestselling author, a Barnes & Noble Top 10 Bestselling author, and an iBookstore #1 Bestselling author. She hails from Central Massachusetts where she lives with her husband and two lively little boys. Shari has always had an active imagination and enjoys losing herself in the fictional worlds she creates. When Shari isn’t writing, she can usually be found cleaning toys up off the floor.

To learn more, visit her at, www.sharijryan.com.

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Book Tour & Review: Lonesome Beds & Bumpy Roads - Becca Ann & Tessa Marie

Synopsis

Lexie Boggs has dealt with enough drama for one teenage girl, and just when she thinks it's about over, the father who abandoned her a decade ago shows up looking for redemption. At least... that’s what he says. Ryan Parker thinks his future is set. He’s got a sweet job set up, graduation on the horizon, and a lifetime of dreams he’s planned with his girlfriend, Lexie—including a king-sized bed for their soon-to-be apartment. Only a slight snag tugs at the fantasy when Lexie starts putting aside all she’s worked hard on for her deadbeat dad and his “sickness.” Suddenly school is the only time spent together, and as Ryan expresses his suspicions about why Daddy Boggs is really back, Lexie pulls away, hoping Ryan is wrong but fearing he’s right. And as graduation approaches, Ryan and Lexie struggle to keep the futures they thought they had firmly intact from crumbling all over their now lonely king-sized bed.

My Review:

Typically Alexis and Ryan's story is the exact kind of romance novel where I would quote my mantra, "sometimes more of a good thing is too much," because so often with books that aren't something outside of fiction/romance (ie dystopian, fantasy, mystery, etc) we DO want to know what happens next, and then when an author delivers this on this desire the next book is just not as good or disappointing in some way (this has been my personal experience anyway.)  With The Beds Series this has not been the case, in fact I think that I liked this book, Lonesome Beds & Bumpy Roads, the most out of all three because while Alexis and Ryan still have issues and things to work through they have grown so much as individuals.  I felt that while things were hit and miss between the two of them through the whole book, they were communicating instead of shutting each other out.  They weren't being very understanding of each other's feelings the entire time - but they did come to realize that eventually.

I actually started out this series with the prequel novella, True Love and Magic Tricks, so I am always happy for scenes with  Kaylee and Nate as well; the four of them are a unit, and even though the series is over, in my mind I can envision their lives, marriages, and future kids (who will also be best friends,) - it's like the ultimate big bow.  My favorite part of the Lex/Ryan relationship; the two of them are so sweet, funny and the biggest goofballs; the relationship between the two of them lack some of the extreme seriousness that is so popular lately, and was a breath of fresh air.  I relished their tickles, and teasing; the relationship felt so genuine and happy - and honestly, I had the "big goofy grin" throughout most of this series.  ( I LOVED the covers and all the teasers that reflected this part of them, they were simply the perfect representation). 

Rated:  PG-13 - Cussing, and sexual situations (No descriptions of the actual act)

Genre: (m)YA - Fiction: Romance  (M = Mature, I kind of feel this series is pushing into the realm of NA in a lot of ways.)

Rating: 5 Stars

Buy Links 

About the Authors

 Cassie Mae (AKA Becca Ann) is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. Her angel children and perfect husband fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.

Theresa Paolo lives in the same town she grew up in on Long Island, NY with her long time boyfriend and their fish. Her debut novel (NEVER) AGAIN, a NA romance, released in Fall 2013 with Berkley (Penguin). (ONCE) AGAIN will release this summer. She is also the coauthor of the Amazon bestseller KING SIZED BEDS AND HAPPY TRAILS and BEACH SIDE BEDS AND SANDY PATHS, a YA contemporary series, under her pen name Tessa Marie. She has a hard time accepting the fact she’s nearing thirty, and uses her characters to relive the best and worst years of her life. She put her love of writing on hold while she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Dowling College. When she’s not writing, she’s behind a camera, reading, or can be found on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.