Must Read

The Dociles by Valerie Puri – New Release & Excerpt!

The Dociles by Valerie Puri

Walls are meant to keep the monsters out…

Deep in the forest there is a wall where no wall should be. Behind it live the people of the Commune, the last remnant of human kind.

Jennie Caraway has lived behind the wall her entire life, certain that it protects her and her brother from the lemerons, ravenous undead monsters whose only desire is to kill – and feed.

Jennie’s peaceful existence is shattered when she uncovers a secret organization whose purpose threatens to destroy not only Jennie, but her entire world. The Order has a deadly mission, and they will stop at nothing to see it completed.

Jennie and those closest to her must expose the evil truth before they are killed – or worse.

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Exclusive Excerpt

– Sash

Sash smiled as he recalled his transition into adulthood. He’d chosen his own path and proved how useful he could be to the Order. He had been doing this work ever since the day he walked away from the burning remnants of his past life. His technique had been polished over the years. He learned how to control his rage and do less conspicuous work. After all, he couldn’t burn down every building he did a job in just to cover his tracks and make it look like an accident.

Some of his targets were not so lucky as to be killed. What awaited them was something worse. Eleanor Townsend was one such target. His usual sneer crept over his lips as he thought about the hell she would soon be trapped in. She hadn’t screamed when he bagged her, though. Pity, he thought. Sash loved when they screamed.

He reached the end of the long dark tunnel. He stood before a thick steel door with a single, dim light flickering above his head. He made a fist and banged on the cold metal two times. He heard shuffling behind the door, and a strip of metal at eye-level slid away to reveal a small, rectangular window. A set of eyes masked behind tinted, round goggles peered out at him, surveying the load hoisted over his shoulder.

“I’ve got another one for processing,” Sash said.

The metal strip slid back into place covering the tiny window. Sash heard the grinding sound of metal scraping against metal as the gears were engaged to unlock the door. It swung inward to grant him entrance.

About The Author

Valerie Puri has always had a lifelong interest in all forms of artistic expression. She has tried her hand at many things, yet she always found her way back to reading and writing. With inspiration everywhere, she finally put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard) with the intent of publishing her stories.

Writing has always come naturally to Valerie, and for a time she even worked as a technical writer. She continues to hone her skills by having at least one writing project in the works at any given time. Her true passion lies in the freedom that comes with writing the stories that pour from her imagination and real life inspiration.

Valerie believes that the experiences we have in life are just stories waiting to be written.

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New Release! The Star Touched Queen! Don’t miss it!

THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN (St. Martin’s Griffin; April 26, 2016) is a lush and vivid standalone debut young adult fantasy that seamlessly weaves the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone with Indian folklore. Featuring a smart, independent anti-princess who must take her place as queen and a forbidden romance that defies the odds, debut author Roshani Chokshi pairs beautiful writing with a thrilling pace and compulsive plot, using her own Filipino and Indian heritage to create a culturally diverse and vividly imagined world.

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#Cover #Reveal! Marie F Crow debuts the cover of her #YA #Siren Series! You need to check this out! #mustread @MarieFCrow

Cover Reveal: Crown of Betrayal by Marie F Crow

I’m been a dedicated follower in the cult of Crow for about 6 months now, maybe more. I lose track, but after the day I begged the author to review The Risen Dawning, I was hooked. I have been there for each cover, each blurb, the sales, and the new ideas, and this new book series is a new venture for Marie F Crow, and I’m so excited to show it off and support it! 🙂

If you ask the author when she decided to write a YA series, she’d probably tell you it had to do with the small children in her household, and I promise, they are geniuses, because I am beyond excited to see what Marie F Crow can offer to the Young Adult genre. She’s known for her strong women, and that is something we don’t have enough of in the young adult lit these days, and as long as she can tame her wild language, I can assure you, this book will be a splash.. get it… siren.. splash? Ok, never mind!

The Blurb:

Verona has lived in the safety and bliss of palace and the luxury of what being a siren means. Content to live her life in the shadows of her beautiful mother, Ostila, and the enchanting dark beauty of her aunt, Morlena, Verona never thought about what life would be like should they be taken from her. At her mother’s coronation, these once impossible thoughts become shockingly real.

Corander has lived his life in the shadows of his father, Kurt. As the head of the Empradar bloodline, Kurt holds no mercy for those who fail him and even less for those he distrusts. When the palace falls to madness. It will be Corander who is tested by his father’s desires and torn by his own.

Together Corander and Verona must discover who they really are, and who they are truly meant to become, before all is lost to hidden plots and crowns of betrayal.

The Cover:

The Back:

Aren’t you just in love with these?! I think this cover has to be one of my favorite covers their artist has done yet! You can see the others in the header at the top of the page. He’s incredibly talents. Marie F Crow Publishing is building an impressive team, and with this new YA release looming, I am excited to see where they go!

Keep your eyes peeled for the release day announcement in May!

About The Author:

Marie F Crow is the author of the post-apocalyptic series, The Risen. She weaves her stories around the human element of the horror verses the “monsters” themselves. She believes that the real horror of life does not come from the expected, but from the unexpected responses of human nature and what depths of trauma a person has to survive in certain situations. She began writing The Risen series when feeling that the popular genre was slipping too deep into the realm of pure “slasher” and forgetting what the horror of zombies can mean for a story.

Now with her children’s series launched, Marie hopes to use her favorite “monster” as a teaching tool to inspire children to understand that not everything that looks scary, is scary. With Abigail and Her Pet Zombie series, Marie hopes to further spread her love for all things “that go bump in the night” with small children showing them that it’s okay to be different and to embrace those same differences in those around them.

Many projects in the works this year. Marie F Crow Publishing will debut two new series: The Sirens & Blood Cravings.

Marie F. Crow

Stalk Her!

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#Review – Pack Up The Moon by Rachel Herron @penguinusa @RachaelHerron A #touching story of #life and #rebuilding and second chances! A #MustRead

PACK UP THE MOON

NAL Trade Paperback Original / March 2014

A poignant novel about loss, lies, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Three years after a horrible tragedy took her son and tore her family apart, artist Kate Monroe is beginning to pick up the pieces of her life and move on. At a gala showcasing her triumphant return to the art world, Kate’s world is rocked again when the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty-two years ago introduces herself.

Pree is the child Kate never knew and never forgot. But Pree has questions that Kate isn’t sure she’s ready to answer. For one thing, she never told Pree’s father, her high school sweetheart and ex-husband, Nolan, that they had a daughter. For another, Kate hasn’t spoken to Nolan for three years, not since the accident which took their nine-year-old son from them. But to keep Pree from leaving forever, Kate will have to confront the secrets that have haunted her since her son died and discover if the love of her family is strong enough to survive even the most heartbreaking of betrayals…

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Review:

Grade: A (5 stars)

This was a lovely gift. I was excited to receive this book from Penguin to review, just reading the synopsis, but when I started the actual book is when I felt really lucky. This is such a touching, emotional story based around really realistic characters who people can completely relate to. It’s all about life’s changes, and if it’s too late. When is too late? Herron does an outstanding job in this novel really showing us true characters with real struggles. This is the first book by this author I’ve read but I love her voice. She’s the perfect storyteller for this story, and she really find the perfect balance in some really tough topics. You’re faced with a lot of broken people and dark topics in this book, but Herron manages to show us the beauty in the brokenness, and the hope in the hopeless. You start to really see beyond what’s expected into a deeper, more beautiful story. You see how one choice can affect so many people, and you see just how people choose to handle that . You’ve got a mother struggling with the death of her son, and the loss of the daughter she never knew. The daughter trying to figure out her life without a mom, and a Father who never knew about his daughter, and has been crushed, not only by the loss of his son, but the loss of his marriage as well. Nolen is one of those characters that you see beauty shining from brokeness, he’s a convicted felon, gave up everything that was his life before, and has fallen all the way to the bottom, but his struggle and courage is something so beyond touching. I’d gladly read another book by Herron in the future because her way with characters is exactly what we need more of. Complex, confused, broken but beautiful. The author allows us to see beyond what’s in front of our faces in this novel to what’s really there. There’s such a wonderful theme of forgiveness and healing in this book, and it really brings tears to your eyes LITERALLY, I cried. I suggest this novel to people I meet in bookstores now, my book club, and friends and family. It’s beautiful and haunting and it’s perfect. Thank you Rachel Herron!

*I was given a copy of this book by Penguin to read and review. All opinions are 100% my own.

About The Author:

Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of the Cypress Hollow series (HarperCollins/Random House Australia) and of the memoir, A Life in Stitches (Chronicle). Her newest novel, Pack Up The Moon, will be available in March 2014 from Penguin (USA) and Random House Australia (NZ/AUST). Rachael received her MFA in writing from Mills College and is a 911 fire/medical dispatcher when she’s not scribbling. She lives with her wife, Lala, in Oakland, California, where they have more animals and instruments than are probably advisable. Rachael is struggling to learn the accordion and can probably play along with you on the ukulele. She’s a New Zealander as well as an American. She’s been known to knit.

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#Cover #Reveal! The Risen Dawning: Anniversary Edition! You need this book! @MarieFCrow #giveaway #zombies #CollectorsEdition #FridayReads

If there’s one thing in my blogging journey that really makes me proud, it’s the fact that Marie F Crow, the visionary genius behind The Risen series, has chosen this blog to be the home of her killer books! 🙂 I was lucky enough to reach out to Marie and beg her to let me read a copy and review it, and finally she did! It’s been heaven ever since, so I can’t even explain to you how excited I am for this! This Anniversary edition of The Risen Dawning is loaded with new scenes, and will get better insight to readers about some of their favorite characters! I’m so excited I could burst! 🙂 I’ve heard rumors this book, “reads like a whole new story”

Get Excited

Giveaway Note!

Marie F Crow is giving away a signed Dawning on her Facebook Page! Go enter to win!!

Synopsis:

Helena Hawthorn has lived her entire life in the dark shadow of her perfect younger siblings, The Hawthorn Angels. Now as the world awakens to a new horror, she will have to risk everything to keep them safe or forever be haunted by the failure to keep them alive. Each day will bring a new victory, or a new scar, as Helena learns that the dawn waits for no one.

With her newly bonded family, the local motorcycle club G.R.I.T., they will discover the world now holds much deeper horrors for them than they could have ever imagined. The Risen not only stalk the earth but stalk their nightmares as well.

And Finally, The covers! 🙂

Aren’t they totally just what you would want? I know I want that zombie face sitting on my coffee table! It’s perfect! Stay tuned to the blog for more updates as to other new Marie F Crow books, and when you can grab your own copy of The Risen Dawning Anniversary edition! 🙂

About The Author:

Marie F Crow is the author of the post-apocalyptic series, The Risen. She weaves her stories around the human element of the horror verses the “monsters” themselves. She believes that the real horror of life does not come from the expected, but from the unexpected responses of the human nature and what depths of trauma a person has to survive in certain situations. She began writing The Risen series when feeling that the popular genre was slipping too deep into the realm of pure “slasher” and forgetting what the horror of zombies can mean for a story.

Now with her children’s series launched, Marie hopes to use her favorite “monster” as a teaching tool to inspire children to understand that not everything that looks scary, is scary. With Abigail and Her Pet Zombie series, Marie hopes to further spread her love for all things “that go bump in the night” with small children showing them that it’s okay to be different and to embrace those same differences in those around them.

Marie F. Crow

Stalk Her!

Website | Facebook | Goodreads Page | Amazon Page |Twitter

#TheWeightofBlood – Blog Tour & #giveaway – @LauraSMcHugh @atrandom @20SB

Today I’m so excited to share with you this amazing new book I got from Random House and 20SomethingBlogger! The Weight of Blood by Laura S McHugh! It’s going to be released on March 11th! I got an ARc copy of this book to read and review, and share with you!! Plus, I get to host a giveaway!!

So about the book!

Synopsis:

For fans of Gillian Flynn, Scott Smith, and Daniel Woodrell comes a gripping, suspenseful novel about two mysterious disappearances a generation apart.

The town of Henbane sits deep in the Ozark Mountains. Folks there still whisper about Lucy Dane’s mother, a bewitching stranger who appeared long enough to marry Carl Dane and then vanished when Lucy was just a child. Now on the brink of adulthood, Lucy experiences another loss when her friend Cheri disappears and is then found murdered, her body placed on display for all to see. Lucy’s family has deep roots in the Ozarks, part of a community that is fiercely protective of its own. Yet despite her close ties to the land, and despite her family’s influence, Lucy—darkly beautiful as her mother was—is always thought of by those around her as her mother’s daughter. When Cheri disappears, Lucy is haunted by the two lost girls—the mother she never knew and the friend she couldn’t save—and sets out with the help of a local boy, Daniel, to uncover the mystery behind Cheri’s death.

What Lucy discovers is a secret that pervades the secluded Missouri hills, and beyond that horrific revelation is a more personal one concerning what happened to her mother more than a decade earlier.

The Weight of Blood is an urgent look at the dark side of a bucolic landscape beyond the arm of the law, where a person can easily disappear without a trace. Laura McHugh proves herself a masterly storyteller who has created a harsh and tangled terrain as alive and unforgettable as the characters who inhabit it. Her mesmerizing debut is a compelling exploration of the meaning of family: the sacrifices we make, the secrets we keep, and the lengths to which we will go to protect the ones we love.

Praise for The Weight of Blood

“A fantastic novel, rich in character and atmosphere . . . This is one you won’t want to miss.”—Karin Slaughter, author of Unseen

“Laura McHugh’s vivid and enthralling The Weight of Blood centers on a mother and daughter in a seemingly benign yet deeply horrifying small town. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last.”—Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of The Language of Flowers

“The Weight of Blood pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. What starts as Lucy’s coming-of-age story becomes a chilling tale about the price of secrets. As the menace deepens, so does the tension. Laura McHugh has written a terrific novel.”—Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award–winning author of The Shadow Tracer

“McHugh’s debut is as lush and evocative as its Ozark setting, with luminous prose and characters you can’t help rooting for, even as the mystery surrounding them intensifies and the odds against them grow more and more harrowing. I couldn’t put it down.”—Carla Buckley, author of The Deepest Secret

“In this clever, multilayered debut, McHugh deftly explores the past of an Ozark Mountain family . . . with plenty to hide and the ruthlessness to keep their secrets hidden. . . . This is an outstanding first novel, replete with suspense, crisp dialogue, and vivid Ozarks color and atmosphere.”—Publishers Weekly

“Debut novelist McHugh comes out swinging with this gripping tale set in the Ozarks of Missouri. . . . Her prose will not only keep readers turning the pages but also paints a real and believable portrait of the connections, alliances, and sacrifices that underpin rural, small-town life in Henbane.”—Library Journal (starred review)

How amazing does that sound?? I know I killed Gone Girl in two days, and I read this one just as quickly! It’s addictive and entertaining, and will consume you! You need to check it out!

Preorder it on Amazon!!

Review:

Grade: A (5 Stars)

This book is outstanding! Such detail, plot and development, I was just drawn in and I couldn’t put it down! This book really makes you think, and question things. The mystery is really surrounded by a community, and it’s not exactly like gone girl, but it is in depth, and though the mystery element is exposed a lot sooner then expected, you don’t lose interest as a reader, because it’s the way the other has developed her novel. She really pulls you into this small community, and asks you to start looking around. Start noticing what’s different in small communities, what’s accepted, and what really makes up a family. There’s some violence in the book, and murder, but it’s not over the top, and it really deepens the plot for the story. Overall, I thought the author did an outstanding job creating such a good character in Lily, she’s strong, and I loved that unlike some mystery books, the character didn’t do stupid, dangerous things while trying to solve the mystery. She was smart, clever, and did what she could, and it works out. It really gives you a better picture of a realistic murder mystery. There’s also a lot of other emotional moments in this book, that work in the vein of female experiences, and situations that we see and face in daily life, from mental illness to teen pregnancy and we really look into it a little deeper in this book. Yes, there’s mystery but there’s so much more to this book, I’d hate to see someone pass on this book because they don’t like mystery. You need to read this book because it sticks with you, it makes you think, and as a female it really brings something else to this novel I can’t really explain. I enjoyed reading it, I read it quickly and I was completely involved! I look forward to more books from this author. A very strong debut novel, and one I’m considering a re-read of! 🙂

*I was given a copy by Random House & 20SomethingBlogger for a review! All opinions are my own!

About The Author:

Laura McHugh’s debut novel, THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD, will be published March 11th, 2014.

McHugh lives in Missouri with her husband, children, and large furry dog. She is currently at work on her second novel.

You can find her on:

Twitter | Her Facebook Page | Website | Goodreads Page

Review: The Red Sun Rises by Victoria Kinnaird – @TheRedSunRises – Couldn’t have love it more!

***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***

The Red Sun Rises

by Victoria Kinnaird

Published by Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly Publishing

Synopsis:

Eren Anderson is a freak among freaks. At 17 years old, he doesn’t fit in with his peers in the tiny town of All Hallows and despite being born into it, he most certainly doesn’t fit in among The Order of Our Mother, the secret nature worshipping society that has harnessed the ability cast spells and believes vampires are not only real, but their deadliest enemies. Eren is turned into a vampire after an attack by the local coven master, but that is the least of his worries…

In a post-Twilight world, “The Red Sun Rises” is a YA novel intended to give vampires their bite back but it should not be read as simply another vampire novel. “The Red Sun Rises” is a story about growing up, responsibility, falling in love, facing your fears and taking fate into your own hands.

Check out the amazing book trailer!

Add this to your TBR Shelf

Interested in Buying?

Amazon

Review:

Grade: A+ (Five Bold Stars! 6 if it were possible)

Alright, let’s start by saying, I didn’t even know what this book was about when I bought it. Cover looked cool, and I was hanging out at the release party and wanted to support the author! No freaking idea what I was in for, then as I’m hanging out with my NerdGirl group, they needed some reviews, so I said sure, I bought the book, I’ll write a review for them to post.

So I’m reading this book, causually.. getting into the story.. when I realize I’m completely lost in it. I mean, basically almost miss my stop on the bus lost. Dying to read it after work even though I’m totally beat lost. This book grabbed me without my knwoledge and kept me. The work is written beautifully, it’s described well, and the plot is well thought out and organized. There’s no technical flaws to this book at all, that I could see anyway. But that’s not the only reason I gave this book 5-6 stars!

Eren is a beautiful character. He is such a breath of fresh air for the vampire genre. This book mixes literary fiction with vampires, and brings us something unique, touching and action filled. This book isn’t wimpy, it stands along with other vampire novels, but this book could also stand it’s ground with a John Green novel with the wonderful amount of actualization the characters go through, and the way they make the reader feel. This book mixes charming coming of age story with a kick ass vampire / witch story. She takes both world and pulls them together perfectly. I couldn’t have loved it more. This is not your average romance, this romance between two men is touching, simple, and completely grounded. It’s a great message, a great moral, and so incredibly interesting.

This is the kind of YA novel we need now, this is something I wish I could see on every shelf, in every store, in all libraries and schools. This book makes a statement. It’s a book for all of the outcasts, the people who didn’t fit in for whatever reason. This book makes sense to them. It’s a story about being an outcast, fitting in, making your own choices, and standing up for what you believe in. There’s so much to this novel, comparing it to any other vampire novel, especially Twilight would do nothing but dim it!

Look past your preconceptions, keep an open mind, and experience this wonderful piece of YA fiction that is great for teens and for adults. This book needs to be read, read it, and share it. Buy a copy for your friend. You won’t regret it. I can’t wait to buy a paperback of this book, and keep in on my table! I want everyone i know to read it.

Thank you Victoria Kinnaird for writing something different.

P.s: We have a favorite band in common two. She mentions two bands at the end of the book. I like the one, but the other is my favorite band as well!

**This is an honest review for a book I purchased myself. Nothing was given to me, nothing promised, just honesty **

About The Author:

Victoria Kinnaird is 25 years old and lives in Glasgow, Scotland. She graduated from the University of Strathclyde in 2009 with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Journalism, Creative Writing and English Lit. Victoria has been writing since she was 15 years old. “The Red Sun Rises” is her debut novel and she has been writing it on and off for five years. She loves rock music, and ll of her tattoos are related to bands that she loves!