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Tuesday, August 7, 2012

*[Blog Tour Review & Author Interview] Chasing Fate (Unspun) by Elle J. Rossi





Summary:

Destiny. Some will do anything to change it. Even hunt down the spinners of fate.

The Fates are said to control our destinies. From our first breath to our dying gasp, these creatures of legend weave the courses of our lives. Even the gods are subject to their decrees. Spinners of dark secrets, the Fates have been feared for the tragedies they weave. No man dared confront the Relentless Ones . . . until now.

CHASING FATE

She is forced to kill . . .

When a much-needed vacation turns into work for the third Fate, Atropos vows to sever the mortal’s lifeline quickly and get back to the sea and sand. Having her mysterious quarry offer a deal in exchange for more time is an unexpected complication. Always surrounded by darkness and death, Attie takes a chance to get a taste of life and help right a wrong that never should have happened.

He refuses to die . . .

Dru spent months praying for death to take him. Anger over the brutal killing of his family festered until those prayers turned to plans for revenge. Making a deal with the Death Fate was the only way to extend his lease on life. He only needed a handful of days to avenge those he lost, but within minutes of meeting Atropos he knew he’d want forever.
Summary & Photo provided by Dark Mind Book Tours
Length: 86 pages (E-book)
Source: ARC copy
Publication Date: June 17th 2012


First and foremost I'd like to thank the wonderful people of Dark Mind Book Tours for putting this book tour together! I'm so glad that I decided to participate in Elle J. Rossi's book tour for her novella.

If you've been following my blog for awhile you'll notice that novellas are usually hit or misses with me with the latter occurring more often. I'm happy to say that this was one of the rare hits! From the first page of her novella Chasing Fate, Elle J. Rossi had me hooked to every word.

I thought that the whole idea of someone finally using Greek mythology to modernize the tales of the Fates was unique. I loved the character of Atropos (Death) because well, that's just me. I thought she was a pretty tough cookie, and I'm glad she wasn't a very...what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, perky. I've noticed that a lot of authors are making they're deity inspired characters very cheerful and humourous even though they're often the darker deities in history.

I though the whole story line worked out really well and I thought that the way Elle J. Rossi built up the characters was an excellent example of how you can write a well rounded novella and have it feel as though it were a full length novel due to her close attention to detail as well as her ability to aptly catch the emotions of Dru and Attie.

All in all it was a really good novella and one that I enjoyed a lot. I honestly can't wait to read more by Elle J. Rossi and I hope that she continues writing about the Fates and the gods of Olympus. I also hope that she thinks about writing full length novellas because I will absolutely read them if she does!

I recommend Chasing Fate to everyone. It was a good quick paranormal romance that felt longer than it was (in an exceptionally good way). It's perfect for when you need a quick read and one that is entertaining enough that you may just want to ignore the world while you read it.

AUTHOR INFO:
Elle J Rossi grew up in rural Indiana surrounded by great people, a huge family and more animals than she could count. But the sites and sounds of the world beckoned, so she left her small town to escape into a creative world full of music. As a full time singer she was able to lose herself in a thousand different songs in a hundred different places.
After meeting the love of her life and settling down, she yearned to find a new and fulfilling creative outlet. Overly fond of the happily ever after, she wondered what it would be like to have her own characters lead her down dark and twisted paths. The very first word on the very first page sealed her fate. She'd found a new love. She'd found her escape.
Now along with weaving haunting tales about the journey to love, she's creating cover art for authors around the world and loving every second of it. For fun, she cranks country music to take her back to her roots, and sings karaoke anytime she gets a chance. Her husband, two children, and a cat that rules the roost keep her company along the way and guarantee she doesn't get lost in the enchanted forest. She wouldn't have it any other way.

Author Interview:
  1. When did you decide to writeChasing Fateand why did you decide to write it?
Actually, Berinn Rae came up with the unique idea for the Fates. She emailed me last October and asked what I thought about each Fate’s story being written by a different author. I told her it was the best idea I’d ever heard, assuming as I was one of those authors! She then invited Rachel Firasek and the three of us formed a Fatalicious team.
2. Who is your favourite character inChasing Fate?
Now that’s a tough question. I can definitely relate to Attie. I’ve had too much death surrounding me over the past few years and it really takes an emotional toll. However, I can’t imagine what it would be like to be the one in charge of snipping a person’s lifeline. Then there’s the incredibly sexy Druses Petracca. He only had a few days left to live, yet he did everything in his power to not only make the most of it, but to get retribution for his family. I can totally respect that. If I had to pick, I really think I’d go with Attie!
3. What was your favourite part of the writing process?
Believe it or not, it was editing. First we each sent our stories to the other two authors. Berinn and Rachel taught me so much. I can’t believe how much a simple change can alter the story from so-so to “Wow! I wrote that?” status. We didn’t stop there. Each of us then sent our work to a most fabulous editor. Theresa Cole rocked it! I’m so glad she had time to be a part of our project
4. Who are your top five favourite authors and books?
I LOVE this question! Okay, here we go…
  1. Heather Graham: Deadly Night
  2. Nalini Singh: Angels’ Blood
  3. Elle Jasper: Afterlight
  4. Ken Follett: World Without End
  5. Kresley Cole: A Hunger Like No Other
5. SinceChasing Fatedeals with the Fates and includes appearances of other ancient Greek gods have you always been interest in mythology?
I’ve always loved mythology and would love to write more stories around some of the gods and goddesses. Actually, when I was pretty young, my family let me pick the name for two of our puppies. Big mistake! I named one Hector and the other Andromeda. My family thought I was totally nuts. But Hector stayed with us for years and we still talk about him.
6. Are you working on any other writing projects?
Absolutely! I’m always working on something and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Currently I’m writing the second book in The Brennan Coven trilogy. Book one—The Luminary—will be released by Crimson Romance on September 10, 2012. Book two—The Soother—is due back on December 1st. It’s major crunch time but I LOVE it. After that, I’ll wrap up the trilogy with The Caster.
7. What's the most rewarding thing about being an author?
Escaping. For me, there’s nothing better than escaping into another world, especially when that world is based around the paranormal. Real life is hard. I think we all need to get away as often as we can.
8. Do you think that social networks are a valuable tool for authors?
Yes, I do. Not only does it allow us another way to connect with our readers, it’s also a fantastic way to collect information. The community of writers are the most helpful people I’ve ever come across. All I need to do is ask a question on any of the social media outlets, and within seconds I have people offering advice and helping any way they can. 
 

*I recieved a FREE copy of this book in exchange for MY FREE and HONEST review.




Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★
To "Like" Elle on Facebook CLICK HERE
To "Follow" Elle on Twitter CLICK HERE
To visit Elle's Website CLICK HERE
To visit Elle's Blog CLICK HERE
To purchase Chasing Fate via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase Chasing Fate via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE


Sunday, August 5, 2012

IMM #18





In My Mailbox is a weekly meme from The Story Siren where you can share your new acquisitions. They can come from anywhere: through the mail, via the library, purchased from a store, or downloaded as ebooks.

This week I won an e-copy of:
The First
From Christina @ Ensconced in YA and author Sara Zaske
 This week I revieved review copies of:
Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know: Eleven Courageous Canines Tell All The Bachelor Farmers Before the Darkness (Refuge Inc., #1) Blood and Whiskey


For review from NetGalley:
The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #1) Temptation in a Kilt (Bad Boys of the Highlands, #1) Double Danger
This week I bought:

Neanderthal Into The Shadow (Darkness Chosen, #3) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Don't forget to enter my INTERNATIONAL giveaway!
Click the button below to enter :)




What did YOU get in YOUR mailbox?


Saturday, August 4, 2012

*[Blog Tour Review] Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan (Love Finds You) by Melanie Dobson






Summary:
It's the height of the Gilded Age, but Elena Bissette's family has lost most of its fortune. The Bissettes still own a home on fashionable Mackinac Island, and they spend summers there in hopes of introducing Elena to a wealthy suitor. Quickly tiring of the extravagant balls at the Grand Hotel, she spends her days walking along the island's rugged coastline. There she meets Chase, a young fisherman who invites her to watch the ships from an abandoned lighthouse. The two begin to meet there in secret, hoping to solve a decades-old mystery. Meanwhile, Elena's mother contrives introductions between Elena and the island's most eligible bachelor, an elusive millionaire named Chester Darrington. When Elena's two worlds unexpectedly collide, she will be in for the surprise of her life.
Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 320 pages (Paperback)
Source: ARC
Publication Date:July 1st 2012 by Summerside Press

There's nothing like reading a simple, sweet historical romance during the summer and this book for me really hit the spot. This was my first time reading anything by Melanie Dobson and also my first time reading a book in this series.

When I first got the e-mail about this book's blog tour I was really excited to read it. You see I have a friend in one of my Goodreads groups that loves this series of books and after seeing how much she's liked them I knew I had to grab my chance and give this one a try even if it's a wee bit out of my normal reading zone.

It has everything I could ask for in a book like this. There was a historic setting, romance and of course a fair dash of family drama and interference just to make it interesting. Since I love history the fact that this one happened on the historic island of Mackinac I knew I would love it especially since Melanie Dobson was kind enough to include a brief historical note about the island in the few pages before her novel began. I thought that it was a nice touch because I've honestly never heard of the island but now that I have I really would love to visit there.

I thought the writing in the novel was great, Melanie wrote it and paid close attention to details. One thing I really loved about it was the way she went out about depicting the scenes in the book in a way that I actually felt like I was there on the island with Elena.

I also really enjoyed the characters in the novel as well except for the obvious ones who were bad apples (You'll just have to read the book to figure out who they are :D ) but, even they were written into the story well because without them there wouldn't really have been much of a love story. I loved Elena and Chase they were such great main characters I couldn't help but enjoy reading about them because sometimes it's nice to take a break from reading the steamier romances and read something a wee bit more innocent.

Melanie Dobson wrote an excellent novel and I loved how she paid tribute to Mackinac Island. I thought she did a great job and this was a pleasure to read. One that I'll be passing along to other people starting with Mr. Turning The Pages' Mommy :)

I recommend this to anyone, in particular to those who love clean/christian romances.  It's perfect for the summertime and perfect to read at the pool or the beach or a weekend away at the cottage.

Author Bio:


Melanie Dobson has written ten contemporary and historical novels including five releases in Summerside's Love Finds You series. In 2011, two of her releases won Carol Awards: Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (for historical romance) and The Silent Order (for romantic suspense).

Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master's degree in communication from Regent University. Prior to her writing career, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and a publicist for The Family Channel. She later launched her own public relations company and worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for more than fifteen years.

Melanie and her family enjoy their home in the Pacific Northwest. The entire Dobson family loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the Pacific.

When Melanie isn't writing or playing with her family, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.

For more about Melanie Dobson and her books, visit www.melaniedobson.com.



*I recieved a FREE copy of this book in exchange for my FREE and HONEST review.

To visit Melanie's Blog CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE
To purchase the book via The Book Depository CLICK HERE

Really Liked it!
★ ★ ★ ★


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Dirty Little Secret #13


Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by at Under the Covers. Every Thursday they ask a question hoping to reveal other bloggers "dirty little secrets"

This week's question is:
 
"All your favourite characters and celebs have been entered into the SEXY OLYMPICS! Who would win your Gold, Silver and Bronze and why" Pick only characters from books you've read THIS year.
Bronze Goes To:
Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance, #1)

Ares from Larissa Ione's Lords of Deliverance series.
He's immortal.
He's Ares as in the Ares of Greek Legends.
He comes in third because while he's supposed to be breathtakingly gorgeous I'm not a fan of his personality.
He's nice to imagine but he gets blown out of the water by my gold an silver medalists.



Silver Goes To:
Seven Years to Sin

In second place is Alistair Caufield from Sylvia Day's erotic historical romance Seven Years to Sin.
His tortured soul is a real selling point as well as the fact that he has a brain.
Basically he's the whole package...well Almost!



Gold Goes To:
Outlander (Outlander, #1)

Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander.
He's young (20's)
He's a highlander.
He's a warrior.
He has a Scottish brogue.
He's the whole package! I can't help but love him :)

Who are YOUR sexy Olympians?

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Review Copy Cleanup


The Review Copy Cleanup is hosted by
Celene @
Nyx Book Reviews and Vicky @Books, Biscuits and Tea

This is my second time participating in the  Review Copy Cleanup and the last time I did it I had a lot of fun and I actually accomplished a lot more reading than I thought I would.

If you want to participate in the Review Copy Cleanup click the image above!

During the Review Copy Cleanup I'm hoping to read:


This is a tentative list though so I'm not sure if these are the ones that are going to be on my list. Hopefully I can knock these off my list though as some of them have been sitting unread on my Kindle from NetGalley for months!







Waiting on Wednesday #22



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and is where we can talk about books we are looking forward to being released!



Here are my picks for the week:
 

Archangel's Storm (Guild Hunter, #5)

Summary:

With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha’s consort lying murdered in the jewel-studded palace that was his prison and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.

Earning Neha’s trust comes at a price—Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.

With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries-old nightmare… and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.

Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 336 pages
Expected Publication Date: September 4th 2012 by Berkley Sensation


Why I'm Waiting:

I'm totally in love with this series and even though I just finished the second book in this series last week and this is the 5th book I can't wait to read it. The news of it's impending publication incites the idea of me begging Mr. Turning The Pages into buying the 2 other books preceeding it before it gets released.

Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)

Summary:

tick
tick

tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Summary & Photo taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 465 pages
Expected Publication Date: February 5th 2013 by HarperCollins


Why I'm Waiting:

First off the cover is AMAZING! I think it's exceptionally gorgeous and I can't help but look at it.
Second, I loved Shatter Me! I read it in just a couple hours and I can't wait to see what happens to Juliette, Adam, Warner and the rest of the characters.

Don't forget to enter my International Giveaway!



CLICK THE PICTURE!

Now, what are YOU waiting for this Wednesday?