Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Evie's Knight (The Knight series #1) Blog Tour


On tour with Prism Book Tours
Up For Grabs? $50 Amazon Gift card, book swag, and much more!

Evie’s Knight
by Kimberly Krey
Paperback, 391 pages
Published September 11th 2012 by Kimberly Krey

Premise:

When Evie falls in love with Calvin Knight, their young, virtuous romance conjures a truly wicked spell.

Evie always thought her eighteenth year would be magical, but so far it's not what she hoped for. Her best friend has gone wild, her love life is void, and she misses her mom more than ever. But life for Evie is about to change. Calvin Knight, the object of her fascination, is about to fall madly in love with her. Just one problem: Their love conjures a murderous woman from beyond the grave who wants Evie dead. The same demon who has haunted the Knight men for over four generations. Soon Calvin is forced to make a choice: Set Evie free and hope to evade the wrath of The Raven- haired Ghost, or use his newly gifted strengths to fight against her. If he chooses to fight and wins, Calvin will free the Knight men of this demonic witch. If he loses, Evie will become her next victim.

Get Your Copy:

Barnes & Noble
The Book Depository
Amazon: ebook just $2.99 for a limited time.



Author, Kimberly Krey:

Writing Romance That’s Clean Without Losing the Steam!

I’m a reader of good, clean romance, a lover of family time and Diet Coke, and the ultimate hater of laundry.
I’m not patient enough to enjoy a yoga class, or tall enough to be great at basketball, but I do love to run – anywhere but on a treadmill. I love the sound of a rainstorm when I have no place to go, the feel of Soft Lips chap Stick on my lips, and the first peek of blue water as we round the mountains toward our favorite getaway in Bear Lake.

Find & Follow Kimberly Krey:



Super Swag-a-licious Giveaway.


Grand Prize: $50 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

2nd Prize: $25 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

3rd Prize: $10 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Evie's Knight, SoftLips chapstick, recipe cards, E.K. calendar card, postcard of The Storm, and bookmark.

Five more winners will receive an ebook version of Evie’s Knight!
Paperback winners may choose between old cover (shown below) or the new cover, featuring Calvin Knight (shown above).

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Colorimetry & Rafflecopter as well as emailed to winners who will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Laura, Burgandy Ice, @ www.burgandyice.blogspot.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway






Catch the Tour:

1 - Min Reads and Reviews – Blast!
1 - Passion and Life – Blast!! – English/Spanish
1 – Kelly Fox – Goodreads Review
1 – I Am A Reader, Not A Writer – Clean Romance I
2 – Monique Morgan – All You Need is Love I
2 - Letters to the Cosmos – Review
3 – Getting Your Read On – Review - Clean Romance II
3 – Reading with Anacrasia - Interview
4 - Christy’s Cozy Corners – Review
6 – Passion and Life – Peaches Recipe & Excerpt – English/Spanish
6 - Paulette’s Papers – All You Need is Love II
7 - Bookworm Lisa – Review - Clean Romance III
7 – Pages of Forbidden Love – Review
8 - Proud Book Nerd – Review
8 - Vanessa Morgan – All You Need is Love III
9 - Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf – Review - 
10 - Geo Librarian – Review
10 - The Literary Forest - Review, Exerpt
11 - InfectedLoser – Review
14 – One A Day YA – Drafts Guest Post
14 - Little Miss Bookworm – Review
15 – Musings of a Reader Happy – ART excerpt Raven-haired Ghost
15 -  Magical Manuscripts – Review 
16 – Proud Book Nerd – Ultimate Grilled Cheese
17 - Books, Books, the Magical Fruit – Interview
17 - Book Sake – Review
18 - Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf – Aromatic Noodles Recipe
20 - A Life Bound by Books – Excerpt I
21 - Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Reviews – Excerpt II
21 - Oh, The Books You’ll Read – Review
22 - A Backwards Story – Review, Excerpt III
22 - Passion and Life – Review – English/Spanish
23 - Framed In Words – ART Guest Post
23 - Colorimetry – ART Guest Post
24 – Unputdownable Books – ART Guest Post
24 - Living a Goddess Life – Crepe Cake
25 – icultgen – Review, ART Guest Post
25 – Pieces of Whimsy - Review
27 – The Reading Diaries – Review
27 - Icefairy’s Treasure Chest – Excerpt
28 – Stressed Rach – Review
28 - Literally Jen – Review
29 – Min Reads and Reviews – Review
29 – Colorimetry – Grand Finale, WINNERS drawn

And here, especially for my stop, Kimberly has written an exciting guest post relating to art and her book. Enjoy!

Kimberly's Guest Post + Evie and Calvin's Art excerpt


I have always loved art. I’m not the greatest artist, but that’s never stopped me from trying. And it’s fair to say that I can appreciate great art like nobody’s business, which has to count for something, right? Well, since Calvin Knight is an artist, and he and Evie meet in art class, it plays a decent-sized role in the book. Through analyzing one another’s artwork for class, Calvin and Evie get to know one another better. Here, Calvin has already analyzed Evie’s work, and she’s just about to look over his:
 “Go ahead and have a seat.” Evie rounded up the books that lay scattered over the tabletop, creating a tall stack to lean the piece against. “Okay, let’s see it.” She took the board from his hands, anxious to view his project. Once she had it propped against the books, Evie settled into the couch, purposefully scooting closer to him.
“Oh, yeah,” he said, putting his arm around her with a smile. “This is nice.”
She chuckled. Having him so close was nice–but distracting. She folded her arms across her chest and set her gaze on the sketch, trying to recall the way they’d critiqued in art class.
She’d almost forgotten the intimidating amount of skill displayed in Calvin’s first piece. This drawing showed that same level of talent, and it made Evie glad she’d gone first; she may have chickened out altogether after seeing this one.
The art portrayed two young boys at a riverside. One leaned lazily against a tree, plucking a tall blade of grass, while the other stood close to the edge of the river. Surrounding the boys stood tall trees with mighty trunks so detailed, she imagined reaching out to feel the rough texture of the bark against her fingers.
“Calvin, this is beautiful. The detail is amazing.” It took her a moment to remember she was supposed to be analyzing the piece. She was more content to just enjoy the beauty of it.
“Let’s see. It’s a sketch–looks like pencil lead. And um, maybe a slight wash of ... I’m not sure what kind of paint over top.”
“Egg tempera.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Hmm. I haven’t heard of that one yet.”
“It’s really cool. You actually make it yourself. Gives it that kind of luminescent look.”
There was something appealing in watching Calvin talk about the craft he knew so well. “That is cool. You’ll have to show me sometime.” Looking back to the art, she spoke up once more. “Okay, the first thing I notice is the contrast between the two boys. This one to the left, he looks a bit younger than the other one, he’s carrying two backpacks. One on his back, and one that’s hooked around his fingers and kind of scraping the ground, like it’s heavy for him. ”
She pointed toward the boy seated on the ground. “The one down here, lounged against the tree trunk, seems to be relaxed and carefree, where this one is like, picking up the slack, maybe, since I’m guessing the other backpack is his. There’s this sense of burden.” She took a look at Calvin. “Sorry, I’m not very good at this.”
“No, you’re doing great. Go ahead.” He kept his gaze on her as she continued.
“There’s something else that stands out to me though. The paint you were talking about–this amazing wash of gold–it puts a twist on the mood. But I can’t exactly place it.”
Calvin brought his arm from around her back and leaned his elbows onto his knees. “This isn’t the most momentous time of my life, but I’ve been taking art for years now and I’ve already gone there, more than once. But there was this time, shortly after my mother died, when I was kind of faced with a decision, I guess. My dad expected life to still go on, of course, wanted us to be part of the team, as he called it.”
He shook his head absently, the story replaying somewhere behind his deep brown eyes. “We were all suffering, and it took a lot to stay afloat. But Parker refused to do his part. I watched the way he used his pain as an excuse to act like a jerk half the time, and I made a conscious effort not to follow his lead. I knew I’d have to grow up faster and just ... be stronger without having my mom around. But I also knew that if I did, I’d become the man she would’ve wanted me to be.” He nodded toward the artwork. “I made that decision, in a moment like this, at the riverbank by our house.”
Evie pulled her gaze from the page as he paused, glancing over at him.
“I’m glad you caught onto the light. It’s a big part of it. Because on the actual day, it seemed like once I set my mind to it, this incredible burst of light broke through the cluster of trees, almost ... I don’t know, confirming that I’d made the right choice. That my mom would have been proud, if that makes any sense.”
Evie nodded. “It does. Makes a lot of sense, actually. So you have an older brother who acted up, and I have an older sister who kind of did the same thing. And while she was off in her own rebellious world, I was busy trying to be perfect. Getting straight A’s, helping around the house, and trying to keep the peace between my dad and Jess. And it’s funny, because I look back and see that no matter what either one of us did, it was never going to bring her back…”

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Starflower Blog Tour


Tour Schedule




Author Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, MOONBLOOD, and STARFLOWER, with DRAGONWITCH due to release in 2013. HEARTLESS and VEILED ROSE have each been honored with a Christy Award.






Starflower

When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.

But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?





For my stop, Anne has especially made an amazing top ten list to share with us. It's her choicesof the top ten places in the world where she thinks someone is most likely to meet a supernatural being (ie Faeries, dragons etc).


1. Sigiriya Palace - Sri Lanka, location of the famous "Lion Rock Fortress." This fortress was built over 1500 years ago, a gorgeous citadel standing 200 meters high in the middle of a jungle.

If I were a dragon, this is where I would live! What a great spot to watch out for on-coming heroes, plenty of places to stash a hoard, and just simply magnificent all around!



2. Black Fen - England. In the midst of this desolate landscape, I would not be surprised to meet a "fenwoman," a mythical goddess who rises up out of the black peat in the fields.



3. North Kent Marshes - England. Here, I am quite certain, you would run into the wicked fairy Jenny Greenteeth!



4. Bungay, Suffolk - England. And we all know that if you walk the quiet streets of Bungay at night, you are almost certain to encounter the dreadful Black Dog, Old Shuck.



5. Etruscan Ruins - Italy. Somewhere among these ancient ruins seems the perfect place to keep your eyes open for a deadly Chimera . . .



6. The coast of Greece. If you were a siren, wouldn't you want to live here? I know I would!



7. Stonehenge - England. If I were to go searching for Faeries dancing, singing songs of olden days, it would be here.



8. The wilds of Bulgaria. While this must be a stunning place to explore, I would keep my eyes constantly peeled for the Lamia!



9. Dunluce Castle - Northern Ireland. Among these ruins, one would expect to meet a Pooka . . . or a whole host of Pookas, for that matter!



10. But if you want to hunt the vicious Hodag, there is no better place to start than my own hometown, the Island City of Minocqua, Wisconsin!


Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Starflower Book Blast and Giveaway


Starflower

When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.

But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?



Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Christian Book



Excerpt


The Kiss by the River:

The girl did not stir when Eanrin lifted her into his arms; her sleep was profound indeed. Her head lolled over his arm, and he was obliged to part her thick hair to uncover her face. It was an uncommonly beautiful face for a mortal.
However, this girl’s beauty was different from any he had ever before seen. For one thing, her skin was rich dark brown, and her hair glossy black. For another, she was imperfect. Her teeth, visible between gently parted lips, were a little crooked. Mud stained her skin, making it darker still, and her brow, even in sleep, was puckered with anxiety or fear. Her dreams must be wicked indeed.
Eanrin grimaced at the sight and almost put her down again. After all, a princess with dreams like those probably had a tale of woe to match. She would certainly wake with expectations of a handsome hero to aid her. As far as Eanrin was concerned, a dash of heroism was one thing, but commitment to a cause? Never. Rushing off to the rescue of Lady Gleamdren was different, for he had determined that she must be his wife and the sole inspiration to his life’s work. Besides, he loved her.
This creature meant nothing to him.
But blood oozed from the abrasions on her wrists. And her body, mortal and vulnerable, lay in his arms. Eanrin rolled his eyes heavenward as though to seek some holy aid. Then he braced himself and wiped the mud off her lips with the edge of his cloak. She frowned in her sleep and stirred, but did not wake.
“Nothing for it,” he muttered. Closing his eyes and trying not to smell her any more than he must, he leaned in and kissed her . . .




Author Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Anne Elisabeth Stengl makes her home in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, Rohan, a passel of cats, and one long-suffering dog. When she's not writing, she enjoys Shakespeare, opera, and tea, and studies piano, painting, and pastry baking. She studied illustration at Grace College and English literature at Campbell University. She is the author of HEARTLESS, VEILED ROSE, MOONBLOOD, and STARFLOWER, with DRAGONWITCH due to release in 2013. HEARTLESS and VEILED ROSE have each been honored with a Christy Award.





Blog Tour Schedule






BookBlast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/31/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, 14 January 2013

January New Releases Hop


This is the second time I've signed up for one of these monthly hops, because the December New Releases Hop (which was won by Jessica B. who picked Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout as her prize) was such a success, I'm happy to be continuing into January! This giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository ships to you and the winner must reply to my email within 48 hours.

Alright, so which January release are you dying to get your hands on? I'm giving one winner a choice of one of the following books. Or, in case you didn't like any of the choices, you can also choose to win a Jan release of choice under $13 NZD.

Through The Ever Night
Splintered
Shades of Earth
Salvation
Level 2
Touch of Death

Crash
Paper Valentine
Rise (Nigthshade Prequel #2)
The Fairest Beauty
Prodigy (Legend #2)
Nobody But Us
Just One Day
A Shimmer of Angels
Blood Prophecy
The Madman's Daughter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, 12 January 2013

Alice in Zombieland



Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1) by Gena Showalter


Rating: 3.5 stars

I've never really been a big fan of zombies. I don't know why, but scary undead that eats other people's brains just didn't appeal to me. However, I was intrigued enough by Alice in Zombieland to pick it up and read it. I'm glad I did. Gena Showalter changed the idea of zombies slightly to make them less disgusting and more of a formidable opponent.

I liked how it practically got right to the point from the start. It was quite a different kind of narration. Alice was both talking about the past and living in the present. The way the author wrote created an intimate and bone-chilling atomsphere of creepiness. I felt like I was holding something moldy and scary yet inconceivably delicate and good. The creepy (yes, I know I'm using that word quite a lot, and I'll be repeating it in this review, but that's just the one main feeling I got from reading this book) environment was etched in my mind. I could imagine all the gruesome figures of the zombies, as well as the epic fights that took place and the haunting images of the darkness. This whole writing style suited with the creepy theme, and that, I liked!

I didn't root for Ali and Cole's romance at all at the start. Their relationship ticked me off big time. It was all so sudden and too fast, AND it didn't seem real. To me, it felt like that certain factors had "forced" (not really forced, hence the quotation marks) them together. Ali and Cole just didn't seem to click for me. Cole was a classic jerk to me. I didn't like him at all. He seemed violent and menacing. However, my opinion of him and their relationship changes a little during the course of the book and as the story progresses, I do want them to be together as everyone wishes a workable (if barely) romance to have its happy ending. Ali did mature quite a bit at the end.

Another thing I didn't like was the whole "I can't think when I'm around him" crap from Ali in reaction to Cole. Not the angry I-can't-think, but the "Oh, he's so hot he's short-circuited my brain" I-can't-think. To me, this was utterly pathetic. Sure, you can have one or two of those moments, especially when he's not bullying you in your face (well, not the completely hurtful kind of bullying, more like taking advantage?). But girl, when you need your wits and smarts, I expect you to have it! (<<<Directed at Ali) I didn't like how Ali always seemed to follow Cole's commands too quickly. (And yea, I didn't like the whole "You and your commands" bit in the book much either. To me, the guy you date need to have at least the basic courtesy of politeness)

Also, I couldn't stand how Ali's later friends looked down on her at the start. It just didn't seem right to be in-your-face with a new comer just because you didn't know who they are/capable of. The way they underestimated Ali just ticked me off. Have some faith!

Aside from all that, there's one thing that I loved about the book: Kat. I loved Kat, absolutely loved Kat (don't get me wrong, just the super awesome friend kinda love). She was such an awesome character. Seriously, you've just gotta give it to that girl. She is the best friend someone could possibly have. She was funny, way-way-way supportive and trusting. She would have taken a blade for Ali in a heartbeat. Having her there really lightened the mood and made things a lot more manageable. Oh and Kat's ego, just thinking about it makes me laugh. She's definitely my favourite character, and for her alone I would read this book.

Wow, alright, I didn't plan on a long review, but here it is. I did like this book, though didn't love it. Despite all its faults, I did enjoy it. So, I would recommened it for a not-too-serious read. Nice creepy read though :P

Synopsis

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

Friday, 11 January 2013

The Seven Year King Cover Reveal

I'm very excited to reveal the cover for the next book in THE FAERIE RING Series alongside author Kiki Hamilton:


THE SEVEN YEAR KING 
 Book Three in THE FAERIE RING Series

THE SEVEN YEAR KING will be released May 14th, 2013.  


What do you think?


Here's the little teaser:


A deadly sacrifice, a heartbreaking choice, an uncertain future...


I wonder what the heartbreaking choice will be...? Hopefully it doesn't concern Tiki and Reiker's relationship! Can't wait till it comes out! The Faerie Ring and The Torn Wing were both so good!



Here are the covers for books one, two and three:



Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Edge of the Past Blog Tour

Tour Schedule
Hey everyone, welcome to my stop in the Edge of the Past Blog Tour. In this stop, there will be an awesome giveaway of a $25 Amazon Giftcard, as well as an excerpt from the book itself. Enjoy!


Life on the Edge

Nineteen-year-old Emily is new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to be the first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who left Russia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can break through and make history.

Emily and Chris are on track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbidden feelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemy threaten to derail Emily’s dreams of gold.

Purchase




Edge of the Past Edge

Emily's skating career and personal life have never been more golden. She and her partner Chris have won every competition they've entered this season, and she's found the man of her dreams in her coach Sergei. But when one of the biggest competitions of the year takes Emily and Sergei to Russia, Sergei's past explodes into the present and makes Emily doubt everything in their future.


Purchase





Author Jennifer Comeaux

Jennifer Comeaux earned a Master of Accounting from Tulane University and is a Certified Public Accountant in south Louisiana. While working in the corporate world, she sought a creative outlet and decided to put on paper a story that had played in her head for years. That story became Life On the Edge, her first published novel.


When not working or writing, she is an avid follower of the sport of figure skating, travelling to competitions around the country. Those experiences allow her to see a different side of the sport and serve as an inspiration for her writing. Jennifer is blessed with a wonderful family and many friends who have encouraged her to pursue her dream of being a published author.



Links: 



Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/24/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Excerpt from Edge of The Past



Sergei pressed me up into the star lift, and I noticed some of the other skaters idling and watching us. We sped past them, and Sergei set me down, preparing for the closing seconds of the program.
In time with the final piano notes, I edged away from Sergei, and he rushed toward me, trapping me in his arms for the ending pose. I gasped at the passion with which he grabbed me. His eyes held my gaze then slowly drifted down to my mouth, and my body hummed from the fiery energy between us. I leaned into his chest and squeezed my fingers harder around his biceps.
A few of my training mates erupted with applause and whistles, and Sergei jerked backward. He didn’t say anything as he took off to cool down, leaving me alone in the middle of the ice with more than my muscles burning.

Sunday, 6 January 2013

Heads up 2013

Wow, 6 days into 2013 already! And my humble blog has reached its 6 months mark!!! Before I launch on to explain any new things I'll be doing with my blog this year, I just want to say a big thank you to all my awesome followers! Thank you all so much for supporting me, without you, my blog wouldn't be here today. All the lovely things you've said in the comments have always made my day. And I hope you'll all continue to voice your opinions about books in my reviews so we'll keep having these awesome discussions! When I reach the one-year mark, I'll be doing a big celebration with one or more giveaways. Be sure to check in sometime late June/early July!

Anyway, in the new year, I've decided to take part in a few memes hosted by other blogs. The first one would be In My Mailbox, a weekly meme made by The Story Siren. (Though I can't promise I will get packages every week... I wish!) Stacking The Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews is another meme I'll be doing. Lastly, Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, will also be a feature this year.

Apart from memes, I am adding two main features myself this year. The first one would be Can't wait for books of the month (e.g. Can't Wait for Books in Jan). It's pretty much all the books/new releases I'm dying to read that month. And the second feature is Recommendation(s) of the month. It's quite self-explanatory, I'll just be featuring one or more of my favourites of the month.

All right, that' pretty much all the new stuff I'll be doing on top of my usual reviews, author interviews, blog tours and giveaways :)

Lastly, I just want to let you know that Maria V. Snyder will be doing a guest post here in Mid-Jan and also giving away a copy of her most recently book Scent of Magic. And I'll be participating in the January New Releases Hop hosted by Book Twirps again. So, any suggestions for a January Release you want to win?

Let's go and have another great year together! :)

Friday, 4 January 2013

Best of 2012

Well, another year is over and it's 2013 already! Sorry I wasn't able to post anything at the end of December, but the holiday is time to enjoy myself aye? :D Looking back at this year, I've read tons of books and more than a few good ones. To finish the year off and to welcome the new year, I'll share with you the top ten books from the books-I-loved list of my reads in 2012 and why I liked them. Are you ready? Here we go!


1.Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga #4) by Colleen Houck


This book is probably my favourite of 2012. Well, it's a tough call between the top four anyway. Tiger's Destiny is a well thought out, heart-breaking AND heart-warming end to Kelsey, Ren and Kishan's journey to breaking the Tiger's Curse. In this novel, not only Colleen Houck's writing was amazing, the words precisely chosen and tingles the imaginations, but the plot and characters were also at their best. The twists and turns and the wild emotions will keep you reeling well after the last page.



2. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers


I got this book from a giveaway and I'm forever happy that I had chosen Grave Mercy instead of all the other books I thought I might have liked. It was a risk (yea, I don't like owning books I didn't enjoy) but I'm so glad I chose to buy it before I read it. Grave Mercy is a wonderfully written "old-style" book that has assassins through and through. I'm a sucker for the old-style traveling (horseback and waggens etc.), weaponery like daggers and arrows and the feeling of the less modern times. Grave Mercy was beautifully written with characters and relationships I would root for. Loyalty, love and intelligence were all tested and shown in the pages of this book. May the nine saints forever look after Duval and Ismae! :D



3. Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo


Shadow and Bone is another epic debut. I'm sorry to repeat again and hope I'm not getting boring, but I'm very partial to the old-style world and Shadow and Bone is another excellent example of such a book. What I treasured the most was the unbreakable friendship between the main characters in this book. I also liked the way details were described and the innovative idea of Grishas. It's a book in contrast: some pages would leave you chilled to the bone yet others would warm your heart and soul. You will lose yourself in this eerie world created by Bardugo.



4. Partials (Partials #1) by Dan Wells


I thoroughly enjoyed Partials. It's without a doubt my favourite science-fiction of the year, maybe even of all time. The best part about the book for me, apart from the cool sci-fi medical details and the hooking plot, is how independent the main character Kira Walker is. She didn't need to rely on guys to make decisions or protection. She is a force all on her own. I can't wait to read Fragments (Partials #2) and find out what happens to Kira and co.



5. Onyx (Lux #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Oh, what can I say about Jennifer L. Armentrout's books? Her plots always pull me right in and her writing always leave me breathless for more. Onyx is entirely amazing and one of the best books written by JLA. It's a book that changed relationships and my prejudice on certain character(s). I didn't love Obsidian, the first book, and I sure didn't love Daemon then. But in this book, JLA made me fall in love with both the series and Daemon. If you are looking for hot aliens and a good paranormal fantasy/contemporary, the Lux series is definitely the way to go.



6. Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1) by Jay Kristoff


Stormdancer had the most beautiful and flowing language I have ever read in a YA book. Jay Kristoff breathes life into this story with a Japanese backdrop. I loved the rich culture and values in this book. As well as the loveable beast and the determined main character. How will the Lotus War continue? Can't wait to find out in the next book!



7. Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Again, another book by JLA. What can I say? I'm just in love with her books. While series by other authors may become more and more boring, less and less well-written, JLA's series just keep getting better. Deity, comparing to the first book Half-Blood, is worlds apart. Don't get me wrong, I love the first book too, but this one is just even better! You truly see the strength and power in Aiden and Alex's love for each other. If you are not team Aiden, this book will change your mind. And about that cliffhanger? Jen, you are definitely evil!



8. The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater


The Raven Boys came to me as a bit of a surprise. I didn't expect it to be so good and I didn't expect to be so drawn by the story. It is a very different sort of YA book. Told from various perspectives (all in third-person), this book made me experience the inner feelings of several totally different types of people. With a mythical setting and paranormal abilities, this novel will keep you reading till the very end.



9. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson


Peter Pan has always been my favourite fairytale and this retelling of it is so stunning that I loved it as much as the original story. Told from Tiger Lily's perspective, we see a side to the story that we perhaps would have never thought of. It's simply written yet with such an eye for detail that I have noticed more of Neverland than I ever had. I loved the characters, especially Tinkerbell. She is not what you see in Peter Pan and I'd love to have a friend like this little fairy. It's a heart-breaking story that will intrigue the reader and mayhap make you feel older and wiser at the end.



10. Bitterblue (Graceling Realm #3) by Kristin Cashore


Right from Graceling, Kristin Cashore has established her place as one of my favourite writers. Bitterblue continues the story of Graceling but in Bitterblue's eye. Just merely returning to this beloved story world was enough to make me love this book. Ok, maybe not, but Cashore once again utilises her writing skills to spin a tale of fantasy and adventure. Old and new characters alike, are vivid and enticing. This book has a lot more political content in it. Also, I greatly enjoyed learning how to write in code ;D Really, there isn't much else to say, except that if you have read Graceling and Fire, definitely don't miss out on this one!


Alright, so that was my top ten, what are your favourites of 2012???