Title: Fallen

Series: Debt Collector #6

Author: Susan Kaye Quinn

Publication date: May 14th 2013

Source: I own a copy

~~~~~

From Goodreads: 

Fallen- EPISODE 6 of the Debt Collector serial. Contains mature content and themes. For young-adult-appropriate thrills, see Susan’s bestselling Mindjack series.

What’s your life worth on the open market? 
A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium’s hopes for escape from Kolek’s mob are threatened when Valac seems to be coming unhinged.

Fallen is approximately 13,000 words or 52 pages, and is the sixth of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial. This dark and gritty future-noir is about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going into debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. Episode 7, Promise, releases 5/29/13. For more about the Debt Collector serial, see DebtCollectorSeries.com

~~~~~

My Review

Lirium. *sigh* What can I say about the dude except that he never disappoints. In fact, I think the entire series should have been called: Lirium. Maybe every title in the series, too.

In case you hadn’t realised it, Lirium is the driving force of this series, for me. I adore his character. Adore his tortured soul. Adore his idealistic way of thinking despite everything going on around him (and sometimes inside his head, too) demanding he stand up and take notice that his world just ain’t built like that. Most of all, I adore the emotional connection Ms Quinn’s awesome writing ensures I constantly maintain with the dude.

Because, one instalment after another, she torments this guy, taking him on a journey to the pits of despair with nary a light at the end of any of those tunnels. And this time, just when we’re thinking something might actually come good for him, she goes and does it in the biggest and worst style she’s done to date. I’m truly not sure how much more this poor pudding can take before he cracks and collapses from emotional expenditure.

This instalment was pretty awesome from start to finish. From the new developments, to the tightly woven elements of the plot necessary for the lead-up to that ending (sorry, no spoilers)—and boy, what an ending. Like I said: I think Ms Quinn may just have done him in this time. I only hope that tiny glimmer of hope one of the characters fed him turns out to shine one of those tunnel-end lights that he needs.

Have you read this title? What’d you think?

Series: The Fifth Wave #1

Author: Rick Yancy

Publication date: May 7th 2013

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Source: ARC received via NetGalley

~~~~~

From Goodreads: 

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

~~~~~

My Review

The 5^th Wave was a DNF for me, which I’m actually quite sad about. It’s not that it’s a bad book, because I don’t believe it is. Nor is it that the voice is bad, because the voice was, in fact, great. I think it was simply a case of not-for-me because I didn’t get with the writing style.

Whilst the voice is very strong, as stated above, I struggled with the execution (and I know this is a mere personal preference, so you should seriously go check it out and decide for yourself). The MC narrated in first person, and usually, for me, I find a much deeper connection when reading this POV, because there is so much opportunity for emotions to be expressed to draw the reader inside the mind of the narrator. However, there seemed to be such a HUGE disconnect in the ‘way’ this story is narrated, that it only created a massive distance for me, almost like a barrier blocking me from creating a bond with the MC. Added to that, the majority of the chunk of book I read is ‘told’. And not necessarily in an ‘in the moment’ kind of telling, but in a way that I’m not too sure which activities of the MC’s are current and which are past—except for the constant backstory explaining the ‘waves’, which come to sound slightly repetitive quite early on.

So, as I said, it’s not that it’s a bad book, more that the telling of it was in a style I struggled to connect with.

UNRATED

Have you read this title? What’d you think?

Author: DC Farmer

Publisher: Spence City

And here’s the blurb:

I kinda like the cover for this one. It’s interesting and the tones are good. The blurb sounds as though the story could be pretty witty, too.

What do you think?

I’m so happy that I get to share my review of this great book for my stop on the blog tour. I love Emi Gayle’s writing. Love this world she’s created. And now I’m going to try and convince you to check it out so you can feel the same. So, hop on board because the train’s about to leave the station.

~~~~~

Title: Day After

Series: the 19th Year Trilogy

Author: Emi Gayle

Publisher: J. Taylor Publishing

Release Date: May 6th 2013

Source: ARC received from publisher

From Goodreads:

Demon crypts. Vampire lairs. Glowing angels. Sexy sirens. The stuff of fiction.

Or so Winn Thomas always thought.

Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his Changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.

Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?

In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.

Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.

He intends to have her pick human.

Whether she can or not.

~~~~~

My Review

Day After is full of mystery and intrigue and excitement, and I pretty much enjoyed this book from start to finish. As always with Emi’s writing, the plot is as intricately revealed as it woven, leaving the reader constantly guessing and anticipating, and very often surprised. The slow reveal of revelation after revelation as each and every discovery is made is a strong motivator for the reader to keep turning the pages. But an even bigger motivator than that is the MC. Winn. *sigh*
Winnford Thomas, how I adore thou, geeky dude that thee are.
Winn won me over (ha! no pun intended) in After Dark, so I was very much looking forward to reading into his somewhat convoluted (he’s a guy, after all) mind and finding out just how the other half of Mac and Winn views their somewhat unusual relationship. Sure, to begin, his voice took a little getting into–I blame that on the great connection I felt from Mac in the first book–but it wasn’t long before I’d slid into the nerdy mind of Winn, and was very soon happy to be taken along on his ride (you can stop those filthy thoughts of yours; I didn’t mean it like that). As I expected him to be, he was intelligent and patient and caring and passionate and … just Winn. In case you hadn’t figured it out, I kinda like Winn.
Plus we have Mac–through Winn’s eyes. She was slightly more frustrating a character in Day After than she was in After Dark, but I imagine that’s because we got a much stronger smack upside the head of just how her actions and decisions affected Winn on a personal and emotional level–and thanks to that connection I mentioned, they can be tough to endure through his eyes. But I still love Mac, because deep down I suspected she had her own solid reasoning for doing what she did–after all, she does really consider her actions even if she doesn’t realise she’s doing it at the time.
I’m not going to delve too much into the plot, because it’s quite complex, so the best thing to do is to just read it for yourself. But just know, you will get some answers you’ve been hoping for, at the same time as landing with a few new ones; you will experience a couple WTF!? moments when some ‘stuff’ comes to light or characters behave in a certain way; you will definitely want to do a little bit of neck throttling; and you will adore Winn. So just read it anyway. ;o)
That is all.

~~~~~

So, did I convince you yet? Maybe this excerpt will help:

~~~~~

Sitting in front of the twelve most powerful non-humans on the earth would have shaken a lesser guy. In my case, I’d almost thrown up. Twice.

‘Don’t worry,’ Mackenzie Thorne, my girlfriend, had said. ’‘It’s just a formality.

She hadn’t known I’d have to go alone.

Only the intake and exhalation of air in the room made any sound. Eerie light flickered from the tips of candles mounted along dark, oak-paneled walls.

I refused to look anywhere but ahead of me. To the long, wooden, medieval-length table.

Waiting.

Watching.

Holding my own breath.

For a moment, it seemed the walls began to close in on me.

At almost midnight on the first day of the year, I prepared to accept a fate no other human had ever taken on, been given or even offered. In response, sweat pooled under my armpits as alternating cold and hot ran through me.

The scratch of wood against wood had heads turning. Mine included.

Nahir, the oldest of the twelve, rose from his chair. “Winford Richmond Thomas, please rise.” His voice had a gravelly, hoarse sound.

I did as requested, my knees pressing against each other.

Nahir moved closer to me, his grandfatherly, human form disappearing under protruding scales of deep green. His arms lengthened into dinosaur-like paws and hit the rock floor, making the room around us shake. Thick wings extended from his body, and a tail lashed out against the wall behind him, rattling the candles.

A dragon, in the color of tropical ocean water, stood before me, huffing air from horse-sized nostrils.

Oh. God. I’m going to die.

Not going to die. It’s part of the test. Remember, you have to see them all. Mac’s words flowed through my mind. 

Keep breathing.

“Master Thomas.” Josie, a siren and one of the most beautiful women I’d ever met, rose, her long flowing gown matching the color of her reddish-gold hair. I couldn’t help but stare at her. “You’ve been asked by our current changeling, Miss Maya Mackenzie Thorne, to be her teacher. Have you willingly agreed to take on this duty?” As Josie talked, she stalked forward, shimmering, shifting, the already-pretty woman becoming deadly man-hunting female—according to the legends I’d read.

Vibes ebbed from her like the rocking tide. If she sang, throwing up would be the least of my worries. I’d be dead by sexual self-implosion.

With a rough cough, I gathered my wits. “Yes. I have accepted. Willingly.” Every nerve ending in my body urged me to go to Josie, to let her take me and do with me whatever she wanted. A groan built in my throat, tension straining my limbs, most particularly, my crotch. Not now! The need to shift what grew sent heat to my cheeks even as Mac’s words played through again. Force yourself not to react to any of them. They’ll think you’re stronger than you are since you’re only human.

Only human. Problem number one.

~~~~~

That’s done the job. Right?

You can grab your own copy of Day After at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Aaaaaaannnnnnnd … in the meantime, why not enter Emi’s giveaway, where you could be in with a chance of winning a signed copy, an e-copy, or bookmarks.

Clicking on the giveaway image will lead ye to the magic rafflecopter form.

Good luck!

~~~~~

Emi Gayle just wants to be young again. She lives vicariously through her youthful characters, while simultaneously acting as chief-Mom to her teenaged son and searching for a way to keep her two daughters from ever reaching the dreaded teen years.

Ironically, those years were some of Emi’s favorite times. She met the man of her dreams at 14, was engaged to him at 19, married him at 20 and she’s still in love with him to this day. She’ll never forget what it was like to fall in love at such a young age — emotions she wants everyone to feel.

Welcome, lovely peeps, to my stop for the Werewolves Be Damned Blog Tour.

I’m very excited to be a part of this tour, just as I was very excited to receive a copy of this yummy-looking book for review. 

Let’s take a quick look at what enticed me so, shall we?

~~~~~

Title: Werewolves Be Damned

Series: Magic & Mayhem #1

Author: Stacey Kennedy

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Publication Date: April 15th 2013

Source: Review received from publisher (thanks)

Nexi Jones—part witch, part guardian, and wannabe kick-ass warrior—can’t throw a punch or conjure the simplest magic. But that doesn’t stop her from hunting the werewolves who slaughtered her human family. She’ll have her revenge, but only if Kyden, the elite guardian, would get the hell out of her way.

Kyden can’t decide if Nexi wants to get herself killed or if she just has no clue what she’s doing. But her father made it clear: keep Nexi safe…or else. Of course, the more Nexi runs toward revenge, the more she needs Kyden’s aid, and as she grows into her power and confidence, so does his desire to protect her. The only problem? She’d rather he dropped dead.

But when a vampire paints a bull’s-eye on Nexi’s back, she’s hard-pressed to deny Kyden and the help he’s offering. Even if it means getting her revenge will be a little bit harder. At least it will still be as sweet.

~~~~~

My Review

Werewolves Be Damned took me by surprise a little bit. Sure, I liked the sound of the blurb, and yup, the cover is pleasing to the eye—but I didn’t expect to enjoy it quite as much as I did. Because, whilst the beginning was a little rocky for the first couple of percent, it didn’t take long for me to connect with the characters, and to have a handle on the world Ms Kennedy had begun to build, and I very soon found myself rolling happily along for the ride.

Before I explain what I liked about it so much, let’s quickly get the yukkies out of the way. The biggest issue I had with the book had absolutely nothing to do with the story but with the writing. It’s not bad. I’m just a finicky blighter, and there were quite a few parts I felt were overwritten. And there were quite a few details that were repeated more than once, as though the author felt the need to drum it into our skulls. The bits that were overwritten? They were mostly in what I like to call the pondering paragraphs, where the MC is figuring stuff out, or trying to explain stuff to drip-feed the reader. These sections could’ve been tighter and the pace would’ve been faster—which would have made the writing more consistent throughout.

Because, in other sections, there were moments of pure brilliance in this writing. Like the fight scenes, for instance. All too often, I spend fight scenes frowning, trying to figure it out and follow, and I reach certain spots and realise I actually had NO handle on where all the involved characters were.

SO not the case with Werewolves Be Damned. Every single fight scene was nothing short of awesome. On top of those, we have the intimate—the ‘heated’—scenes.

Again, far too often in adult PNR, these end up being contrite and cheesy and my eyes start rolling around like they’re lost, at all the ridiculous dialogue asking if the other person ‘likes that?’ like the groans and writhing isn’t indication enough … wow, steering off track here.

Anyway, again, SO not a concern in Werewolves Be Damned. These scenes were placed in exactly the right spots. None of them seemed ‘convenient’ or unnatural, and those combined with the fight scenes, combined with the character development and the world building, make this into one rocking read.

And those characters I mentioned? Yeah, we get to see both Nexi’s and Kyden’s (ROAWRRR!!!!) POV, and I enjoyed that a lot. Both of them have credibility. Both of them are likeable and bondable from a reader perspective. Kyden is HOT AS HECK! It was a pleasure spending time with this duo, and I’m really looking forward to meeting with them again (because Kyden is HOT AS HECK!).

I’m also looking forward to seeing more of all the side characters. Do you think Ms Kennedy will consider giving me some airtime with a couple of those wolves if I bat my lashes enough? Worth a try, right?

On top of those, we also have the plot, which was great from the off. Everything was so smoothly looped together and so clearly expressed that I had no trouble following along and chasing the ‘mystery’ with them.

Not even the world building was an issue for me—and absorbing created worlds are the biggest hurdles for me in books. Rather, the world this author has given us felt fresh (to me) and solid and displayed with a clarity that tells me the author not only understands her world but knows what she’s doing when it comes to delivering it to the reader. This, aside from the kick-a$$ fight scenes, is the strongest attribute of the book, imo.

So, have I convinced you to give it a try yet?

Well, if you’re a fan of PNR with butt-booting heroines, hotness, and testosterone, you certainly should.

Because Werewolves Be Damned promises to be the start of a great series, which I believe will become a great addition to the genre.

~~~~~

And if that’s not enough to grab your interest, then how about an excerpt of this wolfy tale?

Below:

~~~~~

Teaser:

I’ve found you, fur ball.

Nexi peered from behind the large oak tree and spotted the small log cabin nestled in the thick forest. The porch light cast a warm glow into the night. Fog settled over the lush grass, and the night was dark, eerie.

Stepping away from her hiding place behind the tree, she strode forward and gripped the dagger tightly in her hand. Keeping the silver blade pointed outward, she climbed the cabin’s porch steps, taking each one slowly to avoid detection.

Once she arrived at the front door, she wrapped her hand around the door handle. Rich hunger for revenge burned in her veins and made her intent on one thing: to slaughter the werewolf who escaped the night of her parents’ murder. Not caring what awaited her, she stormed inside, dagger pointed, ready to kill.

The simple cabin had two large brown couches near a wood-burning stove, a kitchenette behind the living room, and a quilt-covered bed resting in the back. And that was it; there were no other rooms to investigate. No secret hiding places she could see.

No damned werewolf.

She cursed, shut the front door behind her, then trotted down the steps to return to her hiding spot. On her way across the yard, she glanced at the space to the right of the tree, which looked much like a heat wave, indicating that the portal to the Otherworld remained.

In some places around the world—or the Earthworld, as supernaturals had called it—there were permanent portals to the supernatural realm. This portal had only appeared because Nexi had travelled to this cabin from the Otherworld. Once she passed through the portal again, the gateway would vanish.

Magic had its perks. Quick travel was one of them.

Nexi shook her head at how normal all this magical stuff seemed now. Just over a month ago she’d never believed in anything that went bump in the night. Now she knew all those things existed, and in fact, she was one of them.

To her horror, she had learned that her birth mother, Tillie, had been murdered by a power-hungry vampire, Lazarus.  All those years ago, her birth father, Drake, had protectively decided to block Nexi’s supernatural abilities. He had planned for her to live and die as a mortal. Now with her return to the Otherworld and the removal of the block on her true identity, there was no going back.

She was no longer plain, human, Nexi Jones.

She was Nexi Jones, part guardian, part witch.

Looking away from the portal and to her hiding spot until the werewolf returned, she hurried her steps. She wasn’t ready to return to the Otherworld yet. Not until she had the werewolf’s head as her wall ornament would she dare go home.

Just as she neared the tree, a woodsy scent that had nothing to do with the forest mixed with the citrusy aroma of aftershave. A blink of an eye later, the dagger she held was now at her throat, a hard body closed in on her back.

“You smelled lovely when you arrived.” The low voice by her ear held a faint English accent. “But I never imagined you’d be so pretty.”

The blade pressed into her skin, not drawing blood, but implying that if the werewolf chose, she’d be destined for the grave. “I’m…”

“Going to explain yourself.” He lowered the dagger, took hold of her arm, and jerked her forward.

In a few short strides, the werewolf tossed her through the threshold of the cabin, and slammed the door behind them. He sauntered to the couch, sat down, and regarded her. “Now then, darlin’.” His olive skin was stunningly flawless, and his chocolate-colored hair was spiked tall. “Why would a pretty lass like yourself plan to attack me?”

“Don’t move.” That charm wouldn’t fool her. “Stay right where you are.”

“My mouth is the only thing moving.” His slanted amber eyes raked over her. “Would you like me to stop talking?”

“No.” She hesitated then added, “Only your mouth can move. Nothing else. Tell me what you know.”

He gave her a long look. “I’d be glad to tell you anything you’d like, love.”

His kind face and soft voice wouldn’t trick her. He was a werewolf. She was certain, which was another oddity.

After the block on her supernatural abilities had been lifted, she could identify a supernatural creature as if knowing the difference between a brunette and a redhead. “Tell me why you killed my family.”

“That’s an interesting accusation.” He cocked his head, studying her with a frown. “But I think the more important question is who are you?”

She lifted her chin. “The lass who’s going to cut off your furry wolf balls.”

~~~~~

Oh-hody-ho, she sounds like my type of lass to hang about with.

If I’ve convinced you at last, you can check out Werewolves Be Damned at all the following places:

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

~~~~~

But wait … because there’s more!

Yup, it’s …

And there is an awesome $100 Amazon Gift Card up for grabs!

All’s you gotta do is hop across to the RAFFLECOPTER FORM!!!!

Good Luck!

~~~~~

Stacey Kennedy is an urban fantasy lover at heart, but she also enjoys losing herself in dark and sensual worlds. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who gave her a happily-ever-after. Together, they have two small children who can always make her smile, and who will never be allowed to read Mommy’s books. If she’s not plugging away at a new story, you’ll find her camping, curling up with the latest flick, or obsessing over Sons of Anarchy and Game of Thrones.

Visit her here: Website | Facebook | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter | Goodreads

Author: Aria Kane

Publisher: Entranced Publishing

Release Date: June 17th 2013

And here’s the blurb:

Gretchen and her twin brother, Hank, were abandoned to a zombie horde when they were five years old. Intended to be a sacrifice by their zealot parents, they were instead rescued by The Company. Raised to become soldiers in the war against zombies, they now provide safe passage through danger zones, one contract at a time.

Clint’s only skill is war, but he’s weary of killing other men. When his contract with the Marines runs out, he takes a job on Gretchen’s team, hoping that the search-and-rescue life will suit him better.

On Clint’s second day, their four-man team is attacked, drugged, and taken to a prison full of frightened civilians. The only way in or out is by helicopter and, here, their enemies are human. One by one, the captives are culled from the holding area. Rumors say the facility director uses the prisoners as experimental subjects for the testing of a zombie cure.

When Hank is taken, Clint and Gretchen must put aside their personal feelings and find a way out of the prison, surrounded by thousands of starving zombies, before Hank becomes just one more disposable guinea pig in the hands of a twisted mad woman.

~~~~~

Well, this one sounds different to the other zombie novels out there, right? Will you be adding this to your TBR? You can do so by clicking the coverart image.

~~~~~

Aria Kane is a recovering mechanical engineer and romance writer. She lives in sunny Florida with a 60 lb mutt who thinks he’s a Chihuahua. You can learn more about her at ariakane.com or on Twitter @aria_kane.

~~~~~

To celebrate the Once Upon a Darkness cover reveal, Aria is giving away a $20 giftcard and an ecopy of an Entranced book of the winner’s choice.

Visit the Rafflecoptto enter!

Although … the title of this latest installment, and the picture on the cover … those make me a little nervous as to what’s in store for my lovely Lirium.

Let’s take a look:

~~~~~

Title: Fallen

Series: Debt Collector #6

Author: Susan Kaye Quinn

Release Date: May 15th 2013

And here’s the blurb:

What’s your life worth on the open market?
A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium plays the part of the grim reaper well, with his dark trenchcoat, jackboots, and the black marks on his soul that every debt collector carries. He’s just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja’s sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane… until he collects again. But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn’t what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone–a dark pit he’s not sure he’ll be able to climb out of again.

The first three episodes of the Debt Collector serial are collectively the length of a short novel, or 152 pages. These are the first three of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial. This dark and gritty future-noir is about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going into debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. Episode 4, Broken, releases 4/17/13. For more about the Debt Collector serial, see DebtCollectorSeries.com

~~~~~

So, whatcha think? Like I said, I’m a little nervous, and worried about my poor Lirium (who I want to cuddle up and kiss better).

~~~~~

Author: Leah Rae Miller

Publication date: May 7th 2013

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Source: Copy received from publisher for review

~~~~~

From Goodreads: 

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl’s body isn’t just unknown, it’s anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.

~~~~~

My Review

Geekalicious in every way, The Summer I Became a Nerd is a wholesome serving of cute, with a dash of dorkberry sauce and sprinkles, and topped with a nerdishly-ripe cherry.

In case you didn’t quite get the hint, I kinda loved this one.

It’s fresh, it’s young-hearted, it’s full of underlying life-lessons and messages but in a way that doesn’t ram it down the readers throat, and the whole geekdom of references and nerd talk just add a wholesome flavour that make this one awesome.

From the off, Maddie is seriously cute as narrator. And then she becomes cutely annoying. And cutely angers the reader with her behaviour. In most books, when I dislike the person a character is becoming, it turns me off wanting to keep going. The fact I still found Maddie cute even when she was behaving like a jerk, and still wanted everything to be okay for her, should tell you just how much her cuteness suckered me in and how strong the connection was that I had with this great character. Though I think a lot of her cuteness was thanks to Logan, who she owes BIG TIME for managing to draw it out of her.

Logan has all the cuteness that Maddie does and THEN SOME! He is (in Maddie’s words) ADORKABLE! I LOVED this guy. From the first moment the reader lays eyes on him, I just wanted her to run off and dump Eric and be with the one she obviously was more suited for. Darn you, Maddie, for being so damn stubborn and needy.

Logan has a whole lot of patience and a whole lot of comfort in who he is. It’s so refreshing to meet a male character who knows how to be himself and wins everybody over—the reader included—without even really having to try. Logan just … was—is. That’s all that really needs to be said. I challenge anyone with a young heart (whatever their age) not to find this dude adorable. Loved him. Did I mention that I loved him?

And then we have the plot—which was great (sorry, no spoilers for you); and the side characters—Yes! Brilliant! Both Maddie’s friends AND Logan’s—even Eric and rotten-ex-girlfriend-who-doesn’t-deserve-being-named-on-my-review; their families—loved how we slowly learned more about who Maddie was as we got to know her family better and LOVED Martha, she’s the bees-knees, and Vera; and most of all, what pulled this entire story together to give it its awesome credibility, the geekiness I’ve now mentioned more than once.

True, not being a geek beyond my book fetish, I didn’t really understand the whole RPG part of it. But guess what? I didn’t care. Because no matter that I couldn’t follow all the rules and how it works, I still LOVED those scenes and read them with a big stupid grin on my face. All the comic book references, too, and how all that tied in. I just loved them. Loved them all.

Okay, I’ll stop now. I think it’s clear enough that I loved this one. For Maddie, it might have been the summer she became a nerd. For me, it’s the summer I became a The Sumer I Became a Nerd fan.

That is all.

Have you read this title? What’d you think?

Title: One More Day

Author: L.S. Murphy + Various

Publication date: November 4th 2013

Genre: YA (anthology)

And here’s the blurb:

What if today never ends?

What if everything about life—everything anyone hoped to be, to do, to experience—never happens?

Whether sitting in a chair, driving down the road, in surgery, jumping off a cliff or flying … that’s where you’d be … forever.

Unless …

In One More Day, Erika Beebe, Marissa Halvorson, Kimberly Kay, J. Keller Ford, Danielle E. Shipley and Anna Simpson join L.S. Murphy to give us their twists, surprising us with answers to two big questions, all from the perspective of characters under the age of eighteen.

How do we restart time?

How do we make everything go back to normal?

The answers, in whatever the world—human, alien, medieval, fantasy or fairytale—could,maybe, happen today.

Right now.

What would you do if this happened … to you?

I really like this cover, and it seems very appropriate for the genre/age group. Plus I’ve yet to read an anthology put out by this publisher that wasn’t decent, so I’m looking forward to this.

How about you? Sound like something you’d like?

Hey, all, and welcome to my stop on the Animate Me blog tour, where I get to share an excerpt of Ruth Clampett’s latest book.

First up, though, let’s take a look at the book in question.

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She seemed far beyond his reach…could love draw them together?
For years shy animator Nathan has carried a torch for Brooke, the beautiful and dynamic Director of Development at their animation studio, even creating B-Girl, a comic-book heroine in her likeness. When a new project throws the two of them together, lovestruck Nathan finally seizes his moment – only to find Arnauld, head of the animation studio, claiming exclusive rights to Brooke’s affections.

But Nathan, it turns out, is not giving up on his dreams so easily. With inspired determination, he sets out to be the super hero of wooing his girl. Threatened by his persistence, Arnauld plays dirty – only to spark an uprising at the studio that unleashes the sort of havoc only a building full of frustrated animators can create. While Nathan pulls out all the stops to win his B-girl, Brooke has to choose. Should she pursue the sparkling career that has taken her years to build…or follow her heart?

~~~~~

Sounds like there could be trouble afoot in this one, eh?

If this one floats your boat, you can add it to your Goodreads by clicking HERE!

And now, let’s take a look at that excerpt:

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The sun’s low in the sky as I stride up to my Wonder Woman waiting in her home’s open doorway. It takes my complete focus to maintain my Indiana Jones bravado when all I want to do is stop and bask in her super hero glory. From her majestic gold headpiece, all the way down to her sexy boots, she is everything I’d hoped for and more. With great concentration I manage to carry off my swagger as I move close to her.

“Hey, Wonder Woman,” I say in a low voice, tipping my hat. “You’re looking mighty fine.”

Wow, the way she’s lookings at me…it’s kind of wild…

“Indiana,” she says in a low seductive voice. “I always knew some day you’d come walking back through my door.” She reaches out and runs her fingers along the edge of my shirt. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you.”

Hot damn.

There’s so much pent up desire fueled by our private fantasies that between the flush moving across her chest, and the way she’s gazing at me, I can tell she’s excited already. I sweep her into my arms and kiss her with everything I’ve got. My hat falls off my head and tumbles to the ground. Moments later, we’re grinding together against her door jamb, not even caring who might pass by and see us. At this point I just want to make love to her until she sees stars.

When I grope her breast over her costume, and bite her neck, she gasps, “Let’s go inside.” I kick the door wide open and carry her towards her living room. I feel this unbelievable surge of adrenaline…I am Indiana Jones, sweaty and rugged, ready to take my woman!

~~~~~

Yep, and now it’s time for the giveaway!

Ruth has plenty of great prizes for the tour.

Up for grabs are:

SIGNED PRINT COPY OF ANIMATE ME + SIGNED ILLUSTRATED PRINT (2 WINNERS)!

E-COPY OF ANIMATE ME (5 WINNERS)!

$10 AMAZON GIFT CARD 1 POSTER + BOOKMARK OF SURPRISE ART BY THE AWESOME JAMES VALLESTEROS

1 BOOKMARK OF SURPRISE ART BY JAMES VALLESTEROS (10 WINNERS)

So, what are you waiting for?

GO ENTER!!!!

Good Luck!

Ruth Clampett, daughter of legendary animation director Bob Clampett, grew up surrounded by artists and animators. A graduate of Art Center College of Design, she has been VP of Design for Warner Brothers Studio Stores and taught photography at UCLA. Today she runs her own studio and as the Fine Art publisher for Warner Brothers Studios has come to know and work with some of the world’s greatest artists in the fields of animation and comics.

From this colorful background comes Ruth’s first novel, Animate Me, a fun and sexy, unique and engaging contemporary romance.

Ruth lives and works in Los Angeles, strictly supervised by her teenage daughter, who helps plan their summer around their yearly pilgrimage to the San Diego Comic Con.

Connect with Ruth: Website | Twitter | Facebook

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