Cover Loves Monday 05/27/2013

Welcome to another edition of Cover Loves Monday!

This weeks feature is a little short on new titles. 

I've been trying to keep an eye out for new ones. If you

find something I missed, give me a holler!

Expected Publication: December 31, 2013

Torn between two worlds.

Torn between two lives.

McKenzie Lewis’s ability to read the shadows has put her—and …those she loves—in harm’s way again and again. The violence must end, but will the cost of peace be more devastating than anyone ever imagined?

After ten years of turmoil, the life McKenzie has always longed for may finally be within her grasp. No one is swinging a sword at her head or asking her to track the fae, and she finally has a regular—albeit boring—job. But when a ruthless enemy strikes against her friends, McKenzie abandons her attempt at normalcy and rushes back to the Realm.

With the fae she loves and the fae she’s tied to pulling her in different directions, McKenzie must uncover the truth behind the war and accept the painful sacrifices that must be made to end it. Armed with dangerous secrets and with powerful allies at her side, her actions will either rip the Realm apart—or save it.

Expected Publication: October 2013 by Sanhain

The darkest secrets are the hardest to unearth.

After her last mission tested the limits of her humanity and took her out of this world, Secret’s friends, determined to keep her safe from her old nemesis Alexandre Peyton, keep ushering her from one babysitter to the next.

Couch surfing would be a lot more fun if Alexandre would let up on her long enough to allow her to get in some alone time with her lovers. Including Holden, her self-appointed shadow.

As if living out of coffin isn’t bad enough, Secret literally brings down the house while hunting a rogue, causing the council to exile her from New York—for her own safety, of course.

With her list of people to trust getting shorter and shorter, Secret ends up embroiled in a mystery to find a vampire warden gone AWOL and a missing artifact. Things go from bad to worse when she falls into the hands of a man who will prove that humans can be the worst monsters of them all.

Warning: Contains a cross-country journey, an unexpected family reunion, heated lovers’ embraces and a hell of a lot of trouble

Expected Publication: December 3, 2013 by Signet

Utterly destroyed, or lost forever?

This is the question that plagues Riley Poe. After her vampire lover, Eli Dupre, was seemingly murdered by a fallen angel, she receives word that he's actually trapped in an alternate dimension, where hell on earth is revealed and dark forces reign. Riley’s been there before, and it nearly ripped her to pieces.

But her efforts to find Eli are thwarted by a new foe: a powerful, unstoppable vampire is slaughtering humans. Riley knows how to handle a vamp, and with the WUP team by her side, she's determined to take down the rogue.

But what she finds rocks her to the core, as she discovers a startling connection between the slaughter and Eli, who might not be missing after all—and who might not be the same vampire she fell in love with.

Expected Publication: February 2014 by ROC

Sorry, there's currently no synopsis for this title. Stay tuned!

Expected Publication: January 7, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

In the series debut The Testing, sixteen-year-old Cia Vale was chosen by the United Commonwealth government as one of the best and brightest graduates of all the colonies . . . a promising leader in the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. In Independent Study, Cia is a freshman at the University in Tosu City with her hometown sweetheart, Tomas—and though the government has tried to erase her memory of the brutal horrors of The Testing, Cia remembers. Her attempts to expose the ugly truth behind the government’s murderous programs put her—and her loved ones—in a world of danger. But the future of the Commonwealth depends on her.

Review: Broken Gates by D.T. Dyllin (Book # 2 The P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy)

Dear Ms Dyllin;

First may I say thanks for the copy of Broken Gates that you sent to me in lieu of my honest opinion? It's always appreciated when authors give you the opportunity to read a book before anyone else has. Thank you!

Second, I say this with nothing but respect for your writing abilities and story telling. However, you, my lady, are an evil, evil sadist! You have absolutely no compassion whatsoever for readers emotions or the fact that some of us have weak constitutions when it comes to powerful cliffhangers that leaves us gasping for air,  screaming like wild banshees, and nearly tossing our Kindles across the living room. This is now two books in a row where you left us huddled under our covers, rocking back and forth, hoping not to end up on the Farm. You need to write faster so that we can find out what happens next in Open Gates! Obviously, you have plans for PJ and her future so I'll trust you to FIX THIS! <See, no spoilers>

A feel ashamed to say that I most likely won't be able to rate this book any higher than I did even though 3.5 stars is considered pretty dang good in my book. Call me a Rebel if you will. I've been called worse and am still alive and kicking. There was just something about this book that just didn't sit right with me. Perhaps it's the fact that I laugh at so called heroines who are supposed to be strong, yet, can't make up their minds between two guys one of who has been on my hate list since Hidden Gates and a certain scene that I can't get out of my head.

The so called heroine who has an internal debate with herself and still she makes silly choices over who she should be with.

"I could remember more than a few times while reading a book or watching a movie, I had laughed and rolled my eyes at the heroine for finding herself in such a situation." 

"Was it possible to love more than one person at the same time? I had always thought it just kind of a convenient notion that authors of novels and screen plays used to amp up intrigue in their stories."

Perhaps it's the fact that I still haven't forgiven a certain someone who shall be not named for believing that any action he makes, is considered okay because of who he is. I'm obviously trusting you to fix the situation with Jenna as well. She needs to be around when all is said and done and maybe, just maybe, you can give her a HEA as well?

Broken Gates pushes the envelope in what P.J. is able to deal with, and yes, she deals with a whole boat load of problems and situations and revelations without fully imploding and falling into a hot mess. The action picks up immediately at the start of Broken Gates and of course, ends with the shot heard round the world! It was even nice to get a brief POV from the head Rider in charge which I wanted to know more about instead of the angst of P.J's emotional situation.

So, in closing, I need Open Gates ASAP! I won't be satisfied until it is in my greedy little hands and I'm sitting back in my recliner anticipating an exciting finale.  Open Gates is expected to release November 2013.

Title - Broken Gates
Author - D.T. Dyllin
Publisher - Dragonfairy Press
Released May 24, 2013
Genre - New Adult Paranormal Romance
Received from Author

Stacking the Shelves 05/25/2013

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books we received over the course of the past week. As always, this is a fun way to share what books are coming out, and in no way should be considered bragging in any shape or form. The books we receive are from publishers and authors (either directly or through intermediaries like NetGalley and Edelweiss). We also may purchase books from bookstores, or Amazon, and B&N, or borrow them directly from our local library which we should all support!

Thank you SO much for visiting my blog and checking out the books I received over the past week!

I hope you find something to add to your ever growing TBR Pile!

Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend!

Received from Netgalley or Edelweiss

Edmont USA 

(this is NOT the actual cover! Hasn't been posted ANYWHERE yet.)

Book # 3 is called Monsters

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Overpowerd by Mark H Kruger

Simon Pulse

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Disney-Hyperion

Rose under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Orbit

The Red Plague Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

Received directly from Jennifer Estep!

Midnight Frost

Kensington Books (K-Teen)

Spartan Frost by Jennifer Estep

Received from J. Taylor Publishing

Rise of the Magi by Jocelyn Adams

Berkley Trade

Viral Nation by Shaunta Grimes

Borrowed via library

Oath Bound by Rachel Vincent

Library of Gold by Alex Archer

Free Books via Amazon.com

Inhale Exhale by Sarah M. Ross

Blood SIngers by Tamara Rose Blodgett

Review: The Lost (Celestial Blues # 2) by Vicki Pettersson

The Lost is the continuation of the Celestial Blues series featuring former PI now Centurion Griffin Shaw who has given a second chance to find out who murdered him and intrepid rockabilly girl reporter Kit Craig who Griffin saved in The Taken and has a few skeleton's in her closet as well.

The Lost actually takes place four months after the ending of The Taken. Once again Petterson sends readers on an emotionally dark path that includes Kit's past that she's been trying hard to forget including the fact that her father's death has never been solved, and Griffin's inability to put his supposedly deceased wife Evie out of his mind while focusing on his new relationship with Kit.

The Lost's front story is the fact that apparently a Russian mob has moved into Las Vegas with a new drug called Krokodil that is so powerful, that it leaves the abuser on death's bed. As a side story, there's a very dangerous Fallen Angel named Scratch that is after Kit because she burns brightly and is pure in spirit. If that weren't enough suspense for you, Kit's Aunt Marin seemingly has some secrets that she's kept away from Kit since she was 16. It's also apparent that Pettersson wants to stir up a hornet's nest by introducing Detective Dennis Carlisle into the storyline.

For readers who haven't had the pleasure of reading this series yet, the main subject and mystery has been and always will be Griffin's determination to find out who killed him and his wife, and for what reason. Tying up loose ends that span 50 years in length is not an easy thing to accomplish. Call it frustrating if you will, but, I found Kit's mock determination to continually badger and judge Griffin over the fact that he still dreams about his not so perfect wife, a little much.

The ending of The Lost has left me feeling emotionally drained, and I really should have seen it coming since Pettersson likes to torture her readers. The end of The Lost is going to haunt me until the next book is released. I find myself having serious doubts about liking Kit at the moment even though I understood her reasons for her actions in the end. In my humble opinion, they were totally, and absolutely WRONG! But, it is something that Kit's personality would tell her to do. She also spends the entire book in a mood, and not a good one. She's absolutely feeling jealously towards Evie, a woman she's never met. She rushes into situations without thinking about what the consequences are first. For the most part, Griffin is there as her protector but he can't be everywhere at once and yes, he has a job to do as well whenever Sarge calls him.

I feel really, really bad for Griffin after everything that he did in order to save Kit's life. It wasn't a shock to see Sarge's interference in Griffin and Kit's lives by revealing a shocking secret or the fact that another character puts serious doubts into Griffin's mind. Sarge obviously planned this strategy from the beginning in order to get Kit back in line. The Lost laid the foundation for the big reveal by introducing and revealing several key players in Shaw's demise and the reasoning behind it. I'm holding onto my thoughts on who I think was responsible for Griffin's death.

Title - The Lost (Celestial Blues #2)
Author - Vicki Pettersson
Released by Harper Voyager March 19, 2013
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Received from publisher via Edelweiss

Waiting on Wednesday 05/22/2013

"Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at “Breaking the Spine”, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

This week I am waiting on Hell Bent by Devon Monk (Broken Magic # 1)

This is actually a spin-off series featuring Shame and Terric from the Allie

Beckstrom series. I loved both Shame and Terric and was really happy to hear

that this series was being written. Can't wait until November!

Instead of the deadly force it once was, magic is now a useless novelty. But not for Shame Flynn and Terric Conley, “breakers” who have the gift for reverting magic back to its full-throttle power. In the magic-dense city of Portland, Oregon, keeping a low profile means keeping their gifts quiet. After three years of dealing with disgruntled magic users, Shame and Terric have had enough of politics, petty magic, and, frankly, each other. It’s time to call it quits.

When the government discovers the breakers’ secret—and its potential as a weapon—Shame and Terric suddenly become wanted men, the only ones who can stop the deadly gift from landing in the wrong hands. If only a pair of those wrong hands didn’t belong to a drop-dead-gorgeous assassin Shame is falling for as if it were the end of the world. And if he gets too close to her, it very well could be.

Expected Publication: November 5, 2013 by ROC

Find out more about Devon Monk and her works here:
http://www.devonmonk.com/

Review: The Taken by Vicki Pettersson (Celestial Blues # 1)

The Taken is the story about two very unusual characters in Griffin Shaw and Katherine "Kit" Craig who are thrown together in order to solve a prostitution ring and the death of Kit's best friend. While Griffin is a Centurion who assists the recently, and violently deceased into the Everlast, Kit is a stout reporter who wears fashions straight out of the 1950's and has no reservation or hesitation about going after a story full throttle.

Griffin is a former P.I. who was himself the victim of murder that has never been solved. He's been a Centurion for five decades helping the recently murdered find their way. Griffin can also see when death it's coming yet sometimes he absolutely misses the signs, and makes some really bad choices which leads to his desire to protect Kit at all costs; something that his bosses aren't too thrilled about. Griffin is also obsessed with finding out who killed his wife Evelyn Shaw. Griffin is very blunt, pragmatic, a chain smoker, still dresses in the clothes and hairstyle that he died in, and has no desire to listen to those who demanded that he fix a problem that he created after he helped Kit's best friend Nicole. This in turn leads to him being sent back to earth in human form.

Kit Craig is one of those characters that my mother would like. She wears June Cleaver style dresses, a Bettie Paige hair style, and Rita Hayworth face paint straight out of the 1950's. She considers the Rockabilly lifestyle to be a calling rather than a choice and doesn't really care what anyone else thinks about her or her Pretty Kitty Posse friends. She's an hardened reporter who, along with Nicole, was trying to break an alleged brothel operation that ends up with Nicole dead and the arrival of Griffin as Kit's self proclaimed protector. When she meets Griffin, he truly believes that she's flighty, stubborn, surly, and impossibly cheerful. He also believes that she talks too much, and has a cavalier attitude about her own safety. Yet, there is definitely a connection between the two that leads to a not to surprising romance as well as a surprise twist to the story.

I have always liked Las Vegas as a setting for Pettersson's stories. It is obvious as the nose on your face that she has an intimate knowledge of the town and the shadier dealings of what happens on the strip which makes the stories even more realistic. The Taken has the feel of being a film noir mystery with a bit of the paranormal thrown in which I actually liked. This being the first book in the new Celestial Blues series leaves a few questions left unanswered but that is alright as long as they end up being wrapped up before the series itself runs out. The most obvious question is what really happened to Griffin's wife, and why were they both murdered at the same time?

I think that certain readers will have issues with the religious aspects of The Taken and the demonization of a certain faith, which coincidentally, came at the height of the 2012 Presidential Election. Not sure if that was on purpose, or just a coincidence by the author and the publisher. The villain, also part of this religious faith, is definitely not a very nice or likable guy and I felt the urge to jump for joy when he was finally brought to justice. The subject of young girls being forced into prostitution while the church basically looked the other way, is also a dark and brutal subject matter to deal with. In real life, child prostitution is all too often shoved under the rug because of corruption by those who are supposed to protect the innocent while allowing the guilty to walk away free.

Next up: The Lost (Celestial Blues # 2)

Title - The Taken (Celestial Blues # 1)
Author - Vicki Pettersson
Publisher - Harper Voyager
Released - June 12, 2012
Genre - Urban Fantasy

Top Ten Favorite Book Covers Of Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This one was actually harder than I thought since I read so many books over the course of a year. This year has been awesome, and we're not even into June yet!  So, these are the covers that I thought wowed me into requesting from the publishers and library.

These are in no particular order. They're all good!

I humbly believe this is the best cover of the series so far!

I like that you can see the 178 which relates to how long the main character was dead

before coming back to life!

Had to pick this one since it's NYC underwater!

Once again, I really liked this cover the best out of those that have been released!

I chose this once because I adore this series and Darian looks awesome!

As if I wasn't going to pick this cover! I would be remiss in my duties as a blogger!

I like the psychedelic aspects of this cover!

You could say that It would not have mattered what cover I chose from this series!

Love the fact that the artist made her look badass!

 

Can't have a Top 10 without Jay Kristoff's covers!