Review: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

(Click image to add to your to be read pile)
Title: A Shade of Vampire
Author: Bella Forrest
Genre: Young Adult: Paranormal, Paranormal
Format: eBook from Author
Buy:
USA, paperback | USA, eBook | UK, paperback | UK, eBook

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

 

At last! A book with a synopsis that I actually remembered! I did know what to expect when I started reading the book. First off, I’d like to thank Bella Forrest for gifting me a copy of this book to review.

Vampires now-a-days are extremely overrated. But writers still take the old and worn out concept and try so hard to make it their own, whether it’s a short story like this one or a full length novel. A Shade of Vampire is one of many vampire short stories and unfortunately, I wasn’t at all fascinated by it.

In all fairness, I did get really enthralled by the synopsis and I liked the thought of the kidnapper falling for his captive and eventually, keeping her from safe from his fellow “kidnappers”. But when I read the book, it really wasn’t what I expected. The “captive”, Sofia was very whiny and her whininess literally started from when the book began till it ended. She whined, self-doubted herself, thought herself as nothing, and all that no self-esteem nonsense. Maybe if there was more character development, I would be able to understand and tolerate Sofia better. But sadly, I didn’t and I went on reading with my eye twitching trying to tolerate her. Fortunately enough, she did have her shining moments that made her a little bit more likeable and even sweet at times.

As Sofia was kidnapped to be part of Derek Novak’s Harem, Derek notices her first amongst many girls in his Harem. Why? Because she held more courage and compassion than the rest of the human girls around Sofia *face palm*. Everyone knows what comes next; he immediately falls in love with her and then they go through a few trails together and then the book ends happily with them in each other arms.

Yes, I don’t like the characters very much but on there is a bright side. I really liked how well constructed the world of The Blood Shade Island, which is a secluded sunless paradise for vampires being hunted. The description of the place and how everything worked was spot on and beautiful in a simple sort of way.

The short story was very predictable, the characters were barely tolerable, the concept and scenario were wonderful and with a little bit refinement, depth and realism to the characters. I think Bella will be able to make this short series even better. I won’t give up on the series because I have hope the second book will be better.

 

Excerpt: Fractured Soul by Rachel McClellan

Gotta love the paranormals! 

--

Fractured Soul
(Fractured Light #2)

Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

What others are saying:

“I love these books! A kick-butt heroine and a hottie love interest, with a refreshingly original concept. Be prepared—once you start, these are hard to put down.”

—Paula Cotton, book reviewer at ReadingLark.blogspot.com

“Fractured Soul is a brilliant sequel, exceeding even the remarkable first book in the series. It will haunt your every waking moment between the times you’re reading it, and it will stay with you long after you’ve finished. It’s an amazingly well written and engrossing story that I highly recommend—after you’ve read the first one, of course.”

—Cindy Bennett, bestselling author of Geek Girl & Rapunzel Untangled

Amazon – Barnes & Noble

 

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After a minute I peeked around the trunk. Not far away a form moved in and out of the shadows. I couldn’t sense if the thing was Vyken or human, but the moment it stepped into the light of the full moon, and I saw its face, I knew it was a Vyken. And by its slender form, I guessed a woman, but I couldn’t tell by the face, which was missing half of its leathered skin. The other half was a rotted skull with a green, moss-like substance clinging to the cheekbone. The bone was a dirty yellow, the same color as her two rows of broken teeth.

She looked around and sniffed like she was searching for something. Her eyes jerked to the tree I was hiding behind. I ducked farther behind it and held my breath, my heart pounding and sweat breaking on my brow. Any other day I would’ve jumped at the chance to fight, but I was still too afraid of what Liam had told me and of what I already knew. Was I seeing my future?

“I smell you, Aura,” the woman said. Her voice was deep and raspy.

I left my hiding spot and ran as fast as I could, crashing through the forest, arms outstretched. I pushed my already exhausted legs hard as I hurdled over, under, and around what felt like an Amazon jungle.

The Vyken chased after me, making a strange sound with her throat, almost like a pig grunting. I looked back at her and saw that the sound was from the wind moving between exposed cords on her neck where there was no skin. The sight and sound of her made me find a second wind, and I sped up.

Bursting through a tall bush, I moved to take a step but found nothing but air. I fell, more like bounced, end over end down a steep hill. I didn’t stop moving until I landed in cold water. I sucked in air and quickly stood up. In front of me was a lake the size of a football field. Moonlight stretched across it like a lit-up road. I looked around. Other than a steep incline around the water’s edge, most of which was covered in trees and bushes, there was no easy way around it.

I thought about climbing back up the hill, but even as I thought it, I heard the female Vyken coming closer. Having no other choice, I moved farther into the cold water until, once again, my foot found no ground beneath me. A sharp drop-off plunged me into the water. I gasped at the shock of it and swam backward to keep my eyes on the top of the ridge.

Just then the hunched-over female appeared. I took a deep breath and dipped beneath the water’s surface. A few feet away I spotted a branch attached to a fallen tree lying at the bottom of the lake. I swam over and took hold of it to keep me from floating up.

Through the clear water, I could just barely make out the Vyken’s form as she made her way down the incline. When she reached the water’s edge, she paused and scanned the surface. After a moment, she turned and began to move back up the hill. Just in time too because my lungs were burning.

I was about to push up when all of a sudden she stopped and turned back around. I bit the insides of my cheek to keep from instinctively taking in a breath.

She returned to the water’s edge, and what she did next had me frantically looking around for an escape. Her black boot slid onto the water’s surface, and as soon as it touched it, the water beneath her foot turned to ice. Another step. More ice. An ice bridge was being created wherever she moved. Ten more steps and she’d be standing directly above me.

Although I was terrified, my lungs no longer cared. I let go of the tree branch and began to float up, but just as I was about to break the surface and gasp for air, something took hold of my ankle and pulled me down.

Rachel McClellan was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four crazy, yet lovable, children. Rachel’s love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

Website – Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads

Fractured Soul Tour schedule:

• April 1st | ReadingRenee (Giveaway, Excerpt)
  
• April 2nd | Ash Krafton’s Demimonde (Giveaway, Excerpt)
  
• April 3rd | White Sky Project (Author Interview)
  
• April 4th | Frankie Blooding’s Bookshelf (Excerpt)
  
• April 5th | Happy Tails and Tales (Review, Author Interview)
  
• April 8th | Darkest Sins (Giveaway, Excerpt)
  
• April 9th | The Ferryman’s Wife (Review, Author Interview)
  
• April 10th | The Avid Reader (Character Interview, Excerpt)
  
• April 11th | Nomi’s Paranormal Palace (Giveaway, Excerpt)
  
• April 12th | Justified Lunacy (Review, Author Interview)
• April 15th | Road to Hell series (Author Interview)
  
• April 16th | Realms of an Open Mind (Giveaway, Excerpt)
• April 17th | Mind Reader (Character Interview, Excerpt)
  
• April 18th | Unputdownable Books (Giveaway, Excerpt)
• April 19th | Sapphyria’s Book Reviews (Giveaway, Excerpt)
• April 22nd | JennRenee Read (Review, Giveaway, Excerpt)
  
• April 23rd | Tana Rae Reads (Excerpt)
  
• April 24th | Seeing Night Reviews (Review, Giveaway)
• April 25th | ReadingRenee (Review)
  
• April 26th | Romancing the Dark Side (Character Interview, Giveaway)
• April 29th | Much Loved Books (Excerpt)
  
• April 30th | Shah Wharton’s WordsinSync (Author Interview, Giveaway, Excerpt)
  
• May 1st | Bittersweet Enchantment (Author Interview, Giveaway)
• May 2nd | Mother/Gamer/Writer (Review, Giveaway)
  
• May 3rd | The Reading Diaries (Review)

Cover Reveal: Nightmare's Dream by S. M. Blooding

This is a beautiful cover! Though, I'm not sure about the model. But hey! I know how hard it is to find good stock images now-a-days! 

Nightmare’s Dream

(A Dreamland Stories Novel)

Harley’s been fighting Dreamlander society since the day she was born to a family of fixers, Dreamland’s janitors, with the abilities and gifts of a mechanic. She can see how to fix anything. That doesn’t matter though. As soon as she graduates, she’s scheduled to go to the Clink, Dreamland’s high security prison, for daring to be different.

Nightmare Keme has been a loner since the day he was pulled from death, and dumped into the Lake of Dreams to be reborn a nightmare. However, the day he walks into his quarters and discovers a woman mumbling about “killer glitter”, his heart does something it hasn’t done in over a century. It warms.

The Nightmare Realm is in trouble. Nightmares are dying. It soon becomes something much bigger when Harley stumbles onto the masters’ Compound, the location of their secret experiments to combine a dreamer’s body with all the powers of their barely used brain, with the world bending gifts of a Dreamlander’s soul.

Soon, glitter overtakes all Dreamlander places; Fixer’s Fairway, the Center, the Eat’s Market, the Burbs. Dreamlanders everywhere are falling to the virus; the more powerful the gift, the harder and faster they succumb.

Harley and Keme are the only ones who can save them. Keme, the nightmare who dared to dream, and Harley, the woman who defied her world.

Nightmare’s Dream will be published on July 5th by Blooding Books.

Praise for the Dreamland Series

“I fell in love with the characters and the universe she has created immediately. It was imaginative and unique, well thought-out and well presented. I look forward to reading future works by this author!“ —Christina M. Colombo “samuraisloth82″

“The story itself is wonderful, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I remember the stories of the sandman my own mother would tell me as a child. There are times when I wonder if it has anything to do with being such a dreamer myself. Dreamers will enjoy the story as it’s painted before your eyes, but adults who have taken the hard road of life – and who hasn’t?- will enjoy seeing how we can change things with just a bit of faith in ourselves. Better yet, we can set good examples for those around us when we don’t let the bad things in life tie us down.“ —Mother/Gamer/Writer

“Dreamland . . . a place of magic and wonder, powered by the hopes and dreams of those who believe.This was such a delightful story. I enjoyed every minute of it.“ —Lisette’s review

“You can feel the escape as the journey spins around you with the lush scenery and magical moments. Ms. Blooding takes the reader on a magical journey that is captivating. The Dustman is a most delightful read. Frankie pens a story that touches the heart and makes the reader feel forever young again.“ —Coffee Times Coffee Time Romance

“Wow, what a great story. It just sucked me right in and practically held me captive. You’ve got to get it.“ —Enchanted Romance

Dreamland Stories

SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie and Ms. Bird. No. She did not eat the Chicken. SistaPITA would have killed her. She’s taken a break from the piano since it’s currently packed, which Ms, Bird is quite happy about, and now knows more than one word in Arabic. Basically, she can say hello, good-bye, give it to me, and hurry up! Though, on every other Tuesday and Wednesday, she forgets how to say any of those. She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories. She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue!

Website/Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads

 

Cover Reveal: Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman

 Though the models aren't so great, the font and colors are so pretty!

 

Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman

Series: Forever First #1

Publication date: June 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Maddie Martin's first weekend at college is nothing like she's used to. It's wild, like the wilderness on which the University of Bellam Springs sits. Roped into going to a frat party, she literally runs into Kyle Hadley. The boy she's loved since she was nine. The boy she promised all of her firsts to. But that was before his father killed her parents.

Determined to stay away from him, she throws herself into her music. Practicing piano eases her heavy heart, calms the sadness, and pushes away images of Kyle's face.

Until it doesn't.

Her music professor asks her to play a duet for their annual Graduation Gala. Doing so means she'll be assured another full ride scholarship. It's an opportunity she can't pass up.

But Kyle is the other half of the duet. And that means hours and hours of practicing.

Days and months of seclusion - just the two of them. And it's more than just music. It's passion like Maddie never believed was possible.

The inevitable happens. She falls in love with him all over again.

But, will loving him be enough to erase all the hate in her heart for his father? Can she look at him, and not see the evil in his family tree?

And maybe it's all a set up. Maybe Kyle is only pretending to care so he can finish what his father started, and kill her too.

Goodreads

RASHELLE WORKMAN lives on a mountain with her husband, three children, and three dogs. From her back porch she can see the city lights and imagine... She's the bestselling author of the Dead Roses series (Sleeping Roses is being translated into Turkish, and will be available in print wherever Turkish books are sold in 2014), the Immortal Essence series, and the Blood and Snow series.

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Cover Reveal: Shadow Embraced by Cheree Smith

Now, this is a captivating cover. :) 

Shadow Embraced
(Haven #1)

No escape.
Those words haunt Scar’s dreams. She thinks the creature that terrorises her while asleep isn’t real, but when she’s abducted and taken to a reform school meant to contain creatures too dangerous to function in society, she starts to wonder whether she isn’t some monster.
She turns to an underground fight club full of vampires, werewolves and witches established by the students to control her urges, and who is she kidding, she loves to fight.
When fighters begin to disappear, turning Scar into the prime suspect, she must race to prove her innocence before her true nature is exposed.
The only problem is that she’s not entirely sure she’s innocent.

Add Shadow Embraced to your Goodreads list!

Cheree Smith

Cheree Smith lives in a country town in Australia as a high school English teacher where she writes paranormal, horror and dark stories for young adults. She enjoys listening to and learning about legends and myths, watching scary movies and dreaming up new worlds where monsters can come alive. When she is not in her writing cave she can be found listening to music, even dabbling in the occasional writing of music or reading.

Website –  Blog – Twitter – Facebook – Goodreads

Teaser/Excerpt: Immortal Prophecy by Samantha Adams & Kay Fry

Hey all! Check out this teaser from the paranormal romance, Immortal Prophecy! :)

Immortal Prophecy by

Samantha Adams & Kay Fry

The Immortal Prophecy Saga, Book 1

YA, Paranormal Romance

The prophecy has been foretold...
Her destiny has been written...
Her fate has been sealed...

Alessandra Decosta was just your average sixteen year old girl,
until she took a fateful visit to a fortune teller. What happened that night would alter the course of her life forever...

Five years later, Alessandra, now a private investigator,
was doing what she thought was a routine stake out...It was to become anything but.

Without any real warning, she found herself in the clutches
of the evil vampire, Vincent.

Just as she expected to die, James Carlisle, the smouldering
immortal that had haunted her dreams and thoughts for the last five years saved her from certain death with only a moment to spare.

Her memories of the horrifying encounter are removed and its
only when she meets James again at a masquerade ball, does she begin to have flashbacks of her brush with Vincent and the intoxicating Immortal that saved her life.

Alessandra is the only thing that stands between the immortals, the guardians of the human race and the vampires, the destruction of all mankind.

 Teaser

In this scene, Alessandra has gone to visit a fortune teller with her best friend, Kathryn.  It is here that she learns of the prophecy that will change her life forever…

“Alessandra,” Madame Isabella began, the tone of her voice becoming ominous and foreboding. Ally felt a shiver of dread run through her body. She should have listened to those instincts and gotten out of here, but no…

“You are a hunted woman, Alessandra. Two men are bound to you by destiny, but both have very different purposes. James Carlisle has been sent to protect you. Trust him with your life, he is your guardian and soulmate. Vincent, the other man, wants you dead…” She paused as she looked into the crystal ball, her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted in surprise. “Someone you love is keeping a secret from you that will shatter your world and change your life in ways you cannot imagine. You are not who you think you are, Alessandra.”

Ally, was vaguely aware of Kathryn’s arm around her. The feeling of dread had completely absorbed her to the point that she was paralyzed with fear.

“Are you ok, Ally?” her friend whispered, while giving her arm a squeeze.

Ally’s only response was a vague nod.

Madame continued, “Two people close to you will die, you cannot stop this. It is all meant to be and will mark the beginning of the prophecy…the prophecy you were born to fulfil.”

Ally’s breath caught in her throat. “Prophecy? What prophecy?”

“You were born to save an ancient race and kill Vincent. He will die at your hand if the prophecy is fulfilled.” The fortune teller paused for a moment, feeling desperately sorry for the sweet innocent girl sitting before her, but she knew that hiding the truth from her would ultimately lead to her demise. She leaned over and grabbed Ally’s hand in an effort to offer her some comfort. “The destiny that has been chosen for you will not be an easy one, but you were born to do this. No matter what do not lose hope, if you lose hope, then you have already lost, and you will die. Vincent will win, and the human race will be slaughtered with no one to protect them.”

Ally snatched her hand back as if it was burned. With a deceptively calm voice she said, “I want to go home, Kathryn. Now!”

“Of course,” Kathryn said as she helped her friend up.

“Ally,” Madame Isabella continued. “Remember that when you lose those people, things will have been set in motion that no one can stop. It will have begun.”

Unable to form any words, Ally glared at the woman, until Kathryn pulled her along and got her outside the tent.

Once outside, Ally felt like she could breathe again. They started walking so fast it was almost a light jog. Both were eager to get as far from that place as possible.

Madame Isabella watched the girls leave with a peculiar look on her face. “So the prophecy is true,” she muttered, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. “Poor girl, you have no idea what is coming for you.” A tear rolled down her cheek as she turned and walked back inside.

“I’m so sorry, Ally. I should never have forced you into that.” Kathryn felt dreadful for insisting that Ally have a reading too.

“It’s not true,” Ally muttered shaking her head. “It can’t be.”

Ally was still walking without a destination in mind, the only requirement she had was to be far away from Madame Isabella. Kat was walking with her, gently guiding her through the crowds. She could tell her friend was not watching where she was going.

“Not a chance that was way too bizarre,” Kat said, trying to be reassuring. However, they both knew that it more than likely was true. Madame Isabella seemed to be the real deal.

“Right.” Ally smiled trying to perk up. If I don’t believe it, then it won’t happen, right? Losing two people close to her, Vincent, a guardian and soulmate named James. It was all too much. Then the reality of what she had been told hit her. The air was knocked from her lungs, she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, and then everything went black…

Buy Links

AmazonUS / Amazon UK

 Enjoy! 

Giveaway: Artwork by Joanne Renaud, author of A Question of Time

Hey Guys!

I've got something new for everyone! A good friend and author, Joanne Renaud made a beautiful pencil drawn art piece of the main characters of her book "A Question in Time".  And you've got the chance to win it! Read on for more information!

 THE BOOK

Years later, successful author Celia Cavalotti is still mourning the death of her favorite teacher, who died in a car crash in 1989. But when a car accident of her own hurtles her back in time to the week of his death, she has a chance to change the future.

Finding herself in the 1980s is a shock to the extremely modern Celia-- but even more shocking is seeing her dead English teacher, Alan Forrest, alive and well before her very eyes. Alan is far more handsome than she remembers, and she can't resist the urge to flirt. After all, they have so much in common, like writing and a shared love of science fiction. Celia knows she's falling in love with him-- but can she use this opportunity to prevent his tragic death? What is happening to her? And why can't she seem to stay in one place and time?
  
AN EXCERPT OF MY REVIEW ON  
'A QUESTION OF TIME'

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, Joanne Renaud wrote a book that isn't what you or I expected... click to read on"


 THE GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten with Justin Calderone, author of LARP, the Legend of Verona

Hi all! Today, I have a very unique writer who will share with you the reasons why he writes.

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Writers write for different reasons. Secretly, all of us want to be rich and famous. We all think we have the “big idea” that will change or inspire society. Some of us do have that idea, and it goes unnoticed. Some of us don’t have that idea, and everyone loves our work, anyway. I’ve been writing creatively since I was old enough to hold a crayon, and below are the top ten reasons why I keep on keepin’ on:

1. God- I know that God gave everyone at least one talent, and mine is writing. I’m not saying that I am the most talented writer ever, but I know that what I am able to do comes from God, and I feel closest to Him when I use the talent He gave me

2. Jack Kerouac- He’s the writer who inspired me to write. If you don’t know who he is, Kerouac was a writer in the ‘50s who spent a few decades hitchhiking across America. He wrote books about his adventures. What’s unique about his writing is that it’s mostly stream of consciousness, and there’s a huge theme of a search for spiritual purity and truth. I read his novel Desolation Angels when I was 19, and it floored me. He wrote in a way that I always wanted to, but didn’t know it, if that makes sense. After reading that novel, I started to work and focus on my own writing.

3. Music- My #1 artistic food is music, more than books. I am listening to music as I type this. I love all types of music, as long as it is artistic, meaning, music made by people, not computers.

4. I can’t stop- Writing isn’t something you do, it’s something you can’t stop doing. I’ve been making books since I discovered books.

5. I can’t stop, Part II- Part of the way my writing brain works is that I suddenly get an idea, or a phrase, a title, or an entire paragraph. I could be driving, or watching TV, or sleeping. The idea will repeat itself, making me crazy, until I write it down. It’s almost like being held hostage by an idea.

6. Bob Dylan- The older I get, the more Dylan means to me. His songs speak to me in a very deep way, and seem to say something different each time I listen.

7. Bruce Springsteen- I wanted to make LARP: The Battle for Verona like a Springsteen album. His albums are emotional, and speak to small town situations. Dennis, the main character in the novel, could have been a character from the Born to Run album.

8. Rod Serling- You know him, The Twilight Zone guy. He’s the first writer I really connected with. Serling’s brilliance is unmatched.

9. I’m in competition- With myself. When I write, I am constantly pushing myself to do better. Part of the fun of writing, for me, is to see if I can top myself.

10. I can’t stop, Part III- I’ve got something to say. LARP: The Battle for Verona is basically a story of geeks who save a society that has shunned them. The purpose of the novel is to reach segments of the teen and young adult audience of readers who have felt marginalized and bullied because of their particular passions and intellectual pursuits. As a high school English teacher, I know that this is a message that needs to be heard.

---

Justin, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my silly top ten topic! It's an honor to have you on my blog today. :)

LARP: The Battle for Verona
Justin Calderone

Paperback, $8.99
eBook, $3.99
ISBN: 978-1481231237
YA Fiction, 204 pages
December 12, 2012

Synopsis:

Sometimes even a geek can become a hero.
Dennis and his friends have been LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) since high school. Now, in his 20s, Dennis is seriously considering giving up LARPing for good. He’s tired of dealing with his overzealous friend Mark; he’s tired of his older brother Brad's constant put-downs; and he’s tired of the fact that he doesn’t have a girlfriend.

Check that.

Not a girlfriend, but the girlfriend. Alyssa--the one woman he’s been pining over for years.

Dennis and his fellow LARPers have never been considered cool, in their small island community of Verona, located off the coast of Washington State.

But all of that is about to change . . .

While Dennis and his friends are attending a big LARP tournament on the mainland, a rogue terrorist group of Mongolians in medieval garb, led by an American madman, invade Verona and take its citizens hostage--including their families and friends.

When the LARPers find out what’s happening in their home-town, they do what any dedicated LARPer would do: they put on their armor, strap on their swords, and fight their way home--LARP-style!

Website: JustinCalderone.com
@JustinCalderone

A writer with a passion for inspiring teens and young adults, Justin Calderone debuted his first novel LARP: The Battle for Verona in December 2012.

Calderone grew up in Verona, Penn., a suburb just northeast of Pittsburgh. He earned a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from La Roche College and graduated from Gannon University with a master’s degree in education. Calderone is expected to graduate in 2014 with a second master’s degree in educational leadership from Edinboro University.

Calderone, 36, began his journey as a writer nearly 20 years ago after reading Jack Kerouac’s Desolation Angels. He is the author of the 2004 collection of contemporary poetry Revolutions.

An English teacher at his alma mater, Penn Hills High School, Calderone lives in his hometown of Verona with his wife Emily and 1-year-old son Sam. He enjoys watching baseball, listening to music and has a special place in his heart for Spiderman.

'Top Ten Quotes You Live By' with Brian D. Anderson, Author of the Godling Chronicles

Now, this series has very dark and awesome book covers. I love the dark knight on a red-eyed horse on the first book. Anyways, check out Brian's Top Ten Quotes He Lives by!

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TOP TEN

Quotes You Live By

1. If you’re going through hell, keep going - Winston Churchill
2. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent - Eleanor Roosevelt
3. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new - Albert Einstein
4. Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so - Douglas Adams
5. Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something - Plato
6. I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him - Galileo Galilei
7. The happiness of society is the end of government - John Adams
8. When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on - Thomas Jefferson
9. Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere - Carl Sagan
10. We build too many walls and not enough bridges - Isaac Newton

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Naj's Note: My Favorite would be Winston and Einstein's.

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The Godling Chronicles

by Brian D. Anderson

The Sword of Truth
Book One

Paperback, $12.99
eBook, $3.99
ISBN: 978-0615710044
YA Fantasy, 346 pages
GMTA Publishing, October 5, 2012

Darkness comes as a new power rises in Angrääl. The Dark Knight has betrayed the Gods and stolen The Sword of Truth, trapping them in heaven. With the power of the Sword he can reshape the world and bring death to all who oppose him. Only one thing stands between the darkness and the light. Gewey Stedding. Only he has the power to stand against the oncoming storm. Only he can mend the world. But only if he can discover his power....

 

Of Gods And Elves

Book Two

Paperback, $12.99
eBook, $3.99
ISBN: 978-0615722177
YA Fantasy, 276 pages
GMTA Publishing, November 1, 2012

Armies gather for war in the frozen land of Angrääl threatening to set the world ablaze. The elves are divided and scattered and humans fall prey to the dark influence of the Reborn King. Now, Gewey is faced with his greatest challenge yet. Unite the world of elf and human before it is too late...

The Shadow of Gods
Book Three

Paperback, $12.99
eBook, $4.99
ISBN: 978-0615770727
YA Fantasy, ### pages

GMTA Publishing, March 14, 2013


Valshara has fallen, and the forces of Angrääl are advancing. For the first time, human and elf must shed blood as one, in order to stem the tide of evil. But new hope has arisen. From across the Western Abyss, a people long forgotten have returned. However, hope comes at its own price. Gewey must choose between his bond of love, and his duty to the world he is struggling to save.

---- 

Brian D. Anderson debuted as an indie author in fall 2012 with The Godling Chronicles, a multi-book young adult fantasy series from GMTA Publishing that sold 10,000 copies in just the first three months.

The continued and growing success of his first two titles, Book One: The Sword of Truth and Book Two: Of God and Elves, allowed Anderson to start writing full-time. He releases the third installment of his series this spring, and is already at work on the fourth and fifth novels. 

Anderson was born in 1971 in the small town of Spanish Fort, Alabama and lived throughout the coastal state also in Fairhope and Mobile during college, where he developed a love of fantasy novels.

He lived and worked in New York for years with his wife and son – who created the original concept for The Godling Chronicles – and the family is heading back down south for a beach life in Pensacola, Florida.

@GodlingChron 

Author Brian D. Anderson

Review: Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

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Title: Beautiful Darkness
Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Genre: Young Adult: Paranormal, Paranormal
Format: Paperback
Buy: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository




Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Frankly speaking, I found the first book (Beautiful Creatures, now, a big movie franchise) too much of a drag to read mainly because of how prolonging it was. I wasn't planning on reading or listening to the rest of the series anytime soon. But thanks to my eldest sister's audiobook, I managed to finish it within 3 days. Best thing about this is that I get to listen to it while I worked. I call it 'double productivity' and with that double productivity, I actually grew to love the series!

When the book started, I groaned and I did it because the author(s) reuses the same plot from the first book and renames it 17th Moon instead of 16th Moon. Then they begin to write circles and differences around it. But you've got to hand it to them, they did write a damn good book!

Ethan (the main character) is a sweetheart and in this installment, the poor guy goes through heaven and hell for Lena (his female counter part). Man, I hate Lena. She's such a victim I can't stand. Even worse are the decisions that she makes, and the fact that she completely doesn't confide in Ethan, like they used to, makes me groan some more! I even rolled my eyes at her a couple of times. I am so happy I don't have to deal with her as the main character. I wouldn't want to get stuck in that head of hers.

In the end, my favorite character is Link (Ethan's lame best friend) instead of Ethan. He's one of those dorky characters that will make you cry and laugh at the same time. He can even be considered as the "Ron Weasley" of the whole series.  He is very much linked to the end of this installment that will literally blow your mind with it's awesomeness!

Likewise, we've got the adversaries of Ethan and his gang. The mastermind of the whole evilness reminds me too much of the bad guy in The Hunger Games. But then again, nothing is really new out there.

Now, for the beautiful yet gothic land of Gaitlin, South Carolina. So dark, so mystical. I just want to move into this fictional town and spend the rest of my life doing the things I love with the people I love. Of course, I'll only live there if the fictional characters of Gaitlin weren't. If you dislike the characters, you sure won't dislike the town they live in (minus the people). Gaitlin isn't just a home for humans but also Witches or Casters as they like to be called. The world Stohl and Garcia creates for the Casters is so dark and haunting, you can't help but call it beautiful.

Undoubtedly, I adored the book. The writing style is flat out written for not only the teens but for mothers, fathers, older brothers, etc. Some characters will surely keep you glued to the book while the storyline remains with the same foundation but still has the ability to keep the reader going, and most importantly, the book encompasses the Beautiful Darkness that continues to draw me even closer to the characters and overall, to the entire series. 

And with that, I quickly moved to the 3rd book and I'm half way done with the book!