[Book Blitz] Thief of Lies Excerpt!

Helloooo! I'm so excited to bring you guys an excerpt from Thief of Lies today! I'm super excited to read this book, since it sounds so awesome!

Here's some information on the book:

ABOUT

Title: Thief of Lies
Author: Brenda Drake
Series: Library Jumpers #1
Publisher: EntangledTeen
Release Date: January 5th 2016
Goodreads Page
Synopsis:

Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound.

Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed.

E X C E R P T

I pressed the screen, and it went dark. “How do we know he’s not being forced to say this?”

“The password, May Agnes guide you,” Lei replied. “She’s the patron saint of Asile.”

Agnes? That was the silver woman’s name that formed from my globe. Did the saints have something to do with the Chiavi?

I faced Ricardo. “How did you know I was here?”

“The werehounds tracked your scent from a shirt Katy…excuse me, your nana…gave us.”

“Can your pack help us save Couve?” Arik asked him.

“They will, but Gia must go with me.” He noticed the protest forming on my lips. “Merlin said no exceptions. I’m to get you to the shelter.”

From the corridor came yells, scuffles, and the continual wail of the warning siren.

“I can’t go with you,” I said. “I have to fight with them.”

“She can’t fight with us,” Lei said, glancing at the door. “She almost killed Kale.”

I turned to Sinead. “You know what I can do.”

Sinead gave me a pity smile. “Yes, but you have no control over it. Let Ricardo take you to your father and friends.”

I thought of Kale lying motionless, near death, and I hated that she was right. As much as I wanted to stay, I might be more hindrance than help. I caved. “Okay,” I said, defeated. Lei flew out of the room with the Laniars on her heels.

Sinead hugged me, then rushed after them. Arik moved over to me and cupped my face gently in his hands. His eyes held the intensity that always drew me to him.

I swallowed my breath in anticipation. All the sounds around us went silent.
He bent and lightly brushed my lips with a kiss. His lips were soft and oh, so tender. Butterflies swooped and curled inside me, and it felt like the ground disappeared from beneath my feet. He pulled back a little and said, “Regardless of the fact that you’re a royal pain in the arse, I fancy you. Listen to Ricardo and don’t do anything rash.”

He gave me another kiss and rushed out the door. My heart twisted in my chest as he disappeared. I touched my mouth and exhaled. He liked me. It was against the laws, but he told me he fancied me. Maybe we had no future, but we had now.

“What a sweet display,” Ricardo said, dragging me out of my haze. “I’m not one for rules or laws, but I’d be careful there. The punishment would be much worse for him than you.”

“Why?” I stared at the door as if I’d see Arik there.

“He’s a leader. He knows better.” Ricardo headed to the window. “Are you ready to fly?”

“Did you say fly?”

Purchase Here:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | BookDepository 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Happy Reading!

Liars Inc. Black Friday Sale!

HI GUYS. So I have exciting news for you, Liars, Inc by Paula Stokes is on sale!!! I absolutely adore this book and I'm definitely excited for you guys to read it! If you don't know what the book's about, here's some info:

ABOUT

Title: Liars, Inc

Author: Paula Stokes

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: March 24th 2015 

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

“This is one exciting ride.” –ALA Booklist

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money. So with the help of his friend Preston and his girlfriend, Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something, and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn't think twice about it. But then Preston never comes home. And the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead to Preston's body.

Terrifying clues that point to Max as the killer….

Check out my review of Liars, Inc here! 

Paula: I was super-thrilled to see that HarperTeen put the Liars, Inc. ebook back on sale for Black Friday, this time across multiple digital platforms. You can score an e-copy all week for the low price of $1.99 fromAmazon, Amazon Canada, B&N and iTunes!

I'm a girl who will buy almost anything if it feels like a mega-deal, but I realize that some people are a little more discriminating when they buy books. Therefore, I've designed a handy decision-making tree to help you determine if Liars, Inc. is right for you!

Paula: If you started to cry while reading the above chart, it's possible that you, like me, are a person who struggles to make decisions. It's okay. Some of us need additional information. Click here to read the first chapter of Liars, Inc. It's a great example of what you might be getting yourself into :)

JUST FOR FUN: Check out the top ten things I would bring with me if I had to go on the run from the feds. Includes essentials like Chapstick, chocolate, and flash bangs. If you leave a comment, tell me the top 3 things you'd pack if you went on the lam.

And hey, just for stopping by, you can enter to win a $25 gift card to B&N (U.S.) or your choice of any book from The Book Depository up to $20 value (INT)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you to Paula for stopping by and putting together this giveaway! I adore Liars, Inc and I hope we've convinced you to give the book a try!

Happy Reading!

[Review] Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins

ABOUT

Title: Until We Meet Again

Author: Renee Collins

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: November 3rd 2015 

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

They exist in two different centuries, but their love defies time

Cassandra craves drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants is to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own—and that the year is 1925—she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making.

As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandra discovers a truth that puts their growing love—and Lawrence's life—into jeopardy. Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history…or risk losing Lawrence forever.

[Blog Tour] Every Word by Ellie Marney!

I'm so incredibly grateful and happy to be on this blog tour because omygod I get to sing the praises of this series to y'all. If you didn't know, the Every series by Ellie Marney are some of my favourite books ever and they're a fantastic retelling of Sherlock Holmes.

Here's some information on the sequel to Every Breath - Every Word.

ABOUT

Title: Every Word

Author: Ellie Marney

Series: Every #2 

Publisher: Tundra Books

Release Date: September 8th 2015
Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

James Mycroft has just left for London to investigate a car accident similar to the one that killed his parents seven years ago...without saying goodbye to Rachel Watts, his 'partner in crime'.

Rachel is furious and worried about his strange behaviour - not that Mycroft's ever exactly normal, but London is the scene of so many of his nightmares. So Rachel jumps on a plane to follow him...and lands straight in a whole storm of trouble.

The theft of a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, the possible murder of a rare books conservator, and the deaths of Mycroft's parents...Can Watts help Mycroft make sense of the three events - or will she lose him forever?
Sparks fly when Watts and Mycroft reunite in this second sophisticated thriller about the teen sleuthing duo.

As part of the blog tour and to do something fun, I created some graphics for some of my favourite quotes from the novel. There were so many awesome quotes, but I only went with four because the graphics are time consuming and also I don't think making graphics for the steamy steamy kissing scenes would be entirely appropriate. ;)

"Our faces are together - we're not kissing, but we're breathing each other. We're breathing so hard the air around us is heating up."

"His heart is thumpa-thumping there, right under my palm. But he keeps himself a critical centimeter or two away - that tiny space between us is pulsing." 

"I discover that slippery has its own color. And hardness too - it is the aged-ivory of bone. Black is the color of decay."

"There's nothing to hold on to, nothing real. Just a few photos in an album. Nobody remembers them. Nobody remembers that we were even a family." 

Check out my review of Every Word here!

And if for some reason you haven't read the first book yet, here is some info!

ABOUT

Title: Every Breath 

Author: Ellie Marney
Series: Every #1
Publisher: Tundra Books
Release Date: October 14th 2015
Goodreads Page
Synopsis:

When James Mycroft drags Rachel Watts off on a night mission to the Melbourne Zoo, the last thing she expects to find is the mutilated body of Homeless Dave, one of Mycroft's numerous eccentric friends. But Mycroft's passion for forensics leads him to realize that something about the scene isn't right--and he wants Watts to help him investigate the murder.

While Watts battles her attraction to bad-boy Mycroft, he's busy getting himself expelled and clashing with the police, becoming murder suspect number one. When Watts and Mycroft unknowingly reveal too much to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion's den--literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning to Rachel Watts again...

Check out my review of Every Breath here!

Click on the photo to follow the rest of the tour!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ellie Marney was born in Brisbane, and has lived in Indonesia, Singapore and India. Now she writes, teaches, talks about kid’s literature at libraries and schools, and gardens when she can, while living in a country idyll (actually a very messy wooden house on ten acres with a dog and lots of chickens) near Castlemaine, in north-central Victoria. Her partner and four sons still love her, even though she often forgets things and lets the housework go.

Ellie’s short stories for adults have won awards and been published in various anthologies. Every Breath is her first novel for young adults.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram 

Happy Reading!

[Release Day Book Blitz!] Bound by Prophecy by Stormy Smith!

Today is the release day for the last book of the Bound series by Stormy Smith! I love this series and I'm definitely glad that it's started to pick up traction recently!

ABOUT

Title: Bound by Prophecy

Author: Stormy Smith

Series: Bound #3 

Release Date: November 12th 2015
Goodreads Page

Synopsis: 

Amelia Bradbury is finally free from Queen Julia and Cresthaven, but she isn’t safe yet. The Keeper power runs rampant inside her and it will take an ultimate act of selflessness to contain the darkness that threatens Amelia’s sanity and the future of the Immortal race.

Aidan Montgomery refuses to give up on Amelia. Once she’s rescued from the Keeper’s hold, he intends to prove his love is more than a side effect of the prophecy, even if doing so leads him away from his pack and on a journey that will irrevocably change them both.

When the past and the present collide and the shocking origin of the Immortals is revealed, Amelia and Aidan are forced back to Cresthaven to end a war that never should have started.

Purchase Here: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Have you read the first book in the Bound series? Bound by Duty is FREE 

ABOUT

Title: Bound by Duty
Author: Stormy Smith
Series: Bound #1
Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

Amelia grew up in a world of half-truths. She knows she's an Elder, but has no idea what that means. Her father reminds her daily that she must maintain control, but he refuses to explain why. Even worse, she's betrothed to the prince of the Immortals and doesn't even know his name.

Finally breaking free to live a few normal years at a community college, the last thing Amelia expects is to find her best friend in a cheeky southern girl, or fall for a self-assured human who sees her for who she is, not what she will become.

As she learns more about herself, Amelia realizes the line between love and duty is a thin one. As her power continues to increase exponentially and her questions are slowly answered, Amelia must make the ultimate choice. The question is, will her head win the battle, or her heart?

Get for FREE here: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A word nerd from the very beginning, Stormy Smith has always had her nose in a book or a pen in her hand. From a journalism degree to a public relations career, manipulating words has always been her forte. She never expected her love of stories to translate into writing them, but one day the words were there and couldn’t be stopped.

Stormy lives in Iowa’s capital with her husband and two crazy cats. When she isn’t working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy’s favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Happy Reading!

On Fountain pens

Today is an apropos day for this post, considering it's Fountain Pen Day - a day for fountain pen enthusiasts to celebrate the use of fountain pens on the first Friday of every November! :D

I've always had this weird love for stationery and I have no idea why. There's just something about nice paper and a great pen. Infinite possibilities and all that.

So to no surprise of mine, last year in about December, I stumbled into the world of fountain pens. I don't remember how exactly I found out about them. I think I was researching some random bit of stationery and stumbled across a blog that also happened to review fountain pens.

And so I fell into this deep dark hole (as I do) of learning the ins and outs of fountain pens and the different jargon associated with it. It was a good four months before I decided to purchase my very first fountain pen.

I purchased myself a lovely Pilot Metropolitan in a medium nib for my birthday.




It's wonderful and writes very smoothly. I think it's a common misconception that fountain pens are this luxurious item that isn't commonly affordable. However, while there are a few fountain pens that are heart-wrenchingly expensive, there are a lot of affordable options out there. My Pilot Metropolitan retails for about $15 - $20 USD depending on where you're getting it from.

However, you don't need to plunge all in with fountain pens, especially if you're not sure. They are an investment after all. There are disposable fountain pens out there, like the Pilot Varsity. I started out with these Bic disposable fountain pens I found in my school's store that were $4 for two of them. Though they weren't the best, I got a good idea of how I felt about them.

Another thing that I love about fountain pens is the ink. There are so many different colours of ink out there for you to write with, other than the standard red, black and blue. I started out with a bottle of black ink and worked my way to playing with different colours of ink in my pen. The thing with ink is that they are also an investment, since you're buying an entire bottle of it. However, a thing that fountain pen retailers do is they sell ink samples. They package 2mL of ink into a little vial and sell it for a dollar or two so that you can get a feel for the ink.




This is a little bit of writing I did with a sample of an ink called Poussiere de Lune. It's a gorgeous dusty purple colour and it remains one of my favourite inks to write with.

Here is another sample of writing, the top part written in a sample of Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai (a very expensive ink), and the bottom bit is a passage from Paula Stokes's upcoming novel, VICARIOUS in a sample of Diamine Oxblood.

You may see some names popping up in the pictures like, Rhodia or Clairefontaine. Another factor about fountain pens is paper. The ink in fountain pens are liquid, so some paper absorb the ink too fast, causing it to spread your words out and feather in the fibres of the paper. However, brands like Rhodia and Clairefontaine make paper that is specifically designed to be used with fountain pens. The paper is more expensive than a ten cent ream of lined paper from Wal Mart, but it's something that you would have to decide if it's worth it. You don't have to buy these specific brands of paper to get the proper experience though. It's all about testing the paper and seeing how it holds up to the ink. Who knows, maybe you'll find that some cheap notebook from the dollar store is surprisingly resistant to the ink.

If you're anything like me, you'll soon find yourself being suddenly particular about your stationery if you dive into this world of fountain pens. I'm not trying to convince you to buy a fountain pen with this post (though if I did, welcome to the fountain pen world! ), but rather that fountain pens don't have to be mind numbingly expensive and that if you've ever been interested in them and found yourself not knowing where to start, there are cheap and accessible means to it.

Here are some helpful links for some additional reading on some of my favourite fountain pen blogs if you're up for it:

• The Pen Addict - The Beginner's Guide to Fountain Pens (by a True Beginner)
• Wonder Pens - Why Fountain Pens?
• Jet Pens - Guide to Choosing a Fountain Pen
• Ink Nouveau - Fountain Pen 101
• Writer's Bloc - Beginner's Guide to Fountain pens
• Gourmet Pens - Beginner Fountain Pens
• Richard's Pens - Reference Pages

Happy Reading (or in this case, writing)!

[Blog Tour] Gabriel by Nikki Kelly! (+Giveaway!)

ABOUT

Title: Gabriel
Author: Nikki Kelly
Series: The Styclar Saga #2
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: October 27th 2015
Source: e-ARC via publisher
Goodreads Page
Synopsis:

The handsome Angel from Lailah gets center stage in this continuation of Wattpad sensation Nikki Kelly’s romantic and action-packed series about mortals, vampires, and angels.

Gabriel is an Angel Descendant. He's also an ally to a generation of vampires who want to break away from the demon who controls them. His faith in the power of good over evil wavers, however, when he discovers that Lailah, the woman he considers his only true love, may be both angel and demon. Is their love enough to overcome the dark forces who are ready to go to war with Gabriel, the vampire Jonah, and the angel and vampire forces? And can Gabriel compete with Jonah, who is also in love with Lailah?

Once again, Nikki Kelly looks deeply into the heart and soul of good and evil to create a romantic, action-packed reading adventure.

 Purchase: Amazon B&N  BookDepository Kobo iTunes

Review

Oh my god. This book was a doozy.

Gabriel starts off exactly where Lailah ends. The novel starts off slow, with Lailah acclimating herself to her newfound powers and the dichotomy that exists within her. However, once things started to pick up, so many things were happening and I was definitely sucked into the novels and the things that were happening to my poor, darling characters.

While I really did not like Gabriel at all in this novel, I enjoyed the way that Nikki wrote him. He is an angel, a being representative of light and glory and everything that is good. However, the way he is portrayed in this novel shows him as fallible and capable of bad choices. Gawd. The entire time I was reading the novel, I wanted to strangle Gabriel. I get why he did the things he did, but AUGHH. *mentally strangles Gabriel*

I love the development Lailah takes on in this novel, compared to the first one. She definitely managed to internally voice a lot of my internal thoughts in the novel. She also has a lot more conviction in her opinions in this novel, which I particularly like, even if I don't agree with it.

Jonah! My poor baby Jonah! I didn't get to see as much of him as I would have liked to in this novel, but it really just kind of made me like him more than I already did from the first novel. I really just wanted to give him a hug and never let him go. My poor baby.

There were a lot of super pretty moments in this novel with the way they were written and I just love the way Nikki describes things in such detail and with pretty words in a way that I can imagine them in my head.

Gabriel is a fantastic sequel to the first novel, Lailah, and I seriously can't wait to read the last novel, because that ending. . . . . and also I need more Jonah in my life.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NIKKI KELLY was born and raised only minutes away from the chocolately scent of Cadbury World in Birmingham, England. Lailah was first launched to Wattpad, an online readers and writers community. Within six months, the novel had over one million reads. Lailah is Nikki’s debut novel, and the first book in The Styclar Saga. She lives in London with her husband and their dogs, Alfie (a pug) and Goose (a Chihuahua).

LAILAH is my debut novel, and first launched in serial form to wattpad, a readers & writers community. Within just 6months, LAILAH had over a million reads and thousands of comments and votes.

Since then, The Styclar Saga has gone on to pick up a traditional deal with Feiwel & Friends, and LAILAH, the first book in the series is due for release on October 7th 2014.

These days I spend my time balancing my amazing job of writing fantasy fiction, with my other, very important role of Chocolate Connoisseur. I like to multitask and do the two together. It makes me happy.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads | Wattpad | Youtube

Happy Reading!

My Dream Literary Collection!

I was recently contacted by Invaluable.com, an online auction website, to put together a post on my dream literary collection, meaning that if money weren't an issue, what would I have in my collection.

So here it is guys, here are some of the things that would be in my dream literary collection.





Lot 393: Danish Fairy Legends and Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

Can I just with how pretty this spine is? I am an absolute sucker for the way old books look and the spine is definitely making me drool. Not only that, this novel is about fairy tales and by Hans Christian Andersen! I've always held a fascination for fairy tales and legends, so this novel would be great in my collection. Not only does it look good, but it's something that I'd definitely peruse through.


Lot 396: Group of 3 First Editions of the Madeline series by Ludwig Bemelmans

I used to loooooooove the Madeline series when I was a child. I didn't really read the books rather than watch the show. It was interesting especially since it took place in France and it definitely had me captivated. It would be so cool to own a couple of first editions of Madeline!



Lot 151: Signed Harry Potter book

UM. IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION? It's a signed. .  SIGNED first edition of the Chamber of Secrets. I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE. I don't even need to explain the reason why I want this because it's self explanatory.







Lot 36: Signed first edition of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

During my brief time at an English tutor, I was forced to read several classics and one of them was Of Mice and Men. While I didn't love it, it was a book I definitely enjoyed and would DEFINITELY not mind owning a signed first edition of the novel!







So those are my picks from Invaluable's website. Not only do they have vintage books there, but a huge number of things. I found myself distracted and browsed through some really gorgeous vintage fountain pens on the site that I'll definitely be perusing more later.

So what about you guys? If you had an unlimited budget, what book would you love to include in your collection? Because seriously, that signed first edition of HP though. (WANT) 

If you ever find yourself with an unlimited budget and are looking for antiques or first editions or the like, Invaluable is connected to auction houses all around the world!

Happy Reading!

[Review] Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

ABOUT

Title: Walk on Earth a Stranger

Author: Rae Carson

Series: The Gold Seer Trilogy #1 

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Release Date: September 22, 2015 

Goodreads Page
Source: e-ARC via Edelweiss
Synopsis:

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.

[Book Blitz] Gabriel by Nikki Kelly!!

ABOUT

Title: Gabriel

Author: Nikki Kelly

Series: The Styclar Saga #2 

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: October 27th 2015 

Goodreads Page

Synopsis: 

The handsome Angel from Lailah gets center stage in this continuation of Wattpad sensation Nikki Kelly’s romantic and action-packed series about mortals, vampires, and angels.

Gabriel is an Angel Descendant. He's also an ally to a generation of vampires who want to break away from the demon who controls them. His faith in the power of good over evil wavers, however, when he discovers that Lailah, the woman he considers his only true love, may be both angel and demon. Is their love enough to overcome the dark forces who are ready to go to war with Gabriel, the vampire Jonah, and the angel and vampire forces? And can Gabriel compete with Jonah, who is also in love with Lailah?

Once again, Nikki Kelly looks deeply into the heart and soul of good and evil to create a romantic, action-packed reading adventure.

Check out the Styclar Wattpad page for preview chapters of Gabriel!

INTERVIEW

What did you do on your research trip to France?

Mainly, I visited all the locations used in the book! I also spent some time writing while I was there of course! I think the nicest thing about my research trip was that I ended up using my Auntie and Uncle's barn conversion as a base for the property our gang find themselves staying in! Everything in the story form the barn, the village itself and various locations (including the snowy mountains) are completely real - you could even go and visit them all yourself!

Was the writing process for Gabriel a lot different than Lailah?

The writing process for GABRIEL was shorter, because this time around I was writing full time! But the actual 'writing' part was much the same. I start with a premise, have an idea in my head of the beginning/ the ending/ a specific character etc etc. and start writing! I only ever do rough outlines, it's all pretty much in my head, which is another reason why I have often said I feel like this story was implanted in my brain sometimes and I am the mere mortal who gets to put pen on paper to bring it to life!

What can we expect from Gabriel (the novel) ?

Gosh, A LOT! The story picks up right where it left off, and continues to be told form Lailah's POV - The main cast are back, but we get to meet some lush new ones too! I am still a great fan of the twist - suffice to say, just when you think you know, really you have no idea! ;) Oh, and also, did I mention... #NoMercy ;)

Would you say that you’re similar to Lailah in any way?

Naturally, Lailah and I have a few of the same traits, I think every character in my stories have a little something piece of me, whether intention or not! But I think we can all relate to Lailah's plight, I think most of us go through a time in our lives where we are working out who we are and making choices that carve out who we ultimately end up becoming.

What are you currently reading?

I have a new baby, so my hands are a little tied at the moment! But I can tell you what I will be reading next *grabby hands* Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo !!!

Any advice for aspiring authors?

If you have a story to tell, don't stop until it's told... and Never.Ever.Give.Up

How much of your personal experience is tied into this series?

A very large percent! A good example — In GABRIEL Ruadhan tells Lailah 'You only fail, if you never try.' That is the very advice my Mom gave me, and one of the reasons I am living my dream today... I think it all goes back to that great advice you hear again and again about writing - about writing what you know. So in this case, for example, I know very well the true meaning and the importance of that message... Even down to the mythology in the story -- it's all based loosely on my own belief system (you'll see plenty more of that in Book2 and especially in Book3)

And if you haven't read Lailah yet. . . . 

ABOUT

Title: Lailah

Author: Nikki Kelly

Series: The Styclar Saga #1 

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Goodreads Page

Synopsis: 

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NIKKI KELLY was born and raised only minutes away from the chocolately scent of Cadbury World in Birmingham, England. Lailah was first launched to Wattpad, an online readers and writers community. Within six months, the novel had over one million reads. Lailah is Nikki’s debut novel, and the first book in The Styclar Saga. She lives in London with her husband and their dogs, Alfie (a pug) and Goose (a Chihuahua).

LAILAH is my debut novel, and first launched in serial form to wattpad, a readers & writers community. Within just 6months, LAILAH had over a million reads and thousands of comments and votes.

Since then, The Styclar Saga has gone on to pick up a traditional deal with Feiwel & Friends, and LAILAH, the first book in the series is due for release on October 7th 2014.

These days I spend my time balancing my amazing job of writing fantasy fiction, with my other, very important role of Chocolate Connoisseur. I like to multitask and do the two together. It makes me happy.

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The Fierce Reads Blog Tour & reviews!

Hello everybody! I'm so excited to be part of the Fierce Reads blog tour and talk about some of the books that I read for this tour!

I was also given the chance to ask each of the authors a question, and here it is!

Are you similar to your character(s) in any way?

EMMA MILLS

I definitely relate to some aspects of certain characters. I identify with Devon’s apprehension about change, and her desire to keep things as they are. I definitely struggled a bit with all the changes going on from high school into college (and later on, from college into graduate school!). On the surface, I’m probably most like Rachel Woodson; I was never quite that high-achieving, but I was always really into school and extracurriculars like she is!

JOSEPHINE ANGELINI

Not really, but they all have bits and pieces of me in them, I suppose. For instance, I’ve been known to be stubborn and my main character Lily is pretty stubborn. But she and I are very different people overall.

LEIGH BARDUGO

I think I share Jesper's need to make people laugh when things are bad, Nina's love of sweets and low cut dresses, Kaz's desire for solitude. I have something in common with all of my characters. Even the really bad ones.

LEILA SALES

My characters are all different from one another, but each one draws upon a different part of my personality. That’d what allows me to get inside their heads. What I share most with Arden, the main character of TONIGH THE STREETS ARE OURS, is an intense loyalty toward the people and institutions who I love.

Here's some information on the books and my reviews!

ABOUT

Title: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: Six of Crows #1 

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Release Date: September 29th 2015 

Goodreads Page
Source: e-ARC via publisher

Synopsis: 

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Review

Six of Crows is so good. SO GOOD.

I haven't read the last book of the Grisha trilogy yet and I'm meaning to, but so many books, so little time. Anyways, I was able to still follow along with Six of Crows despite not having finished the trilogy. It would be a bit more confusing for people who haven't read any of the Grisha books to read Six of Crows first.

SIX OF CROWS is about a team of six people put together by Kaz Brekker in order to pull of a seemingly impossible heist in return for a more than handsome sum of cash. Each chapter is told in a different point of view of five of the six and we are able to learn a lot about each of the characters through their points of view and how they think.

I LOVE heist stories and despite the fact that this one is set in a fantasy world, it held just as much appeal to me. Although it is a fantasy world, the plotting of the heist and the follow through was very believable along with the fact that not everything goes according to plan.

I love the crew of six. Every one of the characters is dynamic and I can really imagine meeting them in real life except without the Grisha powers. Kaz is the leader of the six and the mastermind. He is sometimes called Dirtyhands because he is well known for doing whatever is needed to get to his goal. Inej is the spy and acrobat who gathers secrets for Kaz and is also called the Wraith. Jesper is the sharpshooter and the gunman who has a very serious gambling addiction. Nina is the Heartrender who uses her Grisha powers to survive in Kerch. Matthias is the Fjerdan convict with revenge on his mind. And then there's Wylan, the runaway with a talent for blowing things up and drawing.

I think of the six, Kaz is probably my favourite. He's cunning and slippery and always with a plan in the works. He's a Slytherin through and through and those are some of my favourite types of characters.

The plot of this novel was awesome and though it was slow in the beginning to get moving, it was still captivating to read the build up. I don't think I was bored for a second of this novel.

SIX OF CROWS is really one of the best books I've read this year and possibly one of my favourite books of all time. It's a stunning piece of work and I cannot wait for the sequel to this novel! I'm just so emotionally invested in these characters and the story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leigh Bardugo is the author of the New York Times-bestselling series The Grisha Trilogy. She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently makeup and special effects. These days, she lives and writes in Hollywood, where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. leighbardugo.com / grishatrilogy.com

ABOUT

Title: Tonight the Streets are Ours

Author: Leila Sales

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG)

Release Date: September 15th 2015

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

Recklessly loyal.

That’s how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Caring for her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she’s grown resentful of everyone—including her needy best friend and her absent mom—taking her loyalty for granted.

Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to gether in a way that no one else does, and he hasn’t even met her.

Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him.

During one crazy night out in New York City filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn’t exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn’t exactly who she thought she was, either.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leila Sales (www.leilasales.com) is the author of the novels This Song Will Save Your Life, Mostly Good Girls, and Past Perfect. This Song Will Save Your Life garnered two starred reviews, was included on the American Library Association's Best Fiction for Young Adults list, was one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Books of the Year, and was listed as one of the Best YA Books of 2013 by Buzzfeed.com. It has been published in ten foreign countries, and it has been optioned for stage and film development.

Leila grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Chicago. When she's not writing, she spends her time thinking about sleeping, kittens, chocolate, and how to get more of all of them. Leila lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works in children's book publishing. Follow her @LeilaSalesBooks.

ABOUT

Title: First & Then
Author: Emma Mills
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Release Date: October 13th 2015
Source: ARC via distributor
Goodreads Page
Synopsis:

Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

Review

How do I explain First & Then?

Reading First & Then is easy; It's easy in the way that breathing or blinking is easy.

First & Then is a contemporary YA novel about Devon Tennyson, a high school senior that's gets average grades and has no concrete plans for her future after high school except college, and not even a specific college. She's happy with the way things are and is not a fan of the new changes that were brought into her life for her senior year. First & Then details Devon's journey through new changes and learning about herself and the new people in her life.

Devon is so witty with her words and she's so funny. I wish I could converse with other people like she does. She's so real and I could find myself relating to her a lot. She has no idea what she's good at and so she finds it difficult to find something loftier to aim towards aside from simply getting into college, any college. I really enjoyed getting to know her and to follow her journey

Foster is Devon's cousin who is living with Devon's family for various reasons. He's the weird one who can be found in different, strange areas during parties. He has a surprising knack for football and gains the mentorship of the All American football star of the school, Ezra Lynley.

Ezra is the star of the football team with amazing stats and good looking to boot. A lot of people think he's an asshole and he's quiet despite his local stardom. However, there is more than meets the eye with Ezra. He's like baking chocolate as Jordan, the most popular kid in school, would call him. I really like him a lot later in the book and I can find myself relating to him as well in certain ways.

Jordan is great. He is the most popular kid in school that everyone likes. He has dreads and sometimes finds himself being Devon's counsellor. He always seems to show up when she needs someone to talk to. He's really supportive of both Devon and Ezra and he just seems to be really likeable. Hell, I want to be his friend.

The plot is fun and it's definitely helped along with Devon's witty comments. We follow Devon as she learns more about herself and the things she's good at. Though only several months pass in the novel, she grows more as a person and we get to watch as she falls in love with someone she finds to be an unexpected candidate. The one thing that really just kind of irked me a bit was when she mentally called the makeup-wearing niners, "prosti-tots" because they're wearing too much makeup for gym class and they're also still only 13/14. Thankfully, she does get called out on it in the novel.

Earlier I said that reading First & Then is as easy as breathing or blinking, and it's true. I found myself easing through the novel and before I knew it, I was done. First & Then is a super cute contemporary that's funny and really relatable and despite the ending being satisfying, I just wish it were a tad bit longer so I could have some more time with this story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emma Mills is a debut author better known to her subscribers as vlogger Elmify. She is also co-creator and co-host of the "life skills" channel How to Adult. youtube.com/user/elmify

ABOUT

Title: Firewalker

Author: Josephine Angelini

Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy #2 

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends 

Release Date: September 1st 2015 

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.
"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Josephine Angelini is the internationally bestselling author of Trial by Fire and the Starcrossed series. She is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. Originally from Massachusetts, Josie now lives in Los Angeles with her screenwriter husband, her daughter, Pia Marie, and three shelter cats. You can visit her on Facebook, her website josephineangelini.com, or follow her on Twitter @josieangelini.

Check out the rest of the blog tour here:

I received review copies in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion whatsoever nor was I compensated in any shape or form.

Happy Reading!