Review of Nocturne for a Widow

Nocturne for a Widow (Sybil Ingram, book 1)

By Amanda DeWees

Synopsis:

In this spooky, sparkling mix of gothic mystery and romantic comedy, spirited Victorian actress Sybil Ingram vies for a Hudson Valley haunted house with hot-tempered musician Roderick Brooke - and locks horns with a mysterious, powerful rival. (Goodreads)

By turns mysterious and moving, sparkling and spooky, Nocturne for a Widow follows a spirited heroine through adventures in life, love, and death. From the colorful theatrical world of late-Victorian London to the American wilderness, Sybil's travels will test her mettle--and her heart. (Amazon)

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 4.4/5

My Thoughts:

I can safely say that I adored Nocturne for a Widow. Amanda has a way of transforming such morbid events into an amusing tale. The first chapter with the eccentric Etherton and his drama drew me in and the following events continued to demand my attention. 

I loved Sybil's theatrics and her stubborn but loyal character. Her restless energy and love for her profession was a lovely change from all the books about teenage protagonists I've read recently. 

Mr Brooke certainly completed the picture with his cynical attitude and devilish persona. It was clear from the start that Sybil and he would make a fierce couple, especially since the two were at war for ownership of the house. They keep each other at arms length and argued incessantly but the energy between them was palpable. 

There were many other unusual characters to this story, such as the witty reverend, malicious Mrs Dove and the spirit haunting the mansion. 

In conclusion, this book was a delight to read, as Amaanda DeWees' books always are and I do hope you'll give it a try too. If I haven't convinced you yet, take a look at my favourite quotes for a taste of Nocturne for a Widow.

Zed (:

Favourite Quotes:

“Oh, Atherton.” I sank back into my chair. “Is your rheumatism worse? I had hoped…”

“As had I, fair Gloriana. As had I.” His sigh seemed to come from the depths of the earth itself. “My doctor tells me my trouping days are o’er, alas. Enchained am I, like Prometheus to his rock, trapped like Ariel in the cloven pine.”

No longer was I confined to the purgatory of solitude waiting. She who has an enemy, after all, is never lonely.

“Dr. Carfax,” I said, and although I spoke pleasantly a little thread of iron had entered my voice, “you know perfectly well that we are all of us, men and women, susceptible to outer beauty. Inner beauty can be more elusive and take time and pains for an observer to unearth, but a fetching exterior shines forth as powerfully as a lighthouse beacon on a dark night.”

He gave a derisive snort. “If you are an example of such a thing, Mrs. Lammle, I would be afraid to open my mind lest its present contents fall out.”

“If the dead truly haunted the living as in your tale, I’d never have a moment’s peace.”

  

“…Youth is the most precious thing we can possess, but it is wrested from our grasp so soon. We are left straining after it, yearning for it, while it flits away remorselessly. And then we have the rest of our life to contemplate what we lost, all that we did not do when we had that most precious of gifts.”

“In any case, you remember what happened the last time I had feminine inspiration.”“Did you chop her up and hide her under the floorboards?” I inquired. “It would not greatly surprise me.”“And I am surprised,” he returned, “that you have reached your present age without having met the same fate.”

Review of Isla's Inheritance

Isla’s Inheritance

By Cassandra Page

Synopsis:

Isla was content to let her father keep his secrets, but now she can’t stand the touch of iron and her dreams are developing a life of their own. She must discover the truth — before it’s too late.

Seventeen-year-old Isla Blackman only agrees to participate in a Halloween party séance because Dominic, an old crush, wants to. She is sure nothing will happen when they try to contact the spirit of her mother. But the séance receives a chilling reply.

SHE IS NOT DEAD.

Isla doesn’t want to upset her father by prying into the family history he never discusses. When the mysterious and unearthly Jack offers to help her discover the truth, Isla must master her new abilities to protect her loved ones from enemies she never knew existed.

Source: Goodreads

My rating; 3.3 / 5

My Thoughts:

I've had this book on my TBR pile for a while and I finally got round to reading it this week. I love stories about the Fae but unfortunately, most tend to be rather predictable so I was glad that this book had some notable differences. Yes, there was the stock standard iron being fatal to faeries, and the general perception of faeries having pointed ears, being troublesome and dangerous. But there was also Isla's ability to read auras and manipulate emotions. And how she accidentally empowered her cousin with magic so he paints the future. Most importantly, the first few chapters with the seance and the ouija board captivated my attention and that curiosity continued throughout the book.

My pet peeve with Isla's Inheritance was that the dialogue was stilted at times and no matter how much I enjoyed Isla's story I wasn't entirely convinced about the events taking place. What I found strange was how easily Sarah believed her about being a half breed and having supernatural powers. The girl believes in paranormal stories but she didn't even blink in accepting it as the truth, I would have expected her to be at least a little sceptical of Isla's truth.

As the story progresses, Isla becomes increasingly torn between her old-crush-and-now-boyfriend Dominic, and the Fae boy who is always on the lookout to protect her, Jack. From what I've read, although Jack's appearance improves the more time he spends with a powerful aosidhe like Isla, Dominic is more attractive than him. Being a faerie, Jack is short, occasionally comes out in wrinkles, has big pointy ears and is strong enough to kill someone when he's angry. Regardless, I'm almost certain that eventually Isla will choose Jack over Dominic (if Dominic doesn't leave her before then :S).

Overall, a good read but because of some of the characters, I've given this a 3 out of 5. Since this is the first in the series there is more backstory and character building than a standalone book, but I'm expecting the rest of the series to be 4 stars and possibly above.

Favourite Quotes:

I wasn't good at this dating business. If that's what we were doing. I wasn't very good at predating either. I'd say I wasn't good at postdating, but I hadn't yet had an opportunity to prove it.

I examined my palm; the skin was unbroken and smooth, showing no sign of the burn. It glistened with saliva. I really wanted to wipe it clean against my jeans, but that seemed rude. Of course, he’d just licked me, so maybe his idea of rude was different than mine.

I hated waiting at the best of times. These weren’t the best of times.

“You’re taking all this very well,” I said. “Magic and fairies and stuff.” 

Sure, the outcome was favourable, but what was the cost? Wasn’t changing the way she felt about something not far from taking away her free will altogether?

Review of Follow Me Down

Follow Me Down
By Tanya Byrne

 

Synopsis:

The sensationally good Tanya Byrne returns with her new novel - a dark, compulsive tale of obsession and betrayal. 

When sixteen-year-old Adamma Okomma, a Nigerian diplomat's daughter, arrives at exclusive Crofton College in Wiltshire, she is immediately drawn to beautiful, tempestuous, unpredictable Scarlett Chiltern. Adamma and Scarlett become inseparable - until they fall for the same guy. Soon the battle lines are drawn and Adamma is shunned by Scarlett and her privileged peers. But then Scarlett goes missing and everything takes a darker turn. Adamma always knew that Scarlett had her secrets, but some secrets are too big to keep and this one will change all of their lives forever.

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 4 / 5

My Thoughts:

I know I'm starting this review the wrong way round but the ending to this book really threw me. Whether this was a good or a bad thing, I don't know! It just made me re-evaluate everything I had read so far, re-think the characters and events and try to make sense of it all. Sounds cryptic, but that's how I felt.

Adamma was an unusual character, she's like an odd version of Nancy drew. She was okay-ish during the first half of this book but then she ditched the best friend she practically worshiped for a guy. Uh oh indeed. It's not Scarlett's fault that she didn't live up to Your sky high expectations! Perhaps you should have gotten to know her before putting her up on a pedestal? 

I found Adamma to be too flighty and emotional, her change over the story wasn't a good one. I understand she's in love and he's the most amazing guy to ever exist in this entire universe but Adamma went from miss super high standards to miss selfish cow in just a few pages.  

I'm not justifying Scarlett's bitchy, selfish and manipulative nature but there were many times when I wondered why Adamma was being so judgemental of Scarlett's behaviour when she wasn't so honest and forthcoming herself. Maybe she shouldn't throw her heart around so easily if she doesn't want to get hurt? Adamma let Scarlett treat her like crap so who was really at fault here? 

 The book is deliberately confusing and makes you question all of the characters. Without revealing too many spoilers, there are a few incidents in the book that keep the reader guessing as to who was responsible for them. Who attacked the girls in Savernake forest (it's a real place in England), was it a random creep?! Or is it someone closer to home; or their school to be more precise?

I was definitely fooled about Adamma's boyfriend right until the very end and I won't say any more just in case you're planning to read it but it took me a while to figure it out even after I had finished the book.  

The story covers a while host of topics from peer pressure and sexual harassment to Nigerian weddings. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Igbo people and their culture.  

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a mysterious read but given some of the issues discussed in the book I wouldn't quite classify it as Young Adult. I look forward to reading more of Tanya Byrne's work soon.  

P.s. this book had some awesome quotes...

Zed (:

Favourite Quotes: 

I turned to walk away, but he changed tack. 'OK. If the face isn't working,' he said suddenly in front of me, 'I'm a billionaire.'That didn't work, either. 'Your father's a billionaire,' I replied, looking back down at my map. 'The only thing you've earned is Air Miles.'

'You're so aloof, Adamma,' they say with a smile as though they're telling me something I'd want to know about myself. If not hugging girls I don't know outside of class and telling them that I love them makes me aloof then, yeah, I guess I am.

I'm seventeen. This isn't puppy love any more. The boys are nearly men, when they bite they leave scars.

I wanted to scream. Cry. Break something. In Nigeria, death isn't something we speak of in hushed voices. We don't cry behind closed doors. But in England, grief is wrapped up. Locked away.

Can you be scared of your heart? I was scared of mine, scared that he might never love me back and I'd still love him.

'So I do believe that you're sorry, Adamma, but sometimes you say things that you can't take back, no matter how many times you say sorry.'

'I wish I was like you. I wish there was a door in my heart that I could just shut.'

We say things we don't mean, don't say things we do. The words hurt, draw blood.

Teaser Tuesday - 27th Jan 2015

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser is taken from The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma. I received a free copy from NetGalley for review but the book's expected publication date is March 24th 2015. I've only read 33 pages so far (because it's in a weird format, which isn't compatible with my kindle so I can only read on my computer), but so far it's awesomeness! 

Here is my teaser:

Some of us knew for sure it was a Saturday, the first one of August. Some of us kept track of days, as Lian did (her charge was manslaughter, like mine, though her weapon was a handgun and she had only ninety-nine days remaining on her sentence; I had far more).

Synopsis:

The Walls Around Us is a ghostly story of suspense told in two voices - one still living and one long dead. On he outside, there's Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls' juvenile detention center, there's Amber, locked up for so long she can't imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls' darkest mysteries.

We hear Amber's story and Violet's, and through them Orianna's, first from one angle, then from another, until gradually we begin to get the whole picture - which is not necessarily the one that either Amber or Violet wants us to see.

Nova Ren Suma tells a supernatural tale of guilt and innocence, and what happens when one is mistaken for the other.

Source: Goodreads

   

What are your thoughts from reading the above? 
Would you read this book, or pass? 

Don't forget to share a link to your TeaserTuesday in the comments below.

Zed (:

DNF Review of the Island trilogy

The Island Collection
By Jen Hinkman

 

About:

All three books of the Island series in one volume – The Island Trilogy is the perfect young adult dystopian read if you are looking for something different than usual!


From the isolated island of Tresco to the wild moors of Dartmoor, this far-reaching tale of lost children, strange belief systems and shattered societies will make you wonder about our own culture, today’s world, and our place in it. How much of that world do we take for granted without asking why things are the way they are?


Included in this collection are:
THE ISLAND - On one side of the Island’s great Wall, children must abandon their parents and fend for themselves from the age of ten. Leia is used to it — but she’s always been curious about what lies beyond. Then she meets Walt, a young man from the other side of the Wall, where the Fools live... 

THE WAVES – Walt lives in Hope Harbor, a pious town inhabited by people who patiently waits for the Goddess to come to the Island one day. She will take them away and save them. Or will she? When Walt’s best friend and future leader of Hope Harbor is silenced when he questions the religion of old, Walt sets out and discovers the shocking truth about the island they live on and the people beyond the Wall. 

THE DEEP – Leia and Walt sail away to the legendary world of Cornwall. They’ve been told that all wars of the past have been forgotten and the people there live in peace, adhering to the tenets of an old religion that preaches forgiveness and non-violence. However, on a trip to Exeter, the ancient city of their ancestors, they discover more about the new world than they ever bargained for.

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 2.5 / 5 stars

My Thoughts

*I was provided with a free ecopy of the island trilogy in exchange for an honest review.*

It is very unusual for me to abandon a book partway through but I'm afraid the Island trilogy fell into that minority. I managed to read the first book, but my interest dissipated in book two.

I found it difficult to be absorbed by the first book in the series, but somehow I trudged through. It wasn’t the concept that didn’t excite me, I love near impossible adventure stories, in fact my last read was about dragons so you can’t get more crazy than that, but I couldn’t find myself to believe the story like I wanted to.

Book one begins with a two siblings leaving their parents home to join the other kids living in the mansion. Once each child has reached the age of ten, they are expected to fend for themselves; and the parents encourage this because it is the normal behaviour. Although I realised that this was a crucial part of the story, it sounded like the kids were playing house. Sorry, but how can every parent bring their kid up for ten years and then say, ‘off with you?’ furthermore, the kids all believe that their parents don’t love them, how on earth does that work because fundamentally even a tiger protects its cub! There might be a handful of adults like these in reality but in this story ALL the parents acted like this, which was beyond unrealistic.

The pace of the story picked up once the girl (I've even forgotten her name though I just finished reading it) starts questioning their leader, the power hungry Saul, who is eighteen or nineteen. She uncovers secrets about their lives and that Saul has been lying about the ‘Fools,’ who are mythical people that live outside their ‘wall.’ She panics when she’s about to be caught, and runs into the woods to hide the special Book they live by but stumbles across one of these 'fools.' Just re-reading what I wrote highlights what a joke this story is!

Anyway, Walt (who is clearly more memorable than the female protagonist) persuades the girl to meet his foolish people and she agrees. The story finally becomes more interesting once Walt enters, because he adds a bit of much-needed humour. Thanks to Walt’s entrance and because the first book is very short, I managed to finish reading part one of the trilogy.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the second book. I had expected it to pick up where the last book left off but book two was about Walt's childhood. If I hadn't already 'met' the older Walt, I would wonder what possessed someone to write a book about such a boring child. I got as far as Walt sneaking out to the wall and seeing a lone sheep before I gave up on this series.

Perhaps book three is a game-changer, but I really cannot muster more effort to read it. Like I always say, just because I don’t enjoy a book, doesn’t meant the book isn’t any good. The Island just was not my cup of tea.

Zed (:

Likeable quotes:

When I turned ten, I became a grown-up. Colin and I joined the rest of the youngsters in the manor house after our birthday.

Even in a fantasy world, parents are not to be trusted – the stories of Snow White and Cinderella make that perfectly clear. The mothers in those takes didn’t love their children either.

“Saul is going nuts. He woke everyone with his raging and screaming, telling us there’s a despicable thief among us, but he doesn’t want to tell us what he’s  lost.” “His mind, probably,” Ami quips. Colin scoffs. “Nothing new under the sun. Why kick up a fuss over it now?”

Review of The Iron Knight

The Iron Knight

 (The Iron Fey #4)

By Julie Kagawa

Synopsis:

My name - my True Name - is Ashallayn’ darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase - a half human, half fey slip of a girl - smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end - a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

 Source: Goodreads

My rating: 4.3 / 5

My Thoughts:

I only gave this book 4 rather than the 5 stars that I normally give to the Iron Fey series, but it was an incredibly close call. In the Iron Knight we see the story from Ash’s point of view as he sets out on a journey to the end of the world in order to become human. He is accompanied on this adventure to obtain a soul by none other than Puck and my personal favourite, Grimalkin. The Big, Bad Wolf of legends accompanies them, as does the one and only, Ariella! Yes, she is alive, well, sort of. She is now a Seer, but her gift/curse and the time she’s lived alone has changed her. I can see why the boys loved her, but throughout the book she felt like a ghost more than a girl to me. She was always so practical, and clear-minded, it felt like she didn’t have a personality and she was an echo of the Ariella they once knew.

In every book so far, we meet at least one character besides Puck and Grimalkin, that bring the element of humour to the story. This book was darker than the others so it was only fitting that the humour from the Wolf was dark too. I loved the banter between Grimalkin and the Wolf, the constant insults and near-death threats. It sounds ominous, but it made this story lighter to read. Puck and Ash have their own ups and downs but as the Iron Fey series progresses, I feel that their relationship improves too. Who knows, they might even be almost-friends soon?

I was sad that there was less of Meghan in The Iron Knight than the other books but it made sense as this book was about Ash and his journey. We see some of the demons of his past, his fears and basically the downfall of what being a human means. It actually made me reconsider his whole ‘I need a soul’ mission, because the problems of being human were rather depressing to say the least (Mortality consists of old age, sickness, a guilty conscious and a very fragile body; who would want to give up immeasurable strength, winter glamour and immortality for these problems?). Ash might be the reserved, cold type, but his love for Meghan is epicly sweet. I thought he was going to waver when he realised Ariella was still alive, and again when he sees a possibility of his future mortal death, but he remained strong and devout. *sigh*

This book was definitely different to the others, and in a way, even though the story was darker, it was more romantic too. Ash literally went through hell and back to find a way to be with Meghan, if that’s not true love (and insanity) then what is?

Zed (:

Favourite Quotes:

“You know,” Puck said, panting slightly, “this reminds me of the time we were underground and stumbled into that Duergar city. Remember that, ice-boy?” I parried a blow to my ribs and returned with a swipe to my opponent’s head, forcing him back a step. “Stop talking and keep fighting, Goodfellow.” “Yeah, I think you said that to me then, too.”  

She frowned and looked at us both. “Are you friends?” I snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far.” “Oh, best friends, lady,” Puck said at the same time, giving her a wink. “Ice-boy will deny it until the mountains crumble, but you know how hard it is for him to admit his feelings, right?”  

“...We were born from their dreams, their fears and imaginations. We are the product of their hearts and minds. Without a soul we are immortal, yet empty. Remembered, we exist. Forgotten, we die. And when we die, we simply fade away, as if we never existed at all. To become human is to have a soul. It is that simple.”

“Although, I will issue this one warning. If I end up in the river because some idiot decides to rock the boat-“ he flattened his ears at Puck, who gave him a wide-eyed look of innocence “-I know several witches who would be happy to bring down a particularly potent curse on said idiot’s head.”

I shrugged. “I know my abilities. Why should I fear something that probably can’t kill me?”  

I shot the Wolf a cold stare. “What do you think?” He bared his fangs at me. “Be careful, boy. In some tales, the hero gets eaten by the monster after all.”   

“We are gathered today,” he began in a lofty tone, “to witness the joining of these two in the completely useless, ostentatious ceremony of marriage. For reasons beyond me, they have decided to make their love official, and-“ “Grimalkin.” Meghan sighed, though she wore a faint, exasperated smile. “Just this once, could you please not be an ass?”

“...That is the price of mortality. You will die, and you will die alone.”

Review of Talon

Talon 
(Talon #1)

By Julie Kagawa

 

About:

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 4.6 / 5

My Thoughts:

I would have given Talon four out of five stars, until the very ending when it transformed into an unmistakable five star read! No spoilers but wow and WOW! I can't say it was as good as the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa but it sure is a series worth following. The ending had me on the edge of my seat with the sky high level of action and drama! At one point I was actually speaking to the characters aloud, until I realised that talking to a kindle isn't a good sign at the best of times.

The storyline itself was fairly predictable; St George's soldiers and Talon's dragons are sworn enemies so when Ember, a hatchling meets Garrett, the Dragon slayer, it was pretty obvious they would fall in love. What wasn't so obvious was when slowly they both uncover secrets of the organisations that they've devoted their lives to. Ember and Garrett discover that their life-long beliefs might not be accurate, and the facts they have about their 'enemies' are no longer crystal clear.

Garrett realises that not all dragons are merciless and inhumane, incapable of feelings and emotions, as the order of St George has led him to believe. Likewise, Ember finds out that Talon might not be such a honourable Dragon organisation to work for, especially if they don't even spare her own kind.

My pet peeve with this book was that we're thrown into this 'summer break' that Ember and Dante are on, but we know very little about what they did beforehand. Why is Dante so susceptible to Talon's brainwashing, but Ember isn't, especially when they've always trained together? And what exactly was Talon training them for earlier. It would have been nice to understand their history a leeetle bit more.

There are a number of fascinating characters in Talon so I'll share the one I was most fond of, aside from Ember and Garrett of course. Riley, the Rogue dragon had to be my favourite. His blunt-bad-ass-occasionally-overconfident-but-sexy attitude confuses Ember. She's in love with Garrett the human, but the dragon side of her has an unmistakeable pull towards Riley. I am most interested in how their relationships progress since I suspect she's beginning to fall for both!

Ember's brother is beyond irritating. All I'm going to say is what an idiot!

In Talon, loyalties are tested, secrets are revealed but will the truth be enough to save their love? Especially because it doesn't matter how human Ember might seem to be, deep down she is a Dragon.

Zed (:

Favourite Quotes:

I rolled my eyes. The "blasted hurry" was that I rarely had any time that was truly my own. They wanted me to sit, listen, learn, be quiet, when I wanted to run, shout, jump, fly.

"Get off me," I growled, pushing at his chest. Don't shift, Ember. If you Shift and eat this troll, Talon will lock you away for the rest of your life. Plus, you'd probably get food poisoning.

"...Everyone slips up, makes a mistake. We just have to be there when they do."

"I've decided it's your fault. You're very distracting." I cocked my head. "Good distracting or bad distracting?" "I'm not sure yet." "Well, when you figure it out, let me know. I'll be sure not to care very much."

"So, if you're going to stand there and tell me we're done, because heaven forbid you actually feel something, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to call bullshit.

"Oh, sure," I heard Wes mumble as I left the room. "Don't want to worry the bloody hatchlings, but the human's heart exploding from stress, that's perfectly okay."

Teaser Tuesday - 20th Jan 2015

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser is taken from Nocturne of a Widow (Sybil Ingram #1) by Amanda DeWees

Chapter One:

'The ability to lie persuasively is one of the greatest gifts a woman can possess in this life. Some critics, principally men, will argue that deception in women is inherently evil; but having spent the last fifteen years of my life in the theatre, I can attest that lying not only is sometimes expedient but can save one's career. And as I was to learn in the coming weeks, lying can even save someone's life...or destroy it.'

  

What are your thoughts on this teaser? Would you read this book, or pass? 

 

Don't forget to share a link to your TeaserTuesday in the comments below.

Zed (:

Blood Milk & Chocolate Book Blitz & Giveaway (INTL)

BLOOD, MILK & CHOCOLATE

(The Grimm Diaries #3)

By Cameron Jace

I am delighted to participate in the 'Blood, Milk & Chocolate by Cameron Jace book blitz' hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. 

If you think the cover is intriguing, check out the synopsis and excerpt below.

Don't forget to enter the International Giveaway at the bottom of this post for the first three eBooks in the series!

Synopsis:
I have been accused of being malicious and evil.

I, the Snow White Queen, have a story to tell. 

The true story and what has really happened. How it all happened. Why the Brothers Grimm altered the truth, letting you think it was a fairy tale. When and how the tale took place. And above all, why I did what I did. Why you haven't been told the truth for centuries. The truth about me and the truth about the not-so-innocent Snow White.

Here is my side of the story. You will never look at Snow White the same way again.

Publication date: January 19th 2015

Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13611117-blood-milk-and-chocolate?ac=1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Milk-Chocolate-Grimm-Diaries-ebook/dp/B00QTK3NRC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421330187&sr=8-1&keywords=Blood+Milk+and+Chocolate

Excerpt: 

For a moment, I thought this was it. This was the end of our short-lived love story, where a beauty—supposedly me at the time, before the world got to me—was going to get bitten by the beast, Angel Von Sorrow. This was the moment when I was about to realize that my mother was right in not approving of our love. This was the moment when I realized that trying to break the rules by staring at my reflection in the Pond of Pearls was what brought me here. This…was the end of me.Maybe the mermaids were right; there was a reason why me and Angel shouldn't have been together.I closed my eyes, my vein pulsing and ready to be sliced open by the one I loved dearly. Was I going to turn into a vampire like him? Were we both going to be gifted—and cursed—with immortality? I had no idea. All I did was wait for his teeth to sink into my soul.

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Teaser Tuesday - 13th Jan 2015

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Talon (Talon #1) By Julie Kagawa
(Location: 36%)

I'd been curious before, and the encounter with a certain rogue dragon had only intensified my determination. If Talon, my instructor, my guardians and my own brother wouldn't tell me anything, then I would just have to find answers myself.