Review: The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy

Title: The Winter People
Author: Rebekah L. Purdy
Source: Entangled Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Release Date: September 2, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

An engrossing, complex, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore or Maggie Stiefvater, set in a wholly unique world.

Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn't forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
 


Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, his interactions with Salome take her life in a new direction. A direction where she'll have to decide between her longtime crush Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop. An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.

I was a little lost at the beginning of this book - I'm sure I felt the same way Salome felt when she saw the strange figures and heard the voices.  I had no idea what was going on.  Slowly several boys make their way into her life and you begin to wonder which ones she should really trust.  You know they can't all be nice guys - there has to be a bad guy after all.

Salome's problem seems to be that winter (the season) hates her.  She's terrified of anything that has to do with the season - snow, cold, ice, etc.  Every winter it seems to get worse.  She has episodes where she swears she sees figures and glowing eyes in the woods and voices all around her.  This winter it has been much worse.  She is being attacked and she doesn't understand why - and the people that do know why aren't able to speak of it.

The story has a mystery wrapped up in it as Salome tries to figure out the three boys in her life - Colton, Gareth, and Nevin.  I kept going back and forth with all of them trying to decide which one was the good one.  All three were well written and Purdy did a good job of keeping the mystery alive for a very long time without making it tiresome.  

There is a lot of magic at play as well, but it is very subtle and plays around in the background of the story for the most part.  Towards the end it becomes much more prevalent, but since we've been toying with the idea of it for most of the book - it doesn't come as a shock to see it.  I really enjoyed this story - I wish I had known a bit more near the beginning so that I hadn't felt so lost as a reader though.

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Trailer Reveal: Twelve by T.M. Franklin

Ava Michaels is gifted, powerful, and — whether she likes it or not — part of a plot to take over the world.

It’s only been a few months since Ava Michaels discovered she has ties to an ancient people living in the shadows of the human world, despite their superior gifts and abilities. A select few don’t like hiding, however, and think it’s time to take control.


Now Ava’s caught up in a conspiracy in the works before she was even born. In fact, her birth was an integral part of the plan. She’s one of the Twelve, the most powerful Race ever created, and they were created for a purpose.

Turns out, Ava doesn’t like being told what to do.

All she wants is to start a new life with her boyfriend, Caleb Foster, but before they can even think about that, they must join forces with former enemies, seek out some powerful new friends, and figure out what exactly the Twelve, and their power-hungry leader, are up to.

Then, they have to find a way to stop them.

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About the Author:

T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. An Emmy-Award winning Seattle TV news producer, Franklin is the author of the award-winning YA adventure, MORE, and its sequel The Guardians. In addition, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short stories A Piece of Cake and Window. Her new YA romance,How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You, is Franklin’s first love story without a paranormal element, although she believes love is the best kind of magic.

TWELVE, the final installment in the MORE Trilogy will be released October 9, 2014.

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Review: Crystal Fire (The Hunted #2) by Jordan Dane

Title: Crystal Fire (The Hunted #2)
Author: Jordan Dane
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Release Date: November 26, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.

A storm is brewing on the streets of LA, one that has intensified since a tragic and deadly confrontation claimed an innocent life.

While Gabriel Stewart trains his army of teen psychics to stop Alexander Reese--the obsessed leader of the Believers--the fanatical church becomes more bent on the annihilation of all Indigo and Crystal children. They're silencing the voices of the telepathic hive, one soul at a time, with frightening experiments cruelly executed on vulnerable minds.

When the Believers torture a mysterious homeless boy, Oliver Blue, they brainwash him into betraying his own. The boy becomes a deadly pawn to take Gabriel down. As the fires of chaos burn around him, Gabe is running out of time. He'll need to confront his past--and the man who made him--before the hope of peace for the future is silenced forever.

Review for Indigo Awakening (The Hunted #1)

Book two of The Hunted picks up after the disastrous firefight in the abandoned tunnels.  The indigo kids have taken refuge with Gabe's family and are training to protect themselves.  But there is a new kid with some really strange new powers to contend with.  No one is quite sure who he is or what he can do right now.

This new kid is Oliver Blue and the Believers have him.  They have a handful of others as well that will also play an important role in this story.  While I didn't get into this storyline as well as the first book in a general sense, there were some very big scenes that I really loved.  Many of these revolved around Oliver and how he learns to control his abilities and use them.

The ending of the story was one of the best I'd read in a long time.  There was a lot of happiness, but the story was left slightly unresolved.  This is definitely not a cliffhanger, but I wonder if at some point there will be a spin-off series or third book.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Artisans by Julie Reece

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

The Artisans by Julie Reece

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old RAVEN WEATHERSBY gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.
To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.
Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad's drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.
But Raven's stepdad's drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she's ever known out of jail, or worse.
Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries' clothing line, signing over her creative rights.
Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can't imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.
But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?
The Artisans is a delectably rich, layered and dark YA Southern Gothic inspired by Jeanne Marie Leprince de Beaumont's classic Beauty and the Beast.

"The Artisans has all the elements I love - spooky intrigue, strong friendships, and a romantic tension to be savored." ~ Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy.

Title: The Artisans
Publication date: May 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Julie Reece

Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

Then I thought I’d write one down…

Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

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Cover Reveal: Walled by Anne Tibbets

Walled by Anne Tibbets 
(The Line #2) 
Published by: Carina Press (HQN)
Genres: Dystopia, New Adult

Freedom means brutal choices.

Rebel lovers Naya and Ric have survived one year in hiding, raising Naya’s twins from infants to toddlers in the shadow of the brutal Auberge dictatorship.  They’re alive, and they’re together, but the city is crumbling around them and the haunting memory of Naya’s dark days on The Line have never fully left them. Living in isolation won’t be an option forever.

When a mysterious revolutionary seeks their help to infiltrate  Auberge’s electronic heart and shut it down, it’s an opportunity—it’s risky, yes, but if it works they’ll get out of the city and taste freedom for the first time. Naya needs this. They need this.

Beyond the broken walls of Auberge, Naya and Ric find the paradise they’ve always longed for. But with anarchy reigning and Naya’s children lost amidst the chaos, they’ll need to forfeit their post-apocalyptic Eden…or commit an unspeakable act.

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AUTHOR BIO

Anne Tibbets is an SCBWI award-winning and Smashwords.com Best Selling author. After writing for Children’s television, Anne found her way to young/new adult fiction by following what she loves: books, strong female characters, twisted family dynamics, magic, sword fights, quick moving plots, and ferocious and cuddly animals.

Along with CARRIER, Anne is also the author of the young adult fantasy novella, THE BEAST CALL and the young adult contemporary, SHUT UP.

Anne divides her time between writing, her family, and three furry creatures that she secretly believes are plotting her assassination.

Find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AnneTibbetsAuthor or on Twitter @WriteforCoffee. To contact Anne, visit www.annetibbets.com and click the ‘CONTACT’ tab.

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Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway: Avian (Dragonrider Chronicles #2) by Nicole Conway

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Title: Avian (Dragonrider Chronicles #2)
Author: Nicole Conway
Source: Chapter by Chapter
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Release Date: August 26, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

What kind of power is lurking inside him? After a year of training to become a dragonrider, Jaevid Broadfeather has been sent home to rest during a three-month interlude. But when he returns to find the king drake has chosen Beckah Derrick as his new rider, Jaevid realizes something big is about to happen. Every fiber of his being is pushed to the breaking point as Jaevid battles through his avian year, preparing for the final graduation test of the battle scenario. But there is more standing in his way than a few pushups and fancy sword moves. Jaevid must face a new fear as he is tormented by a gruesome nightmare of a mysterious gray elf warrior murdering the royal family of Maldobar. It seems obvious to him that this is some kind of message about how the war started long ago—until Felix assures him the king is very much alive. With his strange powers growing stronger by the day, and that violent dream replaying in his mind every night, Jaevid no longer wonders if he will pass his avian year or not—he wonders if he will even survive it. The truth will soon be set loose.

Fledgling (Dragonrider Chronicles #1): Review

Avian is just about a perfect sequel to Fledgling.  It's a DragonRiders of Pern for aimed at Young Adults.  Jaevid is center stage again as he is set to start his second year of training - his Avian year.  This year starts with some pretty amazing changes for him.  He discovers some Gray Elf heritage the hard and painful way as his body finally develops.  He also discovers some hidden gifts that are pretty scary to be honest.  His gifts manifest in different ways and grow throughout the story.  They play a very key role in his future and the future of the kingdom.

His friends and enemies are back, and we get to see his crush from home, Beckah, a little bit as well.  This crush was the one thing that didn't sit quite right with me.  It seemed to be a bit overdone and the fallout was a little awkward.  It ended too many times when it could have been done with simply without the added drama.  There is a new romance for Jaevid that is developing, a very good one, but with a girl that is pretty much off limits to him.  I'll be very interested to see where this goes.  She is about as non-traditional as he is and they are a good fit.

The land is seeing lots of unsettling changes as animals seem to be going crazy - attacking for no reason and causing a boat load of problems.  Even Jaevid can't get through to them with his special animal speaking skills - their free will seems to be gone.  No one knows what is causing this, but the dragons are particularly upset about it.

Jaevid's second year of training is a tough one.  He is forced to make some incredibly difficult decisions and take part in some horrific training.  He knows that he will have a major part to play in the upcoming events and in the war against the Gray Elves, but he's not sure what that part will be yet.  This was a very exciting book two that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could to see what would happen next.  I loved seeing his old friends and trainers and meeting a few new ones.  I can't wait to see what book three will have in store.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Cover Reveal: AlibiZ by Karice Bolton

AlibiZ by Karice Bolton 
(Afterworld #2) 
Publication date: October 2014
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic

Rebekah vows to expose the truth behind the RecruitZ that are killing the innocents. These creatures must be stopped, but so should the people controlling them. When Rebekah uncovers who is behind the uprisings, her own life becomes in danger.

Rebekah knows that she is not alone in this fight but vengeance alone won’t help her and the others to victory. Forced to build a battalion with the very creatures she needs to destroy, it is up to her to uncover the truth for the public before the world is turned over to an elite few.

Regardless of what may happen to her, she knows it’s a race against time to destroy these creatures and the monsters controlling them before there is no one left worth saving.

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AUTHOR BIO

Karice received an MFA in Creative Writing from the U of W. She has written fifteen novels and has several exciting projects in the works. Karice lives with her husband and two English Bulldogs in rainy Washington.

Books currently available:
Luke Fletcher Series: Hidden Sins (Book 1), Buried Sins (Book 2) – coming soon
Beyond Love Series: Beyond Control (Book 1) Beyond Doubt (Book 2) Beyond Reason (Book 3) Beyond Intent (Book 4) Beyond Chance, Beyond Promise, and Beyond the Mistletoe coming soon
Afterworld Series: RecruitZ (Book 1) AlibiZ (Book 2) – October 2014
The Witch Avenue Series: Lonely Souls (Book 1), Altered Souls (Book 2), Released Souls (Book 3) Shattered Souls (Book 4)
The Watchers Trilogy: Awakening (Book 1), Legions (Book 2), Cataclysm (Book 3), Taken Novella (Watchers Prequel)
The Camp

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