Resurrection: Shadows of Omega by Summer Lane Book Blitz and Giveaway!

Resurrection: Shadows of Omega
Summer Lane
Publication date: February 9th 2018
Genres: Dystopian, New Adult

The war is over. At last, Omega has been defeated, and the militias have found peace and stability. General Cassidy Hart has been elected to lead the newly resurrected post-apocalyptic government as President of the Western Republic.
The world is a different place. From the ashes, structure emerges. From death, hope blossoms.
Yet the shadows of Omega remain. Omega loyalists and dangerous anarchists infect every level of the crestfallen civilization, threatening to undermine the Republic’s attempts to maintain peace. Most of the world’s population has been slain: those who remain alive have very different ideas about what must be done to continue to survive.
A seasoned war veteran, sniper, and leader, Cassidy resents the stifling role of presidential leadership. General Chris Young, her former fiancé, leads the United Militia’s military as it rebuilds. Her comrades from war have scattered, and the one person who understands her, truly and completely, has disappeared.
When a new threat emerges, one that could undo everything they have fought for, Cassidy is forced to make hard decisions and ask for help in places where she never imagined she could.
The old is gone. The new has come.
Welcome to the Hart Presidency. Welcome to the Western Republic.
The Resurrection has begun.
From prolific author Summer Lane, creator of the #1 bestselling smash-hit Collapse Series, Zero Trilogy, Bravo Saga, Unbreakable SEAL and Running with Wolves. Enjoy this new series, following the adventures of beloved heroine Cassidy Hart, along with some familiar faces that fans have come to know and love.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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EXCERPT:

The chopper takes a sharp right turn, and then we are turning back across the island, toward the eastern side. I peer out the window, retracing our flight pattern in my head, glancing sideways at the three men beside me. They are unfazed by the sudden change in direction. I glance up toward the cockpit. Something uneasy stirs inside me, but I push the feeling away.
I am safe with these men. If the pilot is altering course, it’s purely because there is a change in the weather pattern. He will get me to where I need to go.
There are a lot of people who would like to see you dead.
I curse myself, and then I shout,
“Hey, why are we turning?” The man beside me replies, “The pilot knows what he’s doing, ma’am.”
“That wasn’t my question!” “I’m not the pilot, ma’am. I don’t know.”
“Our flight pattern was very clear. We shouldn’t be altering course.”
“Ma’am, I don’t know—”
I reach toward the earpiece in my ear, intending to key into the pilot’s headset and inquire directly about our change in course. The man beside me places his hand on my wrist.
“Ma’am,” he says, firmly. “Don’t.”
I glance at his face. It’s hard to read his expression—stony, direct. I push his hand away.
“Stand down, soldier,” I say.
I raise my hand again, and this time, he grabs my wrist and shoves my arm behind my back. It happens in the span of a single breath—fast, fluid, and efficient. Unfortunately for him, I am equally as fast. One year on the road as president has not even slightly dulled my reflexes or instincts. I immediately take in three things about him: One, his patch reads Douglas. Two, he’s at least two hundred and fifty pounds. Three, he’s trying to break my arm.
I use my right hand to grab the knife in my boot and swing it around. I slash the right side of his cheek open and he screams. Hot blood gushes from his face. I realize in this moment that the other two men in the chopper have risen from their seats. At first, I think they are coming to my assistance.
Wrong.
One has his handgun drawn. I unbuckle my harness.
Adrenaline. Here it comes. The supercharged rush, the inhuman strength. It flashes through my body, giving me speed and finesse I have not experienced since I took on the mantle of the presidency.

Author Bio:
Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of 20 hit novels, including the Collapse Series and newly launched Resurrection Series, featuring popular heroine Commander Cassidy Hart.
Summer owns Writing Belle Publishing (a management company) and Writing Belle (an online magazine). She is an experienced journalist and writing instructor.
Summer lives in California with her husband, Scott, and their German Shepherd, Kona. She is an avid adventurer, animal lover, and coffee addict.
You can visit her at her website, summerlaneauthor.com, for new and upcoming book release information. To stay up to date on current titles and events, follow @writingbelle on Instagram, or @SummerEllenLane on Twitter. You may also check out Summer Lane on Facebook.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)

• Cassidy Hart Tactical Fun Box
• Autographed Copy of State of Emergency, Collapse #1

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Monsters Unleashed by John Kloepfer Review!

Title: Monsters Unleashed
Author: John Kloepfer 
Illustrator: Mark Oliver
Pages: 213
Published: July 25th 2017 by HarperCollins
Source: From Edelweiss

Purchase: Amazon / Book Depository

A monstrously fun new series from John Kloepfer, author of the fan-favorite series The Zombie Chasers.
Freddie Liddle has a big problem: Monsters. Giant, fire-breathing, electric-shocking, bone-crunching monsters are attacking his town. Even worse, it’s Freddie’s fault. After drawing monsters based on the meanest bullies in his class, Freddie used his school’s 3D printer to make models of them. But the last thing he expected was that the monsters would come to life and keep growing, and GROWING, and GROWING.
There’s just one way to stop these oversize beasts: recruit the bullies, since only they know how the monsters think. But teaming up with his worst enemies is Freddie’s worst nightmare. Can Freddie make friends with his bullies and save his town, or will the monsters have the final ROAR?

My Thoughts:

Freddie's way to deal with the bullies is to draw them as he sees them, as monsters.  Freddie and his one and only friend, Manny, want to make a Monster movie, so they decide to 3D print Freddies monster drawings from the art rooms 3D printer. The printer seems to have some weird new ink but it doesn't deter the two boys and they set about printing the 3 drawings. But things take a turn for the worse and the printings come to life, and when they get wet, they grow!! How can they stop these monsters when they have the powers Freddie envisioned they would??

This was such a fun story!! Freddie is awesome. When his monsters come to life, he realises there is only one way to stop them, and that's to go to the people who know them best, the bullies. They are the only ones who know what their weaknesses are and since Freddie made them to be like the bullies, his only hope to stop them is to ask the bullies for help. Freddie is a great role model for kids as he doesn't let the bullies get him down, and he's willing to do what's needed no matter what. 

The message of the plot was good too. The bullies soon realise that Freddie isn't as dumb as they think and he is actually a pretty descent guy. They also get a taste of what they do and how they look to other people when they come face to face with their monster alter ego!!

In all, this was a quick and easy read. My son thoroughly enjoyed the book and he loved the illustrations. I would love to see more from Freddie and Manny!! 

Uncanny by David Macinnis Gill Review!

Title: Uncanny
Author: David Macinnis Gill
Pages: 352
Published: September 5th 2017 by Greenwillow Books
Source: From Edelweiss

Purchase: Amazon / Book Depository

In this chilling stand-alone novel by the acclaimed David Macinnis Gill, sixteen-year-old Willow Jane discovers she has the ability to stop time, and witnesses an ancient evil infiltrating her Boston neighborhood and hunting her friends and family. This original and sinister spin on gothic tradition will appeal to fans of Asylum, American Horror Story: Coven, and The Walking Dead.
You cannot wake the Shadowless when she sleeps within my bed. Kiss the lips of the Shadowless and the morning finds you dead.
When a bolt of lightning causes a Boston-wide blackout on her sixteenth birthday, Willow Jane doesn’t think anything of it—until she begins stopping time, until she comes face-to-face with her menacing familiar, until her sister disappears. But these aren’t the only strange and horrifying things to come out of the storm. An ancient witch named the Shadowless has awoken and escaped from her crypt, and she’s looking for revenge on Willow Jane’s family. 
From the critically acclaimed author of Black Hole Sun and Soul Enchilada, this eerie horror story lingers long after its bloody end, and is perfect for fans of Madeleine Roux, The Ghost Files, and anyone who likes things that go bump in the night.

My Thoughts:

Willow Janes life changes irrevocably on her 16th birthday. Strange things are happening to her and she has no idea why. Stopping, slowing down and even reversing time, becomes the norm for her and she needs to figure out why. It's not till a mysterious stranger arrives to give her some answers, that she finds out who she is. 

"You cannot wake the Shadowless when she sleeps within my bed. Kiss the lips of the Shadowless and the morning finds you dead."

There is one word that came to mind when reading this book, and that was weird! Not weird in a bad way, but weird in an intriguing way. This starts into the plot straight away, but it took a while for my mind to figure out what is happening. And I liked that fact!! I liked that the book took a while to figure out because once I started to understand, I loved it! There's a lot to the plot and once it really got going, it was good. 

The characters weren't as fleshed out as I would have liked. Willow was ok, though I wanted her to be more proactive in the end! The mysterious stranger didn't really have too much of a role it seemed. I felt that he could have played a much more important and necessary role. Also, if Willow or any of her friends said "wicked" once more, I was going to scream!! Way too many "wicked" was used when they weren't needed!

In all, a good read once you can get into it. I will have to check out more from this author! 

The She-Wolf of Kanta by Marlena Frank Blog Tour and Giveaway!

The She-Wolf of Kanta
by Marlena Frank
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy
Release Date: April 17th 2018
Legion Imprint of Radiant Crown Publishing

Summary:

"A pair of yellow eyes caught the moonlight and locked onto hers."
Mercy has always dreamed of becoming a werewolf trapper like her father. In Kanta, one must learn how to survive one way or another. A dark-skinned, blue-eyed young beauty, Mercy understands that she brings out the beast in monsters and men. When a routine werewolf delivery turns into a vicious assault from a pair of human traffickers, Mercy’s life changes forever. Somehow she must endure in a dangerous city where women and werewolves are hunted.

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Five Fun(?) Facts About Werewolves

I think I’ve always loved werewolves. I can’t think of a time when I didn’t gravitate to them in movies or stories. I remember watching the old 1980s Werewolf TV show when it came on (does anyone remember that?), and got so excited when I found a few episodes online a few years back. Is there a cartoon with werewolves verses anybody else? You can guess who I rooted for. Oh and Harry Potter? You probably can guess my favorite character too.

So of course my brain is jam packed with (useless) fascinating bits of knowledge that I’ve picked up from all the werewolf articles and documentaries over the years, so why not share it? Here are my 5 Fun(?) Facts about Werewolves!

Werewolves Have Stalked Forests For a Long Time… a LONG Time.
The first mention of werewolves is thought to be in Gilgamesh, possibly the oldest piece of great literature from ancient Mesopotamia. You find out one woman turned her previous lover into a wolf. Definitely not a lady you want to mess with! They also appear in early Irish folklore as shapeshifters who turn into wolves and just about anything else. Even in early Nordic folklore, there are talks of pelts that can turn the wearer into a wolf for days at a time.

Werewolves have been looming in folklore and haunting nightmares for many centuries, and our love of them has hardly waned. Perhaps it was the fear of the woods and what could be lurking out there at night that terrified people. Wolves were a threat to livestock and therefore their entire way of life, but where barricades would stop a wolf from getting through, a werewolf was far more dangerous.

The Werewolf of Dole
Werewolves are a beloved part of pop culture today, but at one time they were blamed for unexplained atrocities. The Werewolf of Dole terrified the French countryside during the late 1500s. Children went missing. Sometimes their bodies would be found, but it was never a pretty sight. One day Gilles Garnier was found hovering over the corpse of a child and he was arrested. He and his wife lived as hermits in the woods, barely able to survive, and had resorted to cannibalism. Gilles stated that he was given an ointment that he used to transform into a hungry wolf and prowl the woods on the outskirts of town. He confessed to killing at least 4 children.

This is only one story of several convicted werewolves of this time period. Usually they were classified as hallucinating serial killers. There are a number of excellent film adaptations you can watch to learn more. My favorites are Brotherhood of the Wolf, and the episode on the Lore series on Amazon Prime titled “The Beast Within”.

Vulnerable to Silver
Everybody knows how to kill a werewolf: shoot it with a silver bullet. This is another pop culture fact that has been ingrained in us from every fun werewolf movie we’ve ever watched. But why is this supposed to work? Well one theory digs into the chemistry behind it, and into the properties of silver itself.

Werewolves were considered creatures of Hell by the people who feared them (who were generally devout Christians), and Hell is traditionally linked with brimstone. And what is the only chemical that tarnishes silver? Brimstone. It covers the natural silver sheen with a dark crusty texture, and is why silver must be polished regularly. I09 did an entire article describing this theory.

If you’re lucky enough to have a gun loaded with a silver bullet when a werewolf appears, good luck shooting it. Silver is a soft metal and doesn’t move as expected when it’s fired from a gun. Mythbusters did a whole episode comparing silver bullets to lead ones, and let’s just say the results didn’t pan well for werewolf hunters.

Wolf packs don’t actually have alpha males
This is so ingrained in pop culture that it’s actually quite a shock, but the belief that alpha males exert their dominance through aggression to the underling wolves in their pack is actually based on outdated research. David Mech introduced the idea back in 1970 with his research on observing captive wolves. However this behavior is only shown in captivity. In the wild, mature wolves break off to form their own packs. Mech is actually on record as regretting the popularity of his previous research because it has influenced even dog trainers to use aggression.

So who are the alpha male and female wolves of a pack? The parents. All the other wolves are their children. So all that aggression that they’re expressing is mostly from being cooped up with fellow family members they may not get along with. Kinda makes more sense.

Werewolves are frequently used as metaphors
It’s pretty clear why lycanthropy is often a metaphor for puberty: lots of hair growth, shifting hormones, and out of control emotions. It’s portrayed in plenty of media from Teen Wolf to Ginger Snaps.

In my novella, The She-Wolf of Kanta, werewolves are used as a metaphor for human trafficking. It’s easy to forget the creatures that are locked in cages or abused for a strong, reliable workforce were once humans when they look so very monstrous. Yes, werewolves are dangerous, but they used to be people too. I think that’s something our pop culture forgets about sometimes, and I hope this novella makes that a bit clearer.

About the Author

A writer of both fantasy and horror, Marlena’s work is in a smattering of anthologies. Her stories lean toward weird horror, creature horror, and YA fantasy. She typically thinks up strange tales while sipping sweet tea at her Georgia home, listening to podcasts on her hour-long commute, or while reading a good book with her three cats.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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Wendigo by Vaughn C. Hardacker Review!

Title: Wendigo
Author: Vaughn C. Hardacker 
Pages: 328
Published: July 11th 2017 by Skyhorse Publishing
Source: Edelweiss

Purchase: AMAZON / Book Depository

Algonquin legend tells of the Wendigo, an evil spirit sent to punish mankind. It can possess a person and turn them into a monstrous creature consumed by a need to eat human flesh. For John Bear the Wendigo was merely a scary story his grandfather used to tell him. That is, until a man is found dead in the deep northern woods of Maine, butchered like an animal and with his heart cut out. And the only tracks they can find are massive footprints that couldn’t possibly be human. Now, John is sure that what is stalking the inhabitants of their remote outpost is a Wendigo, even if no one else believes it. He must stop a monster he once thought was nothing more than a tale to warn children.
From Vaughn C. Hardacker, acclaimed author of Sniper and The Fisherman and twice finalist for the Maine Literary Awards, comes a supernatural thriller from the winter depths of the Maine wilderness, where the line between myth and reality blurs and ancient horrors are never fully buried. All are in danger of the Wendigo’s endless hunger, but how do you find a creature that can look like anyone until it’s too late?

My Thoughts:

John Bear has heard the old tales of the Wendigo from his grandfather. He's never believed them but when a body turns up with it's insides torn out and the only tracks are that of a massive footprint, he knows that it can't be a human print. It isn't till another body turns up that he has no other choice but to believe that the Wendigo might just be real. 

I was excited to read this because the Wendigo is such an incredibly scary thing and I love to read books about them, and while this was a good read, it suffered a bit from the fact that there was a lot of telling and not enough showing! 

The plot was slow going, but it was also intriguing enough that I kept reading. I liked seeing how the Wendigo first came to be and enjoyed the hunt, I just found it a little too slow at parts and my attention started to wander. I wanted there to be more tenseness and excitement! 

Character wise, they were all well written and developed! The characters were the best part for me, they were varied and I liked them all. Jonh Bear was interesting and I loved how he tried to tell everyone what they were chasing despite them thinking he was crazy. 

In all, I did enjoy the read some what, though it could have been so much better!! If there is a book 2 with these characters, I might just have to check it out. 

The Leak of Madness by Alice J Black Release Day Blitz and Giveaway!

Welcome to the release day blitz for THE LEAK OF MADNESS by Alice J. Black!! 

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Alice J. Black, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for 10 eBook copies of THE LEAK OF MADNESS, International, courtesy of Parliament House Publishing and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title: THE LEAK OF MADNESS (Soul Seekers, #1)

Author: Alice J. Black

Pub. Date: February 6, 2018

Publisher: The Parliament House

Pages: ?

Formats: eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kobo

The spirit world has been in touch with Peyton, and it’s more than she can tolerate. Sometimes their messages are loud enough even to pierce beyond the veil of her alcohol-induced stupors.
When she is invited to attend her best friend's brother’s wedding at The Manor House, Peyton is compelled to stare down memories of her life before it was decimated by fire and tragedy. Continuously topping herself up with alcohol to keep the voices at bay, it becomes clearer and clearer that there are forces at work in the old building…shadows darker than Peyton could have ever imagined.
The Leak of Madness is the beginning of a thrilling, fast-paced series of horror novellas overflowing with intrigue, romance, redemption, and most importantly…ghosts.
Will Peyton find the normal life she could have if only she stops drinking or will the forces of evil drive her mad?

Book Trailer:

Exclusive Excerpt:

“What would the lady like?” he asked as he stood behind the bar, waving at the bottles in their optics.

Little did he know how much each of those bottles appealed. Like a kid choosing candy in a store, I was transported back to my first drink, stolen from my dad's cabinet. That one had been whiskey. 

Back then, I took whatever I could get. Now I was old enough—and I might argue wise enough—to choose my own poison.

“Do you know,” I started as I leaned over the bar, looking between the man and the bottles. He really was a good-looking guy. “That you’re giving me reason to give in to temptation.”

His smile widened. “Hey, if I didn't ply you with alcohol, what sort of bar man would I be?”

I grinned as he continued to watch me. This guy still wore the label of lad, and he was cute, but I had a couple of years on him. Still, age wasn’t everything. “See the thing is,” I started again. “My friend doesn't like it when I drink.”

“And is your friend your keeper?” He raised his brow.

“No, but see, that's my point. This has to be a secret.”

“Secret.” He leaned in conspiratorially and I couldn’t help but inhale the deep scent of his aftershave. 

“I like secrets.”

About Alice:

I’m an author in the North East of England where I live with my partner and overly-ferocious cat. I have been writing for as long as I can remember mostly in the dark genres but recently, I have expanded into other genres (such as young adult). My cupboard is stocked with an array of different and funky notebooks (because you can never have too many). My inspiration tends to come from a lot of different places but my first novel and a lot of my ideas come from my rather vivid dreams (which my partner tells me I tell him about as I’m still dreaming!)

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details: International

10 winners will receive an eBook of THE LEAK OF MADNESS, International.

Ends on February 13th at Midnight EST!

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Dominion by Julie Hall Cover Reveal and Giveaway!

Today Julie Hall and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive excerpt for DOMINION, book 3 in her Life After series, which releases March 20, 2018! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win a Signed copy of Book 1 HUNTRESS, Swag, and a $10 Amazon Gift card!

Title: DOMINION (Life After, #3)

Author: Julie Hall

Pub. Date: March 20, 2018

Publisher: Julie Hall

Formats: eBook

Pages: ?

Find it:  Goodreads

On to the reveal! 

After defeating the red dragon’s legion of bloodthirsty demons, Audrey can finally settle into the afterlife with the knowledge her family is safe. But her quest for a perfect existence shatters the moment Logan is kidnapped in an attempt to bend her to Satan’s will.
Audrey must now travel to the one place no hunter has ever ventured to save the man she loves . . . Hell.
Savage demons, desiccated corpses, life sucking zombie trees, and a land of death and rot await Audrey and her friends as they battle through the fiery realm.
But Logan’s freedom comes with a price . . . the destruction of Audrey’s happily ever after.
As Satan schemes for dominion over all the realms, Audrey learns that some acts may be beyond redemption.

Pre-Order on AMAZON

Cover Reveal Trailer:

Exclusive Excerpt

We sat on his bed, tucked up against the headboard, Logan sitting with one knee bent and an outstretched leg, and me curled into a ball against his chest, practically cuddled on his lap. 

When my tears were spent, I let out a shaky breath of air.  

“Audrey, I can’t—” Logan’s voice caught on something. His head rested on top of mine. When he continued, his voice dropped an octave, thickened with emotion. “I can’t imagine what you went through down there. I’m so very sorry. I should never have bonded with you.” 

I savored the warm thud of his heartbeat on my cheek for several seconds before what he’d said sunk in. The leakage from my eyes along with a bad case of the feels must have dulled my reactions.

I jerked to a sitting position to stare at him in disbelief—and anger. My face was crusted with the salt of dried tears. There was no doubt I was a hot mess and a half. But that was nothing compared to the mess he’d just spewed.

He reached for me again, but I put a hand up to ward off his movements and curled my upper lip.

Where to even start?

“What I went through? Are you insane?” His gaze jumped around my face as if he couldn’t decide on a safe place to land. “Logan, I actually felt an echo of what you went through. I even experienced some of it in a dream or a weird out of body experience where I was you. What I went through was nothing.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but I slashed a hand through the air to stop him. “Nothing compared to what had been done to you. You were torn to shreds. Literally, in some spots.” 

His face paled. I shouldn’t have gone there and instantly regretted bringing it up—but I couldn’t handle his concern for me when he had been tortured. We’d get to the “should never have bonded with you” comment next.

“You experienced some of . . . of what I went through?” he asked.

Shoot, I gave him another reason to beat himself up. Rookie mistake. “Never mind about that. And what’s this business about regretting bonding with me? Frankly, that’s kind of—hey!”

He grabbed my upper arms and held me still as I tried to push away even farther. His blue eyes flashed, and his face was hard as stone. “If bonding with you caused you to feel even a second of what I endured in that place, then yes, it’s something I deeply regret and would do anything to take back.”

Buried under the caveman response was something sweet, but I wasn’t feeling it. 

“Argh. You . . .” I pointed a finger at his face. “You just . . .”

As I sputtered to find the right words, the corners of Logan’s lips just barely tipped up. I stopped talking when I spotted his involuntary reaction. Of course I’d find a guy who thought it was cute when I got mad. Actually, that was probably pretty lucky considering I did tend to have a short fuse. 

I pressed my lips together and narrowed my eyelids before performing another visual sweep of his body. 

Yep, he looked to be relatively healthy. 

I launched myself at him and grabbed the sides of his face, and then I planted my lips right over his. Just like the first time I’d surprised him with a kiss, he was momentarily stunned. 

I gently but firmly bit down on his full bottom lip in a silent demand for him to get with the program. Then I pulled back a fraction, just far enough that my lips grazed his when I spoke. 

“Less talking, more kissing,” I ordered. 

I’d gone to Hell and back for this guy. I wanted to collect my reward . . . with interest. 

About Julie: 

Julie Hall is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of young adult fantasy fiction. 
Before writing her first novel Julie worked as a film publicist and rubbed elbows with the rich and famous . . . as in she would gently nudge them to let them know their meal had arrived during press interviews.
She now spends most of her "office hours" with her two furry writing buddies, Bear and Coco. Her daughter thinks that mommy's superpower is “sleeping all day,” but that’s because she’s often awake until the wee hours of the morning weaving tales of adventure in worlds of her own creation. When asked in an interview what she wanted to be when she grew up, she’s quoted to have answered, “to never have to grow up.”
She currently lives in Portland, Oregon with her four favorite people--her husband, daughter, and two fur babies (because dogs are people too).  

Connect with Julie here, or on social media.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Amazon Author Page | BookBub | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a signed paperback of HUNTRESS, the first book in the series as well as LIFE AFTER series swag (signed character cards, magnets, bookmarks and stickers) and a $10 Amazon GC, US Only.

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Trackers: The Damned by Nicholas Sansbury Smith Review!

Title: Trackers: The Damned
Series: Trackers #4
Author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Pages: 368
Published: February 10th 2018 by Great Wave Ink, Inc.
Source: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon / Book Depository 

The deadly hunt ends in the fourth and final installment of the bestselling Trackers saga...
The mountain town of Estes Park, Colorado is scrambling to recover from the betrayal of two of their police officers, and prepare for threats outside their borders. But with Chief of Police Marcus Colton imprisoned by rival Sheriff Mike Thompson, the job to protect the isolated town is left to Sam 'Raven' Spears and newly promoted Captain Lindsey Plymouth. They will do everything they can to bring Colton home, and save their citizens, but one thing is certain: a war is coming to Estes Park, and no one will be spared from the horrors.
Across the country, Secretary of Defense Charlize Montgomery continues to lead recovery efforts in the wake of the arriving Chinese workers and soldiers. But the threat of foreign soldiers on American soil isn't the only problem--the Sons of Liberty and other domestic terrorist groups continue to rise to power, enacting a wave of violence, and chaos that threatens to derail the recovery efforts.
Will Raven, Colton, and Charlize save the United States from collapse? One thing is certain--they won't be able to save everyone. Not with their humanity still intact.
From former Homeland Security Disaster Mitigation Officer and USA Today bestselling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith, comes another harrowing story of survival in a post-apocalyptic world that readers and critics are hailing as one of the best post-apocalyptic books of 2017. 

My Thoughts: 

The Peoples Republic of China have offered assistance to the United States of America in the form of soldiers, workers and supplies. The president has no choice but to accept because the US is in big trouble. The sons of Liberty and other domestic threats are crippling recovery efforts and the President and Secretary Montgomery know they need the help badly, but is this a mistake for the freedom of the US?

Meanwhile, Estes park is rocked when two of their own police officers betray them. Raven and Lindsey are in the crosshairs of the traitors and Colton is held captive by Sheriff Thompson, who seems to be even worse than General Fenix!!

Being book 4 in the series and being the last book in the series too, you would think that things would start winding down and the action wouldn't be as tense, but oh my word, that's not the case here!! The plot of this is a mile and minute and you barely have time to breathe. When things seem to be going OK, something else seems to happen to make you gasp out loud!! There were quite a few times while I was reading this, when I hit my husbands arm and said, "you won't believe what happened!!" or "Noooooo" or the one I most used was "You have to read this". By the end of the book he said "thank god"!! Lol. I think he was fed up of all the emotions that was running through me. The sign of a good book is one that you are drawn into and can't stop thinking about, but the sign of a great book is one that has that but also makes you feel real emotion, and this book, and indeed this series, is a great book!!!

One thing I find with this author is his ability to write such memorable characters. Raven and his dog Creek immediately drew me in and I connected with them instantly. Colton, Lindsey, Charlize, in fact most of the other characters, were amazing too. These are characters that will make you want to be friends with them, they are characters that we all hope to live up to if something like this every happened. Even the bad people, and boy were they bad, were amazingly written. I don't think I've ever hated characters like I hated Fenix and his neo nazi friends.  

This book was fast paced, intense, emotional, scary and down right brilliant!! I started it and devoured it within a day. It was definitely a bittersweet moment when I read the last page!!! If you haven't read these books, I urge you to try them! 

The Winter Over by Matthew Iden Review!

Title: The Winter Over
Author: Matthew Iden
Pages: 354
Published: February 1st 2017 by Thomas & Mercer
Source: Netgalley

Purchase: Amazon / Book Depository

Each winter the crew at the Shackleton South Pole Research Facility faces nine months of isolation, round-the-clock darkness, and one of the most extreme climates on the planet. For thirty-something mechanical engineer Cass Jennings, Antarctica offers an opportunity to finally escape the guilt of her troubled past and to rebuild her life.
But the death of a colleague triggers a series of mysterious incidents that push Cass and the rest of the forty-four-person crew to the limits of their sanity and endurance. Confined and cut off from the outside world, will they work together or turn against one another? As the tension escalates, Cass must find the strength to survive not only a punishing landscape but also an unrelenting menace determined to destroy the station—and everyone in it.

My Thoughts:

In the Shackleton South Pole Research Facility, the place is usually packed with staff and scientists during the summer months, but for 9 months of the year, when it's dark for months at a time and it's so cold outside that you could freeze to death in minutes, it's staffed with only a skeleton staff. It's called The Winter Over. Cass, a mechanical engineer has gone through the rigorous evaluation and is looking forward to 9 months of working and escaping the accident in her past. Working in such a stressful environment is hard enough but when one of their colleagues is found dead, and the heat and electricity start turning off and on, the staff at the station have to figure out what is going on before it's too late for all of them. 

I have to say that the cover of this is stunning, very eye catching!! Once I saw the cover and read the synopsis I immediately added this to my list, and when it came on Netgalley I downloaded it and couldn't wait to start. And I must admit, I'm a little disappointed to be honest. The first half of the book was extremely slow and took a while for me to get through. I nearly gave up at one stage but I wanted to see if the story got better!!

Eventually it did pick up and I flew through the second half. Plot wise, I loved the idea of a thriller set in the South Pole because it's such a bleak and desolate setting and the author portrayed the isolation and horrible conditions perfectly. Imagine living in a place where if the heat goes out for any length of time you would have ice forming on your eyes!! I was shivering with the cold just thinking about it. 

Character wise, I found the secondary characters needed to be fleshed out a little more, we don't really get a sense of who they are. Cass though was well written and developed and I liked her character a lot. She has baggage and I felt she grew a lot throughout the story. Initially she came across as an introvert but over the course of the story she became strong and willing to get to the bottom of things. 

In all, this would have been a solid 5 stars if the first half of the book wasn't so slow and drawn out. I mean, the second half of the book was extremely fast paced and tense!! I still enjoyed the overall story and will definitely check out more from Matthew Iden. 

The Supernormal Sleuthing Service: The Lost Legacy by Gwenda Bond and Christopher Rowe Review!

Title: The Supernormal Sleuthing Service
Series: The Supernormal Sleuthing Service #1
Authors: Gwenda Bond, Christopher Rowe
Pages: 416 pages
Published: May 2nd 2017 by Greenwillow Books
Source: Edelweiss

Purchase: Amazon / Book Depository

Three kids. A hotel full of monsters. And a stolen magical artifact that could disrupt the balance between the humans and the supernatural. Welcome to life at Hotel Monster! Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library meets Hotel Transylvania in the first book of this hilarious and spooky new series that blends mystery with monsters.Stephen’s dad decided to move the two of them across the country to New York City, where he is taking over as head chef in an exclusive hotel. A hotel that has the most elite of clientele: monsters! Surprise! (Though they prefer to be called supernormals.) And an even bigger surprise? Stephen is part supernormal himself. When a magical family heirloom is stolen and Stephen is framed, he must work with two new friends to navigate this whole new world and clear his name. After all, consequences can be dire in the world of monsters. Spooky, funny, and full of monstrous hijinks, The Lost Legacy is an inventive and accessible mystery-adventure full of friendship and humor—perfect for fans of Pseudonymous Bosch and R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series.

My Thoughts:

Stephen and his dad move to New York, into the grand New Harmonia hotel, when his grandmother passes away. She worked as the chef there and now Stephen's dad is taking over her job. Little does Stephen know that his life is about to change forever. The New Harmonia hotel is home to some very interesting people, they are all Supernormals. Stephen himself finds out that he is actually half fae, and his absent mother is fae royalty. Stephen is only finding his feet with the whole Supernormals thing, when an important magical artifact is stolen and Stephen is the sole suspect because a Bigfoot saw him do it. But Stephen knows that he had nothing to do with it. Along with his two new friends, Ivan and Sofia, they set out to find the truth, but it's not as easy as it seems, especially when Stephen doesn't know the customs of the different species yet. 

This was such a fun and easy read. The authors descriptive writing made for effortless reading. I loved the hotel! It's a hotel filled with all different creatures, including a dragon and a talking elevator!! The elevator was hilarious. It got so snippy and would sometimes refuse to move. We get to learn all about the hotel and it's inhabitants along with Stephen, which I liked.

The characters were the best bit. Stephen is dropped into the Hotel and the Supernormal world with no idea of what's happening and I felt like his reactions were real and honest. His disbelief turns to wonder which turns to acceptance. He has no idea of the different species culture and is trying to solve the mystery of the stolen artifact, but accidentally causing trouble as he goes. I felt so sorry for him at times because while he is grieving his grandmothers death, and trying to adapt to life at the weird hotel, he is accused of theft and no one, not even his father, believes that he didn't do it. I was so glad he had Ivan and Sofia to help him. 

I loved the minor characters too. All were well written and developed. As I said, I loved the elevator, but I also loved the Dragon and Sofia and Ivan. All of these play an important role in helping Stephen!! 

In all, this was a quick and fun read. I usually read middle grade books and then pass them onto my kids and I have to say, they loved this too. While it wasn't the most action packed book, it still had enough to keep my attention till the end. The mystery element is what let it down because you knew straight away who was the culprit and why, but it still didn't detract from the overall enjoyment. I'm looking forward to the next book!!