Fevered Souls (Season 1) by S.K Falls

Received for review

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 613 KB
• Print Length: 216 pages
• After I left for college, I thought I’d never see Eden again. But I found myself headed back four years later, destitute and unable to find a job anywhere else. Still, I was adamant nothing would keep me there for long.
  
  Then I met the intoxicating Dax Allard. Copper-colored eyes, skin that emanated an exceptional heat, and a host of strange talents… It wasn't long before I was drunk on him.
  
  But Dax’s past was darker than mine, teeming with ancient secrets. Falling for him could cost me my life.
  
  I had two choices: walk away or deal with the perilous consequences.
  
  It was no choice at all.
  
  --
  
  Fevered Souls Season 1 is the omnibus of the first season of the Fevered Souls serial novel.
  
  Episodes included: Possession, Betrothal, Illumination, Initiation, and Judgment.
  
  Approximate word count: 60,000 words or 170 pages.

Cover:  I love the sexy, romantic cover.  I'm a sucker for those.

So...it was quite Twilight-formulaic.  

Young girl/woman + Small town + Mysterious & beautiful guy + a miraculous,

unexplainable rescue + Girl googles research + guy trying to push girl away =

familiar territory

There was even the 'I know what you are' moment.

A Rosalie type character called Victorine.

Dax has 'protective' / stalker tendencies, oh and he loves the way Cara smells.
Let's not forget the Volturi like rulers called the Astaroth. 

Over all I found I couldn't really get into or love this series, because every page just smacked of Twilight.
And I'm a Twilight fan!
The similarities were just to much for me.

Visited by Janine Caldwell BLOGTOUR

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 420 KB
• Print Length: 185 pages
• Publisher: Janine Caldwell (25 May 2013)

Seventeen-year-old Joanna Murphy has lost faith in her life. Vying for her mom’s attention, she’s resentful of her stepdad’s intrusion to their family. Her best friend, Tommy, has no clue she’s in love with him as he dates girl after girl without noticing how it tortures her. The final kicker, though, is God’s sick joke to make her freakishly tall when everyone knows boys prefer petite girls.

Then in a bizarre accident Joanna meets James, a breathtaking teen who appears to her after an unusual falling star sighting. Suddenly, her dream for an alien encounter becomes all too real. But when she finds her life has been made unrecognizable, she’s forced into an explosive study of the original design for her life that just may have her regretting every wish she ever made.

Excerpt

I gape up at him, the fear beginning to course through my veins. “Who are you?”
“A friend.” He answers in an even enough tone, but at the same time, his face begins to glow the color of amber, making him look warm and unusually vibrant. I’ve never known any being able to radiate such a glow. Any being from Earth, that is.
“A friend?” I manage to whisper back before swallowing a gulp. “Are-are you human?” I’m half kidding, but after years of watching realistic science fiction movies and reading a library of fantasy novels, I think I mean the question more than I want to admit. However, he doesn’t answer me. He averts his eyes, blinking rapidly like he’s unsure of the situation.
Again, I’m at a loss of what to think. I thought I asked a pretty straightforward question and he can’t even answer that. By his omission, I have to assume he’s trying to tell me he isn’t human!
Is this really happening? And, more importantly, if he’s not human, then what is he?
My brain pores through a dozen images at once, my chest heaving from the excitement. I flash to movies, T.V. shows, graphic novels, and to my own imagination as I consider what life form James could be. While I try to convince myself I’m jumping to conclusions, that of course this is all a misunderstanding or perhaps an elaborate hoax, something else itches in the back of my mind. That something whispers: Haven’t you always considered the existence of other worlds? Discussed the possibility a hundred times with Tommy?
The answer to both questions is an emphatic yes. I decide right then, despite all reason, I know what James is.
“I think I know what you are,” I remark feebly.
He turns to me with a spark of expectation in his eyes, still glowing, still warm.
“You came to Earth with that star last night, didn’t you?”
Blood rushes to his cheeks, giving him an even brighter supernatural glow, and then I know I have my answer.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” I sit upright, gripping the sheet into my fists. “You’re from another planet. That’s how you have the power to heal.”
He pales for a second, but amazingly, he doesn’t deny it. He flickers his lashes upward like he’s searching the ceiling for his reply. After a moment, he shakes his head of soft curls that brush his neck before redirecting his intense expression back on me. He licks his lips and smiles pensively, but I feel the same need as before to shy away; whether it’s from shock or from a loss of focus I don’t know, but holding his gaze is next to impossible.
My mind is all aflutter trying to come to grips with what I’m being confronted to believe.

“Incredible. I was right all along,” I murmur, commenting to myself. “Aliens do exist.”

Book Haul/In My Mailbox 6/9/13

Wake by Amanda Hocking

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Tor (16 Aug 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1447205723
• ISBN-13: 978-1447205722
• Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.
  
  Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.
  
  Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

Cover:  I love the vibrant blue of this cover.  I love that it's a relevant cover.

I've heard so many great things about Amanda Hocking.  How her books are such a success story, how successful she has been because of self publishing and the ebook.  So I've wanted to read some of her books for a while, having had this one and her Trylle trilogy on my shelf for over a year.  I finally picked this one up as part of a buddy read.

I had high hopes for this one.  I love mermaids/sirens etc, but had only read one other book about them.

I found this sooooo slow.  I struggled with it.  It's just over 300 pages.  Normally this would take me no more than 3 days to read.   It took me a week.  A sure sign that my enjoyment level was low.

I found the first 100 pages really repetitive.  It just seemed like 'ooh there's those 3 girls.  They give me the creeps.  Didn't there use to be four of them?'

Over, and over.  That made up a third of the book!

The event mentioned in the synopsis, Gemma waking up groggy and knowing something is different...yeah takes 100 pages to happen.  

Basically for me it had great premise, but it took to long to kick in.

Gemma... I never felt for her as a protagonist.

Harper, I really liked her character.  How she's basically taken the place of their mum.  Has a lot of responsibilty.

Daniel...ahh I loved him.  He was the highlight of the book for me.

Over all it wasn't a bad book.  I did enjoy the humour through out, and the basic plot was sound.  The main issue for me was pacing.

I would definitely continue the series, but it's not one I'm in a rush to.

3/5 stars.

The Experiment BLOGTOUR

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 527 KB
• Print Length: 338 pages
• Publisher: Prose by Design (10 July 2013)
• Time is running out for the Collaborative's oppressive rule of the remote world Senca One. The government attempts to suppress the escalating riots, even while seeking to further their experiments. When their parents are taken, triplets Juliet, Cilla, and Emiah Tripp set out to locate them, and soon discover they are at the center of a hunt to capture them.
  
  Evading the Collaborative across Seneca One’s harsh terrain, they’re confronted with the trials of survival. They also discover something that changes the very core of what they are: they’re morphs. Struggling to adapt to the strange new ability, they question what they really are . . . and why. Are the rumors of experiments done on children true? Did their scientist parents have anything to do with it?
  
  Their quest brings them to the capitol city of Brighton, which is on the verge of revolt. While searching for information about their parents, the Tripps align themselves with the very people fueling the rebellion. They unwittingly spark the revolution they want no part of and discover something more dangerous than they suspected.

99 Have You Evers

1. Started your own blog: Sherry Gammon: Many! Cindy C Bennett: More than one, actually. 

2. Slept under the stars: SG: Oh yeah! CCB: More times than I care to admit. 

3. Played in a band: SG: I’ve played volleyball in a Band-AID, does that count? CCB: Sure, I’m the lead singer for Heart. Oh wait, that’s right, I can’t sing or play any instruments. 

4. Visited Hawaii: SG: In my dreams! When I’m rich and famous, I will!! CCB: Twice. 

5. Watched a meteor shower: SG: Yes! And it was totally awesome! CCB: No, I always seem to miss them. 

6. Given more than you can afford to charity: SG: If I did, I wouldn’t tell—I’d lose the blessing!! CCB: Ditto what Sherry says (which pretty much means yes). 

7. Been to Disneyland: SG: Many times. CCB: Me, too. It’s my favorite place to visit.

 8. Climbed a mountain: SG: Yes. CCB: Under protest, yes. 

9. Held a praying mantis: SG: Yes. CCB: Eww, no! 

10. Sang a solo: SG: Yes-It was not pretty! CCB: Read my above comment about being in a band. 

11. Bungee jumped: SG: No, nor will I ever. CCB: What she said. 

12. Visited Paris: SG: No, but after Hawaii, I’m going to Paris. CCB: Because my son was stationed in Germany, and we got to go see him, yes, I’ve been to Paris which was close to him (4 hour drive). 

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea: SG: No, but I would love to. CCB: Yes, and to this day it’s the most amazing thing I’ve seen.

 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch: SG: Sewing, it’s an art, if your good, which I’m not, so does that count? CCB: Digital scrapbooking, which lead to me being able to make my own covers. 

15. Adopted a child: SG: Yes! He’s AWESOME! CCB: No, but I completely admire Sherry and anyone else who does. 

16. Had food poisoning: SG: Yes, pineapple yogurt. I still can’t eat it to this day. Four days of upchucking! CCB: Knock on wood, no I haven’t.

 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty: SG: No, too hot! CCB: No, haven’t had the chance yet. 

18. Grown your own vegetables: SG: Yes, lots of times. CCB: Due to a severe fear of bugs, no. I did try to grow tomatoes on the porch once. Epic fail. 

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France: SG: See #12 above. CCB: Can you believe when we were there, the Louvre was closed! So disappointing. 

20. Slept on an overnight train: SG: When I was 6 months old, though my mom swears I never slept. Does crying all night count? CCB: No, but I’d like to give it a try. 

21. Had a pillow fight: SG: Yes. CCB: I’m a girl. Of course! 

22. Hitchhiked: SG: Yes. STUPID KID!!! CCB: Nope. 

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill: SG: I was sick of work! CCB: I’m going with Sherry’s justification. 

24. Built a snow fort: SG: Bazillions of times. CCB: Maybe not bazillions of times, but more than I can remember. 

25. Held a lamb: SG: Yes. CCB: No. 

26. Gone skinny dipping: SG: Fat dipping, you mean? No. Not with this body. CCB: Ditto what Sherry said … again. 

27. Run a Marathon: SG: Hahahahahaha! CCB: Hahahahahaha!

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice: SG: On the way home from #4 and #12 I will. CCB: No, never got to Italy while in Europe. 

29. Seen a total eclipse: SG: Yes. CCB: Yup, even took a picture of one with a homemade camera when I was like 13-ish. 

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset: SG: Lots of times, they are my favorite times of the day. CCB: I watch the sunrise many days as I’m going to bed (work nights). Sunsets? Yes. 

31. Hit a homerun: SG: I don’t think so. CCB: Barely hit the ball, let alone a homerun. 

32. Been on a cruise: SG: Oh yeah! Best vacation ever. CCB: I’ve been on 20+. Love them, obviously. 

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person: SG: Many times. CCB: No, and I’m jealous Sherry has so many times. 

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors: SG: No. CCB: I’ve been to England and Holland, but not some of the other places. 

35. Seen an Amish community: SG: Lots of times. Love it there. CCB: No. 

36. Taught yourself a new language: SG: Pig Latin. CCB: Does baby-talk count? 

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied: SG: No. CCB: Who does? Even the richest person in the world never has enough. 

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person: SG: No. CCB: No. 

39. Gone rock climbing: SG: No, nor do I want to. CCB: Huge fear of heights, so no. 

40. Seen Michelangelo's David: SG: No. CCB: No. 

41. Sung karaoke: SG: Yes, as a group on the above mentioned cruise. Don and his buddies sang Paper Roses!! CCB: No, I truly can’t sing to save my life. 

42. Seen the Old Faithful geyser erupt: SG: Yes. CCB: Multiple times. 

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant: SG: No. CCB: Yes. 

44. Visited Africa: SG: No, I don’t do bugs. CCB: Um, yeah, I don’t do bugs either. Or wild monkeys. 

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight: SG: Yes, many times. CCB: Yes, and it’s as romantic as it seems. 

46. Been transported in an ambulance: SG: No, thankfully. CCB: Me neither. 

47. Had your portrait painted: SG: Oh yeah, not a day goes by when some artist doesn’t stop me in the streets and ask if he/she can paint me. CCB: We can’t all be as famous as Sherry, so no. 

48. Gone deep sea fishing: SG: Sort of, I fished off a pier in the Atlantic Ocean. CCB: Yes, in Alaska, and it was awesome. Caught a fish as long as I am tall. 

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person: SG: Not yet. CCB: No. 

50. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling: SG: Yes! Way cool. CCB: Man, I feel like I’m exposing all my weird phobias here. No, I’m too claustrophobic. Can’t do it. I’ve tried. 

51. Kissed in the rain: SG: Yes, it’s not as fun as the movies portray it either. It’s slimy and slippery! CCB: No, but I’d like to give it a whirl—slime and all. 

52. Played in the mud: SG: As a child. CCB: Yes, you haven’t lived until you have. 

53. Gone to a drive-in theater: SG: Many times. CCB: Me, too. 

54. Been in a movie: SG: Yes. Junior high math video for my school. CCB: No, but I’d love to watch one being filmed. That’s the part that interests me. 

55. Visited the Great Wall of China: SG: No. CCB: No. 

56. Started a business: SG: Yes. Prose by Design with Cindy C Bennett. CCB: What Sherry said, and a cabinet business with my husband.

57. Taken a martial arts class: SG: Yes, for three years. Loved it. CCB: No. 

58. Visited Russia: SG: No, not too sure I want to either. CCB: No, but I think it’d be awesome.

59. Served at a soup kitchen: SG: No. CCB: Not a soup kitchen, but at a homeless shelter for families. 

60. Sold Girl Scout cookies: SG: Yes, unfortunately. CCB: Nope, never did the Girl Scout thing. 

61. Gone whale watching: SG: Yes. We also saw dozens and dozens of dolphins, which I love. CCB: No, but I saw them from a helicopter once, and from a cruise boat a couple of times. Does watching them at Sea World count?

62. Got flowers for no reason: SG: Yes, all the time! Thanks, awesome hubby!! CCB: Yes. 

63. Donated, platelets, or plasma: SG: Yes. CCB: Multiple times. 

64. Gone skydiving: SG: No, nor will I EVER! CCB: There isn’t enough money in the world to get me to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. 

65. Visited a Concentration Camp: SG: No. CCB: No. 

66. Bounced a check: SG: Yes, in college. CCB: Do I have to admit how many times? 

67. Flown in a helicopter: SG: No. CCB: Yes, in Alaska. 

68. Saved a favorite childhood toy: SG: No. CCB: Yes, some Barbie’s, and Barbie clothes and furniture. 

69. Visited the Lincoln Memorial: SG: Yes. CCB: No. 

70. Eaten caviar: SG: Yes, disgusting. CCB: Ugh, no. 

71. Pieced a quilt: SG: Yes. CCB: Yes. 

72. Stood in Times Square: SG: Yes. CCB: Yes, once with Sherry even. 

73. Toured the Everglades: SG: Yes. Airboat. CCB: Yes, even rode on an airboat. 

74. Been fired from a job: SG: No. CCB: No. 

75. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London: SG: No. CCB: The day we were there was one of the days they didn’t do it! I need to double check schedules before I go on these trips. 

76. Broken a bone: SG: No. CCB: Oddly, me neither. 

77. Been on a speeding motorcycle: SG: Yes, and I did not like it. CCB: Yes, and I was at the controls. I ride a Harley. 

78. Seen the Grand Canyon in person: SG: No. CCB: Yes, but not since I was little. 

79. Published a book: SG: Yes, five, and am editing 3 more! CCB: Yes, several. 

80. Visited the Vatican: SG: No. CCB: No. 

81. Bought a brand new car: SG: No. CCB: Yes, more than one. 

82. Walked in Jerusalem: SG: No. CCB: No. 

83. Had your picture in the newspaper: SG: No, but I have had editorials published in newspapers. CCB: A few times with reviews of my books. 

84. Visited the White House: SG: Yes. CCB: No. 

85. Killed and prepared an animal for eating: SG: No, disgusting! CCB: No, I like them cleanly packaged from the store. 

86. Had chickenpox: SG: Yes. CCB: Yes. 

87. Gotten sea sick: SG: Yes, blah! CCB: A few times. Not fun.

88. Sat on a jury: SG: No, called but never chosen. CCB: Never even called. 

89. Met someone famous: SG: Of course, I lived in LA. I met the "Skipper"—Gilligan’s Island; Billy Barty—midget; Jay Osmond, and a few others. CCB: A few but no one as big as the Skipper. Unless you count Sherry. 

90. Joined a book club: SG: Yes. CCB: Would an author ever have a no answer to this one? 

91. Lost a loved one: SG: Yes. CCB: Yes. 

92. Had a baby: SG: Yes, a few times;}. CCB: Four times for me. 

93. Seen the Alamo in person: SG: Yes. CCB: Yes. 

94. Swam in the Great Salt Lake: SG: Floated, that is good enough. CCB: Never with my
face under the water. 

95. Been involved in a law suit: SG: No, knock on wood. CCB: For business, yes, but not on the defense side luckily. 

96. Owned a cell phone: SG: Yes. CCB: Really? 

97. Been stung by a bee: SG: Yes. CCB: Yes, twice. 

98. Read an entire book in one day: SG: Breaking Dawn. CCB: Many, many books but not for a long, long time.

99. Saved someone's life: SG: Yes. This poor woman came running into the public restroom I was in, groaning. (She was groaning, not me). She ran into a stall I knew had no toilet paper because I always check before I begin. I debated from my stall if I should say something … kind of awkward, know what I mean? As she locked the door to her stall I decided I’d better. When I did, she thanked me profusely and ran into another vacant stall and proceeded to … well, let’s just say that if she didn’t have toilet paper it would have been real bad. So I can say that’s saving her life … Don’t you agree? I think the poor woman would. ;} CCB: No way can I beat that story!

Eternally Yours by Cate Tiernan

Received for review
Hardcover: 464 pages

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (17 Jan 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1444707035
• ISBN-13: 978-1444707038

After 450 years of living, Nastasya Crowe should have more of a handle on this whole immortal thing....

After a deadly confrontation at the end of Darkness Falls, the second Immortal Beloved novel, Nastasya Crowe is, as she would put it, so over the drama. She fights back against the dark immortals with her own brand of kick-butt magick...but can she fight against true love? In the satisfying finale to the Immortal Beloved trilogy, ex-party-girl immortal Nastasya ends a 450-year-old feud and learns what “eternally yours” really means.

Laced with historical flashbacks and laugh-out-loud dialogue, the Immortal Beloved trilogy is a fascinating and unique take on what it would mean to live forever.

Cover:  Not really a big fan of close ups on covers, particularly of eyes.

I've loved this trilogy from start to finish.  It's a fantastic series that I highly recommend.
In this third and final installment we learn more about Nastasya's family history, as well as meeting River's four brothers that have previously only been mentioned.
I love every character in this book.  I like that as immortals they've each lived long lives, and yet each characters story is different.
I like the love interest of Reyn and Nastasya, it obviously started in book 1, but I was left wanting MORE of it.  I definitely wanted more of them 'together' in it.
This was a fantastic conclusion to the series.  A lot of questions were wrapped up, the humour and wit was laugh-put-loud funny in some places, and I was hooked from page 1.
This series is a must read.
5/5 stars!  Not only for Eternally Yours but for the trilogy as a whole.

August 2013 Reading Wrap-Up