Season's Greetings by Kira Snyder- Review and Giveaway!

 

Parish Mail: Season's Greetings (#2.5)

By Kira Snyder

Genre(s):  Mystery, Young Adult, Paranormal, Novella
Published Nov 2013
Pages: 242

Publisher:  Coliliquy

View on Goodreads

  

Summary:  "Celia Macarty is eager to enjoy her first New Orleans Christmas, but school has barely let out for the holidays when she learns that mystery never takes a vacation. Using the clues on a Christmas card from 1933, Celia must unravel a supernatural riddle that takes her all over festive New Orleans—and deeper into her family’s past. As Christmas Eve draws closer, shady community secrets come to light, and Celia enlists an unlikely ally to set things right.

With the help of her witchy best friend Tilly and a trio of to-die-for suitors, Celia navigates a mystery and, in the process, her heart. Because in the Crescent City, Christmas is a time of enchantment and surprises, and a little romance might be Celia’s best present of all.

Celia’s latest Parish Mail adventure is an active fiction title from Coliloquy. Your reading choices will help Celia solve the crime!"

Review:   WARNING!  Potential spoilers ahead if you have not read at least the first book of the Parish Mail series!

This was a great addition to the Parish Mail series. The book appears to take place after book 2 (which I still need to read) and they days are creeping closer to Christmas!

The Warble is FREE this week

Free this week

11/24/13- 11/28/13

The Warble (Previously Known as The Magic Warble to those who remember my review) by Victoria Simcox is now FREE!!!  Click HERE to see my original review of the book.

 Description:

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen – all these and more can be found in The Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

Dead Letter Office by Kira Snyder (review)

 

Parish Mail: Dead Letter Office (1)

By Kira Snyder

Genre(s):  Mystery, Young Adult, Paranormal
Published Feb 2013
Pages: 379

Publisher:  Coliliquy

Buy it or View on Goodreads 

Summary:  "When Celia’s father is killed in Afghanistan, she moves with her mother to New Orleans, the city where her father grew up. Struggling to adjust and haunted by troubling dreams, Celia finds comfort in new friends like Tilly, a practicing witch, and Donovan, the son of a police detective. On Halloween, bizarre supernatural occurrences rock the city. Celia meets the mysterious Luc and finds a letter, over a hundred years old, addressed to her.

The paranormal repercussions continue when Celia learns that Luc is the restless spirit of a young man murdered in 1854, only able to assume solid form at night. And then, to her shock, Celia finds that the letter, which describes the suspected murder of a man in 1870, contains uncanny parallels to the present-day death of Abel Sims, a homeless veteran.

With help from Luc, Tilly, and Donovan, Celia races to solve the murder—and the mystery of the letter—using both magical and forensic clues.

This is an Active Fiction title
"Active fiction" is a new type of e-reading experience that allows the reader and the author to interact with each other and the text in new and different ways.

Kira has written Parish Mail like a TV series–there are over-arching mystery and romantic story arcs that extend between the episodes, while each episode has a smaller case that is presented and solved. Along the way, she asks you, the reader, to make several small decisions as you read. These choices do not impact the overarching storyline, but certain combinations “unlock” clues to the series’ mystery, which are embedded in the text. Kira also asks you to cast a vote at the end of the episode, to get additional feedback from her fans about their preferred love interests in future episodes."

Review:  Dead Letter Office is an interesting mystery novel. Yet this is unlike most mysteries one may have read. In this book the reader helps decide the course of action for the story. For those who enjoyed the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books as a child (or even teen/adult), then this is the next step up!

Rebels Book Blast Tour and Giveaway

Rebels 

 By Scott and Judith Powell

 The world is on fire. From the ashes like a phoenix rises a new America, one that will save it all. Under one condition; absolute and complete surrender. The world complies without question. Those who don’t are destroyed. It is in this world, John is born. His very name is treason. If the New America, now known to everyone as the State, knew what John was, they’d kill him, but instead they give him a gift.

 
 Praise for Rebels John has a lot of potential (especially for someone so young) in that he sees the flaws in this society. He wants to be like George Washington and knows a lot about the manner in which a government should be run... Highly recommended. ~Amazon Review  


About the Authors Scott Powell was born in Burlington, Vermont, to a father who was a police officer and a mother who emigrated from South Korea. He received a degree in marketing from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, and a master's degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Scott served a two-year Spanish-speaking mission for his church. He is a mixed martial artist who continues to train with his father, a second-degree black belt in Tae kwon do and a kick boxer. Besides being married to Scott for over seventeen years, Judith Powell is a stay-at-home mom whose whole life has been full of stories. Being raised by an Irish storytelling father and a Native American mother, stories have filled her life and her head until they finally had no choice but to flow out through her fingertips.

Website * Twitter * Pinterest

Rebels' Facebook Page

Judith's Facebook * Scott's Facebook

 

Tour Schedule

 Book Blast Giveaway

  $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Blitz and Giveaway with Interview and Sneak Peek for Firebolt by Adrienne Woods

Firebolt

The Dragonian Series, Book One

  by Adrienne Woods

Genre: YA Fantasy 

Publisher: GMTA  Publishing – Mythos Press 

Published: November 20, 2013

ISBN: 13: 978-1491244654

Number of pages: 289  Word Count: 95 000

Cover Artist: Mary Park and Kitty Bullard

  

Dragons. Right. Teenage girls don't believe in fairy tales, and sixteen-year-old Elena Watkins was no different.

Until the night a fairy tale killed her father.

Now Elena is in a new world, and a new school. The cutest guy around may be an evil dragon, a prince wants Elena's heart, and a long dead sorcerer may be waking up to kill her. Oh and the only way Elena's going to graduate is on the back of a dragon of her own.

Teenage girls don't believe in fairy tales. Now it's time for Elena to believe in...herself.

Chapter One

A girl singing her heart out about a miracle boomed inside my ear. A miracle would get me what I needed: a chance at a semi-normal life.

     The bedroom door hitting the wall expelled the thought from my mind. With his hand tangled up in his copper hair and with huge brown eyes, Dad's figure filled the entire doorway. “Pack your bags.” He had that set to his jaw, the one that meant there was no way out of this. He bolted out of the room just as suddenly as he had appeared.

Holiday Update

Hi, everyone.  Just wanted to sy a few things, first and formost to those of you who follow or comment here- HUGE THANK YOU!!!!!  I started this blog not sure where it would go but I have had a lot of fun with it and getting involved, however shy and slow I am, with the book blogging community.  I have a long way to go on improvements and updates here but I hope you have enjoyed stopping by here.  

I owe everyone an apology.  As many may have noticed, I have not been posting much the past 2 weeks.  that is because I got an extra holiday job!  Good for the money, bad of free time.  So posts over the next 6 weeks will be a bit slimmer.  Things like TGIF Weekly is on hold until 2014.  Stacking the Shelves is also on hold.    I would rather keep you updated on reviews and other bookish news and topics.  Fluff memes, however fun they are, will just be fewer.  Not saying you won't see one every now and then just not weekly.  I still hope to get about 2 reviews out a week plus at least 1 other post (be it a meme, discussion or spotlight) minimum.    I just don't want anyone to think I am neglecting Vailia's Page Turner, I  just have very little free time and much as I like blogging, the actual reading is my first love.    

Happy Holidays!

2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

So I love reading challenges but I have a hard time keeping to a rigid set of guidlines. So a rarely end up finishing them.  This one is wide-open so I can read any books I want.  The only rule:  The books need to be published 2013 or earlier.  No 2014 or pre-published books!  Sounds easy so I am signing up and here I am!  
I have no idea what I am going to read just yet but I will be doing an update post toward the end of December where I will share my first picks to begin the challenge.  Toward the end of each month, I will inform everyone of my progress and a few of the books I intend to read next.  
My  goal is for 50+ books (The highest level of the challenge).  Please join me in this challenge.  Click the pic above for the original sign-up link!  

Book Blast Giveaway for Gateway by Christina Garner

Gateway 

by Christina Garner

 
 Everybody has their demons. Some are just a little more real than others... Ember has always known she doesn't belong in this world, but when she tries to correct the mistake, she wakes to find herself in a mental institution. There she draws the attention of Taren, a mysterious boy who isn't what he seems. When chaos erupts, they are forced to flee the institution together, and the secret Taren has been keeping, brings Ember closer to understanding her own. And leads her to... the Gateway.  





  Praise "I loved, loved, loved, Gateway. It kept me up all night, it kept me guessing throughout and stayed on my mind afterward. And that my friends, is pretty much my definition of a great book." ~thatbookishgirl.blogspot.com "I enjoyed everything about this novel--the strong writing, the believable characters, the captivating plot and the subtle but sweet romance." ~irresistiblereads.blogspot.com "I give this book 5 stars out of 5, for the sole reason that I can't give it more." ~TheWolfsLibrary.blogspot.com

 Author Christina Garner 

  Christina Garner began writing stories at the age of six, with some help from her older sister. At eighteen, her aspirations as an actor had her loading up her Buick and setting off for Hollywood. Since then, she has written and directed 10 short films, including Rewind and Reminder, both of which received acclaim on the festival circuit. In 2006, she began writing screenplays. A year later, she even got paid for one. In May of 2011, her debut novel, Gateway, became an Amazon Bestseller. A year later, Chasm, Book 2 in The Gateway Trilogy, did the same. Christina lives in Los Angeles, and when she's not writing, spends her time traveling the world, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and playing with her dog, Griffin.  

Book Blast Giveaway 

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
 Ends 12/5/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Waiting on Wednesday 4

Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that are eagerly anticipated by the blogger.  In this case, me.

This week- I am most excited about next weeks release of:

 
One shocking afternoon, computers around the globe shut down in a viral catastrophe. At sixteen-year-old Adam Daley’s high school, the problem first seems to be a typical electrical outage, until students discover that cell phones are down, municipal utilities are failing, and a few computer-free cars like Adam’s are the only vehicles that function. Driving home, Adam encounters a storm tide of anger and fear as the region becomes paralyzed. Soon—as resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends—he will see his suburban neighborhood band together for protection. And Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government spy living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival. 





Does this sound interesting to you?  What are you looking forward to?

Stacking the Shelves 29

 

  Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, every Weekend. This is to share books I have acquired from various sources.  Physical books & ebooks both are welcome. If its something being sent to me by mail, I will not mention it until I actually receive it.

 

 

 

 So, I am falling behind on getting my books listed.  I have actually recieved and gotten quite a bit more than what shows here on my STS.   I will get them added by next week I hope.  Life just spend up a little earlier than I expected so I have fallen a bit behind on things and I got a new job that is getting most of my attention.   So as I work on this I will try to get as many added as possible in the short bit of free time I have available.

Click on the cover links to Goodreads!  Sorry no real photos of the print books I got.

♥  ♦  ♣  ♠

For Review-Print and Ebooks

          

The Wishflower Field-Marie's Triumph by Jennifer Fallow (review)

 

The Wishflower Field-

Marie's Triumph (1)

 

By Jennifer Fallaw

 

Genre: Youth

 Published Dec 2011
Pages: 116

View on Goodreads.

 

 

Summary:  Have you or someone you know ever suffered from night terrors? Do you know a child who is letting fear get the best of them? Give them The Wishflower Field: Marie's Triumph and empower them to take control back.

The story of a girl who learns to view fearful situations as opportunities to be strong. Guidance from loved ones and a new found inner strength, help her face her monster in her re-occuring nightmare and find her way to The Wishflower Field, a place of infinite possiblities. Lessons learned and wonderous adventure await her in this heavenly dream land and leave her with a quest to find her way back.

 

 

 

Review:  A cute story about a girl named Marie who has been having nightmares about shadows and being chased by a monster. Now it is affecting her when she is awake. Afraid to open the closet, or be alone. After failing to alleviate her daughters fears, mom calls in reinforcements... Grandma! Grandma tell her of a special place called the Wishflower Field. A special place she can go, if she confronts her fear...

Daughter of Isis by Kelsey Ketch (review)

  

Descendants of Isis: Daughter of Isis (1)

By Kelsey Ketch

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology/Lore

 Published Oct 2013
Pages: 272

Buy it or View on Goodreads.

Summary:  "“Her mouth parted slightly, waiting for Seth to breathe life into her own body, just like in the story. She wanted him to awaken her senses.”

Their worlds collide in California’s high desert.

The last thing Natara “Natti” Stone wants to do is to start anew at Setemple High School. She wished she had never left London. Yet the brutal murder of her maternal grandmother has made her life very complicated. The only clue related to her murder is an ancient, encrypted necklace Natti discovered after her grandmother’s death. And if trying to adjust to American life is not enough, Natti is being stalked by a mysterious, charming high school senior, Seth O’Keefe, who is annoyingly persistent in his attempts at seduction.

Seth O’Keefe is secretly a member of the Sons of Set, an order that worships the Egyptian god of chaos. Seth’s blessing from Set, his “charm,” never failed, except with one person: Natti Stone. Her ability to elude him infatuates and infuriates him, and he becomes obsessed with the chase. But the closer he gets to her, the more his emotions take a dangerous turn, and he risks breaking one of the most valued covenants of his order. The punishment for which is a fate worse than death.

The adventure this unlikely couple becomes engulfed in could cost them their lives and their souls."

Review:  This was a fantastic read! When I choose to read this book, it sounded intriguing and I figured I would enjoy it. However, it turns out that this novel was better than I had anticipated!

Season's Greeating Cover Reveal and Giveaway!

   Celia Macarty is eager to enjoy her first New Orleans Christmas, but school has barely let out for the holidays when she learns that mystery never takes a vacation. Using the clues on a Christmas card from 1933, Celia must unravel a supernatural riddle that takes her all over festive New Orleans—and deeper into her family’s past. As Christmas Eve draws closer, shameful community secrets come to light, and Celia enlists an unlikely ally to set things right.
   With the help of her witchy best friend Tilly and a trio of to-die-for suitors, Celia navigates a mystery and, in the process, her heart. Because in the Crescent City, Christmas is a time of enchantment and surprises, and a little romance might be Celia’s best present of all.           
   Celia’s latest Parish Mail adventure is an active fiction title from Coliloquy. Your reading choices will help Celia solve the crime!

"This is an Active Fiction title
"Active fiction" is a new type of e-reading experience that allows the reader and the author to interact with each other and the text in new and different ways.