ELDER Review & Tour Post

I think of a better to kick off my birthday than celebrating release of ELDER, the final book in Raine Thomas' Firstborn Trilogy!  I have LOVED this series so much that I even went back and re-read the book that started my love of Estlorians, Becoming. 

Before I get to my review of ELDER, I'd like to share with you the trailer:

Well, what did you think??  If you haven't checked out the first two books in the Firstborn Trilogy, then check out Defy & Shift.  And don't forget about the books that started it all, The Daughters of Saraqael: Becoming, Central, & Foretold.   Check out The Prophecy (a Estlorian Short Story), which is currently free on Amazon. 

My Review:

     What a way to end a trilogy!  I've been waiting to read Clara Kate's story since she is the oldest of the "Firstborn".  Clara Kate, or CK as her family calls her, reminds me so much of her mom, Amber.  While her story couldn't be as easy as it seemed on the human plane or else there wouldn't be a story.  The glimpse into CK & Ini-herit's relationship while in the human plane was beautiful and explained so much about the frustration CK has felt since returning.  Elder picks up with the action of Shift with CK, Sophia, Quincy, Zachariah, Ini-herit and the others trying to track down and rescue Tate and Ariana.  I'm still amazed as older Estlorian's demonstrate emotions in different situations.  ELDER is filled with action, heartbreak, laughs and of course some romance.  It's hard to talk about how much I LOVED this final book in the triliogy without revealing secrets.  There were several times when I felt like my heart was going to be ripped out, but then it was pieced back together.  The interactions between "Sparky" and Tate are priceless and Teige and Ariana are too sweet.  So the tension between CK and Ini-herit is so strong because their love on the human plane was so strong and Ini-herit needs a little time to release hundreds of years of having no feelings on the Estlorian plane.  Watching Ini-herit struggle to remember what he felt for CK when on the human plane was endearing and while I hated to see what it did to CK, it fit his personality perfectly.  I was shocked by a couple revelations during the book, but the characters they affected, handled them well.  One thing I have always enjoyed about Raine's books is how she pulls in so many characters stories even when the focus is on one person.  Learning more the others we were introduced to in this series added to the background of looking for the scroll and bringing balance to the Estlorian plane.  It's not often you find a series with strong and humorous female and male characters, and I love what Raine does with her characters.  While I know this is the last book and I LOVED how she ended it by bringing all six books together, I still can't help but more.  I guess that's the best way to end a series, all questions answered, but hard to say goodbye.
If you haven't read Defy or Shift or the Daughters of Saraqael, I would highly recommend you pick them up!  I give ELDER 5 stars!

You can BUY ELDER on Amazon or Barnes & Noble

You can also add it to your Goodreads list.

Now for GOODIES!!!  Raine has put together a wonderful little giveaway:

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Brief author bio: Raine Thomas is the award-winning author of a series of YA fantasy/romance novels about the Estilorian plane, including the Daughters of Saraqael trilogy and the Firstborn trilogy. She is a proud member of Romance Writers of America and is a contributing blogger to The Writer's Voice. When she isn’t planning weddings, writing or glued to social networking sites, she can usually be found on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches with her husband and daughter or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Ways readers can connect with Raine:

Blog ~ Website ~ Twitter 
Facebook ~ Goodreads

Pinterest ~ Linkedin 

Interview with Karen Erickson

The the tour stop today, I'm pleased to have Karen Erickson with me today and she even has a little blurb from Jane's Gift for you!  Don't forget to checkout the giveaway at the end.  

Thanks so much for answering my questions!  As a new reader of yours I’m really enjoying your writing and can’t wait to go back and read your other books. 

And thanks so much for having me as a guest on your blog, Sarah! I’m excited to be here today. 

  I’ll admit I was drawn to Jane’s Gift because I come from a family of firemen, what inspired your to write Chris as a fire captain?

Well, my father is a retired battalion chief/arson investigator for CAL Fire, the state run fire department in California. As I was growing up though, he was a fire captain of a variety of stations within his ranger unit and so…the inspiration came from there. I grew up around it, just like you.

     Having a main character suffer a great loss so early in the book sets the tone for the story, what was the most challenging part of creating those emotions and healing throughout the story?

I didn’t want Jane’s past to put a damper too much on the story. Of course, it molds her and makes her the woman she is today, but I didn’t want the subject matter to be too depressing.

In fact, Jane’s Gift was rejected by a well-known publisher for being too depressing. Now, that was a different version of what Entangled’s Bliss line published but hey, it is a heavy subject. Death and recovery is never easy. But I hope I filled the story with enough love and happiness to make the readers smile.

      Since Jane’s Gift is the first in the Lone Pine Lake series, can you share a little about what we can expect in future books?  How many books will be in this series?

Jane’s big brother Cameron is next—his book, Cameron’s Homecoming, should be out in early spring 2013. I hope to have a total of four books in the Lone Pine Lake series. And if all goes well, Mac’s story would be next (and if you read Cam’s book, you’ll see why) and then I’d like to end it with Mindy and give her a second chance at love. Poor thing deserves it. I already have her hero picked out and everything!

      Since it’s the holidays and Jane started a new Christmas tradition, do you have any special holiday traditions you and your family follow?

Of course. :) Every year we go to Christmas Tree Lane, which is in Fresno, CA (we live just above the city). We’ve been making that drive for years and even though so much of it is the same, it’s that familiarity that makes you feel good inside, right?

Another tradition—we always make and frost holiday sugar cookies. I started doing that with my grandma when I was little and I’m keeping up the tradition. It’s so much fun. The kids are so creative when they frost and of course, those cookies are delicious.

       I love random questions, so here’s my last one:  What’s your favorite holiday food?

My grandma makes the best homemade scalloped potatoes—we’d always have them with ham for Christmas dinner. I need to get the recipe from her and make them myself. I’m afraid I won’t do them justice though. Hard to beat Grandma’s cooking!

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions and I’m looking forward to reading more about the residents of Lone Pine Lake!

Sarah

Thank you again for having me, Sarah. Happy Holidays everyone!

Blurb for Jane’s Gift:

A fire captain afraid of commitment. A widow afraid of fire. Can the holidays bring them together? A devastating house fire cost Jane Clark nearly everything: her husband, her confidence, and her looks, with the physical scars marbling her body. Now, two years later, she's living and healing back in her childhood hometown of Lone Pine Lake. The upcoming holidays are the perfect opportunity to bring some Christmas cheer into her young children's lives, starting with a visit to the firehouse, where her brother's best friend has offered to help quell their residual fears. Lone Pine's resident playboy, fire captain Christian Nelson is happy with his single-guy lifestyle. He's an everyday local hero, so he's never wanting for attention around the holidays. But when Jane Clark shows up, Chris is immediately drawn to the beautiful widow--even though kids and commitment have never been his style. Despite her brother's warnings about his friend's playboy status and dangerous occupation, Jane can't help but fall for the gorgeous fire captain. The holidays are a time of new beginnings, but can two scarred people find the strength to let go of their pasts to live in the present, when a lifetime together might be the sweetest gift of all?

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You can find JANE’S GIFT at Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Keep up with the Jane’s Gift blog tour here

Where you can find Karen:
 Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

"Jenny's First Adventure"

You know who the real fairy tale hero is?

It's not Prince Charming.  Meet Jenny.

Job Description: Adventurer, AKA saver of all damsels and magical creatures in distress. 

In this season of giving, Anna has given us a sneak peak into Jenny's adventurous life that I'd like to share with you today.  So, check out the prequel short story "Jenny's First Adventure" and then add My Epic Fairy Tale Fail to your Goodreads list.  

About The Author

Anna Staniszewski lives outside of Boston with her husband and an adorably crazy dog. She was named the Boston Public Library's 2006-2007 Writer-in-Residence and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Discovery Award. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and jumping rope with mermaids. Visit her at www.annastan.com

Trailer Thursday: Indigo Awakening

I am huge fan of Jordan Dane's YA books and am excited to share with you the trailer for her upcoming YA release, Indigo Awakening.  

Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down. Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He’s warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish on the streets of LA. In her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can’t explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy—to touch him—to protect him even though he scares her. A fanatical church secretly hunts psychic kids—gifted “Indigo” teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind—for reasons only “the Believers” know. Now Rayne’s only hope is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power—a force darker than either of them imagine—that could doom them all.

Add Indigo Awakening to your Goodreads list NOW!!

You can find Jordan Dane on-line:

Website   Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads  YouTube

Cover Reveal: Interred

COVER REVEAL!

Interred
 (Chronicles of the Interred #1)

by

Marilyn Almodóvar

The cover was created by the amazing Devan Edwards of Nimbi Designs.

Blurb

Time has never been an issue for Baxter Jacobs, but then she never knew she had the ability to Bend it.As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Baxter inherits a pendant that will change her life. Connected to the pendant is a dark and mysterious young man named Declan Ashdown. Trapped in a Time loop for the past 122 years, Declan needs Baxter’s help to escape. The only problem is, she has no idea how to do it.
To acquire the power she needs to free him, she’ll become one of the Interred, those whose Magical abilities emerge as they come of age. When she does, she’ll discover that Declan isn’t the only one interested in the fact that she’s a Time Bender.
As the Interment arrives, Baxter knows this will be no Sweet Sixteen. A vengeful relative and the ruthless Council are determined to control her. Declan’s powerful and charming descendant, Jack Ashdown, claims he can save her. She’ll soon have to decide who she can trust, and how to master her new abilities before Time runs out.

Coming January 22, 2013

Add it to your to-read list on Goodreads

Now that you've added it to your Goodreads list, check out this great giveaway from the author!!



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Brief author bio:

Marilyn Almodóvar is an American YA Author born in Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. A lover of words with a penchant for Victorian novels as well as the books of Stephen King, Lyn's favorite past-times have always been reading and writing.

It was this love that propelled her to choose Theater and French as majors in University, with a minor in English Victorian Literature. Lyn lived for almost a decade in England followed by three years in France before returning home to the U.S.

A self-confessed citizen of the world, Lyn is fluent in English, French and Spanish, with basic knowledge of the Italian language. Lyn currently lives in Central Florida with her French husband, English-born eldest son, and French-born youngest son. Her debut YA Novel, Interred, will be published by Iambe books on 01/22/2013.

Ways readers can connect with Lyn:

Twitter    Facebook    Goodreads 

Pinterest    Blog 

Cover Reveal: The Summer I Became a Nerd

   On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.

 Add The Summer I Became A Nerd to your Goodreads list now! 

And check Leah's site for more exciting events to come before the release date. 

Don't forget to follow her on Twitter too! 

A little about the author:

  Born and raised in northern Louisiana, Leah Rae Miller still lives there on a windy hill with her husband and kids. She loves comic books, lava lamps, fuzzy socks, and Cherry Coke. She spends most of her days reading things she likes and writing things she hopes other people will like.

Cover Reveal: Elder by Raine Thomas

COVER REVEAL!

Elder (Firstborn Trilogy #3)

by

Raine Thomas

The cover was created by the amazing Devan Edwards of Nimbi Designs.

Blurb

Clara Kate is one of the eight beings needed to activate The Elder Scroll, an ancient artifact causing tragedy and darkness on the Estilorian plane. She knows that her focus needs to be on finding the final piece and stopping the evil Mercesti, but Ini-herit isn't making it easy. He’s working closely with Clara Kate on the quest to stop their enemies…too close for her comfort. His presence serves as a constant reminder of the love they shared on the human plane, a love that he no longer remembers at all.
 Her life and the lives of those she loves are at risk, and she knows she has to put aside her personal problems. So far on their journey, she's endured heartbreak, terror, pain and loss. She’s even been brought to the brink of death. She thinks things can't get any worse.
She's wrong.

Coming December 27, 2012

Add it to your to-read list on Goodreads

Brief author bio: Raine Thomas is the award-winning author of a series of YA fantasy/romance novels about the Estilorian plane, including the Daughters of Saraqael trilogy and the Firstborn trilogy. She is a proud member of Romance Writers of America and is a contributing blogger to The Writer's Voice. When she isn’t planning weddings, writing or glued to social networking sites, she can usually be found on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches with her husband and daughter or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Ways readers can connect with Raine:

Blog ~ Website ~ Twitter 
Facebook ~ Goodreads

Pinterest ~ Linkedin 

Trailer Thursday

Yesterday I featured Indigo Awakening for my WOW, so today I'd like to feature the trailer.  I have come to LOVE Jordan's YA books and can't wait to dive into this new series. 

Check out Jordan's Website HERE. 

WOW: Indigo Awakening

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine and is a great way to share a book you CAN"T WAIT for and to discover a few new ones along the way.

This week I'm Waiting on the first book in The Hunted series by Jordan Dane, Indigo Awakening. 

Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.
Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He’s warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish on the streets of LA. In her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can’t explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy—to touch him—to protect him even though he scares her.
A fanatical church secretly hunts psychic kids—gifted “Indigo” teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind—for reasons only “the Believers” know. Now Rayne’s only hope is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power—a force darker than either of them imagine—that could doom them all.

Knock, Knock....Is Anyone There?

Hey there....I bet you're shocked to be finally seeing a post from me again.  Well, sometimes LIFE gets a little busy and makes it harder to get the BOOKS part done.  I started a new job, which I LOVE, but it's been keeping me busy, along with a little 4.5 yr old son who is 200% boy (which if you have a boy, you know what I mean).  This is my first school yr since mom passed and I used to call her on the way home everyday, so it's been a little tougher than I thought.  Then throw the upcoming holidays in the mix and I've been a little emotionally distracted.

I have been reading, I promise, and I've got some great books lined up.  So now I'm just trying to find a little time to squeeze in writing all my reviews that have been rattling around in my head.  I also know I've been slacking on my Trailer Thursday posts, but those too will be caught up soon.  I'm hoping to get something written this weekend, but for sure I'll work on getting caught up when I'm off for Thanksgiving break.

So, if you're still following this blog, don't worry I'm working on getting it back up an running on a better schedule and THANKS for hanging in there with me.

Here's a little preview of the reviews coming up in the next couple months 

(this way you can help hold me to  it):

  

 

 

  

Women of Strength

The month of October will be celebrating womanhood! The strength, beauty, and inspiration that women hold and provide to the world everyday. Women carry many titles: mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, best friends, nieces, granddaughters, chef, laundry person, nurse. Women are the nurturers, the quiet strength that holds a family together, and beacons of love for everyone who needs it.

TeamNerd Reviews is teaming up with family, friends, reviewers, bloggers, and authors throughout October to bring some inspirational and powerful stories of great women.


In addition to the many posts that will be coming in throughout the month, they will be throwing a fun giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive the following:

--FOUR different purses

--ONE copy of TEEN VOGUE MAGAZINE

--ONE copy of ENVY by GREGG OLSEN

--ONE copy of BETRAYAL by GREGG OLSEN

--ONE copy of FATED by ALYSON NOEL

--ONE copy of EVERLASTING by ELIZABETH CHANDLER

Terms and Conditions

**Giveaway runs from OCT 8-31**

**Open only to fans in the U.S., Canada, & the UK**

**Winner will be notified OCT 31 and have 48 hrs. to respond before another winner is selected**

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Trailer Thursday ~ TEN

If you are looking for a YA book that is darker and offers some serious mystery then look no further than Gretchen McNeil's TEN!

And their doom comes swiftly. It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury. But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine. Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Gretchen McNeil On-line:
Goodreads   Website   Twitter   Blog   Facebook

Trailer Thursday ~ Whispers at Moonrise

This week I'm featuring the book trailer for Whispers at Moonrise, the fourth book in C.C. Hunter's Shadow Falls series.  I have devoured this series over the past few months and if you love paranormal YA then this is a must read series.  

A breathtaking new installment of the bestselling Shadow Falls series for young adults by rising star C. C. Hunter!
At a camp filled with vampires, werewolves, and fairies, Kylie Galen has always struggled to figure out what she is. Now she finally knows the truth—but she's left with more questions than answers. She doesn’t have a clue what her heritage means or how to harness her newfound powers. All she knows is that she needs to sort out her feelings for Derek, the sexy half-Fae who just confessed his love, and Lucas, her werewolf boyfriend who seems more committed to his pack than to their relationship. All the while, Kylie's dealing with a group of underground rogues who want her dead and a mysterious grandfather who makes it clear he doesn’t trust the FRU . . . or Shadow Falls. Soon Kylie will have to choose: Will she stay with the new family she’s formed at Shadow Falls, or will she leave with her grandfather and embrace her destiny?

You can find C.C. Hunter on-line:

  Website   Twitter   Facebook   Goodreads   YaHous

Trailer Thursday ~ Audition & Subtraction

I had the awesome pleseure to meet Amy Dominy last fall and LOVED her debut novel OyMG.  As a math teacher and former clarinet player (one year counts right?), I was excited when she talked about the premise of her next book.  Then my inner geek really came out when I heard the title, Audition & Subtraction.  I know I'm a geeky teacher and I'm cool with that.  Anyway, the trailer was recently released and in case you were hinding and missed it, I wanted to feature it on my Trailer Thursday this week.  

ENJOY!!!

For as long as Tatum can remember it’s been:
Tatum + Lori = Best friends
They do everything together, including a yearly clarinet/flute duet for District Honor Band auditions. But when a new boy transfers to their middle school and their band, the equation suddenly changes to:
Lori + Michael – Tatum = One happy couple
With her best friend slipping away and her parents recently separated, Tatum’s life has turned upside down. Plus her good friend Aaron thinks that they are secretly boyfriend and girlfriend, all because of one little lie Tatum told. Accepting change isn’t easy for Tatum, but just how much is she willing to give up to hold on to her friendship with Lori and life as she knows it? For Tatum, the best way to move forward may require a whole new formula . . .

You can find more about Amy Fellner Dominy:

GoodReads

Twitter

Website

Class of 2k11

Facebook 

Review ~ Hidden

Happy Book Birthday to HIDDEN, the third Firelight novel by Sophie Jordan.  

Hidden (Firelight #3)
by Sophie Jordan
Publisher: HarperTEEN
pages: 272
Release Date: September 11, 2012

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.
The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....
Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

     Sophie did it again!  What a thrilling conclusion to the Firelight series, though I'm still secretly hoping there is another story out there waiting to be told.  Jacinda finds herself feeling responsible for the capture of Miram and to save her, she will have to go into the stronghold, where no draki as escaped.  While Will and Cassian think that the plan is dangerous, they don't see another choice and know that even if they don't help, Jacinda would still go in, so in they go.  While in the stronghold, Jacinda discovers types of draki she never knew existed and what they are doing in there is beyond what she had imagined.  
   
     Just when the plan seems to be going wrong, a new acquaintance steps up and helps.  Once outside of the stronghold, they aren't out of danger yet.  Once friends become enemies and this throws the draki family into a conforntation with will leave them shaken to their core.  I must say a was divided between Will and Cassian before this book, but, for me, after some revelations I am definitely cheering for one guy.  Because I don't want to give away anything, all I will say is that I was happy with the end. Though I still stand by my feeling that there could be more to the story.  Enjoy every, thrilling page and I hope you enjoy the conclusion to the Firelight series as much as I did.

You can find Sophie Jordan on-line:

Website   Twitter   Facebook   Goodreads

Trailer Thursday ~ Stormdancer

Griffins are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father Masaru are sent to capture one for the Shogun, they fear that their lives are over. Everyone knows what happens to those who fail him, no matter how hopeless the task.
But the mission proves far less impossible, and far more deadly, than anyone expects – and soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country's last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled griffin for company. But trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and Buruu soon discover a friendship that neither of them expected.
Meanwhile, the country around them verges on the brink of collapse. A toxic fuel is slowly choking the land; the omnipotent, machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure; and the Shogun cares about nothing but his own dominion. Yukiko has always been uneasy in the shadow of power, when she learns the awful truth of what the Shogun has done, both to her country and to her own family she's determined to do something about it.
Returning to the city, Yukiko and Buruu plan to make the Shogun pay for his crimes – but what can one girl and a flightless griffin do against the might of an empire?