Review: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 

Publication Date: September 29th 2020
Publisher:  Canongate Books
Genera: Adult, Fantasy, Mental Health

Synopsis: 'Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices... Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?'

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig's enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

The Midnight Library is a beautifully written book that shares a very strong message. Even though it may be difficult to read at times, I could not put this book down!

Nora Seed is tired of her life. Living in a constant state of "what if" Nora looks back at the choices she's made in her life and wishes things were different. After a terrible day of her cat passing away, losing her job and feeling totally useless, Nora decides to take her own life. That's when she is transported to the Midnight Library. The walls are filled with an infinite number of books, and no exit in sight. In the library, Nora is able to think of her biggest regrets and what if's and travel to a parallel universe where she made a different choice to see what that life would be like. If Nora can find a life where she is truly happy, she could get the chance of staying there forever.

This book is a short read, but it is filled with so much knowledge and beauty, I couldn't help fall in love with this book and have mad respect for the author. Mental health is a tough topic to write about, and to write about correctly, but I definitely think that Matt Haig did a good job. The depiction of depression in this book felt very real, it hit close to home and made me truly feel for Nora.

This book was very real and raw, but that is one of the main reasons why I could not put this book down! The very idea of this book was so unique and creative, its enough to draw you in, but the world building and character development is what keeps you around. This was overall a wonderful book, written by an amazing author. This book will help you see the joys of life, and possibly look at the world in a new way. I can't recommend this book enough.

Happy Reading! 

Tour & Giveaway: Kill Code by Luna Kayne

Pub. Date: January 22, 2019 
Publisher: Kayne Publishing 
Formats: Paperback, eBook 
Pages: 317 
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Amazon Canada 


Synopsis: HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO PROTECT THE ONES YOU LOVE?

THEN

Ten years ago, a covert government operation gone wrong separated Jack from Jessa, the girl he promised he would never leave.

NOW

Jack's special forces team receives a tip, leading them to a remote farmhouse in search of a group of hackers led by the elusive Zane who work for the same person he holds responsible for Jessa’s death, ten years earlier.

Past and present collide as what was once lost is now standing in front of him and appears to be working for the very evil he is trying to end.

But is everything as it seems as secrets begin to unravel and pieces are put back in their proper places?

And will the last missing piece, the answer to all of their problems, be found in time?

*** Due to some dark and explicit themes in this book, it is recommended for mature audiences only. ***

* Kill Code is the first book in a trilogy.

Excerpt

Shit.

My skin instantly prickles at the sound of my property alarm going off on my phone. Someone is within our perimeter.

How did they find us so quickly?

This was supposed to be our vacation. I worked for months to set up a solid trail that would lead anyone trying to find us far away from here on a wild goose chase so we could have a few weeks of down time. Not the two days we’re at now.

Judging by the distance of the dust kicking up from the road, I’d say we only have a couple of minutes to get out of here and Dana is upstairs. Too far away for me to yell for her without being heard.

Looking out the window, I see movement out front, just past our cars. If it was remotely possible to make it to them, our backup supplies would hold us over for a few days while we disappear again.

That’s been our life for as long as I can remember. Jumping around, covering our tracks, and working under everyone’s radar.

I just wanted to give Dana a break. Time to hang out away from our work with Zane. A chance to watch movies and eat all the junk food I stocked the place with.

I even bought us a little boat to take out on the lake behind the property.

The boat. That’s it.

Maybe we can make it to the boat. It’s through the trees out back. Maybe they aren’t aware of it.

“What’s going on?” Dana’s voice snaps me out of planning our escape as she appears from upstairs.

“Ssshh,” I hush and she instantly freezes. “No time to explain. Perimeter is breached. We only have minutes before they’re here. I’ve alerted Zane.” I move to the side window and count three men crossing the field toward the back and sides of the house. “Dammit. I’m going to try to take one out. That might open up an escape.”

“Who are they?” Dana asks as she moves away from the windows, panic appearing to set in.

“Don’t know. But there’s no reason for anyone to be here. So it’s not good. Just see what they want. Maybe it’s local law enforcement, then you can ask them to leave the property. If it isn’t, you’ll need to get out of here. If you can get away, head straight out back and run through the trees. I have a boat on the lake. It was going to be a surprise. Just get in and go. Keys are in a holder beside the wheel.” I grab a metal statue of an elephant and weigh it in my hands. This’ll do.

“But what about you?” Her eyes are wide now. She’s never come this close to being captured before and I know she’s worried.

“You know if I can make it, I’ll be there before you. If I’m not, just go. You know what to do when you get in cell range.” She nods at my words and I turn to jog across the living room towards the steps. “Just stay cool. Buy some time. I’ll be right back.”

About the Author:
Luna Kayne is a multi-published author in the romance and erotica genres. Her creative works include novels, novelettes and a book of poetry and prose.

Within the romance genre, her books and short stories are also listed under suspense, paranormal, BDSM and contemporary.


The woman behind Luna Kayne’s pen name has been writing for online publications since 2005. She writes from her home on an acreage near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Website |Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |Amazon Author Page | BookBub | Goodreads

Giveaway Details

3 winners will win an eBook of KILL CODE, International.

Giveaway 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/14/2019- Simply Daniel Radcliffe- Review

1/14/2019- Texan Holly Reads- Excerpt

1/14/2019-The Little Bookworm- Review

1/15/2019- Bookish Rantings- Spotlight

1/15/2019- BookHounds- Excerpt

1/15/2019-Lisa Loves Literature- Spotlight

1/16/2019- Angelic Book Reviews- Excerpt

1/16/2019- Jrsbookreviews- Excerpt

1/17/2019- Smada's Book Smack- Spotlight

1/17/2019- Colorimetry- Excerpt

1/18/2019- TMBA Corbett Tries to Write- Spotlight

1/18/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

Week Two:

1/21/2018- A Gingerly Review- Excerpt

1/21/2018- Good Choice Reading- Excerpt

1/22/2018- Tales of A Ravenous Reader- Excerpt

1/22/2018- Parajunkee- Excerpt

1/23/2018- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt

1/23/2018- Adventures Thru Wonderland- Excerpt

1/24/2018- Jaime's World- Excerpt

1/24/2019- Books a Plenty Book Reviews-Playlist

1/25/2018- Bookbriefs- Excerpt

Review: 84K by Claire North

Publication Date: May 24th, 2018
Publisher: Orbit
Genre: Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: What if your life were defined by a number?

What if any crime could be committed without punishment, so long as you could afford to pay the fee assigned to that crime?

Theo works in the Criminal Audit Office. He assesses each crime that crosses his desk and makes sure the correct debt to society is paid in full.

But when Theo's ex-lover Dani is killed, it's different. This is one death he can't let become merely an entry on a balance sheet.

Because when the richest in the world are getting away with murder, sometimes the numbers just don't add up. 

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

This book is told from the perspective of Theo Miller, and is told in many different time lines. At times, the different time lines seem to blur together, but I think that made me want to read it even more. Theo Miller works in the Criminal Audit Office, where he evaluates crimes and puts a number to said crime. If the “criminal” can pay, they are free, if they cannot they go to the “patty line” where they practically become slave workers. Essentially, if you are rich, you can do anything you want. 

When an old lover comes back to Theo’s life, she can ruin everything he has done to remain hidden and hide his true identity. When she is murdered and he has to put a dollar value to her life, he decides that their system must end. He travels all over the country with people he never could have imagined so he can destroy the country and get the child that may or may not be his. 

The main character who we follow in this book, Theo Miller, will do anything to get his daughter back. In the beginning of the book he starts off as relatively good and kind. As the story progresses and more is told of his history, you realize that maybe he isn’t what he seems. As the book continues, he starts doing more and more that reveals just how much he will do to get what he wants.

This book was a wild ride. At some parts I didn’t know what timeline I was in, or what character was speaking, or even what was happening. But this all worked. It all made sense, the disorder made sense. You have to read until the very last page for everything to come together, and even then, some things are not explained. 

Overall, I loved reading this book and I loved how unique the writing style was. This book is not your average piece of fiction, it goes above and beyond the expectations. I highly recommend this to all in need of a good dystopian and action packed novel.

Happy Reading,
Aneta 

Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Shadow Weave by Annette Marie

The Shadow Weave
Annette Marie
Series: Spell Weaver #2
Publication date: January 12th 2018
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: Clio might be a nymph living in exile among humans. And she might possess the rare ability to mimic any magic she sees. And she might have just seriously ticked off the most powerful family of spell weavers in the Underworld.
But she is not in love with an incubus.
Lyre is the rebellious black sheep of said weaver family, and he’s the only reason she survived her recent Underworld “vacation.” He’s also the sexiest thing she’s ever seen. Together, they have to track down a catastrophically dangerous magic—a magic he created, she sort of stole, and they both lost—before his family gets their hands on it. And that means fighting alongside him in a desperate attempt to avert complete disaster.
But she is definitely not in love with him. At least, she’s pretty sure she’s not.
Mostly sure. Maybe sure? …Crap.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

As though summoned by her thoughts, the sex fiend himself breezed into the room. Hair damp and tousled, the kind of face that made women’s hearts skip, broad shoulders that tapered to a toned torso. His tattered clothes should have ruined the look, but they added an extra edge—dangerous and exotic.
The others in the kitchen noticed his arrival, but they dismissed him just as quickly. Unlike most daemons, incubi were easy to recognize even in glamour. No other caste possessed that stunning combination of golds—white-gold hair, warm golden skin, vibrant irises like a dark patina over rich yellow gold.
Yes, they recognized him as an incubus—and they didn’t bother to hide their curling lips and wrinkling noses. Lyre either didn’t notice or didn’t care as he swept over to her, his expression brightening for the first time in two days.
“Clio,” he purred, voice too low for even keen-eared strangers to hear, “your powers of seduction would put any succubus to shame.”
She blinked at him, the bowl of whisked eggs in her hands and a hot pan sizzling in front of her. His mood was so different from earlier that she couldn’t quite grasp it.
“Huh?” she managed. How articulate.
“This is entirely unfair. I have no power to resist such tactics.” He waited a beat. “Are you planning to do something with those eggs?”
She blinked again, trying to unscramble her brain. Scramble. Right, the eggs. She dumped the mixture into the hot pan. “What are you going on about, Lyre?”
“Bacon,” he sighed dreamily. “Pancakes. Scrambled eggs. You slay me, my love.”
On the words “my love,” her heart screeched to a stop so fast it might have left skid marks on her ribs. It kicked back into gear at three times its previous speed and she concentrated so hard on the spatula that she almost went cross-eyed. “You—you can’t be that excited about my cooking. You don’t even know if it’s any good.”
“I can tell already. It’ll be delicious.”
She shivered. The way he said that word should be illegal. As she hurriedly stirred the eggs with a spatula, he stood so close he was almost touching her, his body angled toward her as though she held his entire attention. But his gaze, sliding coolly from one watching daemon to another, was distinctly unfriendly.
She scraped the eggs off the pan, then rescued the bacon from the oven—triggering a stir among the waiting daemons. With her bottom lip caught between her teeth, she pulled a plate from the cupboard, loaded it with food, and held it out to Lyre. She’d cooked an elaborate late-night breakfast to cheer him up, but now second thoughts were crowding her brain. Too late to change her plan now.
His smile only fueled her blush as he fished a fork out of a nearby drawer, loaded it with eggs, and scooped them into his mouth. She held her breath. The entire room went silent.
His eyes rolled back in ecstasy. “So good,” he moaned.
Bang.
She jerked around. The female daemon had dropped her heavy book on the floor. As everyone looked over at her, pink tinged the woman’s cheeks. She snatched up her book and beat a hasty retreat out of the room.
Clio swallowed hard, envious of the woman’s ability to flee. Lyre’s moan had been so sensual it had been downright scandalous, and if Clio didn’t put space between them soon, she was going to start swooning like a complete fool.

Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling Steel & Stone series, which includes Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night, and fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat— Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
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Book Blitz & Giveaway: Beauty and Beastly by Melanie Karsak

Beauty and Beastly: Steampunk Beauty and the Beast
Melanie Karsak
Series: Steampunk Fairy Tales
Publication date: December 6th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fairy Tales, Steampunk

Synopsis: In this tale as old as time, Isabelle Hawking must tinker a solution to a heartbreaking mystery.
When Isabelle Hawking and her papa set out from London on a sea voyage, Isabelle is thrilled. Visiting foreign courts, learning from master tinkers, and studying mechanicals is her dream. And it doesn’t hurt that the trip also offers Isabelle an escape from her overbearing and unwanted suitor, Gerard LeBoeuf.
But Isabelle never arrives. Swept up in a tempest, her ship is lost.
Isabelle survives the storm only to be shipwrecked on a seemingly-deserted island. The magical place, dotted with standing stones, faerie mounds, and a crumbling castle, hints of an ancient past. Isabelle may be an unwilling guest, but her arrival marks a new beginning for the beastly residents of this forgotten land.
See how NY Times bestselling author Melanie Karsak puts a steampunk spin on the classic Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Hello? Is anyone there?”
The sky overhead darkened, and in the distance, I heard the rumble of thunder.
Oh no. No, no, no.
I looked up at the sky. My head swam.
I needed to find shelter.
I turned to go back to the path, but when I did so, I didn’t see the path, nor the ring of mushrooms, nor anything else vaguely familiar.
Once more, the sky rumbled.
I felt the first of the raindrops on my head, but luckily, the thick leaves overhead sheltered me somewhat. As the storm rolled in, the forest grew dark.
I cast a glance around.
It didn’t matter which direction I went. Eventually I would find the shore once more.
Turning to head out, however, I spotted a bluish colored light in the distance. A house? A fire? A lantern? A…something.
“Hello?”
No reply.
Turning, I followed the bluish glow. I headed deeper into the forest, chasing after the light, but soon found its source. It was a mushroom. The glowing mushroom had been sitting on a rise. It had played a trick on my mind. Then I spotted another glowing fungus, then another, and another, all of which held an incandescent blue light. They grew in a straight line. Without a better recourse, and feeling half suspicious of the supernatural, I followed the glow of the blue mushrooms as the rain pattered overhead, the sky rumbling. I followed the blue lights deep into the ancient woods, aware that I was passing other sacred rings. I walked past a mound of earth, a barrow, the final resting place of some ancient person—and some said a passageway to the Otherworld—as I hurried deeper into the woods. Surely I would find the shoreline soon.
Lightning cracked overhead.
Then, on the horizon, I saw golden light. A fire? I squinted my eyes, trying to make out the shape through the trees, but my head ached miserably. Leaning heavily against my staff, I moved toward the golden colored light.
The forest thinned. The glowing mushrooms led me onward toward the glow of the yellow light in the distance. Praying to find someone—anyone—I followed along, well aware that my quick exertion had my stomach rolling. Black spots wriggled before my eyes. The line of mushrooms ended. To my shock, I’d blundered to the center of the island and found myself standing outside the gates of a castle.
I gazed up at the enormous structure. It towered over me, a black silhouette on the horizon. Light glowed through one of the windows in the upper floors. It was raining in earnest now. Not waiting a moment longer, I pushed the gate. It swung open with a creak.
It was pouring.
I leaned my walking staff against a metal bench in the perfectly manicured garden, then grabbing my skirts, I ran for the castle door. As I rushed, lightning flashed. It created an odd illusion on the bushes and flowers around me. For a moment, they all seemed to glimmer like metal under the bright light.
My temples pounded. My stomach rolled. I raced through the heavy rain to the castle door.
Hoping whoever was at home would forgive me for letting myself in, I pushed open the castle door and crept inside.
The place was eerily silent.
“Hello?” I called. “Is anyone here?”
Breathing deeply and quickly, I realized the moment I stopped that I was not well.
I cast a glance toward a roaring fireplace nearby. A chair was seated before the hearth, a glass of something dark sitting beside the seat. I heard a strange clicking sound.
“Hello?” I called again, but this time, my head began to spin. I put my hands on my hips, trying to catch my breath. I closed my eyes. Everything was twirling.
Footsteps approached.
“I-I’m sorry I let myself in but…” I began then opened my eyes.
Standing before me was a massive automaton, its silver eyes staring coldly at me.
A nauseous feeling swept over me, and my head swam. Black spots danced before my eyes.
“Pardon me. I think I’m about to—”
Faint.
But the word was lost.
And so was I.

Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Karsak is the author of The Airship Racing Chronicles, The Harvesting Series, The Burnt Earth Series, The Celtic Blood Series and Steampunk Fairy Tales. A steampunk connoisseur, zombie whisperer, and heir to the iron throne, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

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Book Tour & Review: The Night Realm by Annette Marie

The Night Realm
Annette Marie
Series: Spell Weaver #1
Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication date: October 20th 2017
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: Clio is good at all sorts of things. As a nymph, she’s great at outdoorsy nature stuff. As a nymph living in exile, she’s got the “blending in with humans” thing down pat. As a nymph living in exile because she possesses the rare ability to mimic magic, she’s had to pick up some unique survival skills.
But stealing from the most dangerous spell weavers in the Underworld? Not so much.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what she has to do to earn a ticket back home. Conning her way into the night realm may have gone pretty well, but now she’s got a new problem. His name is Lyre and he’s a sinfully alluring incubus, a dangerously skilled spell weaver, and the only thing standing between her and stealing some damn magic.
Maneuvering around him without blowing her cover shouldn’t be that difficult, but chaos has been dogging her every step, monsters hide behind beautiful faces, and Lyre keeps saving her neck even though they’re enemies. Kind of enemies? Either way, her mission is getting complicated fast, and in the Underworld, even one mistake could prove fatal.

Goodreads / Amazon

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

The Night Realm is absolutely amazing. It was funny, engaging, action packed and the romance was to die for. Reading this book makes me want to start the Steel & Stone series right away.

All Cleo wants to do is to return to her home. Exile was fun for a while, but now she would do anything to get back, and the only way she hows how is to please her half-brother Bastian. So when Bastian gives Cleo a mission to go to the Underworld and use her powers to steal spells, Cleo can't say no, even though its a mission she might not get back from.

I ended up finishing this book in one day, mostly because I was hooked right from the start. Chapter one already has tons of action that makes you want to read more, and the best part was that the chapters to come after weren't full of information loading. The story had a lovely pace, where it was fast enough to keep the reader engaged in the story, but it also contained the perfect amount of dialogue and romance.

I've come to the conclusion that Annette Marie can't make a character that I don't love. I fell in love with Cleo right from the beginning. She's really funny and very clumsy at times, but is also very powerful, but she doesn't have an arrogant side to her with all the power she carries. She is honestly such an enjoyable character! You just can't help but love her.

Since I haven't read the Steel & Stone series, this was my first time meeting Lyre. All I can say is that I'm picking up Steel & Stone right away because I need more Lyre in my life. He easily became one of my favourite characters. I couldn't help but swoon, he is just perfection. The best part about his character is that you basically have an opinion about him from the beginning, but then you realize that his story goes much deeper, and that when I really started to like his point of view. He is everything I could ever want in a male main character.

Annette Marie is a master in world building. The world she created is absolutely wonderful and I can't wait to find out more about it.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and will definitely continue on with this series as well as start the Steel & Stone series to get my fix before the next book comes out. If you've enjoyed Annette Marie's books so far you will love this one, and if this is your first one then you are in for an enjoyable ride. 

Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling Steel & Stone series, which includes Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night, and fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast- paced urban fantasy and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

GIVEAWAY!
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Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Night Realm by Annette Marie

The Night Realm
Annette Marie
Series: Spell Weaver #1
Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication date: October 20th 2017
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: Clio would love nothing more than to go home. But as the illegitimate daughter of the nymph king, she’s stuck in the human world, exiled until she can earn a place in the royal family. Then her half-bother offers her a chance to prove herself. All she has to do is acquire some magic … by stealing it from the most dangerous spell weavers in the Underworld.
Lyre prefers to go unnoticed, which is a tricky objective for an incubus. He can’t hide his looks or his coveted spell weaving skills, but he’s learned to mask his true intentions. As an unwilling pawn of the tyrannical Hades family, he stays alive by keeping one step ahead of his masters.
Now he’s been assigned to watch over a visitor from the Overworld—one who’s definitely hiding something. And with her unholy talent for triggering chaos and catastrophe, his job just keeps getting more perilous. Clearly, she’ll never survive this world.
The thing is, he’s no longer sure he can survive it either.

Goodreads / Amazon

This book will be on sale for $0.99 during release week.

—

EXCERPT:

As she stepped up to the last rack of shelves, she realized she hadn’t quite reached the end of the room. Tucked beyond the last shelf was another door—solid steel with no visible handle or lock. A web of magic crisscrossed the metal and complex runes filled four overlapping circles that shifted in a spiraling pattern.
She raised her fingers, keeping a safe several inches between her skin and the steel, and traced a glowing circle. That. She’d never seen anything quite like that before, but she knew it would react to touch. How it would react was another matter.
Intrigued, she leaned in closer, peering intently at the weaving’s underlayers as she tried to work out what it did.
“Don’t touch that.”
Lyre’s voice shattered the silence right behind her. A squeak of fright escaped her as she jerked backward from the door. But, with her sudden movement, her hand went the wrong way. And her fingers, already so close to the door, slapped against the metal.
She cringed in terror, fully expecting the door to explode or her bones to melt or her skull to burst open. Nothing happened—until she tried to pull her hand away.
It was stuck.
She yanked on her hand, but it was fused to the metal as though her skin had been superglued in place.
“I told you not to touch it.”
She shot a glare at Lyre, standing two paces away. “I wouldn’t have touched it if you hadn’t startled me!”
He tucked his binder under his arm and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Why would you touch anything in here without permission?”
“I told you—” She bit off the words. “Unkey the spell.”
“Hmm.” He rocked back on his heels and a downright evil little smirk curved his lips. “Not sure I know how.”
“What?”
“That lovely bit of work predates me. It’s pretty complicated. Since you fancy yourself a spell expert, if you look here, you’ll see—”
He started to point, and she had no idea why, but she flinched back as though he might hit her. Her elbow bumped the door—and got stuck too.
Lyre’s hand paused. “Now look what you did.”
“I didn’t—you—get me off this!”
“As I was saying, you can see here that the weaving amalgamates anything that touches it, so it’s embedded into your skin now—”
“Get me off this door!” She jerked helplessly, her immobilized wrist and elbow twisting awkwardly.
“Well, I could pull you off, but you might lose some skin. Though, since the weaving is spreading into your flesh the longer you stand there, you might leave more than skin behind.”
Her heart kicked up to a full gallop from her growing terror. He, however, seemed perfectly calm. Amused, in fact. Humor danced in his amber eyes, softening the color to something closer to buttery gold.
He was laughing at her.
“Oh.” His eyebrows rose. “That’s quite the scowl.”
She gritted her teeth. “Get. Me. Off.”
Those irresistible lips curved up and her stomach dropped to her feet. The air heated. Why was she suddenly kind of dizzy? Shadows slid through his eyes, dimming the amber to shimmering bronze.
“Get you off?” he repeated, and his tones were all purring honey, warm and deep and sensual. “With pleasure.”
A hot blush swooped through her cheeks as she realized what she’d said. “I—I didn’t mean—I was—”
In a panic, she lurched away from him—right into the spelled door.

Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling Steel & Stone series, which includes Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night, and fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast- paced urban fantasy and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: The Night Realm by Annette Marie

The Night Realm
Annette Marie
Series: Spell Weaver #1
Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication date: October 20th 2017
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: Clio would love nothing more than to go home. But as the illegitimate daughter of the nymph king, she’s stuck in the human world, exiled until she can earn a place in the royal family. Then her half-bother offers her a chance to prove herself. All she has to do is acquire some magic … by stealing it from the most dangerous spell weavers in the Underworld.
Lyre prefers to go unnoticed, which is a tricky objective for an incubus. He can’t hide his looks or his coveted spell weaving skills, but he’s learned to mask his true intentions. As an unwilling pawn of the tyrannical Hades family, he stays alive by keeping one step ahead of his masters.
Now he’s been assigned to watch over a visitor from the Overworld—one who’s definitely hiding something. And with her unholy talent for triggering chaos and catastrophe, his job just keeps getting more perilous. Clearly, she’ll never survive this world.
The thing is, he’s no longer sure he can survive it either.

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Author Bio:
Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling Steel & Stone series, which includes Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night, and fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast- paced urban fantasy and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

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Review: Yesterday by Felicia Yap

Publication Date: August 1st 2017
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: How do you solve a murder when you only remember yesterday?

Imagine a world in which classes are divided not by wealth or religion but by how much each group can remember. Monos, the majority, have only one day’s worth of memory; elite Duos have two. In this stratified society, where Monos are excluded from holding high office and demanding jobs, Claire and Mark are a rare mixed marriage. Clare is a conscientious Mono housewife, Mark a novelist-turned-politician Duo on the rise. They are a shining example of a new vision of tolerance and equality—until…

...a beautiful woman is found dead, her body dumped in England’s River Cam. The woman is Mark’s mistress, and he is the prime suspect in her murder. The detective investigating the case has secrets of his own. So did the victim. And when both the investigator’s and the suspect’s memories are constantly erased—how can anyone learn the truth?

Told from four different perspectives, that of Mark, Claire, the detective on the case, and the victim—Felicia Yap’s staggeringly inventive debut leads us on a race against an ever-resetting clock to find the killer. With the science-fiction world-building of Philip K. Dick and the twisted ingenuity of Memento , Yesterday is a thriller you’ll never forget.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Yesterday was an amazing novel. An engaging mystery, a creative world, and unique and entertaining characters. Yesterday will go down as one of my favourite mysteries for the year.

Claire is a mono, meaning she can only remember yesterday. When a detective comes knocking at her door, accusing her husband Mark of murdering a young beautiful woman that wrote in her diary that she was Mark's mistress, Claire must piece together what has happened the past few days, and what secrets her and Mark's history truly contains. 

This novel had some amazing characters. Right from the start I really liked reading from Claire and Mark's point of view. I was a little salty at first with the detective's point of view, I would have much rather either read from the two main characters view points or from the diary of woman that was murdered. Eventually I ended up liking the detective and his story, although I never liked him as much as the other characters.

I loved the mystery aspect and the world that the author created. The fast that she wrote a mystery in a dystopian world where you can only remember either the day before or two days, and have to use a diary to remember the rest was extremely creative. The feeling of not knowing whether you killed someone or not because you can't trust what your past self wrote in a diary is crazy when you think about it. This story was so entertaining, I loved the dystopian world and the mystery was fantastic.

I was a little disappointed while reading that the mystery was being too obvious. When the plot twist hit, I nearly fell off my chair. I totally wasn't expecting the ending and it honestly made me love the book so much. 

Overall, the characters, the world, and the plot was absolutely fantastic. I truly loved this book. If it wasn't for the detectives point of view not being as enjoyable as the rest and the obvious beginning of the mystery, I would have given this book a full 5 stars. Either way, I still recommend this book to all mystery, thriller and dystopian lovers.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Book Blast & $100 Giveaway: A Strange Companion

Publication Date: April 4th 2017
Publisher: Steel Rose Press
Genre: Adult Fiction 
Amazon ~ Goodreads 

Synopsis: Kat Richardson isn’t running away from grief; she’s just hiding out in a gloomy Welsh university town until she’s sure it’s gone. Now, one year, nine months, and 27 days after the climbing death of her first love, Gabe, she thinks she’s ready to venture out into the relationship world again. And Owen—a cake-baking, Super Ball-making chemistry student—appears to be a kind, funny, and very attractive option.

But the arrival of Kat’s newly adopted niece, Mai, forces her home to northern England, where she runs headfirst into all the memories of Gabe she’s tried to leave behind—and discovers that Mai stirs up an unnerving feeling of déjà vu. Before long, Kat’s logical, scientific beliefs about life after death are in battle with what she feels to be true—that reincarnation is real and Gabe has come back to her through Mai. The question now, is why?

Taking on the topics of love, loss, and how we deal with grief, A Strange Companion is a twisted love triangle among the living, the dead, and the reincarnated. 

Excerpt

Mai dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around Frida’s enormous head. She rested her cheek against Frida’s bristly fur and the two of them lay there as if they’d been best pals forever. Luke reached down and ran his hand along Frida’s back. As he moved back to stroke again, his hand paused on Mai’s arm, curled around Frida’s neck.

Luke froze.

I felt the air around us go still—all except for one crackle of energy that danced between Mai and Luke. I felt it, Luke felt it, Frida felt it . . . and so did Mai.

Luke cast his eyes down at the little girl at his feet, who stared, unblinking, back at him. His brow wrinkled, as his mind struggled to understand what I knew his heart felt. Then, something passed between them that I had once seen pass between Luke and his brother. It was more than love, more than understanding, more, even, than blood. It was a deep connection, a spark between two people, two souls, who were inextricably intertwined.

Luke looked at me. “Did you feel that?”

I nodded.

“What was it?”

I hesitated. I knew exactly what it was, but how could I tell Luke? It was one thing to tell Maggie about my suspicions, but Luke was Gabe’s brother. Was it fair of me to risk opening up the hurt I knew he’d spent the past two years trying to heal? But perhaps I wasn’t the only one Gabe needed to visit. I felt a prickle of excitement at the possibility that someone else might finally understand.

Glancing back to make sure Luke and I were out of earshot, I leaned in and whispered. “I think it’s Gabe.”

Luke narrowed his eyes at me. “He’s haunting her?”

I shook my head. “Do you believe in reincarnation, Luke?”

He shrugged, but the expression of curiosity on his face prompted me to take a chance.

“I didn’t either until I met Mai.”

Author Lisa Manterfield
Lisa Manterfield is the award-winning author I’m Taking My Eggs and Going Home: How One Woman Dared to Say No to Motherhood. Her work has appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Los Angeles Times, and Psychology Today. Originally from northern England, she now lives in Southern California with her husband and over-indulged cat. A Strange Companion is her first novel.

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$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 4/28/17 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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz & Giveaway: Life is but a Nightmare by Erin Hayes

Life is but a Nightmare
Erin Hayes
Series: The Elysium Legacies #2
Publication date: February 28th 2017
Genres: Adult, Mythology, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: The sequel to the genre-bending, hugely imaginative Death is but a Dream.
“There must always be a God of Wealth…”
Former police detective Callie Saunders shouldn’t be alive, but she’s been thriving with her new lease on life away from the machinations of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses.
Yet there’s always been someone missing from this little piece of paradise.
When a vengeful god kidnaps her son, she travels back to a world she barely understands to find him. A world where she must face humanity’s greatest enemies and her former lover. If she’s not careful, she’ll lose her soul again. And, maybe, even her heart.

Goodreads / Amazon

Sequel to:

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EXCERPT:

“If I could…” he whispered. “If I could, I’d hold him tight and never let him go.”

A moment passed between us. A reminder of what we couldn’t have.
“Callista,” he said gently. “Tell him I said hi. Please.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek, but I nodded.
“Callista,” he said, his voice low. “Callista, I’m so sorr—”
I awoke with a gasp on the cot. I grimaced, feeling sore in unfamiliar spots. Paul stirred on his bed, and I quietly laid my head on the thin mattress. I stroked a hand along his arm, watching every bit of him.
My son.
I leaned in to whisper into his ear. I might have been angry at Plutus for everything, but I did know that there were things beyond our control. I understood it, but I didn’t have to like it or accept it. I did decide to give Plutus this peace offering, to let him know that I’d be okay, at least for now. And I wanted to assure Paul, even if it was just his subconscious, that somewhere, his father was thinking about him, that he was worried about him.
“Daddy says hi.”

Author Bio:
Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books.
She works as an advertising copywriter by day, and she's an award-winning New York Times Bestselling Author by night. She has lived in New Zealand, Hawaii, Texas, Alabama, and now San Francisco with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.
You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway: Engaged to an Alien Pop Star by Kendra L. Saunders

Engaged to an Alien Pop Star
Kendra L. Saunders
Series: Alien Pop Star, #2
Published by: Crimson Tree Publishing
Publication date: November 28th 2016
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance, Science Fiction

Synopsis: Daisy Kirkwood and her best friend Kammie have adjusted to life on an alien planet pretty well, all things considered. And thanks to Daisy’s alien pop star boyfriend, Griffin Valentino, she has plenty of sexy new experiences to keep her busy. But it’s not possible to take a massive music nerd away from her home planet and not expect her to pine for a concert or a record store at least in once in a while.
Heading back to Earth with Griffin and his best friend Dev for a brief but much-needed visit, the girls want nothing more than to catch up on the underground music scene of New York City. Unfortunately, thanks to Griffin’s less-than-stellar space traveling skills, they accidentally pick up a hitchhiker. Or three hundred. Their many-legged stowaway beasties take up residence in the darkest, creepiest corners of Manhattan, leaving the gang no choice but to experience a very different underground than they bargained for.
Giant alien bugs aside, Griffin has some epic plans of his own for their trip, plans that involve a concert, an album… and the most outrageous marriage proposal that Earth has ever seen.

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You can grab book 1 – Dating an Alien Pop Star – for FREE!
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EXCERPT:

My boyfriend is levitating four inches above our bed, with a cloud of gold sparks floating around his head like a crown. This makes for a pretty normal morning, even with the soft snuffling and clicking noises he makes as he sleeps. And the crown is appropriate, since my boyfriend is an alien prince.
The alien prince in question, Griffin, floats back down to our bed with a yawn, stretching as he hits the blankets. He squirms around until he can slip under the blankets and wriggle closer to me. Despite sleeping uncovered, he’s toasty and warm, a sign of restorative sleep in his people. I return his embrace a bit too eagerly, my hands slipping under his nightshirt and causing him to gasp out loud. “Gods! Daisy, your hands are cold.”
“They’re not cold. They’re room temperature. But you feel nice and warm, so hold still.”
Griffin wriggles a bit more in feigned protest, but we soon settle into a comfortable position, arms and legs entwined.
“Are you excited to go back home?” Griffin asks, his voice husky with sleep as he leans up to nip at my earlobe with sharp teeth. His glowing blue eyes peer at me from under heavy lids and dark lashes, lashes that are unfairly longer than my own.
“If you keep biting my ear or looking at me like that, I’m not going to be able to go back to sleep. And yes. I’m very excited to go back to Earth.”
“Well then, don’t go back to sleep,” Griffin says, running a hand over his recently shorn dark hair. It’s always amazing to me how he can go from sleepy animal cute to dangerously sexy alien rock star in the span of seconds, depending on what he’s doing or saying. That kind of magical ability can get an Earth girl in trouble. “I have much better ideas for what we can do this morning, Wanda…”
Wanda is his pet name for me, a word in his language that means, “Love without end.” Griffin knows very well what he does to me when he calls me that.
“Do these plans involve you miraculously making chocolate appear? I miss chocolate,” I say, in a teasing tone. “When we go back to Earth, I’m going to stock up on junk food. There’s only so much healthy gray goop a girl can eat before she starts to feel like a very deprived post-divorce Gwyneth Paltrow.”
“Chocolate? Don’t be daft, Daisy, I was referring to sex.”

Author Bio:
Kendra L. Saunders is a time-and-space traveling fashionista author who writes books about magical, dark-haired men, interviews famous people, and suggests way too many bands to you via whatever social media platform she can get her hands on. She writes with good humor because humor is the best weapon for a girl who can't learn karate (or ballroom dancing).
She is the author of DATING AN ALIEN POP STAR, the magic realism novel INANIMATE OBJECTS, dark comedy DEATH AND MR. RIGHT, the upcoming romance THE UNLOVE SPELL, and has conducted interviews with NYT Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout, goth rocker Aurelio Voltaire, and Project Runway winners Dmitry Sholokhov and Michelle Lesniak Franklin among many, many others.

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