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paranormal

Review: ReAwakened by Ada Adams Blog Tour + Interview

November 22, 2012 by Sana

Click the image for tour schedule.

ABOUT THE BOOK

ReAwakened by Ada Adams

young adult paranormal self-published on 27 November 2012

second book in the Angel Creek series

Becoming a vampire guardian was Dawn Fairchild’s ticket out of the Scarlet House. Fresh off a successful mission, life in Angel Creek should have been great. But when her sort-of-maybe-boyfriend, Sebastian, disappears on a quest to help a beautiful vampire from his past, Dawn finds herself amidst a web of danger, lies, and deceit.
Joining forces with Razor, an enigmatic rebel lacking both a verbal and a physical filter, and her band of Misfits—Brooke, Sophie, Hunter, and Seth—Dawn is thrust into a race against the clock to solve the mystery surrounding brutal Born kidnappings and come to terms with the sudden discovery of her own unique powers. With time ticking away and Born vampires’ lives in jeopardy, it quickly becomes evident that someone—or something—desperately wants Dawn and is willing to shed any amount of blood to get her.
Dawn has only one chance to face her demons and overcome all obstacles standing in her way as she embarks on the biggest mission of her life—one that threatens a deadly outcome for all involved.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

What do you call a book that has a bit of everything? I call it a book by Ada Adams. If someone knows how to write a better book than ReVamped, it’s her. Not that ReVamped didn’t rock, it totally did. But ReAwakened is something else entirely. We get to see more of the Misfits, the mysterious Razor and discover more things about Dawn’s past. Not to forget the hot Dawn and Sebastian kissing scenes which were somewhat frustrating because it wasn’t really like they were a couple. Or are they? Ha ha.
First off, I really like the growth in Dawn’s character. At the beginning of the book, she’s sorting out her feelings and grieving the recent tragic events of ReVamped. But the town of Angel Creek has a habit of attracting trouble and Dawn always has the urge to fight it. I love how her mind works. She is not a damsel in distress in need of a savior. Dawn is big on self-reliance and it is so good to see her in action. Two books in and I haven’t found a single bad thing about her. She shines through the darkest of times, is easily annoyed which is adorable and has the best of comebacks ever.
It’s not easy being the vampire who harbors such a deep attraction towards Sebastian when there are sinister forces at work trying to mess with Dawn’s head. But ever the brave, Dawn is not ready to succumb to the power trying to take over. Unable to confide in anyone, Dawn tries to get back to a normal life. That turns out to be hard when her feelings are all jumbled up and pain seems to be seeping through the dark corners of her mind. 
Sebastian has his own past to deal with and with a sudden danger looming, he disappears leaving no trace behind. Dawn is left with no choice but to engage the Misfits in training harder than ever before. The Misfits have also gone through a change especially Hunter. There are vivid action sequences in ReAwakened which really brings out the fighter in each of the Misfits. Brooke tries to change her perspective on life while Seth is finally accepting himself as a vampire. Sophie goes through a big change due to a revelation which totally shocked me. We also get to see a different side of Hunter and his story which was absolutely engrossing. Ethan has his hands full with looking after his mother but we do get to see him and his jovial nature.
ReAwakened has characters who stir something inside of you and their different ways of dealing with pain gets to you. I can’t even begin to describe all the laughs I had reading scenes that had Razor in them. Razor is truly a world apart and a great addition to the series. There are also characters that return, villains that are more evil and a lot of suspense that will engage the reader entirely.
Every chapter seemed to be building up to something big and boy, did that deliver! I like my books to be unpredictable and there were things that had me jumping up and down and others that left my mouth hanging. The ending of ReAwakened really opened up a whole new range of possibilities. It’s not exactly a fairy tale ending but I would just say that it fits perfectly well with the theme of the book. I don’t like the waiting part for books in series but with ReAwakened I got to say, it was totally worth the wait.

THE QUOTES

‘Trouble in paradise? Want me to talk to him for you?’ he offered. ‘I’m sure I can convince him to come crawling back. Even literally, if you’re into that kind of kinky stuff.’

‘I reached for her through the darkness, but she was gone. Like dominoes folding over, the rest of the mirrors collapsed down on top of me. The impact caused the world around me to vanish.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

‘Many people sing in the shower. I, on the other hand, write scenes in my head and act them out.’

At age five, Ada read her first chapter book – Pippi Longstocking. Ever since that moment, she developed an intense passion for the stories and characters found within the pages of literature.
In her career as an actress and a writer, Ada currently spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning, and has attained Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Master’s of Science in Education.
Ada strives to bring a fresh voice and perspective to fiction. She has been writing creatively for many years. “ReVamped” is her debut novel.
She lives in Toronto, Canada, and enjoys adventurous nature hikes with her adorable puppies Cara and Oreo.
Ada Adams can be found at 
| Website  | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Publisher | 
Buy ReVamped (Angel Creek, #1)
| Amazon | Amazon (Kindle) | B&N |

THE INTERVIEW

I really had a great time reading ReAwakened and thinking up questions to ask Ada. Thank you so much for the interview. I finally got the word I was looking for to describe Dawn: multi-layered. Also, I gotta go see that vlog now! Now onto the questions:

I read in your bio that you are a “a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate.” How did that happen?
I did a vlog about this recently and ended up crediting “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for my interest in Karate. My parents enrolled me in a class when I was around ten or so, because they thought it would be a fun way to learn some self defense. This was around the same time that I started watching “Buffy” and since I looked up to her skills, I was all for it! Once I began Karate, I loved it. We did a lot of Judo as well, and being one of the only girls in class, I really enjoyed kicking guys’ butts.
Dawn is a character unlike any other character I’ve ever read about. What gave you the idea to write about such a character?
It was important for me to write about a strong female character. At the same time, I wanted her to have many layers to her personality. I didn’t want to write about someone perfect who could handle anything and everything thrown at her in a blink of an eye. When I’m writing, I love to write about characters who demonstrate growth as the book and the series progresses, so I always knew that, despite her physical strength and skill, Dawn would have a lot to learn. In “ReAwakened”, she showed immense growth and maturity from the beginning of the novel to the end. I’m very proud of her for that. 🙂
What made you write about vampires, such as the Misfits, in a completely new dimension seeing as they’re generally portrayed as creatures-who-can-do-nothing-wrong?
I wanted to put a bit of an unusual twist on the genre. We’re lucky to have so many wonderful novels about “perfect” vampires available to us, but I never really read anything about the less glamorous side of being undead. I love seeing the Misfits learn and grow as the series progresses.
What was the hardest part of writing ReAwakened?
I don’t want to give out any spoilers, but for those who have read “ReAwakened”, I think they know my answer and share my pain. It was extremely hard to write “that scene”, but there are many reasons why things had to occur the way they did. Plus, it’s a great set-up for the next book. The stakes are high and we’re going into Book III with a whole new Dawn. I’m very excited.
Everyone should know that you are – ?
An animal-lover chocoholic obsessed with sparkles and “My Little Pony” stuff. I suppose that also makes me a five-year-old at heart.
What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you answer that question?
I’ve always wanted Ellen DeGeneres to ask me to dance with her, haha! Or, better yet, to play a game. I’m a sucker for games. “Five-year-old”, what did I tell you?
Lastly, is Angel Creek series supposed to be a trilogy or are we going to get more doses of the awesomeness?
Currently, it’s set up as a trilogy (with a possible fourth book). However, I love writing about these characters and their journey, so I’m not sure if the next book really will be the end of it all. I think that the length of the series will greatly depend on the fans. I’ve already had requests for Hunter and Razor novellas that I am definitely entertaining (and an entire full-length novel of “just Sebastian kissing scenes”). 😉
Thanks for having me on your lovely blog!
Thanks to Ada Adams and Jessirae for providing me a copy of ReAwakened for review.

Review: Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy Blog Tour + Giveaway

September 11, 2012 by Sana

Flight | The Crescent Chronicles | #1 | Alyssa Rose Ivy | NA Paranormal | Self | 16 August 2013 | 255 (eARC)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sometimes you just have to take flight.
A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.
Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

THE RATING


THE REVIEW

Sometimes you have to take flight in life to explore the options you never knew you had. Allie would never think that let alone do. Her life is planned out to a tee but she is rather unaware of the fact. So Allie takes a leap before her life starts revolving around Princeton. The leap is a plane ride from New York to New Orleans for the whole summer.
Flight begins with Allie and her bestfriend, Jess on their way to New Orleans. As much as Jess can’t get enough of guys, it definitely hasn’t rubbed off on Allie and her decision to not get involved with the next guy she lays her eyes on or ever. But Levi sees her and he can really be an annoyingly stubborn guy when it comes to getting what he wants.
Allie has had enough of cheesy lines and clingy boyfriends but Levi is definitely not having that. Persuasion is his middle name and it doesn’t hurt that Allie is undeniably attracted to him. Next thing I knew I wanted Allie to punch the guy as much as I wanted her to give him a chance. Levi turned out to be very temptingly good at being bad.
The paranormal element in the book is definitely something unique and enchanting. I was fast caught up in the electrified world Levi has to offer to Allie. It’s nothing I have read before and I ended up enjoying it immensely. The secondary characters play their roles perfectly and I actually liked Hailey with her perky attitude towards life and her sudden adventurous spirit.
Flight is a fast-paced book and I was quickly fully absorbed in the story that I couldn’t get enough of it. The ending was so unexpected that it took me a minute to realize that there are no pages left! An engrossingly rich book by Alyssa Rose Ivy you wouldn’t want to miss reading. Also, that hot scene on the cover actually happens and it’s pretty swoon-worthy! I need to read Focus. Now.

THE QUOTES

“I like the beach during the day, but I love it at night. There is just something about listening to the waves in the darkness and the soft glow of the stars reflecting off the water.”
“Not everything in life is black and white. Sometimes the best parts are gray. Just remember that not everything can fit into one your neat little boxes.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Alyssa Rose Ivy can be found at 

| Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |
Buy Flight (The Crescent Chronicles, #1)
| Amazon | Amazon (Kindle)  | B&N |

THE GIVEAWAY
As part of the blog tour, there are two giveaways: a US only for a print copy and an international one for the eBooks. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Alyssa Rose Ivy and ATOMR for providing me a copy of Flight for review.

Review: Otherkin by Nina Berry

July 31, 2012 by Sana

Title: Otherkin (Otherkin, #1)

Author: Nina Berry
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Shapeshifters
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Release Date: 31 July 2012
Pages: 320 (eARC)

Synopsis

I thought I knew myself. Then I met Caleb.
Dez is a good girl who does as she’s told and tries not to be noticed.
Then she rescues a boy from a cage, and he tells her secrets about herself.
Now inside her burns a darkness that will transform her.
Everything is about to change — and neither Caleb, nor the Otherkin, nor those who hunt them are prepared for what Dez will unleash.

My Rating
* * * *
The Review
When secrets lie just beyond a veil of shadow magic and shifters exist alongside the callers of shadows, it is guaranteed that I will be hooked. And I was. There is never a dull moment in this fascinatingly fresh and a whirlwind of a book called Otherkin.

Dez’s life is defined by her back brace so she adjusts to it despite the frustration it brings. But it’s been two years and Dez is bound to snap and boy, snap she did! Before Dez knew what was happening, she was looking at a tiger in her bedroom mirror who winced when she did. It unfortunately gave a green signal for her to get drugged, shot and then caged.

There she meets Caleb in the neighbouring cage and they both end up escaping the wrath of the Tribunal. But it’s really just the beginning because the Tribunal’s sole purpose is to eliminate the remaining otherkin: bears, cats, birds of prey, rats and wolves. Hell be damned if these five shifters tribes ever unite to fight the Tribunal!

But Dez knows that the life as she has known is over when the Tribunal attacks again. Her last option is to go to a shifter school in a secret location with Caleb. With a family on the run, Dez has no choice but to at least learn how to shift into her animal form and back at will.

Through it all, Dez remains a strong and independent character who seems to be always battling with her body; first with the back brace then as a shifter. It really emphasizes her human and the animal form and gives her the courage she needs. I admire her will. Caleb is a pretty mysterious character but he is also charming and have the etiquettes of a gentleman. Their chemistry is hot!

The secondary characters from Ximon, the Tribunal head to Morfael, the mysterious teacher to the other shifters: November, London, Arnaldo, and Siku blends well in the world of shifters. The shifter school turns out to be an adventure for Dez and with Caleb becoming distant, Dez really has no way to gain confidence than to embrace what she is. What is Caleb hiding and why is Morfael becoming more secretive every day?

The concept of otherkin is so thrilling, it’s like a whole new world. Just like the tagline says, “On the edge of our world lies the shadow of another…” Some of the description in the book took me by surprise with such vivid detail especially that of Morfael’s cabin that I was awestruck. Nina Berry has written a fantastic debut that I ended up wanting more; it’s that good!

Best Quote:
“I tiptoed to the edge, looking down into the yawning void. For the first time, I felt no dread. That mysterious place, that maelstrom that drew forth the tiger, that was me. I’d been so afraid that I’d cut myself from . . . myself. I’d had no idea what would happen if that girl was ever unleashed.

But now I knew.”

Thanks to Kensington Teen and NetGalley for providing me Otherkin for review.

Review: The Dream Slayer by Jill Cooper Blog Tour + Giveaway

July 15, 2012 by Sana

Click the banner for the tour schedule.

Title: The Dream Slayer (The Dreamer Slayer Series, #1)
Author: Jill Cooper
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: 25 June 2012
Pages: 312 (eARC)


Synopsis
When your dreams come true, sometimes you get more than you bargained for…
Natalie Johnson has always dreamed she’s someone else; calm, beautiful, in control. A chosen warrior with a maniacal arch nemesis and a dreamy boyfriend, the type that can make your knees melt and your heart quiver.
Real life is much different. She’s tormented by a bully and endures the sharp tongue of her father, but finds solace in her dreams.

When her bully ends up dead, de ja vu from a dream hits her hard as everything around her begins to fall apart.
Whatever killed Sarah in her dreams is now in reality, hunting her from the shadows. And it wants her dead.
Somehow as the lines between reality and nightmare blur, Natalie must discover hidden strength to pull her friends and family back from the brink of madness.

My Rating

* * * *
The Review

Jill Cooper takes the paranormal genre to another level in The Dream Slayer. Natalie Johnson’s life sucks; bullied by Sarah the cheerleader, a parent who is always drunk and the other a bearer of the outcomes. It seems like apart from Tristan, the one BFF she hasn’t managed to lose to the social abyss that is high school (insert Michelle, captain of the cheerleading team), life is at its worst. The escape? Dreams. Only if that weren’t so complicated what with Natalie’s dreams now crossing over to the reality and the constant onslaught of déjà vus. What’s a girl to do?

Natalie is a loser and a scared little mouse, nobody pays her any attention except to laugh at her when she’s being bullied. She hates it, Tristan hates it; but she knows it will only get worse if she does anything to resist the bullying. Except it does in her dream because Sarah becomes possessed and throws herself over the window of the high school building. Talk about a dramatic death and on the night of the pep rally no less. Only Natalie has seen that already, in her dream.

It all really started when a portal opened and the Patricians escaped through it. It happened in her dream but the horror of it spilling over to the reality was only the beginning. It’s a good thing that Natalie’s alter ego is a kick-butt, strong, fearless demon slayer with a hot boyfriend, Damien. Mark is her custodian in dreams but in reality, it is Charles. Oh and the demon master, Morach is a big, fat nuisance to just everybody included.

As much as Natalie has to now embrace her fate of being a paladin, she needs all the strong-wiliness she can muster and she does. She rises above and beyond the pitiful feelings of being scared and pushed over all the time. She pulls out of it a stronger, kick-butt, magic-wielding heroine. How she does it is a sure treat to read and a very enjoyable and engrossing one at that.

The Dream Slayer is an action-packed, chock full of one hell of a great storyline debut by Jill Cooper. The cover is mesmerizing and the paranormal aspect of the story mixed with the dreams is like a breath of fresh air. For Natalie, it is somewhat of a coming of age story as well and it was a novel thing to see an average, fat girl with chunky fingers get transformed into a strong character in her dreams and then some. I will recommend The Dream Slayers to the lovers of the paranormal genre. This is a thrilling start to an awesome series.

Best Quote:

“The feeling of being more than human—more than Natalie—overtook her and replaced every feeling of self-loathing and doubt she’d ever had. Natalie felt awake for the first time. Every emotion was stronger and more vibrant than before. She never wanted to give this up. Never.”

About the Author

Jill Cooper loves tea more than coffee and is obsessed over finding that perfect recipe. She lives in Danvers, MA with two cats, a toddler, a husband, and a 1964 yellow taxi. Her life is chaotic, but fun.

She is currently working on a new Sci-fi thriller and the sequel to The Dream Slayer.

Jill Cooper can be found at 

| Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Publisher |
Buy The Dream Slayer (The Dreamer Slayer Series, #1)

| Amazon | Amazon (Kindle) | B&N |
The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of The Dream Slayer and the blog tour, Jill Cooper is going to wrap up all up with a grand finale Kindle Fire give away!

Enter to win, some entries are allowed more than once, just come back every day! The winner will be chosen by random at the end of the contest on August 1st.

Step 1 – Purchase The Dream Slayer for less than a cup of coffee.

Step 2 – Enter to win it.

Go here to enter via the Rafflecopter widget and earn up to 36 entries.

Thanks to Jill Cooper and Supa Gurl for providing me a copy of The Dream Slayer for review.

Review: Silent Song by Ron C. Nieto Blog Tour

July 2, 2012 by Sana

Click the banner for the tour schedule.

Title: Silent Song
Author: Ron C. Nieto
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: 1 July 2012
Pages: 290 (eARC)


Synopsis
The princess of the school, Alice, is keeping a secret that could strip her of her high school fame. She is obsessed with the school’s outcast, Keith, but not just him – his music.

Since the inspiration for the song hit, Keith can’t get it out of his mind. The song must be played; it demands to be played. He knows the music is changing him, but he is unable to stop it.

Music has the ability to move you, enlighten you, and take you to places you have never dreamed of. And this particular piece? It has a life of its own and makes you forget who you really are.

As Keith and Alice learn of one another to the notes of that one perfect tune, they can overlook their roles and discover who they could be together. But they also discover someone else is listening and intends on keeping Keith to herself, possibly for an eternity.

My Rating

* * * *
The Review

Some books are hard to review because they are too dull or drab while others because they are too bloody brilliant. Silent Song falls in the latter category. It made me feel a range of emotions strengthening my connection to the story. Silent Song made me smile in contentment, gulp in horror and it pricked my senses. A beautifully written book, I immensely enjoyed reading it from the get go.
Alice is the girl in high school, she’s in the popular crowd. In other words, a princess whose reputation will be tarnished if she so much as speaks with one of the outsiders. But she has a secret which might just ruin her reputation for good. She listens to his music as he plays his guitar crouching under his bedroom’s window. She used to know him, Keith, but he moved away and when he came back to town well, things were too different for them reconnect. So Alice ignored him and he became ‘Dracula in Drag’ with silver-streaked hair and black-painted nails.
Silent Song is all about music and I love books which focus on music all around. The way Ron described Keith’s compositions, the crescendos and decrescendos and most of all how Keith emotions lay bare for Alice. They could never be anything but Alice needs to listen to his music. However, things change when her Lit class veers into a totally different direction for the annual play. From playing Jane Austen’s Romeo and Juliet for the last couple of years, to the school board giving them the green light for Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan. A very unusual choice at the least.
The class decides to take it a step further and compose an original soundtrack for the play. Lena, another of the in crowd, suggests that they ask Keith to do that. Alice feels happy because now she gets to listen more of Keith’s songs. Keith composes a spectacular piece for the play which helps sets the ambiance for the emotions behind the story. As Lady Windermere, Alice gets to spend time with Keith and listen to his music to perform and give the best rendition of her life. She decides that she would like to befriend Keith which doesn’t sit well with her gang. Then The Incident happens which forces Alice, her BFF Anna and Dave to go their own way away from Lena and the others.
However, that is a minor glitch compared to what’s in store with Keith playing an almost unpleasant song and being unable to stop physically. As much as all of this is out of Alice’s league, she is falling for Keith and cannot see him break down like this over a song. They do some research and what they find is beyond the petty jealousy and hate Lena feels toward Alice.
Silent Song is a story that made me think long after I finished reading it. It is about breaking away from life as you know it so you can go on to grasp what you are really meant for. The feeling of rightness takes but a moment to surface. Silent Song was definitely an unpredictable read for me and I was almost of my chair thinking what would happen next. Beatrice is definitely a character I won’t be forgetting for a long time. Read Silent Song, it is a a very well-written debut by Ron C. Nieto. 
Thank you, Ron for writing Silent Song and embracing what you’ve always wanted to be. I knew from the way you write your reviews that you would make one awesome author and Silent Song proves that. I am really proud of you. For my readers, knowing Ron as one of my best blogger friends have not affected my review of Silent Song at all.
Best Quote:

“After a while, the song didn’t end as any other song would. It exhausted its emotions and died out, like a candle without air, and became flat and unresponsive before it shifted, swelling and starting over again. This time it broadcast a mixture of tenderness, loneliness, and pain.”

About the Author
Ron C. Nieto is a fantasy and romance author who has been writing in her secluded fortress for the longest time. Recently, she had a talk with her cat and decided that she should share her creations, because it was selfish to hoard them all for herself.

If you would like to know more about her, please visit her website.

Ron C. Nieto can be found at 

| Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Publisher |
Buy Silent Song

| Amazon | Amazon (Kindle) | Smashwords | Author’s Website |

Thanks to Ron C. Nieto and ATOMR for providing me a copy of Silent Song for review.
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