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paranormal

Review: Black Satin by Rae Hachton Blog Tour + Giveaway

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Title: Black Satin (Pretty In Black, #2)

Author: Rae Hachton
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Teen Pulse
Release Date: 28 May 2012
Pages: 303 (eARC)

Synopsis
Marcus Marble has disappeared from Ellie’s life, and she needs answers to questions and he’s the only one who can answer them. How is her sister back from the dead, and why is Ellie still alive?

When Ellie realizes Marcus isn’t coming back, she is forced to move on with her life the best way she can, in hopes of finding the answers herself, but when people at school begin to be viciously murdered, and Giles reveals to her a life changing secret, she decides to investigate the possible truth of it.

What she discovers is more than she thought she would. The only time Ellie feels normal is when she’s around Walter, the new guy at school. And normal is how she wants to feel, now that Marcus is gone from her life. But Walter may not be all that he seems, either, and she just might spiral in to an even more dark world, she never thought possible. And when it occurs to her that Marcus has made the decision to pass on through to the afterlife, during the Risorgimento, she races against time to stop him, while knowing she has feelings for Walter, too.

Will she make it in time to stop Marcus from passing through, and if she does, what will she tell Walter? Her heart will have to make the final decision. But will the choice be worth dying for
My Rating
* * *
The Review
As it usually is with sequels, Black Satin delves deeper into the world of Nevermore: the Evermores, the Corvidae hunters and the Gargoyles. It explored more despite being more fast paced and with more action. Ellie gets to know more of her past; meets people who know more about the land of Nevermore and the Land of the Naught (Gargoyle’s residence) and uncover the mystery surrounding her life. 
Ellie, being a mature protagonist, knows that she has to move on somehow now that Marcus has disappeared from her life. But she also knows that despite having her family the way it was before everything turned ugly will never be enough. She tries anyway. 
Enter Walter, the new student, who is instantly attracted to Ellie, is devastatingly good looking and have an air of mystery surrounding him. This is where the story gets off-track. I personally think the story could have easily moved forward even without Walter. It just complicated things and as for the role Walter played, that could have been fulfilled by Fifi. The reason I am saying this is because being as feisty and smart as Ellie is, the more quickly Walter fell for Ellie. In fact, it was insta-love for them. I think it made Black Satin a somewhat ordinary story.
However, I saw Ellie grow in Black Satin even though she seemed to neglect her family for Marcus which is understandable but not to the extent that Ellie went to. The dream sequence scene where Ellie dreams of clocks is visually simulating scene and I was entranced. Walter, on the other hand, is a character who is capable of competing with Marcus for Ellie; he has that factor. 
Marcus was absent from most of Black Satin. At the start of the book, there is a chapter that narrates the scene from Marcus’ point of view when Ellie and Marcus first meet in the cemetery. I found it to be a pleasant addition as it provided me with a much needed insight on the character of Marcus.
In all, Black Satin is an interesting read and I would be continuing the story to its last quartet. The rituals of the Nevermores, the journey of Ellie to the Land of the Naught and finally, the race against time to get to Marcus before he passes over during the Risorgimento ceremony is what Black Satin is all about. The spunk Ellie has is very likable and I look forward to reading more from Rae Hachton.
Best Quote:

“Snow flakes fell from the majestic sky above us, wrapping us in a haunting globe, both tragic and beautiful.”

About the Author

Rae Hachton [pronounced H-ton] is the nom de plume of author Desirae Hennington. She is the Indie Author of the Gothic Romance series Pretty in Black. She is twenty-three years old and lives with her Muse and her Ghost. When she is not composing new novels, she is working on her cinematography studies, and devouring YA books. Her favorite band is The Raveonettes, and she is a major fan of Edgar Allan Poe and Ravens and Crows. 

Although she is writing Gothic Fiction at the moment, her favorite genre of all time is Contemporary YA. Favorite contemporary book: tie between Forever by Judy Blume and the Summer I turned Pretty series by Jenny Han. Favorite author: David Levithan. If Rae Hachton wasn’t writing, she’d give it one last shot at being kewl, and probably start a band.

Rae Hachton can be found at 
Buy Black Satin (Pretty In Black, #2)
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The Giveaway

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Thanks to Rae Hachton and Supa Gurl for providing me a copy of Black Satin for review.

Review: Spectral by Shannon Duffy Blog Tour

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Title: Spectral

Author: Shannon Duffy
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Tribute Books
Release Date: 10 April 2012
Pages: 242 (eBook)

Synopsis
Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

My Rating
* * *
The Review
I don’t think I have ever read a better book about witches and witchcraft than Spectral. Spectral is nothing like you would imagine it to be. Jewel Rose cannot remember the last time her family stayed in one place for enough time for her to make friends and feel like she belonged. In her almost seventeen years, she had been enrolled in 26 schools and counting. Being used to living the life she has, Jewel has stopped questioning. Out loud. But all she really thinks about is the absurdity of it all and how much she wants to life a normal life.
Her seventeenth birthday is a special one and being born during a rare time of the year a total lunar eclipse which occurred at the same time as the full moon during the summer solstice. However, Jewel isn’t too thrilled with the most unexpected of their moves till yet and the pink bedroom.
Jewel finds out more about herself and her family during a period of two months than she has in all her life. Chase, the guy at school, seems to like her and the new guy, Roman intrigues her. But then her grandmother, Aunt Eva and Uncle Boris arrive to stay for a month. Overhearing a conversation about her being a Spectral worries her and Jewel decides to take matters into her own hands and to find answers.
Her decision takes her on a journey to discover the truth about her family, decide who is it that she wants to be with: Chase or Roman and most of all, whether she going to come out of the chaos alive. Spectral starts out normal and picks up the pace as the story gets more complicated and a lot of action occurs with a dash of a budding romance, weird happenings, family pressures and petty jealousies. 
Spectral has marked its spot in the paranormal genre with a promising synopsis and a striking cover. It has it all from the first sentence on. What’s not to like in a book with a family hiding secrets longer than the years Jewel has spent on earth and a gorgeous boy who claims to be her guardian? Spectral is one of the must-reads of 2012.
Best Quote:

“Even in the middle of complete chaos, I felt something I’d never felt before. It was something I believed was hope.”

About the Author

Shannon Duffy writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is the mom of one boy, Gabriel, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. She is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL. Her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is scheduled for a January 2013 release.

Shannon Duffy can be found at 
| Amazon (Kindle) | B&N | iBooks | Smashwords |


Thanks to Tribute Books for providing me a copy of Spectral for review.

Review: Pretty In Black by Rae Hachton Blog Tour + Giveaway

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Title: Pretty In Black (Pretty In Black, #1)

Author: Rae Hachton
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Teen Pulse
Release Date: 1 November 2011
Pages: 312 (eARC)

Synopsis
Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both. 
[Ellie Piper] 
She wanted to die. He arose from the grave. He was sent to kill her. She was trained to kill those of his kind. But fate had other plans. He searched for 119 years to find her. & There’s no way in hell he’s letting her go. Dead or Alive. They’re fated. 
[Marcus Marble] 
How far would you go to be with the one you love? Would you die for her? Would you kill for her? What if the only reason you’re still alive is because of her? What if the reason you came back from the dead, was to be with her? But what if your job was to kill her, but you fell in love instead? And now you’re being hunted by your own kind? 
Destroy? Or be Destroyed?
My Rating
* * *
The Review
Pretty In Black is a dark young adult book but that is not it. It is emotional, it is raw, it is deep and most of all, it is bittersweet. Ellie likes to spend time in cemetery ever since her life turned upside down, from being the captain of the cheerleading squad and having a family to living in a trailer with a mother who doesn’t care and a stepfather who brings her down overnight.
The book starts with Ellie trying to cut her wrists and succeeding when she succumbs to the darkness enveloping her. But then someone tells her to wake up. Her first and a very intriguing encounter with Marcus Marble leaves her feeling relaxed, confused and somewhat annoyed. Ellie has abandoned her previous life the day her sister was raped and then murdered. High school and day-to-day life just became trivial and meaningless. Nobody cared. Not until Marcus.
The cover is a perfect combination of pink and black and it defines Ellie in more ways than one. Ellis has a genuine feminine side but she has lost sight of who she really wants to be and that’s when the blackness seeped in and made itself a part of her. Of Ellie.
Ellie has a couple of strange encounter with Giles who tells her that she is the chosen one. And somehow Ellie believes whatever he says. Then she spots a white raven looking at her. But ravens are black. That has Ellie intrigued. And then her so-called BFF, Madison, wants her to rejoin the cheerleading squad and her cheating boyfriend, Declan is being Declan and trying to convince her that he is sorry he cheated.
Ellie finds comfort in only those moments when she is with Marcus who is a tortured soul, he is a monster but he is genuine and he knows what he is capable of. But he is not strong when it comes to Ellie. He wants to be with her at any cost. And Ellie feels the same way.
But it is not simple as that.
Pretty In Black left me wanting more of Ellie’s and Marcus’ story. I have questions about Ellie’s life and what Marcus did in the end. I want to know what is real and what is not real in the world Rae Hachton has created. In other words, I really liked Nevermore and what Ellie and Marcus and capable of and why is their love really forbidden. The writing style is very engrossing and the words are beautiful. The words has a poetical touch to them embedded in the story. I definitely look forward to reading Black Satin, the second book in Pretty In Black series.
Best Quote:

““I have a broken heart, Marcus.”
His eyes twinkled greater than the stars above us. “I can unbreak it.”
And I believed him. I’m sure he could even make a bouquet of veins appear beautiful, though they were tragic. And I was sure I’d be just that, a bouquet of veins, if something went wrong, and this didn’t work out. I needed it to last forever, even if it really didn’t.”

About the Author

Rae Hachton [pronounced H-ton] is the nom de plume of author Desirae Hennington. She is the Indie Author of the Gothic Romance series Pretty in Black. She is twenty-three years old and lives with her Muse and her Ghost. When she is not composing new novels, she is working on her cinematography studies, and devouring YA books. Her favorite band is The Raveonettes, and she is a major fan of Edgar Allan Poe and Ravens and Crows. 

Although she is writing Gothic Fiction at the moment, her favorite genre of all time is Contemporary YA. Favorite contemporary book: tie between Forever by Judy Blume and the Summer I turned Pretty series by Jenny Han. Favorite author: David Levithan. If Rae Hachton wasn’t writing, she’d give it one last shot at being kewl, and probably start a band.

Rae Hachton can be found at 
Buy Pretty In Black (Pretty In Black, #1)
| Amazon | Amazon (Kindle) | B&N | Smashwords |

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Rae Hachton and Supa Gurl for providing me a copy of Pretty In Black for review.

Review: The Shapeshifter’s Secret by Heather Ostler Blog Tour

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Title: The Shapeshifter’s Secret

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Shapeshifters
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Release Date: 12 June 2012
Pages: 328 (eARC)

ABOUT THE BOOK
In Julia’s life, timing is everything. Like the time her paranoid father put bars on her window so she wouldn’t sneak out at night—even though she’s never given him a reason not to trust her. Or the time this weird new kid showed up at her school and pretty much every girl in sight instantly and inexplicably fell in love with him. What was up with that?
But as time moves on, things in Julia’s life go from strange to seriously impossible. Now it’s all she can do to keep herself and the life she’s always known from falling apart.
This fast-paced action-adventure story is packed with humor, romance, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very last page. Get lost in a world of hidden royalty, shifting alliances, and dangerous vendettas, but don’t ever forget: nothing is what it seems.
THE RATING

THE REVIEW
The Shapeshifter’s Secret promised me a world unlike anything I have ever read about and it delivered. The concept is very original and the story has a way of sucking you into it. I manage to finish it in a single sitting! Julia is a very likable character, her overprotective father and his rules have limited Julia from involving herself in normal teenage activities. 
The book begins with Julia thinking about the complex personality of Caleb, the new student. But her anger issues are more disturbing for her. Julia seems to be losing her temper whenever she isn’t satisfied with the answers she wants. She almost feels herself turning into an unknown creature when her father, Lancer, refuses to tell her much about her mother.
Then Sierra has been acting strange lately and her father decided to put bars on her windows. Seriously? The only good thing about her life seems to be the arrival of Liam, her uncle. But then she overhears a strange conversation between her father and Lance. 
Things start to get more strange for Julia when she loses her temper in class and almost attacks a student. She even shapeshifts once but Caleb saves her from trouble. Her father then finally decides to reveal what Julia really is and her lineage. 
Fast-forward into Ossai which is really Julia’s home and the subsequent enrollment in Lockham. Julia is also disappointed in Caleb but finds a love interest in Terence, one of the captains of the Soldier Union. There Julia also discovers the truth about her mother and the people who depend on her to make things right in Ossai. Is Julia ready to tackle with their sworn enemy, the Guild?
The Shapeshifter’s Secret is a fast-paced and action-packed book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a spectacular new series from Heather Ostler. One I am sure the readers of paranormal genre wouldn’t want to miss out on. A debut author to look out for!
THE QUOTES:

‘Soon her hands began shaking harder than ever before. Her breathing seized her, and she felt her lungs might explode before she had enough air. She shook her head as her vision was obscured, and suddenly she was no longer Julia.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Heather Ostler grew up near the mountains with a rambunctiously entertaining family. She majored in English at Utah Valley University, and soon began composing stories about masquerades, water nymphs, and shapeshifters. She and her husband, Kellen, reside in Highland, Utah with two remarkably pleasant pugs.


Heather Ostler can be found at 

Thanks to Cedar Fort Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy of The Shapeshifter’s Secret for review.

Review: Embrace by Cherie Colyer Blog Tour

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Title: Embrace

Author: Cherie Colyer
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Release Date: 20 December 2011
Pages: 190 (eARC)

Synopsis
Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve. 
Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him. 

Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.
Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.

Dangerous, intoxicating, and darkly romantic, Embrace is a thriller that will leave you spellbound.

My Rating
* * * *
The Review
Embrace dives straight into the heart of the story from the get-go. Madison is not sure she likes change so when her BFF, Kaylee, tells her to get ready to go to a life-changing party; she’s not sure she likes the sound of that. But she goes and her life does take a turn for good when she meets Isaac. More than that, she feels static current pass through her when their skins touch. The same happens with his father when she shakes his hand.
Madison is a character who is still pining for her ex-boyfriend who relocated across the country. She still have feelings for Kevin and regularly catches up with him. Kaylee thinks Madison needs to move on and so she relays how Matt have a crush on her and she could at least give a chance to Isaac.
Things change when Kaylee turns semi-schizophrenic and Madison just knows that it isn’t anything medical. Research leads her to believe that dark magic is involved and she accidentally embraces her power in the desperation to prove that Kaylee is not a lunatic who sees invisible creatures coming to kill her.
In time, Isaac and Josh, Kaylee’s boyfriend help Madison. Matt’s advances become nothing short of deadly and Kevin arrives for a visit. A showdown is just waiting to happen around the corner and someone is not very happy. And what does Emma and Paige have to do with any of this?
In all, the best thing about Embrace is that, though it will be a series, it is a complete story. I really liked how emotions flow into the bodies and can be felt. Moreover, Madison’s conflict over Isaac and her relationship with Kevin is dealt with such maturity that I was thoroughly engrossed.
Embrace is a different kind of paranormal than from what I usually read and I am going to admit that I really liked reading it. It definitely would be awesome to learn more about Isaac and his powers and how Madison’s is progressing with hers. A fun, yet emotional, Embrace is for fans of paranormal with a dash of mystery and fun on the side.
Best Quote:

“Embraced in Isaac’s wings, I decided that change wasn’t such a bad thing. It actually gave flight to a whole new world I couldn’t wait to explore.“

About the Author


I write young adult and middle grade novels. I love finding new stories that keep me up late reading. While my favorite genre is fantasy, if the book is beautifully written with characters that come alive I’m all over it.
My debut novel EMBRACE is scheduled to be released this winter through Omnific Publishing. 
Cherie Colyer can be found at