artsy musings of a bibliophile

paranormal

Review: ReVamped by Ada Adams Blog Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK

ReVamped by Ada Adams
young adult paranormal self-published on 20 February 2012

first book in the Angel Creek series

Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.
When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

ReVamped is a fast-paced book that brings a lot of novelty and uniqueness in the vampire genre. The synopsis called for a simple mission which had gone deadly and the book did not disappoint. It started out with a 19-year-old protagonist who has lived her life training as a vampire warrior. But do not be misled; the year is 2015 and the world has gone through a huge shift and is headed straight into The Vampire Age.
Vampires have recently been accepted as part of the society and so have become vastly popular. However, there are laws that a vampire cannot feed on humans or turn them so as not to lose the exclusivity that comes with being a vampire. With Dawn’s father working as the US Vampire President, Dawn is a Born meaning that her blood is more potent than a Made vampire. Like her father. 
The world-building drew me in what with blood being a commercially available food in the form of Blood Cola to Blood Vodka and other bloody snacks. Garlic actually protects vampires against the sun and the blood of a vampire is poison to another weakening them. Moreover, I loved the fact that Ada Adams did not hesitate to show that vampires could also be imperfect creatures. It was a refreshing perspective to read about four trainees who are completely unsuited for the role of guardians of Angel Creek.
Dawn has lived her entire life training to become the best and the best her father could do on a parental level has been too surprising for both of them; like a pat on the shoulder that one time. Dawn has always felt more at home with tank top and jeans than a flowery dress and being brought up under the care of a nanny, Dawn is a one tough heroine. 
It all starts when the demand of vampires as celebrities increases and the Fab Five decides to ditch as the guardians of Angel Creek to try out as actors in Hollywood. Dawn’s father sends her on her first mission of training the four vampires in the town of Angel Creek to be the next guardians. To her surprise, an recurrent high school blonde cheerleader, an incorrigibly drunk band player, a timid librarian and a 16-year-old newly turned vampire by said blonde cheerleader are more apart in personalities than deemed possible. 
So how does Dawn accomplish what she has set out for? A sexy bartender, Ethan, has intrigued Dawn as have the the fifth vampire in Angel Creek, Sebastian, who wants nothing to do with the team of guardians. ReVamped is a hilarious, emotional and adventure-filled book about Dawn and the life she once knew to be no longer the same. The best part? It is just the beginning. You so do not want to miss out on an awesome take on vampires!

THE QUOTES

‘I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl with a bazooka for a pet.’ Hunter looked both amazed and slightly frightened.
‘That’s Kitty,’ I said, pointing to the large weapon. ‘I got her for my tenth birthday.’

‘He smelled like a sultry summer storm—cool, refreshing rain, sweltering, hot wind, and charged, electric thunder—all rolled up into one extremely enticing vampire being.’

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 
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Buy ReVamped (Angel Creek, #1)

Review: Sykosa by Justin Ordoñez Blog Tour + Giveaway

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Title: Sykosa (Part I: Junior Year)
Author: Justin Ordoñez
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: TDS Publishing
Release Date: 20 March 2012
Pages: 320 (eARC)


Synopsis
Sykosa (that’s “sy”-as-in-“my” ko-sa) is a junior in high school. She belongs to an exclusive clique of girls called the “Queens.” The leader is her best friend Niko. Their friendship has been strained lately because Tom—Sykosa’s first boyfriend boyfriend—has gotten all serious about making her his pretty Prom princess. That is if he ever gets around to asking her. Before Prom, there’s a party at Niko’s cottage where parental supervision will be nil. He wants to have sex. She doesn’t. He sometimes acts like that doesn’t matter. 
It matters. 
Sykosa has a secret she has never told anyone about. Although, some people—Tom included—know anyway. It happened last year and it was big and she’ll cry if she talks about it so she’s done talking about it, okay? Never mind, it’s nobody’s business. Except it keeps happening, and it never stops. She doesn’t want to deal with it. He does. She sometimes acts like that doesn’t matter. 
It matters.

The Rating
* * *

The Review
Despite knowing what Sykosa might be about, I really didn’t know what to expect from it. I didn’t expect it to have such strong R-rated language and so, I was unprepared for it. While Sykosa is a young adult book, it is for people above 18. Sykosa is a book that deals with girls who are broken from the inside, who don’t want to feel; who are like Sykosa. Rebellious yet under control, living in denial. All because Sykosa is afraid; afraid of the past, of what happened. It is simply too much to bear, to even think about it. So all there is in her mind about last year is dominated by a void. Emptiness. 
Sykosa is a difficult character to comprehend. She is complex and there are layers upon layers of Sykosa that needs to be uncovered to really know what is Sykosa all about. Sykosa is a book that takes each aspect of life, every little detail there is, into account and so there is a lot of cursing involved; along with drugs, obsession over one’s looks and of course, boys. But Sykosa also feels the blackness which threatens to take over her if she isn’t looking over her shoulder often.
Sykosa comes more under the genre of slice-of-life because it is extremely focused on the incident that occurred last year. The circumstances of ignoring its existence on the part of the very strict Academy and her too-abiding-by-rules parents and the inevitable denial that leads her to react by smoking, buying lingerie, masturbating and meeting with Tom behind the chapel every day after school.
Tom, the boy who was there with her when the incident occurred. Who doesn’t say anything about last year because he knows Sykosa is not ready to handle it. But he saved her and so, her best friend, Nikosa feels that Sykosa is simply into him because she owes him for saving her life. Maybe she does. But it runs far deeper than that. Also, Niko has her own nightmares to deal with what with her mother sliding in and out of her life and juggling between a boy she can’t let go and the one she is dating. 
You see, after last year, Niko went from being simply Niko to Niko 2.0 because of the revenge she wanted from the Bitches at school. But somehow, with everything happening, she became Niko 3.0 which is basically Niko 1.0 without the conscience. So to say that Sykosa is a book that deals with raw emotions and talks with no sugar-coating on them whatsoever would be almost correct. Sykosa is a very character-driven story.
The characters in Sykosa are very realistic, their reactions to things that happen in life are very thought-provoking, their problems are human. When Sykosa finds herself in an unusual situation all she can think about it is, “This isn’t her life, this isn’t her story.” This says a lot about Sykosa, the blackness and the mentality and psychology of a person scarred for life. But this isn’t just about Sykosa, it is about everyone who was there when that incident happened last year.

In all, Sykosa is a very unique story so I would suggest the reader to take it all with an open mind. It is not all perfect in the world for Sykosa. I enjoyed reading about the junior year of Sykosa and I look forward to Part II; the excerpt truly left me wanting more of Sykosa.

Best Quote

“Outside, the sun shines. Inside, there’s only darkness. The blackness is hard to describe, as it’s more than symptoms. It’s a nothing that becomes everything there is. And what one sees is only a fraction of the trauma inflicted.”

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Contest
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the tour schedule.

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Sykosa eBook edition is just 99 cents this week. What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include $550 in Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, and 5 autographed copies of the book.

All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment–easy to enter; easy to win!
To win the prizes:
  1. Purchase your copy of Sykosa for just 99 cents
  2. Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
  3. Visit today’s featured social media event
  4. BONUS: Leave a comment on this post*
Leave a comment, win $100:
One random tour commenter will win a $100 Amazon gift card. Just leave a comment on this post, and you’ll be entered to win. For a full list of participating blogs, check out the official tour page. You can enter on just my blog or on all of them. Get out there and network!

About the Author
Sykosa is Justin Ordoñez’s life’s work. He hopes to one day settle down with a nerdy, somewhat introverted woman and own 1 to 4 dogs. 
Justin Ordoñez can be found at 
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Buy Sykosa (Part I: Junior Year)

Review: Marked by Jennifer Snyder Blog Tour + Giveaway

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Title: Marked (Marked Duology, #1)
Author: Jennifer Snyder
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: 22 February 2012
Pages: 90 (eARC)


Synopsis
A mysterious stranger she can’t stay away from. A birthmark with a hidden meaning and one bite that changes seventeen-year-old Tessa Morganton’s destiny forever… 
Life for Tessa had been steady and calm—with the exception of her overly jealous boyfriend—until the moment Jace Fowler walked into her life. 
Jace—incredibly charming with boy band good looks—is someone whom Tessa can’t seem to stay away from… no matter how much she knows she should. 
After surviving a strange animal attack, Tessa learns just how mysterious and secretive Jace really is and that his secrets not only involve himself…but her as well, making Tessa question everything she’s ever believed regarding her life and those around her.

My Rating
* * * *
The Review

Before I say anything about Marked, I would like to admit that I don’t like werewolves as much as I like other paranormal creatures like vampires, witches, revenants or zombies. That being said, reading Marked totally changed my view of werewolves. They are nothing short of awesomeness and Marked showed me exactly how much! 
I adore Tessa Morganton, she is the embodiment of impulsiveness, she likes the thrill of adrenaline running through her veins. But she doesn’t know it yet. Life is pretty normal in the small town of Breckwater for Tessa. Well, apart from small occasional bursts of jealousy from her boyfriend, Sam and her weird dreams about werewolf bites. But then things literally take a turn for change as soon as Jace Fowler steps into the diner Tessa works at. 
Jace is an excitingly mysterious character. He has the charming act perfected to a tee, but he is honest and somewhat troubled at the same time. Pretty complex, if you ask me. He is very full of himself at times and more confident than Tessa have ever been. The chemistry between Tessa and Jace is there from the first moment they meet which surprises Jace. Then he sees Tessa’s birthmark. And he lives in the creepy house owned by his uncle.
The subplots in the book, such as the boyfriend Sam and the role of Tessa’s parents and Jace’s cousins were perfectly balanced. Sam is a difficult person to deal with and for Tessa he became a bad habit she found difficult to break out of. Tessa’s mom, on the other hand, doesn’t really like Jace. I couldn’t figure out exactly why was that. Tessa’s best friend, Rachel, is an easygoing character in the book who never really took things too seriously. 
Marked is a fast-paced book and so there’s always something happening in it. I like that in books and I managed to finish it in one sitting! I would highly recommend Marked to readers of young adult paranormal books. Changed will be releasing in June 2012 and I can’t want for it to be released!
Best Quote:

“As for the moon, I believe it holds the power to make people do things they normally wouldn’t, sure—but only when it’s full. For some, I believe it can rule their entire existence.”

About the Author

Jennifer Snyder writes Young Adult Edgy Contemporary novels as well as Young Adult Paranormal Romance novels. She resides in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina with her husband and two children. Jennifer finds great joy in blank notebooks and a smooth writing pen.
Feel free to visit her blog.

Jennifer Snyder can be found at 

| Website Blog  | Twitter | Goodreads | Publisher |
Buy Marked (Marked Duology, #1)

| Amazon | B&N | Amazon (Kindle) | Smashwords |


Today is Jennifer Snyder’s birthday! 
So I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Jennifer 
A Very Happy Birthday! =D

The Giveaways

Below are two giveaways for Marked, the first one is US only but there is a second giveaway for International readers. Win Marked and get to read an awesome book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It isn’t necessary to follow my blog to enter the giveaway but it would be nice if you could! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Jennifer Snyder and EBT for proving me a copy of Marked for review.

Review: Until Next Time by Amy Lignor Blog Tour

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Title: Until Next Time (The Angel Chronicles, #1)
Author: Amy Lignor
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Tribute Books
Release Date: 1 February 2012
Pages: 295 (eBook)


Synopsis
How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?
Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the ‘life’ they’ve been assigned. What they don’t realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.
When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz’s establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel’s path and a warrior’s plans.
From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that’s ripping them apart. 

My Rating
* * * *
The Review

Until Next Time is unlike any other fantasy book I have ever read. It is a complex book that deals with human emotions which does become confusing at times. When I sat down to read Until Next Time, I never expected it to go so deep as it did and to make me wonder all that is about human nature and emotions. Amy Lignor has managed to write a story that is a mixture of everything and not solely focused on romance. Angels in Until Next Time do not merely visit earth, they live human lives to gather knowledge and seek understanding of humans. 
Emily and Matt are soul mates up there who have a duty to live countless lives on earth to discern what really goes on in the minds of humans. Emily chooses to be an angel and Matt, a warrior. The story begins when Emily remembers their first ever lives on earth. As a human on earth, angels neither remember their lives up there nor do they remember their previous lives on earth so as not to be influenced by choices made in the past. This is why Emily reads from the book that holds the stories and the memories. 
As they fall down there, Emily enters the human shell of Liz and Matt becomes Daniel. From then on the tragic and painful life Liz had lived becomes entwined with Emily and her emotions. Daniel, on the other hand, have to choose between the right and the wrong action which have the power to change the course of his life.
As both of them live their lives on earth, they visit up there and the four archangels Michael, Gabriel, Francis and Mark help them guide when they are confused. Emily goes through the process of falling in love with Jason and Matt falls for Angela. The other characters, Charles and Faith, also play important roles in the story. The scenes which tells about the angel Jason looks up to are beautiful and full of faith. Something that I can read again and again.
What I really liked was the way Amy Lignor dealt with what makes humans good or bad. I really liked these lines spoken by Gabriel: “loneliness—the one emotion that is entirely man-made. Humans created it—the mother who didn’t care; the father who struck his family; the schoolboy or girl whose first crush broke their heart, an addiction to drugs—loneliness drags people down and they forget they have someone to turn to. Without faith, they just settle for whoever will pretend to listen. If you don’t believe in anything, you feel abandoned.”
In all, Until Next Time is a chronicle of angels and the hardships they have to endure, the faith they might lose in the face of the true evil which weakens the human soul. The love which is the salvation for humans and how love is what matters in the end. After all, things are bound to get difficult with each passing life spent on earth.
Best Quote:

“That’s one of the facts that I learned from my time down there—the so called crazy ones—seem to know more about life than everyone else.”

About the Author
Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.
Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historical The Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.
She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.
Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

Amy Lignor can be found at 

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Tribute Books can be found at
| Website | Facebook | Twitter |
Buy Until Next Time (The Angel Chronicles, #1)

| Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Payloadz (pdf) | Smashwords |

Thanks to Tribute Books for providing me a copy of Until Next Time for review.

Review: Intuition by J. Meyers

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Title: Intuition
Author: J. Meyers
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: J. Meyers
Release Date: 17 October 2011
Pages: 18 (eBook)

Synopsis
Intuition: A Bonus INTANGIBLE Short Story 
Luke and his twin sister Sera have unusual abilities. Hers is a gift—she can heal with a touch of her hand. His is a curse—he can see the future but he can’t do anything about it. 
On a hike up the mountain, Luke has a vision unlike any other—one that leaves him terrified. Knowing that it will come true—and that he must do everything in his power to stop it—leaves his own future uncertain. 

My Rating
* * * *
The Review
Intuition is a prequel novella to Intangible and it’s very short. The synopsis of Intangible had me intrigued and when I discovered that it has a free prequel, I was all for it!
I am glad I read Intuition, the whole concept seems very different from the usual paranormal young adult books out there and the covers are pretty, too. Intuition started off with Luke feeling the impending doom and urging the feeling to take over him. He can see the future. He and Sera, his twin sister, then start out for their traditional hike to Mt. Mansfield where Luke has two visions. The first takes some healing from Sera while, the second vision terrifies Luke. 
Who was the person Luke saw in his vision? And why doesn’t he want to tell Sera about it, yet? This is what Intangible would answer and I am hoping, it would be with a dash of some action!
Best Quote:

“It felt so big up here. Earth. The world. But it didn’t make Luke feel small—he felt as if he were a part of it all. Connected. Necessary.”