review

Review: Embrace by Cherie Colyer Blog Tour

April 19, 2012 by Sana

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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

Buy Embrace

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Review: ReVamped by Ada Adams Blog Tour

April 10, 2012 by Sana

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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

Buy ReVamped (Angel Creek, #1)

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Review: Going Under by Georgia Cates Blog Tour

April 8, 2012 by Sana

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Title: Going Under
Author: Georgia Cates
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Georgia Cates
Release Date: 10 March 2012
Pages: 230 (eBook)

Synopsis

Jessie Boone is a self proclaimed bad boy and doesn’t march to the beat of anyone’s drum, but his own. Growing up in less than desirable circumstances has made him no stranger to the hard knock life and his determination to leave it behind is fierce. When he finds himself transferred to East Franklin High School, he sees his opportunity to use his athletic ability to snag a college football scholarship, but Forbes Henderson, the player Jessie means to replace isn’t giving up his spot willingly. In fact, Forbes is willing to go to extreme measures to retain his place as first string quarterback. When Forbes’ malicious plan to injure his replacement fails, Jessie is furious and determined to show him he messed with the wrong person; not only is he going to take the position of first string quarterback, he’s going to take his girl, too.

Claire Deveraux is perfection at it’s best. She is beautiful, intelligent and unaware she just became Jessie Boone’s conquest as revenge against her boyfriend, Forbes Henderson. Like her flawless performance as the perfect daughter and student, Claire’s production of being the perfect girlfriend has everyone fooled, except Jessie Boone, and she fears this tattooed bad boy will see her secret desire to explore his crude threats and promises to rock her perfect world. If she decides to give in to one uninhibited moment with Jessie, will she learn too late that it was all an act of vengeance or will Jessie learn the taste of first love is sweeter than that of revenge?

My Rating

* * * *

The Review

I am going to give it straight and I am going to say that Going Under is one of the best reads of 2012. I loved it! It had been so long since I last read a good contemporary young adult book and Going Under was perfect to remind me why I should read more contemporary YA books. Jessie and Claire are so likeable and engaging. I was engrossed from the first chapter.

Jessie is a bad boy with good intentions and so I never can resist a story about an unwilling bad boy. I couldn’t stop wondering about the tattoo on his upper left arm! Jessie just got transferred into a rich and preppy high school and went head-first into conflict from day one. I really liked how he had this thing about never backing down especially from a challenge. I loved his interactions with Forbes, the ex-starting quarterback.

Claire is one of a kind. The one whose life seems perfect on the outside but in truth, it is just a facade because she doesn’t feel so perfect but is afraid to come out of the comfort zone. Then having Payton as a BFF kind of rubbed off on her and I absotively loved how they had this habit of constructing new words. Payton was hilarious.

Going Under is so much more than I expected it to be. It is drenched in emotions and so be expected to go on one hell of an emotional ride. I loved how Georgia handled the conflict Jessie was in and Going Under was a very unpredictable read for me. But in the best of ways possible. I loved the chemistry between Jessie and Claire!

Jessie accepts who he is which is why he doesn’t hope. He has lived a life unimaginable for an 18-year-old to be living. But he has. While, Claire is not as fragile as everyone believes. She is feisty and stubborn as hell. I really liked how the relationship and the story unfolded for Jessie and Claire. It couldn’t have been better than that. Go on and read Going Under and you’ll know what I am talking about.

Best Quote:

“Dane was encouraging me to hope for something that would never happen,but it was a lesson I learned early in life-don’t allow myself to hope because it was life’s cruel joke of lifting you higher before dropping you flat on your ass.”

About the Author

I reside in rural Mississippi with my wonderful husband, Jeff, and our two beautiful daughters.

I spent thirteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before I decided to pursue my dream of becoming an author.

Blood of Anteros, Book One in The Vampire Agápe Series, was my first novel and it was released in September 2011.

I decided to step away from the paranormal genre to try my hand at a young adult romance and I loved it. It was so much fun, I plan to do it again in the near future.

Georgia Cates can be found at

Buy Going Under

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Review: Sykosa by Justin Ordoñez Blog Tour + Giveaway

April 7, 2012 by Sana

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

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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:

Purchase your copy of Sykosa for just 99 cents
Fill-out the simple form on Novel Publicity
Visit today’s featured social media event
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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Review: Marked by Jennifer Snyder Blog Tour + Giveaway

April 3, 2012 by Sana

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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

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!

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