Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Books: Revealed By You ~ JM Walker ~ promo

Release Day Blitz
Revealed by You (Torn, #2) – Jo-Anna Walker
Release date: April 21, 2014

Synopsis:
The sharp edge of love… 
Brett MacLean was possessive. Even more since I became his. He was my desire…my ultimate pleasure…he was mine. 
As each day passed, he revealed a part of himself that had lain dormant. A broken childhood. A troubled man. One I was determined to help. 
After months together, I thought I knew him. But soon realized I was wrong. His dark secrets were only the beginning. The past was more disturbing than I ever could have fathomed. 
His deep seeded need for me came with a price that could have consequences. I needed him just as much. Because of this, we would be tested. My greatest fear was that it would take us beyond the limits of our love.

About The Author:
When Jo-Anna isn't working her Monday-Friday 9-5 job, she's spending her time reading, writing and with the love of her life. 
She's an all-around Canadian girl. Born and raised in a small city. 
If you don't see Jo-Anna writing, you'll find her with her nose in a book. Whether it's her words or someone else's, she's drawn to it.
Jo-Anna loves stories with Alpha broken males and that need to be ripped apart and put back together again. Men that fall to their knees over a wink or a giggle from their females.
Two things you will never find Jo-Anna without; her cell phone and lip gloss. If she has both of those items, you have a happy girl.
Since starting her writing adventure in 2013, Jo-Anna has met many people, real life, online, in her head and she loves every single one of them. Without the support from others, none of this would be possible and she's grateful for all that has been given to her.
To learn more, visit Jo-Anna on her blog, on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest.
Jo-Anna Walker is also author of Break Me, Always Me, Remember Me, In the Heart of Forever (A Heart Story) and Possessed by You and Uncomplicated that she co-wrote with Dawn Robertson.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Books: Blood Magic ~ T.G. Ayer ~ promo





Title: Blood Magic
Author: T.G. Ayer
Series: SoulTracker #1
Publisher: Infinite Ink Books
Publication date: April 28th 2014
Number of page: 220 p.
Language: English only
Age category: New Adult
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy



Synopsis: 

My name is Mel Morgan and I’m a Tracker. I find people for a living. The people I help have no idea I know exactly how they feel because I’ve lost someone too. If only I could have found the one person I’ve been looking for all these years. My current case is no ordinary abduction. Before long I’m neck deep in blood magic – the worst kind. I need the help of a necromancer if I’m to free the kid. Doesn’t mean I have to like it. When sexy djinn Saleem asks for help things get a little hot to handle. But how can I say no? Dodging demons and sorcerers are just part of my day job.



About the author ~ Over de schrijfster

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognize that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven.

I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each other's loves – it works wonderfully…

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain cross-eyed.

Excerpt


Missing people can be found. Not all missing people are found.
I was good, maybe even the best I knew of. I find people for a living. My business is dependent on people losing people. The idea didn't sit so well with me but it was what it was. Not that I needed to find people for a living. I could very well choose to find things. Finding cutting edge nuclear warheads stolen from the government, locating lists of undercover cops within drug cartels – I can do that. Do the job, find the target, no questions asked. But things held no interest for me. People did.
I find people. And I didn't play to lose.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Stacking The Shelves #15 ~ DVD Edition


Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and anyone can get involved!

This week I am not going to show of many books, instead I am doing a DVD edition, since I have gotten many DVD's lately! So here we go! 


New Girl Season 1


New Girl Season 2

Dragon Hunter



Jack The Giant Slayer




Pitch Perfect



Hansel & Gretel ~ Witch Hunters




Black Plague




Salomon Kane




Resident Evil: After Life




Game Of Thrones season 1, 2 and 3!!



What did you think of my little sheep? Cute aren't they? I thought it was fitting since it is spring time here in the Netherlands and for once the weather has been decent!


Books  ~ Freebies



What did you get this week?

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Swinging Saturdays #36 : King edition


Swinging saturdays is a musical meme hosted by Ice Cold Passion, to share our passion for music. The goal is to make a top 5 (or Top 10) for whatever genre or artist you like or get creative and share a theme based music top 5. For example a bookish soundtrack, funny songs, song to listen to on a rainy day top 5.

Hello lovelies!

Today is King's day in the Netherlands! So happy King's day to everybody. I found this awesome
picture on my facebook page. Who doesn't love a little Katniss and Peeta once in a while. Thought to post it here, so because it is a National holiday here, this weeks Swinging Saturdays consists of songs by Dutch artists! I hope you enjoy them! Some are in Dutch, but there are also some great English songs!

1. Marco Borsato ~ De Speeltuin

This is a song that was written for War Child an organization that help children, that have seen and fought in wars. This song always makes me a little emotional. Marco Borsato is one of the most popular Dutch singer, and has made over ten albums!



2. Miss Montreal ~ Addicted To Crying



3. Racoon ~ Oceaan



4. Waylon ~ The Escapist




5. Lisa Lois ~ Hallelujah

I know this is a cover, she was the winner of X-factor here in The Netherlands. I just love this version of this song! Ik weet dat dit een cover is maar wat een geweldige uitvoering!


6. GEM  ~ Look


7. Go Back To The Zoo ~ Electric


8. Kane ~ No Surrender



9. Jurk ~ Niemand



10. The Sheer ~ It Only Gets Better




So that's it for my Top 10!!!What is your Top 10 this week? 
Want to host Swing Saturdays next week? 
Send me an email: icequeensbookshelf@gmail.com. Would love to hear what kind of music you like!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Books: Day Human Prince ~ BK McMichael ~ promo

Titlel: Day Human Prince
Author: B. Kristin McMichael
Series: The Day Human Trilogy #1
Number of pages: 234 p.
Publisher: Lexia Press
Publication date: April 2014
Age category: Young Adult
Language: English Only



Synopsis:

Devin Alexander grew up as the only day human in a world surrounded by night humans who drank blood, sometimes his blood. He spent his life training towards one goal: the protection of one of those blood drinkers, Arianna.

But what is he supposed to do when the blue-eyed girl of the legends doesn’t need him anymore? What does his life mean then? How is a guy supposed to move on when the girl he has pined over for a decade chooses someone else?

Before he can even start to figure out his new life without Arianna, Devin has to deal with another problem. He needs to take care of some unfinished business with a night human he has known for less than a month, but with whom he is magically bound.

Vanessa McKinny has promised that she knows a way to undo the spell she placed on Devin to save his life. Devin would do anything to break the bond to be free of her, even if it means traveling to the sidhe village, a place inhabited by a race of night humans that has not had a day human visitor in more than a hundred years.

Book trailer


About the author

Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in biology as a scientist. In her free time she is currently hard at work on multiple novels. Every day is a new writing adventure. She is a fan of all YA/NA fantasy and science fiction.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Swinging Saturdays #35 ~ Festival season kickoff: Paaspop


Swinging saturdays is a musical meme hosted by Ice Queen's Bookshelf, to share our passion for music. The goal is to make a top 5 (or Top 10) for whatever genre or artist you like or get creative and share a theme based music top 5. For example a bookish soundtrack, funny songs, song to listen to on a rainy day top 5.

This weekend is the kickoff of the festival season here in the Netherlands, this weekend in Schijndel there is Paaspop. The festival that is the beginning of many more to come. It's a three-day festival, which I visited twice! I loved it, its doesn't have a lot of huge names like Pinkpop and Lowlands do, but it still has a lot of great bands. This week's top ten are bands that are playing on Paaspop (Easterpop) this weekend.


1. The Kaiser Chiefs ~ I predict a riot

Everybody knows Ruby, but this by far my favourite song from the Kaiser Chiefs!


2. Miss Montreal ~ Just A Flirt



3. The Prodigy ~ Warrior's Dance



4. Blood Red Shoes ~ Don't Ask



5. The Boxer Rebellion ~ If I run



6. Baskerville ~ Devil's Town



7. Blaudzun ~ Promise Of No Man's Land



8. Black Bottle Riot ~ Soul In Exile



9. DeWolff ~ Don't You Go Up The Sky

Love this! Great music! Dit is echt super! 


10. Kensington ~ Let Go



So that's it for my Top 10!!!What is your Top 10 this week? 
Want to host Swing Saturdays next week? 
Send me an email: icequeensbookshelf@gmail.com. Would love to hear what kind of music you like!

Friday, April 18, 2014

Books: Of Breakable Things ~ A. Lynden Rolland






Title: Of Breakable Things
Author: A. Lynden Rolland
Series: Of Breakable Things #1
Publication date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Language: English only
Number of pages: 300 p.
Age category: Young Adult



Synopsis

A captivating debut about the fragility of life, love, and perspective.

Alex Ash was born broken. Living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is like living on death row, but she is willing to fight for her frail life as long as it includes the boy next door.

Chase has always held the pieces of her together, but when he dies tragically, Alex’s unfavorable fate becomes a blessing in disguise. Faced with a choice, she finds herself in a peculiar world where rooms can absorb emotions and secrets are buried six feet under. Among limitless minds, envious spirits, and soulless banshees, Alex hardly rests in peace.

About the author

A. Lynden Rolland was born and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, a picturesque town obsessed with boats and blue crabs. She has always been intrigued by the dramatic and the broken, compiling her eccentric tales of tragic characters in a weathered notebook she began to carry in grade school.

She is a sports fanatic, a coffee addict, and a lover of Sauvignon Blanc, thunderstorms and autumn leaves. When she isn’t hunched behind a laptop at her local bookstore, she can be found chasing her two vivacious children. She now resides just outside Annapolis with her husband and young sons.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Review

Wow, this book blew me away, in it's originality. Yes I know I have said this about several books, being original. This was again something totally different, I never read a book that was set in the afterlife. And if the afterlife is this relaxed I wouldn't mind dying. 

The main character Alex and her "brothers" the Lasalles boys, are an interesting bunch. Alex is a newbury (a newbie in the afterlife). At the beginning of the story we find Alex on the crossroad of going to what I think will be heaven or staying kind of "earthbound". She choses the latter, because that is where Chase, one of the  Lasalle brothers will be. And she has chosen right. 

The bond between all brothers and between the brothers and Alex great to see. Except Chase and Jonas, Gabe and Kaleb really see Alex as their little sister. Chase and Alex have another sort of connection, they are in love, but also share their minds with each other. 

The story is never boring, being told from various perspectives, which was the only downside of this book. Sometimes is was a bit confusing who was telling the story, it could use a bit of fine-tuning there.  As I progressed, the book got better and better. What I loved most about this book were the letters from Eviar. They were beautifully written, and gave this book that little extra touch. 

Then there was "the final battle" and the promise of something more. No cliffhangers but it will leave you wondering. I am really happy that I signed up for this book tour, because is was a splendid read!

Rating ~ Waardering

Perfect ending, great characters, interesting setting makes this a 4 star read!


Quotes

Seeing the Lasalles was like finding the missing pieces of her heart. But it would be Chase, she knew who would be the adhesive to hold it together. ~ Alex
Sanity. Insanity - The lines between the two blurs in dreams. ~ Eviar 
Love, she believed would ride the wind util it found the sky shining it's beauty on the world below. Perhaps that is the only thing truly immortal. 

Monday, April 14, 2014

Books: Cirque Du Freak ~ Darren Shan

Title: Cirque Du Freak (A Living Nightmare)
Author: Darren Shan
Series: Cirque Du Freak #1
Publisher: Harper Collins Childern's books
Publishing date: 1st February 2009
Number of pages: 272 p.
Dutch titel: De Grote Freakshow
Age category: Young adult
Other books in this series
2. The Vampire's assistent
3. Tunnels of blood
4. Vampire Mountain
5. Trials of Death
6. The Vampire Prince
7. Hunters of the Dusk
8.  Allies Of The Night
9.Killers of Dawn
10.The Lake Of Souls
11. Lord Of Shadows
12. Sons Of Destiny

Synopsis

I was an ordinary boy, until I visited the Cirque Du Freak... until I met Madam Octa... until I came face to face with a creature of the night. That's when my life changed completely. I don't expect you to believe me, but everything I describe in this book is absolutely true...

Review

Ok so this book is not as great as I thought it would be, it is pretty slow, but maybe that's just because it is the first book in a serie of 12 or maybe because I have seen the movie before reading the book. Yes I know I shouldn't have, but I didn't know about the book, before I had seen the movie. It was when I read the back of the movie that I figure out that is was actually a book. 

Shit happens, so after being on my wishlist forever I finally got the chance to buy it a little while ago. I actually have the omnibus but I wanted to review the books one at a time. This book tells the story of how Darren became the vampires assistent, nothing more and nothing less.  So I decided to watch the movie again to see why I didn't like the book.  There is just so much more action there, and I am afraid the movie ruined the reading experience for me.

So the lesson here is: don't watch the movie before reading the book. I still think it is a great book and  am definitely going to continue this series and hope it will get better from here on. And hopefully the overlap with the movie will end soon.

Rating

The result: 3 stars for this book! If this review is unclear to you please also read this article by me where I clarify things more clearly: Ramblings: Misinterpretation


Buy it here:


Saturday, April 12, 2014

Swinging Saturdays #34: Story Time


Swinging saturdays is a musical meme hosted by Ice Queen's Bookshelf, to share our passion for music. The goal is to make a top 5 (or Top 10) for whatever genre or artist you like or get creative and share a theme based music top 5. For example a bookish soundtrack, funny songs, song to listen to on a rainy day top 5.

Today I have a story for you, made almost entirely out of song titles enjoy! Read it below, underlined are the titles.


Old Mr. Heffer
I see you
In the house of the rising sun.
With Nothing to lose and little talks

He's going up the country
By the river under blue skies
An American idiot walking the stairways to heaven.

1. 4 Non Blondes ~ Old Mr. Heffer



2. Mika ~ I See You



3. The Animals ~ House Of The Rising Sun



4. Waylon ~ Nothing To Lose



5. Of Monsters And Men ~ Little Talks



6. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis ~ Going Up The Country



7. Bruce Springsteen ~ The River



8. Blue October ~ Blue Skies



9. Green Day ~ American Idiot



10. Led Zeppelin ~ Stairways To Heaven


So that's it for my Top 10!!!What is your Top 10 this week? 
Want to host Swing Saturdays next week? 
Send me an email: icequeensbookshelf@gmail.com. Would love to hear what kind of music you like!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Books: One Broke Girl ~ Rhonda Helms ~ promo


Title: One Broke Girl
Author: Rhonda Helms
Series: Edgewood Falls #1
Publication date: April 7th 2014
Publisher: Self published.
Number of pages: 117 p.
Language: English only
Age category: New Adult


Synopsis:

Anna Parker’s life disintegrates with one phone call. Her dad’s selling their ritzy New York City condo because her Wall Street banker mom emptied their bank account and ran off with another man.

Which means Anna has to drop out of her elite college and move with Dad back to their small Ohio hometown. Anna’s determined to reclaim her life ASAP, so she’ll use the next few months to save money, help Dad get back on his feet, and find and confront her mom.

But Anna doesn’t anticipate things going so wrong. The only job she can get is working as a lunch lady in an elementary school. Their money-pit duplex is falling apart around their feet. And her dad is depressed without her mom, who’s proving hard to find.

One bright spot in the chaos is Gavin Metcalf, a kindergarten teacher she dated when they were young teens. With his easy wit and sexy smiles, he makes her forget her stresses—and the fact that her boyfriend Steven back in New York doesn’t know the truth yet about her dire circumstances. When past and present collide, Anna has to decide where her future lies…



About the author

Rhonda Helms started writing several years ago. She has a Master's degree in English and a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. She also edits for Carina Press (an imprint of Harlequin Publishing) and freelance edits. When she isn't writing, she likes to do amateur photography, dig her toes into the sand, read for hours at a time, and eat scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese. Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family.

Mini Interview with Rhonda Helms 


 Q: How did you come up with the idea for ONE BROKE GIRL? 
 A: I brainstormed the story in an online writing group, first looking for embarrassing/crazy/weird jobs to help me develop ideas. All I knew at that point was I wanted a heroine working a job she never thought she’d do. When someone mentioned “lunch lady,” the story started writing itself. I realized it was going to be a riches-to-rags story with potential for laughs and heartfelt moments.

Q: Who are your favorite New Adult authors? 
A: Oh man, I go through big reading spells where I devour a ton of New Adult because I can’t quit it. I love the intimacy and immediacy of the narrative. Some of my fav authors are Erin McCarthy, Lexi Ryan, Caisey Quinn, Tammara Webber, Sophie Jordan, Marilyn Brant, Samantha Young, Colleen Hoover… I could go on and on, lol.

Q: What’s your writing routine like? 
A: I’m an editor by day, so I typically write in the afternoons or early evenings after my work is done. I write 5-10 pages a day, 5 days a week when I’m in drafting mode. Because I plot out scene by scene beforehand, I can sit down and bang out the story pretty quickly.

Q: What’s next in the Edgewood Falls series? 
A: Book 2 is Natalie’s story, coming out in June. I’m working on it now, yay. Book 3 will be Bianca’s story, coming out in August. And if readers love these books as much as I do, I’ll probably write more in the series. I’m loving these so much.

Q: What’s one random/weird fact about you? 
A: Oh man, I have tons of quirks. Lol. Probably one of the biggest things is I carry at least 2-3 different lip balms on me at all times…in case I have a dry lip emergency or something, I guess. Hah. I can’t quit my lip balm.