These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kauffman & Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars
By Amie Kauffman & Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound #1
Genre: YA, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Romance
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Goodreads Summary:

It’s a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned a long time ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a torturous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder – would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

Links:

These Broken Stars on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
Amie Kauffman’s Website
Meagan Spooner’s Website

TheTraveling Green Dress
The place the dress went was a quick visit to Marie Lu...and frosty.
**Please note that these posts are over a month old so the preorder promotion is not going on now**

My Thoughts:

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This gorgeous cover and the description really sucked me in way before the book was released. I have also chatted with the authors a little on twitter and they are both beyond sweet…and they call me zombie girl which I love :-P. I also think it’s great that they sent the infamous green dress traveling to various authors which resulted in some entertaining blog posts (link listed above).

I think that because I loved the cover, description, and authors very early on I had very high expectations for These Broken Stars. Sadly, I have to admit that I was a teensy bit let down. It was still a good read but it just wasn’t quite to the level that I was expecting.

One of the main characters was frustrating as all get out in the first half of the book but thank friggin’ goodness that character (and another) grew as the story progressed. That along with a more active storyline in the second half of the book helped bump up my rating but even then I still wasn’t driven to that point of obsessed reading that would drive me to fit in reading any and every possible second.

I plan to continue the series because I think that like the characters in their books, Amie and Meagan will grow and I look forward to seeing where they go from here.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Friday Foodie Affair is back!!!




Foods you love that earn you strange looks

I wanted to kick start my Friday Foodie Affair (FFA) posts but couldn’t decide what I wanted to do first. Then an idea came to me last week when a friend, we’ll call her Mrs. Peacock, said that after shoveling snow her family always used to warm up by dunking buttered toast into either hot chocolate or hot tea. Wait, what?! I had never heard of anyone doing that. Cookies in coffee or oreos in milk sure, but buttered toast and hot chocolate?! Strange! Then I started thinking of all of the strange things I eat and decided to ask a few friends as well. Here’s what I discovered…


Mrs. Peacock has a couple other strange food loves. She eats jelly (preferably grape) and potato chip sandwiches. A new spin on sweet & salty perhaps? She also likes grape jelly on grilled cheese sandwiches and she puts peanut butter on salads.


Krista (Krista’s Dust Jacket) has a slight obsession with hummus. Cheese, pretzels, veggies, sandwiches, apples, meat, she will put hummus on just about anything.


She has since outgrown it but Anna (Annaberry Reads) used to sneak butter and sugar sandwiches as a kid. I can’t really say much there because, as a kid, I used to eat ketchup sandwiches that were more ketchup than bread.


Wendy (Wall-to Wall Books) earns the award for strangest food combination. First she told me she likes eating carrots and peanut butter…that’s not so much of a big deal, I suppose, after all celery and peanut butter is a norm, why not carrots right? But then she dropped a bomb shell on me. She likes to eat mayo and peanut butter sandwiches. In my mind, peanut butter and mayo together should be a food challenge on Fear Factor! Haha! But she loves it and that’s all that matters.


I like to dip my potato chips in mustard. I also like the sauce/cheese combo that comes with dunking cheese curls in chef Boyardee OR cheese rice cakes in chili. Last but not least, I like to put chips or Doritos on pretty much any lunch meat sandwich. Yums.


My strange foods don’t sound so bad after hearing what everyone else loves. Then again maybe that was my evil plan all along? ;)

What foods earn you strange looks?

Blog Tour (Guest Post, Review, & Excerpt): Beasts of Burdin by Alexander Nader



Release Date: February 10, 2014
Target Reader: Adult
Keywords: Urban Fantasy

Description

Demon hunter Ty Burdin hung up his guns, knife, trench coat and fedora a year ago. Bags packed, hands washed of all demon politics, he’s done. Forever. 

In fact, to get far far away, he dragged Nora, his rockabilly secretary, from Miami to the Tennessee mountains where he’s lived a life of peace—if peace can be defined as drowning in scotch and taking private eye jobs to keep the lights on. Jobs for real people. Not demons.

No demons.

He’s retired from that. Remember?

Demon hunters aren’t a dime a dozen, though, and when Ty’s brother asks him for a favor—just one—what’s a brother to do? Agreeing to take down one hillbilly demon shouldn’t take that long. In. Decapitate. Out. Favor complete. Back to the office where Nora and his bottle of whiskey are waiting.

Unfortunately for Ty, staying retired doesn’t seem to be in the cards, and an avalanche of bad luck draws him right back to an agency he despises and the career that nearly cost him his sanity.

This time, Ty has no way out and will have to face his own demons just to survive.


Links

Beasts of Burdin on GoodreadsAmazonB&N, and Kobo 
Alexander Nader’s Website

 

Guest Post

Tips for Fighting Demons from Alex Nader

Hey, everybody. So Jen has asked me to drop in and give you all the lowdown on fighting demons. Demon hunting is pretty serious business and not something just anyone can do. So remember, these are worst case scenario tips here. I would not, repeat, WOULD NOT go seeking out a demon to slay. They are scary and 
evil and generally have bad breath.

First thing to know is: holy artifacts, incantations, whatever else are all useless. Demons don’t really come from hell, they come from your head and the demons in your head aren’t at all concerned with what the power of Christ is compelling. So holy water, crucifix, rosary, altar, etc should all be left at home.

Let’s stick with obvious weapons choices here. I mean, a grenade would be a lot of help, but not everyone can get their hand on those babies. So, next obvious choice: omelets. Wait, no, we’re talking demons, not breakfast. I get distracted sometimes, but really, omelets are so good. Some cheese, a little hot sauce, and 
veggies…I’m rambling.

Okay, phew, back on point. Obvious choice: guns. Yes, guns will slow down your average demon. There aren’t many things out there that are oblivious to grape-sized pieces of metal lodging themselves inside their flesh. So yes, if you have a gun open fire like it’s St. Patrick’s day and you are firing off warning shots toward green beer haters. Wait, I hate beer. No, please, don’t shoot at me…

Sorry, sorry. Won’t happen again, I promise.

This is the point where you’re asking yourself, ‘What the hell can I do to stop a demon?’. I’ll tell you what the hell you can do, cut its head off. Decapitation kills everything. It’s a motto those in the demon hunting business live by. Bullets, arrows, fire, repeated groin shots: all these things can slow a demon down, but if you really want to end the thing, you have to take its head off. Well, of course it’s grim, we are talking about hunting demons. What did you think I would say, buy it some ice cream?


Thanks so much for the Alex! I'll be sure to go for the head if I ever come across a demon. Who am I kidding, I'd probably run away screaming ;)


My Review:

Here’s a story about a man named Ty

Ex demon hunter, now private eye.
He barely escaped the hunting life
Grotesque demons and a hell of a lot of strife.

One year later he’s being dragged back in
Back to killing demons and his own demon within.
Only something is different this time around
More demons than ever are here above ground.

Can this tortured man do what no one else can?
Can he stop the demons and their master plan?
Trust me, you will not regret reading Beasts of Burdin
Because sarcastic wit, action, & mystery you’ll find within.

Still not convinced? Perhaps Nora can persuade you
Her confident style won me over and I’m sure it will you too.
An undiscovered author who doesn’t take any of Ty’s crap
She’s a force to be reckoned with and well that’s a wrap.

If you’re still not convinced then I don’t know what to say
Other than it's great and I hope you pick up Beasts of Burdin today.


Excerpt

Chapter 1

“Ty Burdin! Answer the phone already. It’s your brother.” The voice comes from the next room in a tone usually used by stress-fried mothers, not twenty-something-year-old receptionists. The harsh words crack through my whiskey-soaked brain like someone snapped a bullwhip in my ear. I pick my head up off the desk and wipe the drool from my mouth, as she bursts in the door.

“He’s adopted, and good morning,” I say, opening the drawer to my desk and digging through it.

“It’s not morning. It’s past noon, you lazy drunk.” Her tone is accusing, but there’s a slight smile to her ruby red lips. I really do think Nora gets enjoyment from trying to keep me in line. Her rockabilly style, all tattoos and polkadots, might scare some people off, but honestly, I think it’s kind of cool.

“Fine, I was wrong about the time, but you’re wrong, too,” I say.

“Oh, yeah? How’s that?” Nora kicks her hip to the side and props a hand on her leopard print skirt.

“I’m not drunk. I’m hungover.” I pull out a flask full of scotch and take a long drink. “I’m working on getting back on track, though.” I tip the flask toward her.

“I swear someone’s gonna find you in a ditch one day.” Her voice has a trace of concern, but it’s mostly drowned out by annoyance.

“In my line of work, that’s almost a guarantee. Now, can you tell me why you disturbed my ugly sleep?” Ugly sleep is a gross understatement. No amount of alcohol ever seems to drown out the vision of the young, innocent girl burned into my memory. The scene is even more ominous in my dreams than it was in real life.

A thunderclap breaks the silence of my memories. Nora stares down at me, hands stuck together. “Wake up, drunkard. Hartnet’s been trying to reach you on the phone for the past fifteen minutes.”

The pocket of my jacket buzzes, probably been ringing the entire time. Nora walks over to where it hangs by the door and withdraws the phone. “Jesus, Ty. You’ve got four missed calls, ten new messages, and over twenty emails. Do you ever check this thing?”

“No.” I have the phone, but honestly, I hate it.
Nora sets the still ringing phone on my desk, puts her hands on her hips and, using only facial expressions, guilts me into picking up.

“Hello,” I say into the phone that smells of smoke. I use my free hand to dig out cigarettes and a lighter.

“Ty! Finally, man, where you been?” Hartnet asks.

“Oh, you know me. I just got back from hiking the Swiss Alps with Edmund Hillary.”

“Real funny, Ty, but I imagine you’ve been spending more time with Jim or Jack.”

“God, no, I hate southern whiskey,” I say. “I prefer a fine scotch, Macallan to be specific.”

“You prefer whatever’s in front of you as long as there’s a proof label on the bottle,” Hartnet says.

I don’t have any argument for that. “So, what do you want?”


Rafflecopter link:

Audiobook Review: Slammed (Slammed #1) by Colleen Hoover

Slammed
By Colleen Hoover

Series: Slammed #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mature Young Adult
Publisher: Self Published
Narrated by: Heidi Baker

Goodreads Summary:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossible painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Links:

Slammed on Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, and Barnes & Noble
Colleen Hoover’s website

My Thoughts:

“Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt.”

That really says it all. They have such a good thing but as we’re all too aware, not all good things can last. Both Will & Layken are both so sweet and it’s a shame that they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Layken was somewhat oblivious to a lot of things, but she’s young so I gave her a pass on that. Just a random side note: I love the name Layken and nickname Lake…it’s so unique unlike my uber common name!

This was the 2nd audiobook I’ve listened to and I have to say it was another great choice. Thank you to the woman at the Armentrout/Kemmerer/Higgins signing in November for recommending it. I didn’t get your name but you were right, it’s great! I’ve never been to a slam so it was fun getting to hear them throughout the book. Some of the slams were more…I guess you could say powerful than others but they were all enjoyable.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

14 on 14 - 14 Things You May Not Know About Me

14 Things you may no know about me...


1. I love music and singing in my car. Badly :)

2. I truly hate peer pressure. I hate when people try to force you to do things or be a certain way.

3. I am addicted to my iphone but I avoid talking on the phone like it’s the plague.

4. I don’t know how to drive a clutch/stick shift…and I don’t really have any desire to learn.

5. I love being around water.

6. I quote movies. A lot. And I’m always thrilled every time someone gets it.

7. I’m almost 31 and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.

8. My dog is spoiled…as any only ‘child’ should be.

    8a.  Hubby and I don’t want to have kids…and most people don’t believe us when we say it.

9. I’m a nosey neighbor. I mostly keep to myself but if I hear happenings you’re sure to find me peeking through the curtains. And let me just tell you, there is never a dull moment in my neighborhood!

10. I love food but I’m a picky eater.

11. I love the beauty in art and photography.

12. I have problems with motion sickness on a regular basis.

13. I’m a smart ass.

14. I’m a creative thinker but not if I’m put on the spot. I need time to process.

Cover Reveal: The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter



Today is the day! The cover of Gena Showalter's THE QUEEN OF ZOMBIE HEARTS is here!

First there was ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND...



Then came THROUGH THE ZOMBIE GLASS...



Now get ready to EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT!!!




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On-sale date: Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Add it to your TBR!  Goodreads

Pre-order your copy! AmazonBarnes & Noble
        

         


  Official book description:

I have a plan.

We'll either destroy them for good, or they'll destroy us.

Either way, only one of us is walking away.

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice "Ali" Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She's ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers…until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It's then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters…and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies…and she isn't the girl she thought she was. She's connected to the woman responsible for killing—and turning—Cole's mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima—even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.



About Gena:

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, the Angels of the Dark, the Lords of the Underworld, and the Otherworld Assassins series.  In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, and have been translated in multiple languages.  She lives in Oklahoma with her family and menagerie of dogs, and truly believes love conquers all.







Giveaway Details:

1 complete set of The White Rabbit Chronicles (first 2 sent as soon as the giveaway is over and the winner will get the first hardcover of book 3 when it's available!) US/Canada Only


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Sacrifice (Elemental #5) by Brigid Kemmerer

I love this series and I'm thrilled to be part of the cover reveal for book 5, Sacrifice.

Readers, meet Michael...

US Cover


Australia/New Zealand Cover

Sacrifice
By Brigid Kemmerer

Series: Book 5 in the Elemental Series
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Release Date: September 30, 2014



One misstep and they lose it all. For the last time.

Michael Merrick is used to pressure.

He’s the only parent his three brothers have had for years. His power to control Earth could kill someone if he miscalculates. Now an Elemental Guide has it out for his family, and he’s all that stands in the way.

His girlfriend, Hannah, gets that. She’s got a kid of her own, and a job as a firefighter that could end her life without a moment’s notice.

But there are people who have had enough of Michael’s defiance, his family’s “bad luck.” Before he knows it, Michael’s enemies have turned into the Merricks’ enemies, and they’re armed for war.

They’re not interested in surrender. But Michael isn’t the white flag type anyway. There will be blood on the ground tonight…

Sacrifice on Goodreads  

Brigid Kemmerer’s website, Facebook, and Twitter 


So what do you think of Michael!? I love the US cover, it's by far my favorite in the series!

Vanilla Twist (Walk on the Wild Side #3) by C.J. Ellisson


Vanilla Twist (Walk on the Wild Side #3)
By C.J. Ellisson

Heather thinks she has it all—an interesting lover, a dream job, and a new wardrobe to match her take-charge attitude. But everyone has a past, and when Heather confronts hers at work she’ll be hard-pressed to hold onto her newfound confidence and resolve. Does she trust Tony enough to let him help her or will she tackle the issue on her own?

Still intrigued by the young woman and the multiple layers she presents to the world, Tony begins to change his life, too—for what he hopes is the better. He quit his high-powered career to find peace in a less stressful day-to-day existence. Desire for Heather still invades his every waking moment, and when trouble threatens their sexual explorations he makes the hardest choice of his life. One he may soon regret.


Book Links:

Walk on the Wild Side series on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble


About the Author:

C.J. Ellisson is the USA Today Bestselling author of the New York Times Bestselling book, Vanilla on Top, the bestselling V V Inn series, and several erotica shorts. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband, two children, three dogs, and a fluffy black cat who makes her sneeze.

Unlike most full-time authors, she's also battling severe chronic illness. C.J. works daily to put her Lupus into remission and continues to fight numerous bacterial infections while her immune system slowly attacks her body. She turned to writing when she could no longer work outside the home and claims the escape of penning contemporary fantasy, erotica, and erotic romance has helped save her sanity.

To learn more about C.J. and her other books, please stop by the author's website or visit her on facebook 



My Thoughts:

The title Vanilla Twist perfectly categorizes the books in the Walk on the Wild Side series. They are vanilla...with a twist. They have sex with a little exploration. I wouldn't go as far as to call the series erotica or BDSM, they do have a bit of spice to them but there's a lot more to the series than sex. 

It's hard to believe that Heather and Tony are the same people from Vanilla on Top. In fact, it took me a little to make the connection that they were the same people...perhaps it had been too long since I read Vanilla on Top. They have both grown so much and I love the people they've become. Tony is such a gem...and let me just tell you that there is a photo shoot in this book that you DO NOT want to miss! In fact, I really enjoyed the added photography angle in this book since it's an on again, off again hobby of mine.

There are (of course) bumps on the road for Heather and Tony and some pretty heavy drama...what's a book without drama afterall!? Like ususal, I can't tell you if they overcome but just know that it's definitely worth the journey to find out.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Covers At Random

I can’t seem to stick to specifically posting covers on Saturdays so I’m just going to throw a Covers At Random post together whenever the mood strikes me. Here are two covers that caught my eye recently.



WAHOO!!! There’s finally a cover and blurb for In a Handful of Dust, the companion novel to Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis. I read Not a Drop to Drink recently so I'm excited to have more information on this one.
 

In a Handful of Dust
By Mindy McGinnis

Companion to Not a Drop to Drink
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins

Summary and cover from yabookcentral.com. They are also running a giveaway so go check it out.

Summary:
 
The only thing bigger than the world is fear.

Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her won. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already – a house, a man, children, and a water source – and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.

When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s  mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.

In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink, Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier.

Not a Drop to Drink on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
In a Handful of Dust on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
Mindy McGinnis’ website

 

 
The Dark World
by Cara Lynn Shultz

Series: Dark World #1
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Summary and cover from goodreads.com
 
Summary:

Paige Kelly is used to weird—in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950’s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in  school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn’t fazed by Paige’s propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she’ll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that’s overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.

The Dark World on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
Cara Lynn Shultz’s website

Audiobook Review: Shameless by Tori Carrington

Shameless
By Tori Carrington

 Stand Alone Novel
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze   
Narrated by: Savannah Richards

Goodreads Summary:

An indecent proposal. A friendship betrayed. One-night only anonymous sex with a stranger? Seems too wanton even for Nina Leonard. Until it’s insinuated that the mystery man might be one of her business partners—two guys she adores who also happen to be complete hotties.

Out comes the blindfold, and Nina has the steamiest night of her life. Now she’s got to have more—only, no one’s fessing up.

One of her two best friends rocked her world that night. But which one was it?

If she guesses wrong, she could lose them both...
 
Links:
 
Shameless on Goodreads, AmazonAudible, and Barnes & Noble
Tori Carrington's Website

My Thoughts:

Honestly, I listened to this out of sheer curiosity. I’m still pretty new to the world of audiobooks and I was wondering how sex scenes would be when read aloud. Don’t judge, it’s human nature to be curious…or at least that’s what I’m telling myself ;-P.

Anyway I decided to go with Shameless because it’s a lot shorter than most audiobooks but it surprised me by being a really good book. I was quickly caught up with the three main characters, their business (hello, a bookstore <3), and their ‘proposition’. I laughed with them and even yelled at them. I fit in listening to Shameless every second I could…while driving, eating, walking from my car to a meeting, I couldn’t get enough. But back to the sex via audiobook topic, surprisingly I wasn’t skeeved out while listening. Of course these scenes were fairly tame so maybe I will change my tune if I come across a more risqué book but as of now it doesn’t bother me.

Aaaand on to a nitpick...

I don’t know if it’s something common to Harlequin audiobooks but the music at the beginning…I just cannot even begin to explain the level of corny! Haha. Aside from that it was also annoying as     h e-double hockey sticks because the music played over some of the words making it difficult to follow along. That and the British accent of one of the characters are my only complaints about the audiobook itself.

One more thing that I wanted to mention, there is a slightly rough sex scene in this book. It’s fairly short but it was my least favorite part of the book. I wanted to bring it up because if that’s a big turn off for you then you may want to avoid the book.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5