GISHWHES - Help Me Help Others

CALLING ALL MY FOLLOWERS:

First off, Happy Halloween!

Me at work in my 4th Doctor Costume :)

Now, please pledge to do a random act of kindness! Let's make the world a better place one pledge at a time guys! (and break a world record while we are at it!!!) My email is cana.wentzky@gmail.com for when it asks you.

Click Here ---> GISHWHES Online Pledge  <------ Click Here

Happy Reading!

Cana

Waiting on Wednesday: Renegade by J. A. Souders

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 

Description:

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law. 

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster. 

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

Coming out November 13, 2012 

Why?

1. Sounds like a "Little Mermaid" story with a twist.  Mix in a bit of distopian and you've got this book.
2. Matriarchal distopian, always a favorite of mine.  Personally, I find them to always be a bit darker than patriarchal distopians. 
3. Beautiful cover.  Seeing the water through the window, the beauty of the girl with her underwater garden.  

What are you waiting for?  

Happy Reading!

Cana

Dark Dealings by Kim Knox

Description:

There are monsters in the city. And one of them is her…

Ava Kalle's empty soul devours magic. And her hunger is deadly. She's sharp, quick and can live in shadow, making her work as a spy for the Mages a natural choice. She lives on the fringes of society and likes it that way.

When the man she loves takes another woman for his mate, the darkness in her heart unravels and she'll do anything to get him back. She makes a dangerous deal with a fire elemental, Heyerdar, who has a vested interest in agreeing: together they'll use forbidden magic, harnessing their sexual energy to drive the couple apart.

But soon their pact pushes them both into a dark sexual obsession. One that Ava may not be able to control…

My Review:

Dark Dealings by Kim Knox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a hot little number of a book!  Think of this as the sexy clubbing LBD that you would wear to seduce someone… Well, Ms. Knox, your book did it’s job! 

So, what did I think of Ava:

Ava is a thief, a magical being whose soul is “empty”… Pretty much this means she is a magic eater/thief.  At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but then it made sense.  Like, “Oh, that is what that means!” understanding. 

I think she is such a strong character because she fears herself, and what she might do.  And yet she still desires to be loved and cherished and (generally) doesn’t let being a thief hold her back.  I think that it also makes her life even harder that she is an outcast.  It makes you want to cheer her out to get what she wants.

What I think of Heyerdar:

Heyerdar is a fire elemental who likes to walk NAKED in the sun every morning.  I think that it definitely makes it a fun perk of the book.  To read how everyone goes out to watch him, how people talk about it, and probably desire him.  And yet, he does it with an extreme amount of confidence and (can I say this) cockiness….

I think as a character, He is controlling, he is an ass, and frustrating beyond beliefe, but he truly seems to care about Ava.  Maybe not to much at first, but it definitely happens.

I think what makes him the best (other than those special little scenes with Ava), is how he not only wants to learn, but wants Ava to learn about who she is, not just as a thief, but also as a person.  Through books and experimenting, they together learn who they are as individuals and together. 

Other Characters:

Reist, oh how I hate him!  I didn’t like him from the beginning.  He struck me as one of those incognito asses.  You know the ones.  They are the ones you think are nice, wonderful, and respectful guys, but in all reality they are asses who are mean, horrible and just plain man slut.

So what did I like/love:

I loved how this book has everything:  Intrigue, romance, sex, magic, betrayal, and even a happy ending.  I find that it is a more than just a “nice story” where 2 people with similar goals accidently end up together in the end.  I know, that is really corny, but it is true! 

Another perk was that it is a very adult story, but sex is not the main driving force of the story… Well, it is part of the main driving force.  But there is an actual purpose for it in the story, it gives movement to the plot:  to provide magic for Ava to eat. 

I think that the back story of the “controlled” thieves and their rampage through the city definitely keeps you guessing on who is doing it.  I mean, I tried to figure out who the actual villain was, but let me tell you, I never expected who it was. 

Overall, this is a good book and an easy read.  I definitely recommend this for all those who are 18 and older. 

Happy Reading!

Cana

Cover Reveals: Descent of Blood & Ascent of Blood by Elizabeth Marx

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Descent of Blood, The Red Veil Series, The Prequel

When times are darkest, some vampires desire more than blood …

England, 1465. Mortal men clash in the War of the Roses for the English crown, while vampire warriors’ move undetected among their ranks, savoring the flow of blood that battlefields provide.

Vampire prince, Severian Pearce, fears the revelation of the immortal clans to humankind should King Henry fall from power. While in pursuit of Henry’s enemies, Severian comes to the aid of Meridian Neville, a human woman he craves—and not for the scent of her blood … Meridian is torn between honoring her father’s dying wish and her unexplainable yearning for Lord Severian. But as Severian and Meridian work together to protect a relic hunted by mortals and immortals alike, the red veil descends over them. This all-consuming attraction can drive immortals to the brink of madness. Will the existence of this powerful bond between a human and a vampire be enough to unite the immortal clans or is the red veil a scourge set on destroying any chance they might have of happiness?

When all hope is lost, one vampire will fight unto death for his forbidden love.

Ascent of Blood, The Red Veil Series, Book One

Sometimes, love is conceived in the mind of a man long before it is ever realized.

1990, Cardiff, Wales.  Vampire prince, Sebastian Pearce, has waited six-hundred years for the right human mate. His own beloved mother was a mortal capable of carrying immortal offspring. While vampires no longer require live donors for sustenance, Mother Nature has played a cruel trick on them … making breeders a rare commodity. As numbers in his Imperial House dwindle, Sebastian’s virgin bride eludes him, until he happens upon a young woman searching for information about a sacred vampire text, the Book of Descent. Sebastian’s desire for her is more potent than anything he’s felt for another woman, but Everleigh Marbut isn’t innocent. She’s an American with a mind of her own, and worst of all, she’s already carrying an immortal being. Sebastian and Everleigh are so intent on fighting their attraction to each other and the influence of the red veil that they don’t realize they’re being pulled into a battle pitting medieval myth against the power of modern science to recreate life.

Author:

Windy City writer Elizabeth Marx brings cosmopolitan flair to her fiction, which is a blend of romance and fast-paced Chicago living with a sprinkle of magical realism. In her past incarnation she was an interior designer--not a decorator--which basically means she has a piece of paper to prove that she knows how to match and measure things and can miraculously make mundane pieces of furniture appear to be masterpieces. Elizabeth says being an interior designer is one part shrink, one part marriage counselor and one part artist, skills eerily similar to those employed in writing. 

Elizabeth grew up in Illinois and has also lived in Texas and Florida. If she’s not pounding her head against the wall trying to get the words just right, you can find her at a softball field out in the boonies or sitting in the bleachers by a basketball court. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs.

Elizabeth has traveled extensively, but still says there’s no town like Chi-Town.

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Email

Blog

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Happy Reading!

Cana

Waiting On Wednesday: Snow White Sorrow by Cameron Jace

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 

Description:

What if all you knew about fairy tales was wrong?

Sixteen year old Loki Blackstar is no Prince Charming. His mother is a ghost. His only friend is a red Cadillac that talks to him through the radio. He looks like an Angel but acts like jerk. No wonder he has been banned from Heaven, which is the least of his troubles. Loki needs a job to pay for school and support himself.

Still, Loki has a rare gift: He is a Dreamhunter. One of the few in the world who can hunt and kill immortal demons in their dreams so they never wake up again.

When Loki is sent to kill a sixteen-year-old vampire girl the locals call Snow White Sorrow, he is pulled into a magical but dangerous world. The locals believe the monster to be Snow White.

The real Snow White... living in the ruins of an ancient castle in a small town. She is described as horribly beautiful, terrifyingly enchanting, and wickedly lovely.

What he finds instead is a beautiful monster girl filled with rage and hurt, who has an epic untold story to tell of things such like why the Brothers Grimm altered the fairy tale, who the Evil Queen really is, where the mirror came from, and who possessed it.

Snow White has killed every person who has dared come near the castle where she once lived with the queen. Mysteriously, she lets Loki live.

Coming out on October 30, 2012

Why?

1. A dark fairy tale where Snow White is a deadly vampire?  Sounds amazing!
2. I am dying to see how this twist on a favorite childhood fairy tale will go.  I mean, there are so many things that we think are the way the story should go, but will it?
3. Loki sounds interesting (I wonder if his mom just like Norse mythology or if there is another interesting story line to his name.)
4. The cover!  How much creepier (and beautiful) can it get?  I mean, it is great!  Henna tattooed girl, bleeding apple, and the contrast of the colors in the cover just make it beautiful, eye-catching, and just plain fun.

So what are you waiting for?


Happy Reading!

Cana

Bewitching Book Tour: Hyde by Lauren Stewart

Hyde by Lauren Stewart

Description:

To survive, they must embrace what they most despise . . . in themselves and each other.

Mitch Turner is everything women want most in a man—charismatic, successful, drop-dead gorgeous. Except he’s not a man—he’s a monster.

The only way Mitch can protect others from his monstrous side is to stop them from getting too close…that and a 7x7 foot cage. Isolated by his genetic curse, he spends his life hurting people emotionally, driving them away before Hyde can harm them physically. But, after a night of the best sex Mitch has ever had, he realizes that might be impossible. Except the woman he wakes up with claims she doesn’t remember any of it.

Eden Colfax is everything men want most, men other than Mitch, that is. She’s kind, honest to a fault and sickeningly sweet. To rid herself of the monsters that haunted her broken childhood, Eden doesn’t lie, doesn’t curse, and definitely never wakes up naked in strangers’ beds…until the day she does.

Then the flashbacks start—places she’s never been, people she’s never met, blood she’s never spilled. She discovers she’s split into two parts—the woman she thought she knew and another who is capable of anything. And the only person with any answers is the one man she never wants to see again.

What neither of them know is that someone is watching them both, manipulating them, determined to see just how evil the two of them really are. And when the truth begins to seep through the cracks, leaving them nowhere to turn but each other, they will be forced into a partnership neither had expected.

Because in life, who you trust is as important as who you are. And when you can’t even trust yourself, sometimes the only person you can rely on is the last person on Earth you should be falling for.

  

*** This novel is intended for adults only, as it includes lots of cursing, descriptive sex, biting sarcasm, and themes similar to those in Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, from which this story was inspired.

Amazon  Smashwords            

  

About the Author:

After earning degrees in Fine Arts and English, Lauren Stewart wanted to see the world. A lack of funds meant that she didn’t get far. She spent two years traveling around Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada—first as a choreographer and then as an English teacher—meeting folks from all the places she couldn’t afford to go to. But that time was highly useful—she learned about herself, other people, and how insane life actually is.

Lauren reads in almost every genre. So naturally, her writing reflects that. With every book, every story, you'll find elements of other genres--fantasy, mystery, romance, paranormal, suspense, YA, women's literature, all with a touch of humor because what doesn’t kill us, should make us laugh.

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

 Blog

 Amazon author page

Excerpt:

Fifteen years ago . . .

He woke up to the screaming. His mom’s. Different this time. More fearful. More frantic. He ran to the door and threw it open. His sister barred his way, somehow knowing what he planned to do.

“Move, Shelly!”

“No, Mitch,” she said, her eyes wide. “Don’t. Don’t go in there. It’ll kill you.”

It. The beast. The creature that had been part of his life for as far back as Mitch could remember. Even longer for Shelly and his mom. They never talked about it. As if pretending it didn’t exist made life easier. Life wasn’t easy. Life was terrifying.

Something had to change.

His mom’s screams were louder. And then they stopped. Mid-cry, they just stopped. He pushed Shelly out of the way and ran down the dark hallway toward the living room.

“Mitch, no!”

Too late. It was all too late.

His mother lay on the tile floor. The only part of her still moving was the blood pooling beneath her body.

The beast stood above her, huge, smiling. Blood splattered across its neck and chest. It raised its head slowly. There was a flash of recognition in its eyes, then it blinked, shook itself like a wet dog, and launched toward Mitch.

Mitch dove to the side. The beast barreled by him, into the hallway. Toward Shelly.

“Help!”

Her cry slammed into his mind, his heart. “Shelly!” He grabbed his baseball bat from the entryway and ran.

The beast had her pinned in a corner. “Are you afraid, bitch?” it growled. “You should be.”

Mitch swung the bat. Three years of little league and the last two of high school ball packed into one hit. Then another. But the hall was too narrow.

The beast shoved Shelly against the wall and then flipped around, laughing darkly. “That all you got, boy?”

Mitch swung again and again, sometimes making contact with an arm, a shoulder, stepping back as the beast advanced, toying with him. The bat’s length the only thing keeping the bastard from reaching him. Back into the living room, it pawed, trying to grab Mitch’s inadequate defense. If it caught hold, if it backed Mitch into a wall, everything would end—Mitch, Shelly, everything.

A blow to its head stopped its laughter, a quiver rippling through its body. “Come here, you little prick!” it roared.

Mitch aimed high for another hit to its face, one step closer to use the full force of the weapon. The bat rebounded in his hands as it struck flesh, sending a shooting pain through Mitch’s arms and shoulders.

Again, he swung. Again, he struck.

The beast stumbled, put its hands to its ears, still cursing. Another strike landed. Then another. The beast sank to its knees, its growls turning into grunts of pain.

Mitch lifted the bat above his head. His legs were numb, his upper body vibrating as he pounded all of his anger, all of his fear, into the monster lying at his feet.

“Mitch,” his sister begged. “Please stop. Please.”

He didn’t. He couldn’t.

“Stop! It’s dead. Stop,” she said, weeping.

He felt Shelly’s arms around his waist, holding him, pulling him back from the edge. Finally overcome, the bat fell from his hands, and he let her guide him a few steps backwards. His foot caught on the rug and he sat down hard, Shelly sliding down beside him.

She crawled on her knees until she was between him and the bloody bodies on the floor and hugged him tightly.

Over her shoulder, Mitch stared at the creature. Watched it change, shrink, diminish. Until all that was left was the lifeless body of his father.

Their father. Dear, old Dad. A man they had both hated. A man who had been filled with evil when he was human. Doubly-so each time he transformed into Hyde.

Shelly held Mitch’s shaking body in her arms, stroking his hair, making shushing sounds, telling him it would be okay.

Would it? Would it ever be okay? He slumped into her. “Oh, God, Shelly, what did I do?”

“You had to do it, Mitch. You saved me . . . saved us. We can be happy now.”

Happy?

“He was a monster.” Her words stung.

“Don’t say that,” he whimpered.

“But he was. He was evil. He had to die.”

“Please, Shelly, don’t say that,” he said through his sobs, his eyes still locked on his father. “Because . . . that’s what I’m going to be.”

She stiffened, and then hugged him tighter, slowly rocking him back and forth. “No, we won’t let it. We’ll figure something out.”

It was too late. His transformations had already started. Not as violently as his father’s—not yet—but they’d begun. When his tears blurred the image of his parent’s bodies, he rested his head on Shelly’s shoulder and cried.

“You’ll never be a monster, Mitch.”

“I already am.”

AND NOW FOR A GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Happy Reading!

Cana

Audio Book: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Description:

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My Review:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Listening to this book was like listening to someone on the brink of insanity. Poor Juliette hasn’t seen anyone or spoken to anyone for almost a whole year.  Shea hasn’t been purposely & safely touched anyone and vice versa, in almost 17 years.  So overall, it isn’t a surprise if she is on the verge of a psychotic break.  I think the fact that she hasn’t is a testament to her strength. 

Overall, Juliette is an okay character.  She is a wounded, almost broken, creature.  You can’t help but sympathize with her.  But as the story progresses, it is nice to see her start growing a backbone and showing/ using her strengths and powers to make life better for those around her. 

Adam, the boy who loved and remembered, is a deep well that I don’t think we will know it all.  He holds many secrets, a good many that have to do with Juliette.  I wonder if we will find out more about him, of if he will still remain partly a mystery. 

Now let me have a moment to vent about Warner… Ugh!  No matter how good looking, rich and powerful you are, evil is evil, crazy is crazy.  It is just that simple!  I don’t like him; I think he is a deranged boy who has more issues that we even know.  I don’t even understand how there are some readers/bloggers/reviews who actually like him?!?!?!?!?!? So this is what the twilight zone feels like!

This dystopian novel has its good points and its bad points.  I liked the characterizations and the reasons for the society, but it bothers me the cliché way the author uses to make a love triangle.  Honestly, no love triangle is needed.  I think there is enough drama with Juliette’s curse/gift to not warrant it. 

Overall, I found it to be a poor book choice for an audio book.  An example of this is how the book is written in a semi-diary format.  Reading the book, you would see the words marked out.  Unfortunately, you can’t see things in audios.  So what they do is make a scratching noise to let you know what is happening.  A bit of an issue, as at first I thought that my audio book was skipping, especially when the same words/phrases were repeated and scratched out.

An issue with the book:  I had a problem with the flow of the novel.  It was struggle to read it/listen to it, because the flow was inconsistent and was just like someone having a mental break down. 

I’d love to tell you more, but I’m holding off, as I don’t believe in Spoilers!

Overall, I think this was a good book, but I highly recommend that you read it in written format rather than listening to it.

Happy Reading!

Cana

Secret of the Wolf by Cynthia Garner

Description:

Once a generation, the rift between the paranormal world and the human world opens, allowing supernatural entities to cross. Vampire, demon, or shapeshifter, they can save the world-or send it spiraling into chaos.

As a werewolf liaison to the Council of Preternaturals, Tori Joseph is used to straddling the world between humans and immortals. She plays by the rules and always delivers justice, no matter the cost. But after a string of increasingly brutal attacks results in humans turning into werewolves, Tori doesn't reveal her horrifying suspicion: Someone very close to her might be responsible.

Investigating the paranormal violence, no-nonsense detective Dante MacMillan believes Tori is hiding something. His search for the truth draws him into greater danger as he gets closer to the dark realm of the immortals-and to the sexy werewolf who stirs his primal lust. Now with evil closing in around them, Dante must convince Tori to trust him . . . before her deadly secret destroys them both.

My Review:

Secret of the Wolf by Cynthia Garner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was super excited about this book, which is the 2^nd installment of the Warriors of the Rift series.  I loved the first one, and I knew that I would be waiting impatiently for the newest one to come out. 

I think that Victoria (Tori) is an amazing woman, as she is has a lot of characteristics that we can understand.  She is strong, smart, and has survived more in her hundred plus years on earth than most humans in 80 or 90 years.   I also think that her loneliness is something that we can all relate to. 

I think the one thing that I do have a problem with Tori about is her problem with her brother and her cousin.  She is way too hopeful about their redemption/second chance at life on earth.  Almost to the point of turning a blind eye to the problems they are causing.  But a lot of us are like that when it comes to family.

Dante was a great character!  I mean, he was in the first novel, and was kind of a cool guy then, but now, he is just absolutely lovable.  He has his issues, just like everyone, and you can’t help but want to help him out with them and then take him home and feed him pie.

I did enjoy how Nix & Tobias made several appearances in this novel, but it wasn’t so reliant on the previous book.  Honestly, this book could be a standalone book.

There were only two issues I had with this book.

·        I found the book was a bit monotonous, especially when the characters were going into technical aspects of machinery… including the rift device.  Not a big fan of that kind of thing.

·        I didn’t like that Natchook had other names, and that I didn’t realize who he was until after the fact.  It is hard to keep things straight when you are trying to figure out if the character you are reading about is a good guy or a bad guy just because of which name he is using!

Overall, this was a good book, with a lot of romance, action and intrigue.  I recommend this book for your enjoyment!

Happy Reading!

Cana

Let's Get Ready: YALL Fest 2012

Hello Everyone,

So as I'm here planning for November 10, 2012 for the amazing YALL Fest 2012, I thought, "I need to share this."  

So what is this you might be asking?  It is an amazing book festival with tons of authors, great panels and great books.  

Some of the Authors that are expected:

Kwame Alexander      -    bookinaday.org

Jennifer Lynn Barnes, PhD      -      jenniferlynnbarnes.com

Holly Black      -     blackholly.com

Pseudonymous Bosch      -   thenameofthiswebsiteissecret.com

Sarah Rees Brennan      -      sarahreesbrennan.com

Kiera Cass      -      kieracass.com

Cinda Chima      -      cindachima.com

Cassandra Clare      -      cassandraclare.com

Andrea Cremer      -      andreacremer.com

Gitty Daneshvari      -      gittydaneshvari.com

Melissa De La Cruz      -      melissa-delacruz.com

Matt de la Peña      -     mattdelapena.com

Kim Derting      -      kimberlyderting.com

Simone Elkeles      -      www.simoneelkeles.com 

Elizabeth Eulberg      -      elizabetheulberg.com

Gayle Forman      -     gayleforman.com

Kami Garcia      -      kamigarcia.com

Adam Gidwitz      -      adamgidwitz.com

David Macinnis Gill      -      davidmacinnisgill.com

Adele Griffin      -      adelegriffin.com

Jenny Han      -      dearjennyhan.com

Deborah Harkness      -      deborahharkness.com

Michelle Hodkin      -     michellehodkin.com

Ellen Hopkins      -      ellenhopkins.com/YoungAdult

Tonya Hurley      -      tonyahurley.com

Michele Jaffe      -     michelejaffe.com

Kami Kinard      -       www.kamikinard.com

Caitlin Kittredge      -    caitlinkittredge.com

David Levithan      -      davidlevithan.com

Wendy Mass      -      wendymass.com

Alex Morel      -      alexmorelbooks.com

Alyson Noel      -      alysonnoel.com

Stephanie Perkins      -      stephanieperkins.com

Diana Peterfreund      -     dianapeterfreund.com

Kathy Reichs      -      kathyreichs.com

Brendan Reichs    - goodreads.com/author/show/3399125.Brendan_Reichs

Beth Revis      -      bethrevis.com

Jessica Rothenberg      -      jessrothenberg.com

Carrie Ryan      -      carrieryan.com

Eliot Schrefer      -      eliotschrefer.com

Natalie Standiford      -      nataliestandiford.com

Trenton Lee Stewart      -      mysteriousbenedictsociety.com

Margaret Stohl      -      margaret-stohl.com

Cate Tiernan      -      catetiernan.net

Siobhan Vivian      -      siobhanvivian.com/Hello/Home

Robin Wasserman      -      robinwasserman.com

Marjory Wentworth   -      marjorywentworth.net

John Corey Whaley      -      johncoreywhaley.com

Kathryn Williams      -    kathrynswilliams.com/KW/Welcome.html

I'm planning on getting several of these authors' books in "physical" format so that I can get them to sign it, as I've listened or used my e-reader.  

For more information, check out http://yallfest.org/

Happy Reading!

Cana