Hello, everyone! Nice Tuesday for you =D Can you all feel the winds of my blog reborn? I can! /o/
Today it’s my pleasure to celebrate the book birthday of one of my babies from my December wishlist: Alterations, by Stephanie Scott! Happy Book Birthday to Stephanie YA Bound Book Tours and it’s my pleasure to be a part of it =D
Hi, there! Welcome to the book birthday of In The Shadow of the Dragon King, by J. Keller Ford! This party is hosted by Chapter by Chapter 🙂
In the Shadow of the Dragon King
by J. Keller Ford
Release Date: May 31th, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Seventeen-year-old, Eric, is a kick-butt squire to the most revered knight in Fallhollow. Well he would be if Sir Trogsdill allowed him to do anything even remotely awesome. Determined to prove his worth, Eric sets out to find the mythical paladin summoned to protect the realm from the evil lurking nearby.
Sixteen-year-old, David, spends his days collecting school honors, winning archery tournaments, and trying not to fall in love with his scrappy best friend, Charlotte.
Right when things start to get interesting, he is whisked away to the magical realm of Fallhollow where everyone thinks he’s some sort of paladin destined to fulfill a two-hundred-year-old prophecy. He’s supposed to help kill a dragon with some sort of magic key. The same key that happens to adorn the neck of an annoying squire who’s too wrapped up in proving himself to be much help to anyone.
With egos as big as the dragon they need to destroy, Eric and David must get over themselves, or watch everything they know and love, burn.
You can find In the Shadow of the Dragon King in both paperback and ebook formats 🙂
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
J. Keller Ford (known to all as Jenny) is a scribbler of Young Adult and New Adult speculative fiction. As a young Army brat, she traveled the world and wandered the halls of some of Germany’s most extraordinary castles in hopes of finding snarky dragons, chivalrous knights and wondrous magic that permeated her imagination. What she found remains etched in her topsy-turvy mind and oozes out in sweeping tales of courage, sacrifice, honor and everlasting love.
When not torturing her keyboard or trying to silence the voices in her head, Jenny spends time collecting seashells, bowling, swimming, screaming on roller coasters and traveling. Jenny is a mom to four magnificent and noble offspring, and currently lives in paradise on the west coast of Florida with a quirky knight who was silly enough to marry her, and a menagerie of royal pets. Published works include short stories, The Amulet of Ormisez, Dragon Flight, and The Passing of Millie Hudson. IN THE SHADOW OF THE DRAGON KING is her debut novel and the first installment in the Chronicles of Fallhollow Trilogy.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest |Goodreads
That’s it, thanks for reading and sorry for the rushed post – I am really tired from the office, ugh!!
Hi, there! Welcome to the third piece of news of the day ❤ It’s time to wish Artifacts, by Pete Catalano, a happy book birthday! 😀 And the party is on Chapter by Chapter, haha!
Artifacts
by Pete Catalano
Release Date: May 17th, 2016
Publisher: Tantrum Boooks
It’s funny how one little letter can change a person’s life. Jax and his friends have been planning the summer of a lifetime at Camp Runamuck. However, when one of them is facing summer at a school desk for failing English, they watch those plans crash and burn!
At the last moment they’re given a way out.
An extra credit assignment to find several fake artifacts for a fairy tale display their teacher is presenting at the local library.
Thinking they’ve hit the easiest-extra-credit-ever jackpot, they begin rummaging through any piles of junk they can find. As they start putting the clues together, they realize that what they’re really searching for is one authentic artifact that can rewrite fairy tales!
Enlisting the aid of the Lost Boys, Jax and his friends battle fairy tale villains to see who can get their hand, or their hook, on it first.
You can find Artifacts in both paperback and ebook formats 😀
BAM | Google Play | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
Pete Catalano’s books are written for kids of all ages — and adults who secretly never grew up. He lives in Charlotte, NC with his adorably funny wife and two neurotic dogs. Pete was a theatre major in college and tries to keep the ‘suspension of disbelief’ in his life as much as he can.
That’s it, thanks for reading 🙂
Hello, good morning! Welcome to the blog tour of the day, haha! And it’s a very special one from Chapter by Chapter, as we have the participation of a very special guest 😉 But for now, let me introduce the star of the hour: Traitor, third book in The Dragonrider Chronicles, by Nicole Conway ❤
Traitor
The Dragonrider Chronicles #3
by Nicole Conway
Release Date: May 10, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books ( ❤ )
Can anyone survive being lost in Luntharda?
No amount of training has prepared Jaevid Broadfeather for the frontlines of battle. Now facing the true horrors of war, with Luntharda looming on the horizon, Jaevid has begun to question everything he thought about his heritage. The only thing keeping him going is his oath to protect his dragonrider brothers. But in an instant, even that slips through Jaevid’s fingers as he steps from the safety of his dragon’s saddle into the depths of his mother’s wild homeland—the kingdom of the gray elves.
Stranded in Luntharda with his partner, Lieutenant Jace Rordin, Jaevid must finally confront the demons of his own past as he uncovers the truth about a war that began before he was ever born. Armed with a new appreciation for destiny, and flanked by his trusted friends, Jaevid moves to make the final strike against an enemy that has hidden in plain sight for far too long.
One kingdom’s traitor will become the world’s last hope.
You can find Traitor in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats 😀
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
JUST GUESS WHO IS HERE TODAY WITH US?! Annelise, dear, every time you say someone stopped over your blog in the middle of a book tour, it’s the author in digital flesh.
But it never makes the experience any less magical! ❤ Thanks so much to Nicole Conway for indulging me and stopping by! *–*
AND GUESS WHAT I ASKED HER TO DO?! Annelise, dear, you always ask the same thing to authors, so we already know that you asked her to tell you 5 interesting facts about her series and/or writing process.
But I always ask the same thing because I love learning backstage stories and fun facts about books! So let’s enjoy Nicole’s ride, okay? 🙂
5 Fun Bonus Facts about The Dragonrider Chronicles!
1) It’s about the riders, not the dragons.
I understand that, being a fantasy series, people are interested in the dragons. Who wouldn’t be? But this story is and has always been about the riders, their lives, and their struggles.
2) The two “champion” fighters from each side are both women.
Jaevid may be the main character, but he’s not the best fighter. With Beckah “Seraph” Derrick fighting alongside Icarus for Maldobar and Araxie, princess of the gray elves, remaining dominant over the other warriors from Luntharda – these ladies mean business!
3) Jaevid is gray elf royalty.
Among the gray elves, royal bloodlines are traced through the mothers rather than the fathers, as is customary for human monarchies. Jaevid’s mother was a princess, sister to Erandur, the current King of Luntharda. Despite being an illegitimate child, since he was kept and raised by his birth mother, he would be able to retain his noble title of prince. Jaevid’s own mother could have held the title of queen if she had not been chosen as lapiloque. That sacred calling supersedes all royal duties and so the crown inevitably passed to her brother, instead.
4) Jace is the only dragonrider to have been recruited from prison.
Yep, you read that right. He’s the ultimate rehabilitation story. After a rocky past as an orphan and a criminal, Jace was offered a place in the dragonrider’s academy because of his skill with the blade. It saved him from being hung, but even more so, it revealed that he wasn’t too far gone. Sile is the only one who knew about Jace’s questionable past, but agreed to keep it a secret since Jace was trying to turn over a new leaf and make a new life for himself as a dragonrider.
5) Sile and Ulric were best friends.
Before his heinous act of stealing the god stone, Ulric was a very different man – and not so different from Jaevid. His memories are now skewed and it’s difficult to say just how much of his life he actually remembers. But one thing is certain, Sile still cares greatly for his friend. That is the reason he has found it so difficult to treat Jaevid as a student and not a family member – because Ulric was like a brother to him.
Am I the only one that just HAS TO read this series right now?! That was awesome, thanks so much, Nicole ❤ ❤
Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.
Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.
She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.
Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.
FIVE INTERNATIONAL lucky winners will take home each a digital copy of Traitor (The Dragonrider Chronicles #3), by Nicole Conway!
To enter this awesome giveaway, just click here and good luck: GIVEAWAY!
That’s it, thanks for reading! Also, thank you Nicole for stopping by and thanks to Chapter by Chapter for my spot and making my guest post possible ❤
Hi, there! Welcome to the second book blitz of the day, also by Xpresso Book Tours 🙂 Now it’s for the third book in The Wulfkin Legacy series, by T. F. Walsh: Cloaked in Blood!
Cloaked in Blood
T.F. Walsh
The Wulfkin Legacy #3
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Publication date: May 9th, 2016
Genres: Adult, Paranormal
The daughter of a sultan alpha, Selena Kurt agrees to an arranged wulfkin mating to protect her sister from a dangerous alpha from the enemy clan. To her surprise, her match is Marcin Ulf, the next in line for the Hungarian throne . . . and the wulfkin who broke her heart years ago.
Marcin is just as shocked to learn he’ll be matched to the enemy’s daughter and the woman he’s never forgotten. Before they can be paired, however, they’re drawn into a tournament where Marcin will compete to free his estranged imprisoned brother, while Selena battles for the life of another wulfkin alpha. Both intend to seize this chance to save those they’re fighting for – even if it means facing off with one another just as their romance rekindles.
Will tribe loyalty triumph, or will they realize they’re better off as a team before it’s too late?
Cloaked in Blood is the book 3 in the Wulfkin Legacy series, but can be read a stand-alone-book.
Wulfkin Legacy Series:
Cloaked (prequel to #1) – Out now
Cloaked in Fur (Book #1) – Out now
Cloaked in Secrecy (Book #2) – Out now
Cloaked in Blood (Book #3) – Out now
Cloaked in Christmas – End of 2016
Sign up here for T.F. Walsh’s newsletter to keep up to date with latest releases, giveaways, and exclusive content.
You can find Cloaked in Blood in ebook format 🙂
Amazon / Kobo / Barnes & Noble / GooglePlay / iTunes
SELENA
Then another wulfkin entered the room behind him. Solid, tall, and all shoulders.
And suddenly my heart hammered so hard the walls seemed to be thumping too.
Marcin.
Windblown hair draped over his shoulders, tawny brown strands reaching halfway down his chest. His shirt was torn across his shoulder. Blood stained the fabric, worn as a badge of honor for whatever heroic deeds he’d accomplished.
Our gazes locked, and he stopped midstride. It was like a sucker punch to the gut. All the air left my lungs, leaving me light-headed.
Sea-spray blue eyes, darker than I remembered them, searched my face. Shock crammed behind his gaze as his cheeks blanched. He’d had no idea I was coming here—it was written all over his frozen expression, the way his mouth fell open, his breath hitched.
My wolf prodded me, stirring inside, well aware of who stood before us. Marcin had grown into even more of a wulfkin god: muscular, strong cheekbones, and a chest broad enough for me to sleep across. All I could think about was touching him to make sure he was real and not in my imagination.
Move closer. Take him.
I shouldn’t, yet every molecule in my body fought against the logic that said stay away.
Sure, I’d planned for this very moment and even practiced my nonchalant response in front of the mirror. Except now, my voice was wedged somewhere between my toes and head. My body shook with the desperate urge to be pressed up against him, feel his hungry kisses, and listen to his wicked whispers. I struggled with the charge in my veins screaming that I should run to him, throw my arms around his neck, and forget the past nine years. Forget that he tore out my soul. Forget that I mistook him as my mate because he’d lied to me. Abandoned me.
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she’s always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Amazon
That’s it, thanks for reading 🙂 I already talked about another book of this series here!
Hi, there! Welcome to the second blog tour of the day 😀 I promise this is my last news post for today, haha! 🙂 Along with YA Bound Book Tours, I present you the book tour for Dark Incidence, by A. G. Liam!
Dark Incidence
by A.G. Liam
Genre: YA Paranormal
Release Date: March 18th, 2014
Dani is determined to change. Trodden down by her abusive stepdad, neglectful mother, and nonexistent social life, Dani decides to leave it all behind—she flees into the night and finds herself in a dark, and strangely wondrous, new world, a world unknown to most humans.
However, destiny is an unpredictable force. Through a peculiar turn of events, she unknowingly gets entangled in a brutal war waging between two factions of vampires.
The Ruemisuds are a technologically advanced, elite vampire society that wants absolute control. They will stop at nothing to get it, including experimenting on unsuspecting humans and decimating the Rhowels, a clandestine, rebel clan of vampires. But the Rhowels possess a key to survival that the Ruemisuds desperately want, which they will protect until the bitter end.
Dani’s riveting journey has just begun in this beautiful tale of love, hate, betrayal, and, above all, survival. The war is escalating quickly and Dani is determined to survive. Who will help her? Who will win the war?
Dark Incidence is available on both paperback and ebook formats! But just listen: the ebook is ON SALE for only $0.99!!!
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│Google Play
A.G. grew up in a gloomy and quaint suburb near London, England, and now lives in sunny southern California with her husband and her son. She has been an avid horror and paranormal fan since she can remember, reading Goosebumps when she was a child, to watching Twilight Zone as a teenager with her grandpa.
She earned her B.A. in psychology, but decided to follow her passion of storytelling instead. Dark Incidence is her first full length novel, a unique vampire science fiction told through the eyes of two siblings. A.G. also has directed numerous shorts and written children’s books.Her favorite pastime is watching paranormal and horror movies, painting landscapes and seascapes, and reading fiction novels. She can never turn down an invite to eat something home cooked.
There will be two lucky winners in this giveaway!
No matter which prize you have your eyes on, the link for the giveaway is this one: GIVEAWAY!
Good luck to us all, haha! 😀
That’s it, thanks for reading! And thanks to YA Bound Book Tours for my spot on this lovely tour!
Hi, there! Welcome to a very fangirl review involving mermaids! ❤ Of course I’m talking about Emerge, first book in the Mer Chronicles series from Tobi Easton, the new mermaid pearl in the bookish realm! (You saw what I did there, haha!) Chapter by Chapter organized this cool release day for the book and I’ve received my copy from Month9Books in exchange for an honest review, so I united both posts into only one, haha! Let’s do this!! ❤
Lia is literally a fish out of the water. Being a teenager is complicated, but being a teenager that is also a mermaid – and one that has never lived on the sea – is way worse. She can’t even confess to her high school crush, Clay Ericson, and tell him how handsome his smile is, as he is a human. Never mind the fact that her parents want her to fit into the human world, Lia still is forbidden to date one.
For one year, Lia was in control of her emotions. She put distance between herself and Clay, focused on studying and keeping her legs firmly on the ground – literally. She wasn’t happy, but wasn’t unhappy either, as this is just how things are for her race since the disaster with The Little Mermaid. Yup, that one.
Until Mel becomes the new girl and an octopus on Clay, with her hands and body all over him. It’s beyond painful for Lia to watch them together, but there is nothing she can do to compete with a human girl… Which Mel totally isn’t.
Over Lia’s dead body that she will allow another mermaid to play with Clay’s feelings.
The war is on.
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂
First things first: OMG EMERGE IS SO GOOD I LOVED IT SO MUCH I CAN’T STOP FANGIRLING ABOUT IT AND I APOLOGIZE TO MY OFFLINE FRIENDS FOR BEING UNSUFERABLE TODAY BUT I CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT EMERGE! It was such an amazing and heartwarming book! Without any doubt, Emerge is one of the best YA books that I’ve read! Also, it officially stole the position of best mermaid book that I’ve already read, but unfortunately there wasn’t many participants on that contest (I’ve only read three mermaid books besides Emerge, that was my fourth. A SHAME, I KNOW!). Tobi did a marvelous job and I have so many technical questions that I wish I could talk to Caspian! And date him. And live in Emerge’s universe forever. *sigh* FIVE STARS!
And yes, this is going to be one of those fangirling all over reviews.
The narrative style was first person from Lia’s point of view all the time and I can’t express how much surprised I am with myself that I liked Lia so much. Even when she screwed up! I’ll talk more about her personality in a bit, but I really would love to congratulate Easton on making me love her female YA protagonist, as this is hard to happen, haha! Also, the writing style was very good. The reader feels like Lia is their own consciousness and that she is theirs. It’s so easy to just close my eyes and picture myself standing beside her as things go on. She managed to be observant and focused all at once. Lia takes all her surroundings without forgetting that she’s on a mission, having a conversation or just relaxing. Characters like Lia and writers like Easton are the ones that transform writing and reading in acts of magic.
The plot was very good. Simple, but good. There were minor twists during it, but nothing that blows the mind away. Since day one of Mel in our tails [haha], I knew she was trouble and she indeed was trouble until the very end. I really liked to see how Easton developed the story, the romance and the characters’ relationships. There is no instalove, as Lia and Clay have known each other for one year before the book starts, and there is no amorous triangle, as we know how deep Caspian’s feelings for Lia are and she makes a point of leaving him forever friendzoned (and now I decided that this is a word. I’m a rebel lol). And have I mentioned how much I loved Easton’s construction of the Mer world?
I did, I loved it and I need more! When can I get another book? 😀
Now, the characters.
Have I mentioned how awesome is Lia?? SHE IS FABULOUS! Seriously. She’s perfect in all her imperfection, besides being a strong and dutiful protagonist – two rare things in female main characters in YA. She puts her family well-being above her own just as much as a teenager can manage and she sticks with what she believes, but also loves to learn new things and see new places. She can be both dutiful and a freedom lover. HOW DID YOU MANAGED THAT, EASTON?!
And then there are her males. The childhood best friend and my future husband, Caspian, and the not-so-far-from-actually-being charmed prince, Clay. Clay is human and Lia knows they can’t be together, that they don’t have a future for many reasons, but the previous year holds many events that made inevitable for Lia to fall for Clay despite everything. Clay is the really good boy that acts like he’s bad type, which I personally also find very hot, haha! But who really enchanted me was Caspian, who also was mer. He is so amazingly intelligent and handsome and a merman and we have so much in common! (Many of my offline friends will tell you that I am actually a mermaid in disguise, as I have a strong bound with the sea and the water element overall since I’m a child, haha! Funny thing is that I’m a Leo, hmmm… Caspian and I are bound to be a thing!
Lia’s sisters are also a handful! Em is the strict one, the twins are the wild ones and Lia is the balance. She’s not that strict and not that wild, haha! I felt like I belonged so hard in her family that now I want to go and live with them! 😦
Now, my favorite part ok, not really, but I loved it a lot: Lia’s cousin, Amy. She lives Above with Lia’s family and she has a sweet and cute secret that I actually squealed when was revealed, haha!
I can’t say more due spoilers, but believe me: the small things will surprise you in Emerge.
Oh, and can I just tell how sweet was the romance between Lia and Clay? IT WAS SO SWOON AND SHIP WORTHING! I loved to see them together and am really satisfied with how things turned out to be, haha!
Overall, if you love mermaids, YA, strong females and a book swoon worthy, you need to read Emerge now! FORGET THAT I HAVE A BLOG AND THAT INTERNET EXISTS ALTOGETHER UNTIL YOU ARE FINISHED AND THEN, PLEASE COME BACK AND FANGIRL WITH ME ABOUT IT!!! ❤
Thanks so much for reading! *–* Bellow, you can check the usual information that I bring you on release blitzes: where to find Emerge, more about Tobi Easton, the mermaid goddess also known as the author, and info on a fun giveaway 🙂
You can find Emerge in HARCOVER (!!!!), paperback and ebook formats *–*
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indie | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books at her website.
Gather here, fellow addicted to giveaways like myself! There will be six lucky winners total and there are three distinct prizes:
INTERNATIONAL PRIZES:
US ONLY PRIZES:
No matter which prizes you aim to win, there’s only one link for the giveaway and it is this one: GIVEAWAY! Good luck and I hope you my lovely friends are among the winners! Sorry for not giving further instruction, but I’m not responsible for the giveaway – I just spread the word like the good addicted that I am 🙂
That’s it, thanks so much for reading! And thanks to Month9Books once again for my review copy, I loved Emerge ❤
ps: Here are my other read and reviewed mermaid books so far 🙂
CHURCH, M. A. – Beneath the Surface (review here!) [5 stars, m/m]
MURPHY, Derek – Shearwater, Part One (review here!) [4 stars, YA]
Hi, there! We are on a day crowded with book birthdays and I couldn’t be happier to see so many new babies around, haha! Right now I’m talking about the release blitz that Give Me Books put together for Icing, the third book in the Aces Hockey series, by Kelly Jamieson!
Icing
Aces Hockey #3
By Kelly Jamieson
Publisher: Loveswept
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 19th, 2016
Duncan Armstrong may be an NHL star, but he’s a country boy at heart. His ultimate fantasy is going home with the Stanley Cup, not a gold-digging airhead who aspires to be a trophy wife and nothing more. Newly single and hoping to enjoy a night out with his teammates, he ends up hitting it off with a down-to-earth waitress who’s a complete breath of fresh air—until Duncan learns that she’s a part-time model. He tries to forget about her, but their sizzling chemistry has him coming back for more.
Amber is working hard to put herself through school, and has zero interest in dating a professional athlete. She’s seen firsthand how fame and fortune can mess with their heads—her father’s brilliant football career ended in a firestorm of addiction and infidelity. So Duncan’s attentions immediately have her on the defensive. Still, there’s something different about him. And once she stops trying to freeze him out, irresistible temptation turns into all-consuming passion.
This is not my usual kind of book, but this cover made me want to give a chance to Duncan and Amber ❤ Yes, I’m a cover girl and I regret nothing 🙂
You can find Icing in both ebook and audiobook formats 😀
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
Book One: Major Misconduct
Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
~*~
Book Two: Off Limits
Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play
USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson is the author of more than thirty contemporary romance novels. She’s a married mother of two who lives a very ordinary life outside of her imagination. She likes coffee (black), wine (mostly white), and shoes (high!). She also loves watching hockey.
That’s it, thanks for reading 🙂 Do you like contemporary with athletes??
Hello, there! Welcome to another blog tour hosted by Chapter by Chapter! We’re here today gathered to cherish the release of the second volume of the Never Veil series, from Amy McNulty: Nobody’s Lady! 😀
Chapter by Chapter kindly sent me a review copy for both books in exchange for an honest review and I’m very thankful ❤
(Goodreads’ Blurb)
For the first time in a thousand years, the men in Noll’s village possess the freedom to love whom they will. In order to give each man the chance to fully explore his feelings, the lord of the village decrees all marriages null and void until both spouses declare their love for one another and their desire to wed again. What many women think will be a simple matter becomes a source of village-wide tension as most men decide to leave their families and responsibilities behind.
Rejected by the lord and ashamed of her part in the village’s history, Noll withdraws from her family and lives life as an independent woodcarver. This changes when her sister accuses her of hiding her former husband Jurij from her—and when Jurij eventually does ask to move in. Determined not to make the same mistakes, Noll decides to support her male friends through their new emotional experiences, but she’s soon caught up in a darker plot than she ever dared imagine possible from the men she thought she knew so well. And the lord for whom she still has feelings may be hiding the most frightening truth of them all.
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as reader 🙂
The Never Veil series left me speechless! I really don’t even know what to say :O Everything was so new for me, so awesome, so everything! I flew off through the series and almost bit all my nails, as there were many moments in that I honestly didn’t know what to think, but in a positive way. This book is not a suspense one by any means, but I got swept off my feet so hard and I didn’t see it coming!
This was one of the best fantasy books that I’ve read in quite a while and I decided I need to read it once again for my mind to grasp everything and understand everything. Lucky me that the next volume in the series is in the way, so I have time to sit with this series and start again, haha! For now, I’ll leave Nobody’s Lady with four proud stars 🙂
Once again we accompany Noll’s in her journey, this time trying to help her male friends to adjust to their new reality. I still can’t believe in everything that has happened until now, haha! wow!
The narrative is first person styled form Noll’s point of view, of course, and since the first page we can see how she grew up since Nobody’s Goddess. It’s amazing how aware she has become of her own mistakes and flaws and I still don’t know how to deal with that end, OMG! There were times in that I wasn’t sure about what I felt for Noll – whether if I liked her or not – during the whole series, but I can safely say that I don’t hate her – and that’s a start 🙂 I usually hate female protagonists that are the narrators of their own stories in YA books, haha!
Also, can we take a moment to just appreciate McNulty’s writing style? It is SO GOOD! It gives you all the feelings!
Sorry, I simply adore this Crowley gif, haha! It’s so real!
The plot hit me in the face and laughed of my naivety, haha!
I definitely should have seen so many things coming and I didn’t! Ugh. But the surprise was very welcome. As much as I don’t mind predictable books, it’s still good to be left in the dark here and there 🙂
The characters are the place in which the star got lost, actually. I don’t know, I was highly interested in what was going to happen next, but I didn’t much care about anyone in particular – not even for Noll. Maybe I’m on a detached period (it happens and it’s weird), and that’s another reason for my eagerness on re-reading this series. How can I find a story so awesome and not fall for a single character?! Absurd.
Overall, I recommend this series for anyone that loves fantasy and Young Adult books. You guys will have a run for your money with Nobody’s Lady and Nobody’s Goddess!
Thanks so much for reading my review! Bellow, you can find information on where to find both books in the Never Veil series, more about Amy McNulty and a lovely giveaway 😀
You can find Nobody’s Lady in both ebook and paperback formats 😀
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N | TBD | iBooks
And, of course, Nobody’s Goddess is also available in ebook and paperback formats 😀
Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently writes professionally about everything from business marketing to anime. In her down time, you can find her crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.
Five lucky INTERNATIONAL winners will receive a digital copy of Nobody’s Lady!
Don’t miss this marvelous opportunity! To enter, just click here and good luck: GIVEAWAY!
Thanks so much for reading and thanks again to Chapter by Chapter for providing me a spot on this lovely tour and my review copies!
Hi, there! Welcome to another book blitz brought to you by Xpresso Book Tours 😀 Our star is the second book in the The Wulfkin Legacy series, from T. F. Walsh: Cloaked in Secrecy 😀
Cloaked in Secrecy
T.F. Walsh
(The Wulfkin Legacy #2)
Published by Crimson Romance
Publication date: March 14th, 2016
Genres: Adult, Paranormal
Summary
What better way for a pack of wulfkin shifters to remain in seclusion than to hide in plain sight?
Death has followed Alena Novac’s circus family for years, but when the police arrest her brother for murder, she must rescue him before he transforms behind prison walls. With less than a week to execute her plan, a member from the Varlac family who murdered her mother reappears. Now, Alena has to decide whether to make good on her promise to avenge her mother’s death or risk rescuing her brother.
Enre Ulf has one mission – prevent Alena’s father from claiming his territory and slaughtering his wulfkin pack in Transylvania. Enre may have turned his back on his Varlac heritage, but that doesn’t mean he won’t impersonate one to infiltrate the circus clan and take out their alpha. Knowing that his secrets will lead to his demise, Enre takes the risk in order to save his home. What he never planned on was his wolf claiming Alena as his mate.
Now with the police closing in, and the real Varlac threatening them, Alena and Enre must overcome their pasts to save their packs’ futures.
Cloaked in Secrecy is the book 2 in the Wulfkin Legacy series, but can be read a stand-alone-book.
And here is where you can find Cloaked in Secrecy!
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes / Kobo / Googleplay
If you liked that teaser, just wait until you read there excerpts! This book already gained tons of points with me for the switching point of views ❤
EXCERPT
ALENA
“Girl, you going to stand there all day?” Sonia’s voice turned loud as she snapped me back to the here and now.
She sat at the table, both hands clasped around at least a dozen twigs, each about half a foot long. Balancing the ends on the center of the table, she let the twigs fall and studied the way the pieces of wood collapsed on top of each other. The majority crisscrossed each other, others rolled away from the pile.
Sonia’s dark-blonde curls were pulled off her face with a headband. She wore no makeup or her usual fake gypsy jewelry reserved for the circus customers.
“Have a seat.” She spoke without taking her eyes from the pile of sticks in front of her, her head tilting from side to side.
Taking a chair at the table and kicking aside a boot, I reconsidered telling her about my dream with Enre. The more I replayed the vision in my mind, the more I was convinced it was me lusting over him. Heat radiated down my neck at the thought of telling Sonia that I’d turned into some horny nymph.
“What do you see?” No matter how many times Sonia read my future, my insides still fluttered.
“He’s at the circus for you.”
“The Varlac?” I slouched into the chair, arms folded across my chest, fire scaling my cheeks. “I doubt it.” Not the first time the twigs would have been misinterpreted.
“You’ll bring a change out in him. How exciting.” She flashed me a cheerful smile.
A thousand possibilities swirled in my head, but none of them made any sense, except the one where I hated being paired with Enre. “What does that even mean?”
Sonia inched closer. “The universe has a sick sense of humor. It shows us only snippets of events. You know that.” She twisted in her seat and retrieved a pack of tarot cards from the bookshelf behind her. The top card had a brightly colored parrot painted on it. She sighed, stashed it back on the shelf, and continued to fumble through her numerous other decks.
“That’s for the tourists.” She spoke with her attention still on the bookshelf. “Anyway, what about you? Had any dreams lately?”
I licked my lips, deciding not to share the memory of what Enre had intended to do to me in the dream. “Not much.”
“So you dreamt about him? The shake of your head says no, but your tone tells a different story.” She giggled, a piercing laugh, as she retrieved another pack of cards, the backs printed with a kaleidoscope of colors in a diamond patchwork design. “Weeks ago, I told you a visitor was coming.” Sonia settled in her seat to face me.
~*~
ENRE
“We’re on the same team here. Shall I carry your carpet?”
She responded with a frown and tucked the rolled-up rug under her arm.
I took that as a no. “Let’s move.” I didn’t wait for her response and slid into the shadow alongside the cobblestone buildings, slinking closer to the station. Faint steps fell into a rhythm behind me.
She brushed past me, turned, and pressed a finger into my chest. “Fine, but try anything, and I’ll rip your heart out. We’re doing this my way. And I’m going first.”
I nodded, resisting the urge to draw her into my arms and kiss those pursed lips. She frowned and continued onward. I followed her. Before we reached the entrance to the police station, Alena sneaked down a side alley and disappeared around the corner into the dark. Closing in from behind, I curved right into the murky passage, my shoulders scraping the brick enclosure. I hurried in an awkward and angled walk-hop, trusting Alena knew where she was going. Against my better judgment, we were about to break into a prison. This was the police we were dealing with. But I doubted I’d have any luck in stopping Alena.
She halted and shifted my way. Within the cloak of the night, I barely distinguished the outline of her body.
“We’ll scale the wall and land in a small courtyard. Stick close. There are cameras, but since it’s only a holding cell, there’s a few spots to hide.”
Looking up, I stared at the circular barbed wire lining the top of the brick wall, and now the carpet made sense. Clever girl.
“Use the spot here.” She tapped the stone barrier. “There are a few broken bricks that should be easy to grab and step on while climbing. Anyway, make yourself useful.” She handed me the carpet, which was starting to unravel.
Her ascent appeared effortless, scaling the wall as quickly as a squirrel dashing up a tree. A tasty squirrel, for that matter. Reaching the top, she stuck her arm toward me. I handed her the carpet, and in slow motion, she placed it on the barbed wire. Testing her device a few times by pushing down on the carpet in several places, she climbed higher and carefully lifted one leg over and then the
Following suit, I used the irregularities in the wall as Alena suggested, but my progress was slower since my thigh quivered each time I pushed myself off it. After two attempts to get my wounded leg over the barbed wire and slicing my jeans near the knee, I took a deep breath and tried again. I clenched my jaw, ignored the pain, and threw my leg onto the other side. Straddling the wall with only an old carpet between barbed wire and my jewels, I slipped my other leg over and hopped down on the other side. The stinging pain of my injury throbbed, and I rode the wave of agony for a few seconds until it eased. Why was I doing this again?
Wonderful, right? Oh, and besides more info about Walsh (you know, the author), I’m pleased to bring to you guys a bit of the making of this book 😀
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she’s always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.
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Wulfkin Legacy Series
Cloaked (prequel to #1) – Out now
Cloaked in Fur (Book #1) – Out now
Cloaked in Secrecy (Book #2) – Out now
Cloaked in Blood (Book #3) – May 2016
Cloaked in Christmas – End of 2016
BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE WULFKIN LEGACY SERIES!
There are numerous myths about the hunter’s moon and what it stands for, but the truth of its origin is more practical than you’d expect. In my novel, Cloaked in Secrecy, I created a similar event called the Lunar Eutine, or red moon, which represents the transformation into adulthood and a time when werewolves are no longer being controlled by the moon.
“Two weeks ago, we’d been blessed with a red moon—the Lunar Eutine—a time when moonwulf were transformed into wulfkin and the moon no longer controlled our wolf side. I’d changed, as did Mila, but because of her young age, something went terribly wrong and she ended up stuck in her wolf shape, unable to shift back into human form.” Cloaked in Secrecy excerpt by TF Walsh
So, what is the Hunter’s Moon anyway?
Full moons appear around sunset, and unlike the other moon phases, it’s only during the full moon that there’s absolutely no darkness between sunset and the moonrise.Now, before electricity, hunters used moonlight to get work done during the night, mostly hunting. Because the Hunter’s Moon generally occurs during the month of October, it precedes the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox. Hence, with the onset of winter, these farmers needed to make the most of their hunts and used this time with immediate moonlight after sunset to stalk their prey more efficiently.
References: Blog Dictionary http://blog.dictionary.com/harvest-moon
~*~
In Cloaked in Secrecy, Enre’s inner wolf knows who his soul mate is from the first time he met Selena. Their bond is unbreakable, no matter how much Enre might deny it. Sometimes, the wolf has a way of claiming what belongs to him.
When I wrote this book, I based a lot of my wolf hierarchy and behavior on real wolf packs.
In nature, some wolves will mate with another for life. During their courting stage, the pair can often be seen walking so close they look like their snuggling. During this time, the male and female tend to keep away from the rest of the pack to avoid troubles. The couple sleep close, always touching each other, making quiet whining sounds, their bodies bumping. Even after mating, the couple will continue being affectionate.
~*~
Imagine being able to channel healing energy into someone by means of a simple touch.
Well, for starters I’d be healing everyone I could get my hands on, and I wouldn’t charge a dime because no one deserves to be sick. But what if healing people left you drained and could kill you? This is the burden Alena faces. She was born with the gift of healing, and the only way she can protect herself from passing out or worse is to wear gloves at all times.
“… use your healing ability to get him fixed up so he can leave. See if you can find out what he’s up to. And remember who he is.”
A sickness stirred in my belly, and I dropped my gaze to my gloved hands. Father knew I avoided healing anyone. Last time, I had passed out and woke up two days later. Cloaked in Secrecy excerpt by TF Walsh
Together with her father and brother, Alena runs the Novac Circus along with thirty-seven other wulfkin. What better way for a pack of shifters to hide from the world than to do so right in front of their eyes. Cloaked in Secrecy follows Selena’s story and what she risks to save her pack family from extermination at the hands of the same wulfkin she swears is her fated mate. When death has always taunted her, can she finally learn to outrun it?
So, does such healing exist in real life?
Probably not in the form shown above, but some consider Reiki a form of healing through touch. Reiki a Japanese technique of laying hands on a patient and a positive life force flows through the healer and into the person receiving the energy. Dr. Mikao Usui from Kyoto, Japan, was the originator of what we today call Reiki. Did you know that Rei means universal life, while Ki means energy.
References: Simply Circus www.simplycircus.com
~*~
What is it about the circus that immediately invokes certain images in our minds?
For me, it’s clowns, the massive tent, and those old fashioned freak-shows. It may be the portrayal in fiction, movies, and journalists that distorts our view, but I’ve always loved the mystery surrounding these attractions.
Before I started writing Cloaked in Secrecy, I was stumped on the setting for the story. But then the circus arrived in my town, and I received my answer.
A pack of werewolves running a circus and performing for humans. Perfect!
But where did the Circus begin, you ask?
So began my research into everything circus, including the simple question of how did the first circus start.
It is claimed the goddess Circe in honor of her father, Helios the Sun God, staged the first circus. (In Greek mythology, Circe was a goddess of magic). This also lends itself to the name circus (derived from Latin name circus) that was believed to be the Romanization of the Greek word kirkos, meaning circle or ring. With all that said, the first circus was born.
Now, when it comes to the origin of the modern circus we’re more familiar with, the name Philip Astley is well known. He constructed the first circus building in London called The New British School or Amphitheater Riding Ring. In 1770, the first performance appeared. The raging success of this show was the start of the modern circus.
References: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus & The Hanneford Family Circus http://www.hanneford.8m.com/
~*~
Being suspected fifty-feet in the air, on a silky piece of fabric, may not be most people’s ideal job, but it is for Alena, from my novel Cloaked in Secrecy. Performing this dangerous act is an adrenaline rush she wouldn’t swap with anything in the world.
“Alena wrapped her wrists in the silk and paraded around the ring with her arms stretched outward. She broke into a sprint, gaining momentum with each step.
My eyes locked on her form, her tapered waist, and toned arms. This wasn’t great for my self-control, but I couldn’t tear myself away. The crowd was silent, and even the music had died. Only the tapping of her feet on the sawdust-covered ground resonated as she picked up speed in her circular race around the ring. The red ribbons twisted overhead and drew her hands upward with each rotation.
On her next step, she lunged forward and lifted several feet off the ground. Her body, straight as a pin, orbited the circular performance ring, and the momentum of the ribbon starting to unwind sent her into a frantic spin.” Cloaked in Secrecy, by TF Walsh, excerpt.
Together with her father and brother, Alena runs the Novac Circus along with thirty-seven other wulfkin. What better way for a pack of shifters to hide from the world than to do so right in front of their eyes. Cloaked in Secrecy follows Alena’s story and what she risks to save her pack family from extermination at the hands of the same wulfkin she swears is her fated mate. When death has always taunted her, can she finally learn to outrun it?
So, where did Aerial Siks start anyway?
Aerial silks first appeared in a French circus school in 1959 when a student found a bolt of fabric in the local bizarre and performed her act completely on these fabrics. Funny thing is that the school seems to have no recollection of such a student, but the local newspaper did. So while we may never know who truly invented it, over the years, this style acrobatic style has become a popular act at most circuses.References: Simply Circus www.simplycircus.com
I’m one of those book lovers that is simply addicted for knowing more and more about the books that I’m interested in, haha! Don’t mind me crazily sharing information here 😉
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GIVEAWAY!
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That’s it, thank you so much for reaching this far and reading it all! I know it was a long post, but can you blame me? So many cool information ❤ #journalistfeelings Anyway, thank you, really, and thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for making me a happy blogger with so much material!!
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