Review: Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles #1) by Melanie Nilles

 

Summary-

They've been coming here for thousands of years, using Earth as a sanctuary to escape threats from their own kind. Mankind knows them as angels, and one of them left a child upon her death to be raised as a human.

Raea is now a high school senior, and her life as a human is about to end. The crystal shard she bears is not a pretty pendant; it's a collective of powerful entities who chose her as their Keeper, a protector of one of the four shards that power a machine capable of destroying whole worlds. Those who desire the Starfire's power have sent an agent to find her, but she's too busy evading a nosy reporter ready to exploit her secret and dating a hot new foreign student to notice. Nevermind learning what she really is.
Only one person on Earth can help her, the last person she ever expected. But he's not from Earth. Life as a human would be so much easier.

Review-

This book is awsome.  Niles does a great job with the plot.  It is a book anyone could get interested in.  The book is a great read in general, but it is not very detailed and it rushes through some parts, but it is still worth the read from Raea finding out what she is, to her falling in love with the unexpected.  This story is such a roller coaster ride as Raea goes through one of the most difficult transitions of her life.  And it gets worse for her as  the first boy who "likes" her takes a turn in identities.  This book is a definate read for anyone.

 

Publisher-Prairie Star Publishing

My Score: 4.5 Stars-Great Book

Reviewed by~Patti

AWESOME News for our readers!

I Got this Email today in my Goodreads box and I thought since we just posted an intervew with the author K.C Hilton that I would share my email with you about her book The magic of finkleton. Amazon has it on special right now for 99 cents.  HERE!

Hello Lora!

I wanted to share some awesome news with you. I was notified today, that The Magic of Finkleton has received the CLC Seal of Approval. (See Below) It will now go to the next round of judging and will be considered for a Gold/Silver award (fingers crossed). I'm totally excited! I didn't mention it for the interview because I didn't know how things worked.
Have a wonderful weekend :)

Best Regards,
KC

For Immediate Release
Contact: Dianna Fuchs
Public Relations Director,
Children's Literary Classics
(605)381-6385
literaryclassics@live.com


Children's Literary Classics is pleased to announce that the children's chapter book, The Magic of Finkleton, written by KC Hilton, has been selected to receive the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval. The CLC Seal of Approval is a designation reserved for those books which uphold the rigorous criteria set forth by the Children's Literary Classics review committee, a team comprised of individuals with backgrounds in publishing, editing, writing, illustration and graphic design.

The Magic of Finkleton, by KC Hilton, takes young readers on an exciting literary adventure.
Siblings, Robert, Jack and Lizzy are plunged into a world of intrigue when their house is destroyed in a thunderstorm, a disaster which befalls them at precisely the same time their Great Uncle dies, bequeathing them his home and general store in the picture-perfect town of Finkleton. Soon after moving into the living quarters above their uncle's shop, they begin discovering magical secrets hidden inside. As they slowly unravel the mystery of Finkleton, the children learn a secret which has been kept in the Finkle family for generations. Vowing to keep their secret safe, the three work together to help keep the magic of Finkleton alive.

KC Hilton has created a vibrant tale of intrigue which is sure to ignite enthusiasm in the minds of young readers.

THank you K.C. For sharing this news with our blog!
Were also doing a giveaway to celebrate with K.C

Giveaway for July: Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater

The poll was taken and Forever was chosen for the July giveaway~

Summary-

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stiefvater then.

When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.
now.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.
forever.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life,

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Review: Accused (The Granzfield #4) By Kate Kaynak

Summary-

Someone in the government has files about Ganzfield...and now they have Maddie. The story continues with the fourth installment of the Ganzfield series.

Review-

Kate Kaynak just doesn't quit! One GREAT book after another! As always I loved Accused. I am sooo hooked on this series! I love Maddie and Trevor! This one just had enough drama and action without over doing it. Excellent work Kate! PLEASE keep them coming! You are one of my all time favorite authors!!!

Thank you to the Author for donating this book!

Publisher-Spencer Hill Press

My Score: 5 Stars-Loved the Book!

Reviewed by~ Sarah

Review: Zombies Don't Cry By Rusty Fischer

Summary-

In the sleepy small town of Barracuda Bay, Maddy Swift leads the life of a fairly typical teenager, but while attending a party one night, Maddy is struck by lightning and awakens to realize she has been reanimated and turned into a zombie. While becoming acquainted with her new "lifestyle," Maddy stumbles upon two unexpected undead chaperones, fellow students Dane and Chloe, who begin to teach her the ways of zombie life, including defending the populace from Zerkers—the bad zombies. Together, on prom night, the three teens must ultimately defend Barracuda Bay High from an all-out zombie Armageddon.

Review-

Okay, so I was extremely skeptical about reading a zombie book. I was like "Ewww gross! Seriously who wants to read about people eating each other! NOT ME!! But, I finally caved and now I have to admit I am a total ZOMBIE FAN! Wow who knew?!? Not me! If I could give a book 10 Stars....This would totally be it! I read this book in two days! No lie! I was hooked from page one. I absolutely loved the characters, good and bad. The story line had so many twist and turns that I quit trying to figure what was coming next and just let it totally surprise me. This book definitely deserves a standing ovation in my opinion! LOVED IT!

Publisher-Medallion Pr Inc

My score: 5 STARS!
Reviewed by~Sarah

Review: The Tear Collector By Patrick Jones

Summary-

Fans of urban fantasy should prepare for a new kind of vampire–one that feeds off of tears instead of blood. Descended from an ancient line of creatures that gain their energy from human tears, Cassandra Gray depends on human sorrow to live. Only Cass has grown tired of living this life and wants to live like a human, especially now that she's met someone worth fighting for.

Review-

I absolutely love the concept of this book! It was so different from all the other vampire books yet, still similar. I love that she fell in love with a smart, nerdy, not so good looking guy instead of your typical hunky heartthrob who makes your mouth water lol. This book was so unique and the author was so creative. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves vampire books but is looking for something a bit different!

Publisher-Walker Books for Young Readers

My Score: 5 Stars
Reviewed by~Sarah

Review: Bloodlust (Imprinted Souls #2) by Daniele Lanzarotta

Summary-

There are some things from which you just can’t run away.

For Lexi, that something was this screwed-up, newfound reality that she encountered; and no matter how much Tyler may try to protect her from his kind, it is just too late.
Lexi is involved in his world far deeper than she can possibly imagine, and as she is haunted by her past and deals with an unexpected betrayal, Lexi is forced to make a choice between her soul mate, the one who she thought was gone forever, or the one who restored her soul, bringing her back to life with the ties of a blood imprint.

***
“Bloodlust - the disease that makes us the monsters we are known to be; it is what wipes away the last of our humanity.”
- Daniele Lanzarotta (Bloodlust)

Review-

Okay so this one was awesome! The author really knows how to leave you hanging at the end. I absolutely love that though! It gets you excited about the next part. I do have to say I enjoyed this one more than the first! I couldn't put this down! This has the "OMG" factor that I love! You know when your like "Oh my gosh! I can't believe that just happened!" I'm SUPER EXCITED for the next part! BRING IT ON!! TEAM TYLER!!!! WOOT! WOOT!

Publisher-Rocket Science Productions, LLC
My Score-5 STARS!
Reviewed by~Sarah

Starring In The Movie Of My Life By Laurel Osterkamp

Summary-

Thirty-five-year-old Samantha acts without thinking. Her heart is huge while her sense of purpose is small; she's willing to fight for those she loves, but she's never learned to fight for herself. Eighteen-year-old Melody is cold and calculating, and she's driven by the desire to better herself. As these compelling yet deeply flawed women battle for the affections of 25-year-old Nathan, he becomes increasingly confused and torn between them.

Nathan is Melody's English teacher, and after he saves her from being raped, she becomes attached. Melody longs for the affection she's never felt, so she involves people in her self-invented drama, making sure she is at once the star and the director. Meanwhile, Samantha is newly married to Nathan. But Samantha has hang-ups about motherhood and lingering feelings for her ex. To make sense of the world, Sam relates her life to the themes of her favorite movies, while she independently makes a documentary to jump-start her non-existent film career.
Stylistically influenced by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner, Starring in the Movie of my Life is told alternately from both Samantha's and Melody's points-of-view and relates two complete yet combined stories about love, acceptance, and redemption. It speaks to our universal desire to be saved by the ones we love, and the monumental effort required to save ourselves.
Laurel Osterkamp’s first novel, Following My Toes, published by PMI Books, won the 2008 National Indie Book Award for Excellence (Chick Lit category). She drew on her experiences as a high school film studies and creative writing teacher as she wrote Starring in the Movie of my Life. Currently she lives in Minneapolis with her husband, son, and daughter, and is working on her third novel.


Review-
This book was surprisingly really good. I'm usually all paranormal but I gave this one a shot. I like how the story was wrote in two different point of views,Sam and Melody. It made the book all that more interesting. This book had plenty of twist and turns and you never knew what was going to come next. All in all it was a good book.


Publisher-PMI Books
My Score: 4 Stars
Reviewed by~Sarah

Author Interview: K.C. Hilton Author of The Magic of Finkleton

We took the time to catch up with K.C Hiton. Her book is Awesome! Review to come SOON!!!

My name is Katrina Chilton, but I use the pen name K.C. Hilton. I simply moved the 'C' a little to the left. Our town knows me because of our family business and my photography, but in the writer's world I'm known as K.C. which are my initials.

1. How did you come up with the concept for this book?
I woke up in the middle of the night from a vivid dream. It was wonderful dream and I didn't want to wake from it, but I knew if I didn't force myself out of bed to write it down I would forget everything. So, I stumbled to the family room, turned on a small light and began to write. I wrote in my journal for nearly an hour, then when I was satisfied I went back to bed, dreaming of the adorable English village with horse drawn carriages.


2. How did you come up with the names for the characters?
Oh, that's an easy one! When I was in grade school I knew a girl and her last name was Finkle. I loved her last name and thought it was unique. It stuck with me all these years. I also had another childhood friend and her name was Elizabeth and preferred to be called Lizzy, and she also had blond wavy hair. Just like Lizzy Finkle!
I did a bit of research on last names and found out, that way back in the day, last names derived from a person's profession. Some people didn't have last names and they would be referred to as John the Taylor, then it was shortened to John Taylor.


So I wanted to use the same way of thinking when it came to Mr. Appleton, Mr. Parchetty, Mr. Cornerly, Mr. Beanly, Mr. Sweetly. I wanted all of the last names to be fun and easily remembered, by the reader. I felt it was important that the reader remember what each person grew or what they did for a living. So the farmer who grew apples would be named Mr. Appleton and the gentleman that made sweets would be named Mr. Sweetly.


3. How much are you and the characters alike?
I'd like to think my personality spills into my characters along with my husband's sense of humor. My children play an important role in all of my stories and I see them in the Finkle children. I remember the three of them bickering when they were young, and I laughed a lot. Most of their disagreements were funny, from my point of view. They're all grown up now, but I'll always remember the fun memories and remind my children every chance I get.


4. Do you read a lot and what are you reading now?
Oh yes, I love to read. I would read all day long if I had the time. When I read a book, I get lost in that world and I love it. I imagine everything like a movie playing in my head. Sometimes, I laugh out loud. I read different genres, but mostly I like to read Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance and Young Adult. I just finished reading Shasta Summer by Teresa Geering. Next on my list is the third book in the Fallen series, Passion by Lauren Kate. I have a Nook and it has tons of books on it. My idea of a great vacation is sitting by the pool or on the beach with a great book. Needless to say, I can't wait to go on vacation this year! I have so much reading to do.


I must admit, I've never read any of the Harry Potter books. When my children found out, they bought me the entire set. I refuse to read any of them until I'm finished writing everything about Finkleton, because I don't want anything to spill over into my writing. I don't ever want it said that what I write is similar to another story. The world of Finkleton is charming, unique and one of a kind. When I've finished writing all I can write about Finkleton, then I'll sit down and read the Harry Potter books.

5. What made you decide to go Fantasy?
Fantasy, in my opinion, is easier to write. It's all made up in my mind and I only had to research a few things. All I have to do is describe what I see. It's like I'm watching a movie. Fantasy is a lot of fun, especially if I can make it believable.



6. How did the cover come about?
I knew how I wanted the cover to look and with certain items. I may be a photographer, but I'm not that great in Photoshop. So I found a cover designer, then emailed her some photos of what I wanted on the cover. I explained that I wanted the older antique feel and found a photo of some old parchment paper to use for the main background. I purchased the stock photos that worked and the designer put it all together. I also wanted the lettering on the cover to look like wood, to add to that old feeling. I wasn't sure if the designer could do it, but she did a great job!


\7. So what is your next project and when is it due out?

I'm currently writing the sequel to The Magic of Finkleton... The plot thickens!


My next book was picked up by Night Publishing and is supposed to be released this month. It's a Contemporary Adult Fiction book with some Suspense. It took me nearly two years to write, with all the research.


8. Do you have a daytime job or are you a full time writer?
I wish I could write full time! That would be awesome! But my day job is helping my husband run the family business and on the weekends I'm a part-time photographer. In my spare time I read and write. I'll stay up reading until 4 or 5 am and I write the same way. I have many late nights but it's so much fun. I'm lucky that our family business doesn't open until 10 am.



9. How did you get into writing novels and were you worried about people’s reactions to your books?
I've always kept journals of my dreams, but never knew what to do with them until I had a dream while we were on vacation in Florida. The dream stayed in my mind for months and wouldn't let go. I kept thinking about it and knew I had to do something about it. But what? So one night I started to write and 90 Miles to Freedom was born.


The Magic of Finkleton was actually my second book. I wrote 90 Miles to Freedom first, and when I found out about copyright laws pertaining to music, I took a break. Then I had the dream about Finkleton. I started writing and wouldn't stop until it was finished. While it was at the editor, I went back to 90 Miles to Freedom and finished it.


Yes, I was worried what people would think about my writing style. It's a part of me and I put it out there for the entire world to read. I didn't want to get my hopes up, so I kept myself grounded in reality. When the reviews started coming in, they were great! That's when I started doing my 'Happy Dance'.



10. One last thing do you collect anything personally?
I'm a collector of memories. I've kept every photo I've ever taken since I was a little girl. I like to put them in photo books. I've kept all of my children's school papers, drawings, letters and cards. I take photos of every occasion throughout the year and at the end of the year I'll have a photo book made and give it to my husband on Valentine's Day. So we have a photo book of memories for an entire year.


A few years back I scanned all the photos of my children (we didn't have digital cameras back then) from when they were first born up to their current age (it took three months) and gave it to each of them on Christmas Day. My son Eric was actually on tour in Iraq that year and I mailed the photo book to him. He loved it. It brought a smile to his face and he said it was the best gift I could ever give him.

I am giving away a $15 dollar Amazon gift card to one lucky winner!

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