The Thorn and the Sinking Stone by C.J. Dushinski

The Thorn and the Sinking Stone

by C.J. Dushinski 

Release Date: March 2015

Entangled Teen

313 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Warring families. Forbidden love. And danger they can’t escape...

Daggers. Roses. Cowboys. Boat Men. Survivors of Earth's Last War, four “families” vie to rule the dreary streets of Rain City through violence and blood. Valencia Hara, Princess of the wealthy Black Roses, is raised in warrior ways with sharpened steel. But she is no ordinary Rose. She is Cursed—tainted with the ability to see seconds into the future...

To avenge his father's death, Sebastian Leold, of the rival gang Two Daggers, must face off against the Black Princess, he with his dagger, she with her katana sword. Yet a secret from a shared past leaves him unable to kill beautiful Valencia; nor can she kill him. For they once knew each other beyond their blood feud...and they have more secrets in common than they know.

But in a world filled with vengeance and violence, there can be no room for love...

The Thorn and the Sinking Stone – 5 Sources of Inspiration

Along the way the story of the Thorn and the Sinking St

one changed quite a bit from one draft to

the next, inspired by one source or another. Here are

the top five sources of inspiration that

helped me craft the Thorn and the Sinking Stone to what

it is today:

1)

Romeo & Juliet:

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has alr

eady read the

story. The Thorn and the Sinking Stone was heavily inspi

red by Shakespeare’s Romeo

and Juliet. Two warring families, young, forbidden love... the ge

neral plot is true to the

play. I’ve always loved Romeo and Juliet, like a lot of

people, and I wondered what the

story would be like told in a similar place several hundre

ds of years later, given similar

circumstance and a whole new set of rules. And since B

az Lurhman is one of my

favourite movie directors, of course I was inspired by hi

s modern twist on the classic tale.

Something about his version with guns and fast cars with a

dark setting really inspired the

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About the Author

While attempting to navigate life as a responsible human being, CJ graduated from university with a B.Comm and worked her way along as marketer, copywriter, and graphic designer to earn a paycheck while pursing her passion for creating fantastical stories set in dark and wondrous corners of the world.  Born amongst the wheat fields and open skies of the Canadian prairies, CJ’s imagination has always run wild, taking her on adventures across the world from modeling in Seoul, South Korea to backpacking through Europe and surfing (poorly) in Hawaii.

After wandering through ancient cities and civilizations, learning from diverse cultures, and surrounding herself in new experiences, CJ was inspired and began work on her debut Young Adult novel THE THORN AND THE SINKING STONE, to be published by Entangled Publishing 2014/15. CJ currently resides in Calgary, Alberta Canada – home of the Canadian Rockies – and keeps one hand on her passport and pen at all times, ready to pick up, see the world, and weave her experiences into stories. 

CJ is represented by Marlene Stringer of the Stringer Literary Agency LLC.

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Deviate by Tracy Clark Release Day

Deviate (The Light Key Trilogy #2)

by Tracy Clark 

Release Date: 03/03/15

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Tormented after a daring escape, Cora Sandoval must find a way to stop the Arrazi from murdering innocent people and from violating, using, and killing the Scintilla for their powers. She must also accept one bitter betrayal: Finn Doyle—the Irish boy who has both a piece of Cora's heart and soul—is Arrazi...

On the verge of extinction and sought by those who would either consume or destroy them,  Cora and the remaining Scintilla survivors must solve the mystery of The Light Key. If they fail, the truth will stay buried forever and mankind will pay the ultimate price.

No longer will she hide.

No longer will her loved ones be hunted.

And she will have her vengeance...even if she shatters her heart in the process.

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Book One:

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About the Author
Tracy Clark is a young-adult writer because she believes teens deserve to know how much they matter and that regardless of what they’re going through, they aren’t alone. In other words, she writes books for her teen self.

She grew up a “Valley Girl” in Southern California but now lives in her home state of Nevada, in a small town at the base of the Sierra Foothills. Her two children teach her the art of distraction and are a continuous source of great dialogue. She’s an unapologetic dog person who is currently owned by a cat.

Tracy was the recipient of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Work in Progress Grant. A two-time participant in the prestigious Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program where she was lucky enough to be mentored by bestselling author, Ellen Hopkins, who taught her so much about the art of writing and cured her of her ellipsis addiction.
Her debut novel was inspired by her enchantment with metaphysics as a teen, seeing it as the real magic in life. Tracy is a part-time college student, a private pilot, and an irredeemable dreamer.

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The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard Review

The Madmen's daughter circles around Juliet Monreau who lives in London, whose father was involved in some sort of scandal few years ago, when he left, and her mother has recently passed away so she's forced to take care for herself. She works as a cleaning lady, although before she's been rich and all of her friends are different from her. One day when she runs into Montgomery, who used to be part of their household staff and she has not seen him since her dad's disappearance. He tells her that her father is alive and they are working together on a remote island. Soon Juliets finds herself on this island and not everything is as it seems.

The book is fast-paced... sort of. When I picked up this book I was amazed by how fast it moved, but then I started to get disappointed. Every time something interesting is about to happen, it happens and then we're reading her confusion for a couple of pages. I closed my eyes for the first couple of times but it was a constant problem for me throughout the book.

Also the love triangle is weird. You've got Montgomery, who she knows for a very long time and then you've got Edward, who they find in the sea somewhere. It was pretty obvious who she liked more and just there was something about the triangle that spoke... boring. It's nowhere near as sophisticated as the one in Jennifer L. Armentrout's Dark Elements series. 

Nevertheless, the plot is gripping if you leave out the stretching. It is thought-out and there are quite a few questions asked like 'What makes us human?' or 'What makes you civilised' which is both connected to Juliet and the creatures living on the island. Her father pretty much thinks he's a god of the island and can do whatever he likes. There also quite a few twists I did no see coming. The writing is so beautiful and detailed. It really lets you enter this girl's head.

In short, The Madman's Daughter is a good book if you are looking for historical fiction/fantasy/drama and good writing. However, be warned about the weird pacing and strange love triangle.

                                    

                                      Rating: 3.5 Stars

Erased by Elle Christensen and K Webster Cover Reveal

  Erased by Elle Christensen, K Webster Publication Date: December 29, 2014 Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Synopsis

Joss Parker’s life is a fairytale come true. She’s a concert pianist in New York, lives with her longtime boyfriend, and is close with her fiercely protective father.

One fateful day, she is taken from her own bed in the middle of the night. Her world comes crashing down when she’s betrayed by her father’s need to protect a program that could be a threat to national security over his own daughter. When her ability to ever play piano again is threatened, Joss finds herself whisked away at the last minute by an unlikely ally. She later lands in the protective custody of no other than local bad boy bar owner, Derek Slade. Slade is entrusted to look after Joss and see to it that she hides behind her new persona Jill so that bad people don’t find her ever again. Joss has been erased. Joss is now Jill. As Joss trade’s her blonde locks for Jill’s mahogany ones, she also takes on the strength of her new persona. Jill is someone that doesn’t put up with crap. Jill doesn’t trust easy. Jill must protect the broken heart of Joss. What happens when Slade crosses the line of protector? Will he be her knight in shining armor? Can he protect her when the evils of her past come back to haunt them?

About Elle Christensen

Elle Christensen is a debut author. Her first novel, a collaboration with author, K. Webster is due to release in December of 2014.

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About K Webster

I love my husband of 11 years and sweet kids. My passions include reading, writing, graphic design, and shopping! I absolutely love social media and the power of how it connects people all over the world. You can usually find me easily on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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Ever Darkening by Janeal Falor Cover reveal + GIVEAWAY

Ever Darkening

by Janeal Falor 

Release Date: 01/28/15

Summary from Goodreads:

Perfection. Goodness. Elimination of evil. It's what seventeen-year-old Kaylyn has trained her entire life to achieve. But no one is prepared for the consequences of her actually defeating all evil people on the planet. Finally successful in her mission, Kaylyn faces an unfamiliar world, full of good people doing good things, in which she no longer has purpose.

When the skies grow dark, and a stranger from another village pleads for her help, her instincts roar to life. It turns out their perfect world isn't exactly what it seems. Kaylyn's new quest, harder than any she's been on before, will rip apart her friendships, her life, and her soul more than any evil man ever managed to.

About the Author

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

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Vampire Addiction: The Vampires of Athens, Cover Reveal with $50 Rafflecopter Giveaway!

Vampire Addiction: The Vampires of Athens, Book One Cover Revealed with $50 Rafflecopter Giveaway! When seventeen-year-old Gertrude Morgan from New York City is sent to study abroad in Athens, she unearths unfathomable secrets and unwittingly becomes a catalyst to a vampire uprising led by Dionysus, against the gods of Mount Olympus. Vampire Addiction is the first book of The Vampires of Athens series, now available for pre-order! BUT WAIT! If you subscribe to The Pohler Express: The Official Newsletter for Eva Pohler Books, you will receive a coupon code for a FREE copy. The newsletter will go out on Christmas Eve, so be sure to get your coupon code and order your free book between then and New Year's Day, the day the book releases. The link to subscribe is in the rafflecopter giveaway below and is worth five entries into the $50 Amazon gift card giveaway! The winner of the $50 Amazon gift card will be announced at the Facebook Cover Reveal Party on Thursday, December 11th. Join the party here! Please show some love to the other blogs participating in this reveal: Marilyn's Booty Poppin Book Pimp Pure Jonel Inside BJ's Head Escaping Life's Craziness with Books D Book Heaven Dowie's Place The Paranormal Book Worm The Book Stalker The Caffeinated Christian Charles Book Nook Elizabeth Kirke Writes Word Wenches Guilty Pleasure Book Crazy Gals Reading For Fun A Book Vacation Tanyas Book Nook The Paisley Reader Deborah's Blog of Book Reviews,Spotlights and More Girls *Heart* Books Mom in Love with Fiction a Rafflecopter giveaway

Is fanfiction literature? (Discussion)

That's right, today I am going to share with you what I think about fanfiction.

I hadn't really read much fanfiction before around 2 months. Frankly, it's not what I typically read but something I just do from time to time. It started with some Divergent fanfiction and I had never imagined there were so many people invested in developing stories for their favourite characters. These stories sometimes feel as if they should have been part of the book. In fact, this is what the point of this genre, if I can call it like that, is.

I get it when people say fanfiction is not real literature because it's someone else's idea. They have a point but are not 100% correct. Yes, ideas might be taken from another place but it is the way the story is developed that matters. As a matter of fact, many fanfictions have surpassed their origin story. And maybe the problem comes from here. Every now and then some aspiring authors actually develop  the story in a much better way than the original one. But this act can also hurt the person who wrote the thing first.

This might somewhat hypocritical, but I son't agree fanfiction should be classified as original work. When publishers accept a manuscript like that they should publish it in fanfiction and say what it is based off. The original author needs to have some sort of credit for the story.

In short, I agree fanfiction is literature but has to be what it is - fanfiction. If publishing houses are to publish more and more of those, they need to promote them as ones, not as original stories.

So what do you guys think? Do you agree fanfiction is literature? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below and I look forward to reading your opinions.

BRANDED by ABI KETNER & MISSY KALICICKI + GIVEAWAY

'Branded' is Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki's dark, dystopian novel which is, at least for me, one of the best books of the year.

The first book in the 'Sinners' series which take place around the branded with lust Lexi Hamilton.

Summary:

Fifty years ago The Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. 

BLUE - LUST

ORANGE - GLUTTONY

YELLOW - GREED

BLACK - SLOTH

RED - WRATH

GREEN - ENVY

PURPLE - PRIDE

To punish the guilty, he created the Hole, a place where sinners are branded according to their sins. Sinners are forced to live a less than human existence in deplorable conditions, under the watchful eye of guards who are ready to kill anyone who steps out of line.

Now, LUST wraps around my neck like thick, blue fingers, threatening to choke the life out of me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit, and the Hole is my new home. 

Review:

At first I did not know what to expect of this novel. I knew  it was some sort of a dystopian but nothing more than that.  I was genuinely surprised by how good this books is. It has all the qualities of a gripping read. 

The story grabs you from the first page and really takes you on this adventure in the Hole. It shows this dark and depressing world where people get branded according to their sin. The plot is very captivating and  well thought-out. There is a stong, emotional impact at certain point that made me feel uncomfortable reading it on the train due to some sort of rushing feelings. I did sense some revolution, propaganda and war  themes. Also what I liked is the fact the story isn't based off  the romance. It is well-done and is unobtrusive.

You can really relate to the main characters, specifically, Lexi. She is also the most developed one. She starts with being this weak personage who then becomes this strong, young woman willing to fight. I really enjoyed that change.

The writing style is unique and seamless. The two authors have blended without any problems, whatsoever. They are descriptive and have created this not so exuberant world. They have done their job.

'Branded' is an appealing and exhilarating red which will make you feel unsure of what is going and will keep you on the edge of your seat and just when things can't get more intense you fall of the chair. The writers have done a terrific job at explaining the plot and in small, but needed details.

Did you like the book? Are you excited for the next one? Makes ure to let me know in the comments down below. 

The second book in the series - 'Hunted' comes out in the summer of 2015.

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Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

STARFALL by BRENDA HIATT (Cover Reveal)

Cover Reveal for Starfall (Starstruck #4) by Brenda Hiatt

Pre-Order Dec. 10th, 2014

Release Date Feb. 24th, 2015 

STARFALL: The electrifying conclusion to the Starstruck series!

  

M, now Sovereign Emileia, has overcome incredible odds to save the Martian colony Nuath from destruction. But at what cost? Her soulmate Rigel has had all memory of her erased and is now on his way back to Earth. Without Rigel, life seems pointless but she’s expected to shake off her heartbreak and assume the responsibilities of leadership. Reluctantly, M does what she must until a glimmer of hope has her racing a quickly-closing launch window to return to Earth—and Rigel. Once there, she intends to do everything she can to restore Rigel’s memory and rekindle their love—if it’s not already too late.

Goodreads

About Brenda Hiatt:

Brenda Hiatt is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of twenty novels (so far), including sweet and spicy historical romance, time travel romance, humorous mystery and a new young adult science fiction series. In addition to writing, Brenda is passionate about embracing life to the fullest, to include scuba diving, Taekwondo, hiking, traveling, and reading, of course! Brenda collects data on writers' earnings, which she shares at her website, Website. Find more about her YA series at Starstruck Website
You can find Brenda on Facebook at and on Twitter at or subcribe to her newsletter at Subscribe

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I hope you have a great night/day and make sure to tell me what you think of the cover in the comment section down below. 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Review

The highly anticipated sequel to ' The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ' is a beautifully tragic and a visually stunning work of art.

The story picks up right where we left off with the previous movie with Katniss being full of regret

because she was saved instead of Peeta and the other tributes. It quickly evolves in this movie about a war and what it means with the underlying theme of the consequences of the games over Katniss and what PTSD can do to you.

Jennifer Lawrence brings a marvelous performance and successfully portrays this complex character.  One of the most memorable scenes was when she got back to District 12. We also see Josh Hutcherson a.k.a. Peeta go through many transitions and his acting has only improved since the first film. The newcomers,  Julianne Moore and Nataly Dormer are scene-stealers.

Many people,  including myself, we're afraid that 'Part 1' is going to be dull and boring. It was nothing whatsoever. The pacing was on point and the same goes for storytelling.

The director,  Francis Lawrence, has delivered the best experience you could possibly expect from the first half of the book. There is, in fact,  humor added which was missing in the previous installments. He had also done this remarkable job at expanding the universe with showing us more from the different districts. The CGI work is better than ever before and so are the cinematography and editing.

The score is also very fitting and has borrowed a few things from previous installments. The awaited 'Hanging Tree' song is very unique and got stuck into my head.

In short,  I can easily say this is the best book-to-movie adaptation and even surpassed the book in a few ways.  The acting and storytelling are phenomenal and the ending is sensational.  The film ends on such a high note and cliffhanger which leaves the fans yearning for the fourth and final installment of the series.

Make sure to let me know what you thought of the movie in comments down below. :)

                                                               Rating:
                                                        10 out of 10 stars

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Have you read "The 5th Wave" by Rick Yancey? If you haven't come back once you've read it.

If you haven't read "The Infinite Sea" yet the review will be spoiler-free.

I have been waiting for this book to come out for a long time. I read the prequel back in January I think and that cliffhanger just lurked me until I read this one.

I received this book on September 26th I started and finished it on the following day. It was so interesting and gripping that I couldn't put it down. It picks up where we left off and we get to see our favourite characters and we're introduced to some new ones.

Did I love this book? Not necessarily, but it was as good as I expected and I really enjoyed it. So many things happen and at the end you just don't know what and who to trust. The characters were just so realistic and relate-able. They were so believable and I just could help but love Cassie even more.

I also liked how it was thought-provoking, considering in this book happened a lot less things as opposed to the previous, 500-page book. The stakes got higher and things tighten even more and I felt I got more questions rather than answers but, hey, as long as there are answers in the next book I am okay.

My main problem was there wasn't enough of Cassie. She was there like half the book. There is a lot of action and plot twists. But the biggest one was not connected to Cassie but to Ringer. It is about the aliens and it's really mind-blowing. It just puts everything into question.

The characters develop but not as much as they did in the previous book. As I said there was, indeed, a lot of action but I felt something was missing. Maybe it's because the character's have changed enough in the prequel.

Also, there were lots of feels in this book. Like I was constantly nervous if someone will die. Rick somehow managed to emotionally drain me. Of course, this didn't stopped me from reading the book in less than six hours.

The writing was almost flawless. I could easily put myself into the character's shoes but sometimes I found some descriptions unnecessary. There is so much one can learn from this book. There are so many quotes and powerful messages.

Overall, it was a fast-paced book, filled with action and jaw-dropping twists. If you are like me and you liked the first book I can assure you won't be let down by this one and everything you know will be put into question.

                                    RATING: 94%

If you liked this review please share it, like it and/or subscribe to this blog! I really appreciate it. Thank you. :)

About the author:

Rick is a native Floridian and a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He earned a B.A. in English which he put to use as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Inspired and encouraged by his wife, he decided his degree might also be useful in writing books and in 2004 he began writing full-time.

Since then he has launched two critically acclaimed series: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, for young readers, and The Highly Effective Detective, for adults. Both books are set in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Rick lived for ten years before returning to Florida.

#SimonTeenChat with Ellen Hopkins and Stephen Chbosky

Have a burning question for New York Times bestsellers Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank and Rumble, & Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower? Now’s your chance to ask them!

Join @ellenhopkinsya & @stephenchbosky for an epic Twitterchat on Wednesday, 10/15 @ 5:30pm ET! Get the inside scoopon writing, reading & all things on YA lit by following @simonteen & tweet using the hashtag #simonteenchat.

About the Authors:

Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins is the New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks,Fallout, Perfect, Triangles, Tilt, and Collateral. She lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her husband and son. Hopkin's Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest pages get thousands of hits from teens who claim Hopkins is the "only one who understands me", and she can be visited at ellenhopkins.com.

Stephen Chbosky

Stephen Chbosky grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing Program. His first film, The Four Corners of Nowhere, premiered at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win Best Narrative Feature honors at the Chicago Underground Film Festival.