On Meredith’s Mind #6: An Interview With… Myself O.o

Hey everyone! It has been a LONG time since I last did a discussion post – Like, two years!!! And this isn’t even really a discusion post.. Just a fun thing I stumbled upon while cleaning out some old blog things. It’s an old interview I started (from March 2016) and never finished – mostly because I felt like my answers were stupid and like I’d embarrass myself with it. But I’m at a point where.. I don’t care? It’s a fun, goofy interview and I really want to share it with you guys!

This interview is based off a blogger challenge that Rachel @ Beauty and the Bookshelf created.

So yeah… Be prepared to be hit with hysterical laughter, because this is super cheesy and silly but it was also super fun and I hope you love it!

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What’s your name?
Princess Meredith, Future Queen of Wonderland, set to rule alongside Morpheus. Or maybe The White King, Jace… I’m not sure.. I’m conflicted… I CAN’T CHOOSE! *PANICS!!!!*

Okay, okay! Calm down, it’s fine.. You don’t have to pick!
*Beams*

Anyway… What’s your real name?
What… You don’t believe me? Where’s the trust, guys?!?! … Okay, fine. It’s just Meredith… Happy? *Glares*

Do you have an evil twin?
Nope! If I did, she’d be Princess Meredith, future queen of Ravka, ruling alongside the Darkling

Where in the world is your evil twin right now?
In Ravka, duh.

Ah, that’s not good.
I know, right?!? I should be there, ruling alongside Nikolai! *Pauses* No offense, Morph and Jace!

Right… Anyway, back to you. How old are you?
Umm.. I’m Twenty…*Incoherent muffling*

Well, then..
What?!? You got somethin’ to say?!?

No..
Good. Can we move on?

Um. Sure.. So, where do you hail from?
Somewhere outside of NYC.

Can’t you be more specific?
Nope!

Why not..?
Because…?

Okay then… Moving on. Do you have any pets?
A crazy-butt Havanese puppy!

Are you a vampire?
I’d tell you, but then I’d have to bite you… I mean… Wait, what…?

OMG, come on! Answer the questions!
Nope. I don’t wanna! *Stomps foot*

I’m starting to think your answer for your age should have been two, not twenty-something!
Hey! Watch it!

*Snickers*
*Glares*

I’m sorry, but…
I gave up on The 100 after… 4 episodes? In my defense, during season one, the CW was playing it two different nights and I kept forgetting which was the NEW episode night and I fell like 4 episodes behind and then I just threw my hands up and said “Forget it!” I know a lot of people LOVE it, so.. Maybe I’ll give it a second chance one day.. Maybe.

A pet peeve I complain about a lot…
Umm… I HATE a wet counter. Like in the kitchen and bathroom, after someone washes dishes or their hands? Yeah, I HATE when the counter is wet. Because if you accidentally lean into it or rest your hands on it, you get soaking wet! Yuck! (I’m weird, okay?)

Grammar/spelling things that bother me…
Oh, don’t even get me started…

Fun fact…
I collect shot glasses, but I basically don’t drink. I just love shot glasses. It’s fun using them as a way to remember places/events I’ve been/attended.

Chocolate or vanilla?
Peanut Butter!

But…
Fine.. Vanilla.

Okay, good!
But I still prefer peanut butter…

….
WHAT?!?!

Nothing… Moving on… Pop or coffee?
Well, where I’m from, we call it soda…

Just answer the damn question! Why does EVERYTHING have to be difficult with you?!?!
I’m NOT being difficult.. Just stating facts…

JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION… SODA (HAPPY???) OR COFFEE?
Umm… Fine… Soda! Preferably Coke :)

Something weird about me is…
I can curl my tongue, which grosses my parents out, hehehe!

Something I like that other people are grossed out by…
I like to eat a hamburger on a roll with mashed potatoes.

How is that weird…?
Well, I literally put the hamburger on a roll, cut it into bite size pieces, and eat it in one bite with the mashed potatoes. It’s comfort food when I feel blah.

But… A hamburger roll AND mashed potatoes?
I know.. It’s weird.. Apparently, I got the idea from my Uncle? Or so I’m told.

But…
Oh, shut up and move on!

Fine… A book I talk about a lot that probably annoys the crap out of everyone…
The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo! Leigh is Queen!

My favorite book is…
…Is this a serious question? How am I supposed to pick ONE?

Okay… Favorite of 2016?
..Seriously??!?!?! Just one?!?!?!?

Yes….? Come on, don’t make this difficult again!
Fine… Favorite book of 2016 (so far) is….
**The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons
**Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
**Glitter by Aprilynne Pike
**The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye
**Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

I said ONE
I COULDN’T PICK ONE!!! *SOBS*

This is awkward.. Please stop. It’s fine.
*Clears throat* Okay! Moving o- OH! Wait, I’m in the middle of A Court of Mist and Fury and I know I’m not done but IT IS EPIC! So I’ll count that, too.

*Face Palm*
…What?

Nothing, nothing. Moving on!
*Smiles sweetly*

I would fangirl so hard if I met…
Adelaide Kane. She plays Mary Queen of Scots on the CW show Reign and that’s my absolute newest obsession, so yeah… I’d especially freak out if I met her on the set, in costume/character *Heart-eye emoji*

My favorite show on TV is…
Favorite show that’s CURRENTLY airing?

Yep!
Duh… I JUST mentioned this in your last question… Reign, my newest obsession!! The Many Ships!! The Frary feels!!!!!!! Swoons sobs swoons sobs!!!!!!

I…. What?
Well, you’d know why if you watched the show!

Okay… Moving on… New TV show discovery?
Didn’t I just answer this TWICE with the above questions? Reign!!!! Frary!!!

Hey, no need to be rude! If you want, you can share your favorite TV shows of all time, too – not just currently airing ones!
Okay… Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, Roswell, Star-Crossed – just to name a few!

A few, huh…?
Yes, want me to keep going?

No, thanks!
Hey…!!!!

Favorite movie?
Scream! I love horror and Scream is my ultimate favorite scary movie!

Is this interview weird?
Very. I don’t usually talk to myself…

Are you sure? You do it so well, it seems like you must have had practice!
Hey now!

Hey now, hey noo-oooowwww…
…This is what dree-aams are made of!

I’ve got somewhere I belooo-oooong
I’ve got somebody to looo-ooove

*Duet* This is what dreeeee-eeeaaams are made of!

That was cool.. but weird.
Yeah, just a little..

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So yeah.. Haha! Hope you enjoyed my goofiness! Learn anything intriguing? Like any of the same things as I do? Let me know in the comments! And feel free to get in on the fun and interview yourself! Use my questions or make them your own! Just be sure to link back to this post, as well as to Rachel @ Beauty and the Bookshelf’s blogger challenge that started these shenanigans!

Review: My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows

Nov28

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows

My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows
Series: The Lady Janies #1
Published by HarperTeen on June 7, 2016
Pages: 494
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…

Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there’s something a little odd about her intended…

Gifford (call him G) is a horse. That is, he’s an Eðian (eth-y-un, for the uninitiated). Every day at dawn he becomes a noble chestnut steed—but then he wakes at dusk with a mouthful of hay. It’s all very undignified.

The plot thickens as Edward, Jane, and G are drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, our heroes will have to engage in some conspiring of their own. But can they pull off their plan before it’s off with their heads?

I finished this book ages ago and then fell into a reviewing slump. I’m FINALLY getting around to reviewing it now, but forgive me if I’ve forgotten some things and I’m not as eloquent as usual. I’ll do my best!

So… I waited WAY too long to read this book! I’m so sorry I didn’t read it when it first came out, because it was amazing. The history – though heavily fictionalized – was incredibly intriguing. The writing and dialogue were beyond perfect – never has a book made me laugh out loud as hard as this one! Though this was my first Jodi Meadows book, I’ve been a fan of Brodi Ashton and Cynthia Hand for a long time, so I knew it would be incredible just from being a fan of their previous books.

I’m normally very character-driven when I read, but I think I gave this book a bit more leeway in that department than normal because, while I loved the characters so much, I also felt a bit detached from them. Maybe because they’re real – if not slightly fictionalized – historical figures and it’s harder to get attached when you know – for the most part – their fates? I’m not 100% sure if that’s it or not, but I did still love the characters and I did still care about them and their fates.. Just in a bit more of a detached way.

If you’ve followed my blog and Twitter for awhile, you know one of my biggest current obsessions is Reign and Mary Queen of Scots. So, of course, her cameo was one of my absolute favorite things! Like, it was perfection. Of course, I completely pictured everyone at the French Court as their respective Reign characters, haha. But in all seriousness, I demand that Cynthia, Brodi and Jodi write a book about Mary Queen of Scots. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!!! NEED NEED NEED!!!!!!!

This book was also hilarious. The dialogue, the jokes, the horse. Yes, the horse. No, I won’t elaborate. Except to share this quote:

“Was that a horse joke?”
“Neigh.”

If that doesn’t convince you to read this, nothing will.

The ending was incredibly satisfying. And I’ve since learned that Cynthia, Brodi and Jodi are going to write more books, My Plain Jane and My Calamity Jane, both of which I’m SUPER excited for! But if we got a Mary Queen of Scots story…. *Coughs* Just saying…

Anyway, I highly recommend this if you’re a fan of Cynthia, Brodi and/or Jodi and their previous books. I also highly recommend it to fans of historical/fictionalized historical books.

Blog Tour: My Rogue, My Ruin by Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan (Promo Post)

Nov22

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be on the blog tour for My Rogue, My Ruin by Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan! Find out more about the book below and enter to win some seriously awesome prizes!

“Smart and fast-paced with plenty of steam! This writing duo is a powerhouse of talent!” – New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan

He stole their riches, she stole his heart

The Marquess of Hawksfield’s lineage is impeccable and his title coveted, but Archer Croft is as far from his indulgent peers as he can get. His loathing for the beau monde has driven him to don a secret identity and risk everything in order to steal their riches and distribute them to the less fortunate.

Lady Briannon Findlay embraces her encounter with the Masked Marauder, a gentleman thief waylaying carriages from London to Essex. The marauder has stirred Brynn’s craving for adventure, and she discovers an attraction deeper than the charming thief’s mask.

Brynn is a revelation, matching Archer in intelligence, wit, and passion. Stubborn and sensuous in equal measure, she astonishes him at every turn, but when someone sinister impersonates Archer’s secret personality, and a murder is committed, Archer begins to think he doesn’t stand a fighting chance without her.

~*~

Add MY ROGUE, MY RUIN to your Goodreads list here!

Get your hands on MY ROGUE, MY RUIN now:

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

~*~*~

Want to Win?

Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan have a couple of awesome items to giveaway! Check out the details on the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecoptergiveaway

~*~*~

About the Authors:

About Amalie Howard

AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 25 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts.

She is the award-winning author of several young adult novels critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Spring 2014 Kid’s INDIE NEXT title. Her debut novel, Bloodspell, was a #1 Amazon bestseller, and the sequel, Bloodcraft, was a national silver IPPY medalist. She is also the co-author of the adult historical romance series, THE LORDS OF ESSEX. As an author of color and a proud supporter of diversity in fiction, her articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in The Portland Book Review and on the popular Diversity in YA blog. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children.

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Tumblr

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About Angie Morgan

Angie is the author of several critically acclaimed young adult and middle grade books written under two other names (Page Morgan and Angie Frazier), and is now thrilled to be taking a much-anticipated leap into the world of adult romance. My Rogue, My Ruin is the first of three books in her new Lords of Essex series, co-written with good friend and fellow author, Amalie Howard. Angie lives in New Hampshire with her husband, their three daughters, and a menagerie of pets.

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Release Day Blitz: My Rogue, My Ruin by Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan

Nov21

MY ROGUE, MY RUIN is available now! Sexy and fun with a bit of Robin Hood and a badass heroine, you do not want to miss the first book from writing duo Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan. Find out more about it below and enter to win some seriously awesome prizes!

“Smart and fast-paced with plenty of steam! This writing duo is a powerhouse of talent!” – New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan

He stole their riches, she stole his heart

The Marquess of Hawksfield’s lineage is impeccable and his title coveted, but Archer Croft is as far from his indulgent peers as he can get. His loathing for the beau monde has driven him to don a secret identity and risk everything in order to steal their riches and distribute them to the less fortunate.

Lady Briannon Findlay embraces her encounter with the Masked Marauder, a gentleman thief waylaying carriages from London to Essex. The marauder has stirred Brynn’s craving for adventure, and she discovers an attraction deeper than the charming thief’s mask.

Brynn is a revelation, matching Archer in intelligence, wit, and passion. Stubborn and sensuous in equal measure, she astonishes him at every turn, but when someone sinister impersonates Archer’s secret personality, and a murder is committed, Archer begins to think he doesn’t stand a fighting chance without her.

~*~

Add MY ROGUE, MY RUIN to your Goodreads list here!

Get your hands on MY ROGUE, MY RUIN now:

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo

~*~*~

Get a sneak peek of MY ROGUE, MY RUIN:

“Why are you out here at this ungodly hour?” he asked.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied. “As well as why you are trespassing on private property.”

Archer smiled at her tone and leaned against a nearby tree, easing the weight of his injured ankle for the moment. There it was—the brief glimpse of the woman he’d met in Dinsmore’s carriage, not the quiet mouse he’d waltzed with. “Ah, but I believe this tree, right here,”—he slapped the trunk with a rakish grin—“marks the dividing line between my estate and yours. So technically, I’m on my property and you are on yours.”

Her eyes narrowed at his teasing before plucking up the tweed cap from where it lay on the ground and tugging it back into place upon her head. She then picked up the spent pistol and tucked it into the narrow, single holster gun belt looped around her waist. “No matter. It’s hardly any of your concern why I am out on my own land. Go on your way, and I’ll be on mine.”

His jaw dropped as she wound her fist into the horse’s bridle, loosely slung around its neck, and pulled herself deftly up onto the horse’s back. She sat astride in a way that made his pulse shorten. “Where is your saddle?” he managed.

She eyed him imperiously. “I don’t like them, not that it’s any of your business.”

“It isn’t safe,” he ground out, surprised by his sudden irritation.

“I’ve been riding without a saddle since I was a child,” she shot back. “I’m safer without one than I am with one.”

“As you were before you got thrown into the river?” Archer couldn’t resist taunting.

Her jaw jutted forward, a mutinous look in her eyes. She pressed her lips together, likely to stop herself from uttering something completely inappropriate. Perhaps one of the colorful words she’d been using while attempting to climb out of the gulch.

“And what if you were attacked by the masked bandit—again?” he continued. “Or haven’t you had enough danger for the time being?”

“I can protect myself,” she said.

“What with?” he asked before he thought of the clean hole in the boar’s forehead.

Briannon sighed dramatically. “Why, with my knitting needles, of course.”

Struck again by her lightning-quick wit, the short bark of laughter left his lips before he could contain it. “Pray, where was your pistol the other night when you were robbed?”

“In my knitting reticule, of course, where all ladies’ pistols are kept,” came her tart response. “I assure you, if I had my pistol, the outcome of that robbery would have been quite different.”

~*~*~

Want to Win?

Amalie Howard and Angie Morgan have a couple of awesome items to giveaway! Check out the details on the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecoptergiveaway

~*~*~

About the Authors:

About Amalie Howard

AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or being a tomboy running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 25 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts.

She is the award-winning author of several young adult novels critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Spring 2014 Kid’s INDIE NEXT title. Her debut novel, Bloodspell, was a #1 Amazon bestseller, and the sequel, Bloodcraft, was a national silver IPPY medalist. She is also the co-author of the adult historical romance series, THE LORDS OF ESSEX. As an author of color and a proud supporter of diversity in fiction, her articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in The Portland Book Review and on the popular Diversity in YA blog. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children.

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Tumblr

~*~

About Angie Morgan

Angie is the author of several critically acclaimed young adult and middle grade books written under two other names (Page Morgan and Angie Frazier), and is now thrilled to be taking a much-anticipated leap into the world of adult romance. My Rogue, My Ruin is the first of three books in her new Lords of Essex series, co-written with good friend and fellow author, Amalie Howard. Angie lives in New Hampshire with her husband, their three daughters, and a menagerie of pets.

Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

Blog Tour: The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons (Review + Villains Spotlight)

Nov15

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Blog Tour: The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons (Review + Villains Spotlight)

The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons
Published by Cerulean Books on November 7, 2016
Pages: 411
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

Allies, once inseparable, splinter until they break apart.

An insidiousness carves its way through Wonderland, challenging the land’s very existence.

Battle lines will be drawn as pages, long languishing in darkness, are finally illuminated.

Swords will clash, blood will be spilled, and lives will be lost.

For what is written can still be erased.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons! I’m very excited to be a part of this blog tour! I knew this book was going to be an emotional roller coaster because I’ve read all of Heather’s books. She’s amazing and her books are ALWAYS amazing and this series is ESPECIALLY amazing!!!!! But I also know she feeds on the tears of her readers, so I did my best to emotionally prepare myself… There was no emotionally preparing myself though… *Takes deep, shuddery breath*

So yeah… Without further adieu, I hope you enjoy my review! And after that, check out which villain I would like to see in the The Collectors’ Society world!

(REVIEW UPDATED 11/27/16)

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This book broke me so bad, I don’t even know if I can form coherent sentences. The feels were powerful and the emotions were strong and I’m still hurting from this book hangover, even though I finished this book eleven days ago*. (*As of when I updated this review on 11/27/16)

via GIPHY

So.. I mean, I don’t even know where to start. Or how to be normal and coherent in this review. There’s a good chance I’ll be a babbling fool, honestly… So let’s just begin.

Alice is fierce and brave and amazing. I love her in the modern world and I seriously ship her and Finn together, but she BELONGS in Wonderland. She is a true queen, a leader. And her leadership, guidance and strong hand are needed in Wonderland. Her people need her. And as much as I adore Finn – poor Finn… – I seriously think I ship her more with the White King. But maybe that’s just the part of me that ships royal couples and prefers Wonderland to modern-day NYC..?

I still absolutely adore Mary, but I’m still dying to see her in her own timeline *Stares at Heather…* My heart broke for her and Victor in this book, but I’m satisfied with where the story ended, though it was a rough path to the end!

The A.D. has become one of my new favorite characters! He’s changed so much and he’s such a comic relief, which is MUCH NEEDED, considering the hell Heather puts her characters through!

As for the Librarian is….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY CRAP HER IDENTITY REVEAL WAS INSANE AND OMG I CAN’T EVEN WITH THE TEASING AND THE HINTS AND THE RED HERRINGS AND HOLY CRAP!!!

via GIPHY

I mean I just.. I don’t even know what else to say at this point. Like… look at these review notes:

I mean.. I just… I can’t…. This book was emotionally exhausting in all the best ways. I’ve always highly recommended Heather and her books and I obviously highly recommend this book, as well as this series. I’m 99% sure this is my favorite series of all her books. The emotional roller coaster, the feels, the craziness – it WILL drain you. But by the end, you’ll be so satisfied, you won’t even care! That’s the magic of Heather Lyons and her epic stories. So yeah… GO READ THEM!

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Now for some fun!! We were asked to answer an intriguing question for this blog tour:

My answer: Ursula from The Little Mermaid (the Disney version)

via GIPHY

Ursula always creeped me out as a kid. Especially the scene depicted in the GIF above.. *Shudders* She’s so evil and vindictive.. Her hatred for King Triton fuels her desire to destroy Ariel.

via GIPHY

Ursula has NO redeeming qualities. She doesn’t just seek to destroy Triton by destroying his daughter. She ACTIVELY intervenes to make sure the mermaid princess can’t achieve her goal within the contracted timeframe.

via GIPHY

I think she would be a formidable foe for the Collectors’ Society team. She’s manipulative and cunning and her magic is fairly strong. with her ability to change her appearance, she can blend in and sneak right past them without them even knowing. Her ability to change her appearance also means she’s not limited to causing mayhem in the oceans – she can also access land.

Just imagine the harm she could cause, the catalysts she could destroy – or worse, warp with her magic into something evil… *Gulps*

via GIPHY

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PURCHASE PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES

THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Kobo

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THE HIDDEN LIBRARY Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Kobo | Nook

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THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo | Nook

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Heather Lyons is known for writing epic, heartfelt love stories often with a fantastical twist. From Young Adult to New Adult to Adult novels—one commonality in all her books is the touching, and sometimes heart-wrenching, romance. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon | Newsletter

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Spotlight Post: Redshift Rendezvous by John E. Stith (Interview + Giveaway

Nov15

Hey everyone! Today, I’m excited to share with you an interview with John E. Stith, as well as a giveaway for Redshift Rendezvous. First, here’s more about the book:

WARNING: Read This Guide Before Boarding the Redshift.

The environment aboard a hyperspace craft is quite safe as long as you are careful. The management reminds you that the speed of light on board this craft is ten meters per second (or about 30 million times slower than what you are used to). This means you will frequently encounter relativistic effects and optical illusions.

Aboard the hyperspace liner Redshift is a relativistic world of slow light and treachery. The first sign of trouble is the apparent suicide of a passenger. When the first officer discovers that she was murdered – he wants answers.

Before long, a desperate group of hijackers use the hyperspace liner to plunder a fabled colony – and only one man stands in their way.

Goodreads | Amazon

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And now for the interview! Enjoy!

Question:You’re re-releasing nine of your novels in just under a year! Can you share what inspired this decision?
Answer: Since originally published by Tor Books and Ace Books, most of these books were available in ebook form, but some haven’t been available in paper for more than a decade, so I felt it was time to correct that. ReAnimus Press specializes in bringing back SF that has been unavailable for a while (e.g. Jerry Sohl) and re-releasing works that have been in print all along (e.g. Ben Bova).

Question: You write both sci-fi and mystery – do you have a preference for one over the other?
Answer: I love both. Some of my work even blends the two. Deep Quarry features a private eye. The protagonist in Death Tolls is an investigative reporter. Naught for Hire is a futuristic private eye tale, Reckoning Infinity is a space exploration and Manhattan Transfer deals with a very unusual form of first contact– kidnapping.

Question: What are your initial thoughts when thinking about your book(s)?
Answer: I often start a book with a trio of concerns. First, is an emotional issue that’s currently important to me. Next is the kind of story I want to tell and then finally, I pick a setting that interests me and supports the first two elements.

For example, while writing Death Tolls, personal responsibility was an important issue for me. I had been on a Dick Francis kick and thought it would be fun to use a mystery plot that echoed some of his plots. And finally, a lightly terraformed Mars seemed an interesting backdrop. Redshift Rendezvous centers on a hijacking. REUNION ON NEVEREND is set at a high school reunion in a space-equivalent of a small-town environment.

Question: Any special research you had to do for these various titles?
Answer: I almost always wind up picking projects that require more knowledge than I already have, partly because I enjoy constantly expanding my horizons. Memory Blank necessitated knowing more about Gerard O’Neil-inspired L5 orbital colonies and Death Tolls required media and reporting research. Redshift Rendezvous also required research into relativity because most of the novel takes place aboard a hyperspace craft where the speed of light is ten meters per second. That means relativistic effects like redshift happen when people run. Flipping a light switch causes a room to slowly fill with light.

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And now for the giveaway! One winner will receive a copy of Redshift Rendezvous! To enter, simply leave a comment telling me why you want to read the book. Be sure to leave your contact email in the comment so I can contact you if you win!

Giveaway is US only, ends 11/21/16 at 11pm EST

PLEASE NOTE (11/15/16): FORMAT OF GIVEAWAY COPY OF BOOK (PAPERBACK VERSUS EBOOK) SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
***UPDATE (11/16/16): I’ve now confirmed the giveaway will be for an eBook version***

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Author Biography of John E. Stith:

John E. Stith is the author eight novels, including REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS, a Nebula Award nominee, and MANHATTAN TRANSFER, a Hugo Award Honorable Mention. Several of his works with Ace Books and Tor Books have been bought by the Science Fiction Book Club and optioned for film. He has optioned several feature-film screenplays, and has sold to television (Star Trek). Complete information on his works may be found at www.neverend.com. A photo is available here. During 2016 and 2017 his backlist is going to be re-released in trade paperback and all major ebook formats from ReAnimus Press. His “Naught for Hire” from ANALOG is the basis for the upcoming webisode series starring Ben Browder.

Website | Newsletter

Review: Glitter by Aprilynne Pike

Nov14

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Glitter by Aprilynne Pike
Series: Glitter Duology #1
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on October 25, 2016
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel - Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life.

Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.

When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.

Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.

But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

From the second I heard about Glitter, I was really excited to read it – it sounded amazing! And it definitely didn’t disappoint! It was crazy good, with an intriguing world, characters you hated to love and Aprilynne Pike’s epic writing. This book had me so enraptured, I barely took review notes, so apologies if this review is a bit rambly!

Like I said above, the world in this book was so intriguing! Modern-day outside the palace, 18th century France inside the palace – but with advanced technology. It was such a crazy mash-up that it worked beautifully and flowed seamlessly.

The characters in this book are not good people. They are selfish and self-serving and make horrible decisions that hurt other people. While reading, you’ll often find yourself asking, “Why do I care about them so much? They’re horrible! So why do I care?!?” The answer is… I don’t have an answer. But I did care – I cared what happened to them, even the manipulative and conniving characters.

Danica was horribly selfish, but I loved her (again, I have no idea why! Haha). She was bold, pushing to get what she wanted and needed in life. She didn’t care who she had to hurt and step on to achieve her goals. I’m still not sure how I feel about Saber, or their relationship. Sometimes I liked him, sometimes I didn’t. But he had a complicated past and I understand why he behaved as he did.

Molly was a great character. I wish Danica had trusted her more. I’m incredibly sad with the way her story ended. I also adored Lord Aaron. He was a good, loyal friend. Another character I loved was Giovanni. He felt like the only truly kind, selfless character in the book and I loved the relationship he and Danica had.

Justin was SO horrible, nasty and vindictive. I totally pictured him as Prince Theo from Guilt. Danica’s mom, Angela Grayson, wasn’t much better. I totally pictured her as Catherine de Medici from Reign.

The ending was CRAZY and INTENSE!! I COMPLETELY should have seen it coming – it was SO obvious. But it was still insane and I CANNOT wait to see what happens in book two! With the way things ended in book one, I’m eager to see where everyone’s stories go next. I HIGHLY recommend this book to fans of Pike’s previous books, as well as to those who love books set in the 18th century. This book was described as being Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette and it’s a spot-on description; so, if you like those things, you’ll LOVE Glitter!

Guest Review: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Nov13

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Guest Review: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
Published by Harlequin Teen on August 4, 2015
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-half-stars

Never date your best friend.

Always be original.

Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they’d never, ever do in high school.

Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he’s broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It’s either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.

Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they’ve actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.

A message from Meredith: Hey everyone! Today, I have Amber here with a guest review for Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid.

You can find Amber on Book Stacks Amber and on Twitter!

Without further adieu, here’s Amber’s review! Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~

Never, Always, Sometimes is the story of Dave and Julia. Before starting high school, they create a list of “Nevers,” things to never do in order to avoid become clichés. Flash forward three years to the start of senior year, when one of them rediscovers the list and Julia decides it’s time to tackle all of their “nevers.” The book revolves around this list, and that was my favorite aspect of the story.

Their story is told in third-person omniscient, which isn’t something I’ve seen very often in YA. It’s broken up into three parts:
Part One: Dave
Part Two: Julia
Part Three: Dave and Julia

Dave was my favorite character so I enjoyed his chapters the most. I thought the narrative style and the way the book was broken up into parts really worked well for this story.

Because the book revolves around Julia and Dave checking cliché experiences off their list, the story itself is full of clichés, which I thought was really interesting but I think some people who typically avoid YA contemporary for that reason wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. For example, one of the items on their never list is to never fall in love with your best friend. You can probably imagine where the story went. There is a love triangle but I thought it was handled really well. One of the things I really liked about this book is that the characters weren’t over the top and annoying. Sometimes I feel like teen characters in YA and written to be super dramatic people who overreact about everything. I felt like, for the most part, Dave and Julia were mature and had realistic reactions to the events that took place. There were times when I thought Dave could have spoken up more when Julia was enacting crazy schemes in order to check something off the list, but then maybe the story wouldn’t have been as entertaining.

The adults in the book didn’t have big roles, but I loved all of them and wish they’d had a bigger part in the story. Julia’s dads were both great, and it can be so hard to find healthy, supportive parent-child relationships in YA. Julia’s bio-mom is mentioned throughout the book, but didn’t lend much of anything to the story except to further explain/excuse Julia’s weird manic pixie dream girl persona and appeared and disappeared throughout the book. Julia tries to seduce one of her teachers for the sake of crossing an item off the Never list, and although I was cringing extra hard during those parts, and I wish we’d gotten to hear more from her teacher. Julia is SO MEAN to him, and although she later apologizes and they repair their relationship, I never got the closure I wanted from them.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but things took a turn that I was not expecting and it left me disappointed in everything that happened after. The POV the book was written in was interesting, but it always left me wanting to know more about what in the world the characters were thinking when they did something unexpected and out of the blue. Dave and Julia were the best of friends, so it was surprising that after a few terrible moments, suddenly they were completely unable to connect and understand each other. That wasn’t realistic to me and seemed out of character for them both.

Overall, I did enjoy the story but the second half dragged for me, and the ending didn’t give me the closure that I wanted. I think 20 more pages would have been enough to wrap up Julia and Dave’s story more completely.

Blog Tour: Infinity by Jus Accardo (Spotlight Post)

Nov12

Hey everyone! I’m so excited to share with you an excerpt from Jus Accardo’s Infinity!

There are three things Kori knows for sure about her life:

One: Her army general dad is insanely overprotective.

Two: The guy he sent to watch her, Cade, is way too good-looking.

Three: Everything she knew was a lie.

Now there are three things Kori never knew about her life:

One: There’s a device that allows her to jump dimensions.

Two: Cade’s got a lethal secret.

Three: Someone wants her dead.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks
Kobo | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Entangled Publishing Page

And now for the excerpt! Enjoy!

“Is that something people lie about around here?” His blue jeans were worn, pulled over battered black combat boots. The sole of the left one was peeling away from the shoe. Did he think he could slack because Dad wasn’t here? That no one would see him and report back? Even if they had permission to be in civies, there were strict standards. While off duty, a soldier had to maintain a neat, well-groomed appearance. This was more an outfit worthy of a high school rebel, which, honestly, this guy didn’t look much older than.

The one in the back pushed him aside and came forward. Black hair fell just below his ears and had a slight wave to it. It was fuller than normally allowed, not even close to regulation. On some of our previous bases, hair standards weren’t strictly enforced. But at Hannity, they were sticklers. High and tight. Those were the rules.

Like the other guy, he had on a leather jacket with black fatigue pants tucked into slightly worn combat boots. Unlike the first, though, this one had seen some trouble in his day. There was a thin scar on the left side of his face. It went from just above his eyebrow, down across his eye and to the tip of his chin.

My pulse spiked a little as his gaze raked over me. Down and up, then up and down, lips parting slightly. I didn’t go for greenies, but this one sent the butterflies in my stomach tripping crazy. It was the scar. It added character to his angular face, suggesting that maybe there was more than meets the eye. Or possibly it was the way he was looking at me. With a spark of hunger and something close to wonder in his expression. I’d never had anyone look at me that way. Like I was something mythical and rare. A creature that shouldn’t exist. I twisted, shifting so that the door obscured just a little more of me from his view.

He hesitated, focus still trained on me, and for a moment I thought he might poke me to be sure I was real. Clearing his throat, he finally said, “I’m Private First Class Cade Granger, and this is…” He paused to glance over his shoulder. “Recruit Noah Emeal.”

“A private and a fuzzy Really?” I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased or insulted. I mean, why bother sending supervision at all if you were going to scrape the bottom of the barrel?

“I promise you’ll be safe with us, Miss Anderson.”

Miss Anderson. Huh. Maybe there wasn’t more to this guy. He sounded just like the rest of them. Formal and uptight. “That right? So you’re here to save me from myself?” Because, really, that was the problem, right? I couldn’t be trusted to keep myself out of trouble.

“I’m not sure I understand.” He tilted his head to the left, confused, but didn’t take his eyes off me. In fact, if anything, his gaze grew more intense. It was like he and I were the only ones in the room. In the world…

“I’d really appreciate it if you could stop staring.” I snapped. “I can’t tell if you’re mentally trying to strip me, or contemplating which way to cook my skin for Sunday dinner. Either way, it’s creeping me the hell out.”

~*~*~*~

JUS ACCARDO spent her childhood reading and learning to cook. Determined to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a chef, she applied and was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America. But at the last minute, she realized her true path lay with fiction, not food.

Jus is the bestselling author of the popular Denazen series from Entangled publishing, as well as the Darker Agency series, and the New Adult series, The Eternal Balance. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald.

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~*~*~*~

And now for the giveaway! One winner will receive a $25 Amazon GC! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below!

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Guest Review: Lailah by Nikki Kelly

Nov12

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Lailah by Nikki Kelly
Series: The Styclar Saga #1
Published by Feiwel & Friends on October 7, 2014
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
two-half-stars

Over one million Wattpad readers have made Lailah a sensation!

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely Allie – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

A message from Meredith: Hey everyone! Today, I have Cas here with a guest review for Lailah by Nikki Kelly.

You can find Cas on Checkmate Reads and on Twitter!

Without further adieu, here’s Cas’s review! Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~

Alright, so where should I start with this one? It definitely felt like been there, done that. I really really wanted to like Lailah, I did. Sadly, I couldn’t. Everything just felt like another rift off of Fallen and Twilight. I love books about vampires and angels, so that wasn’t my real problem with the book. The paper characters and love triangle are probably what killed this whole book for me.

Let’s start with Lailah, shall we? I wanted to like her because how cool is it to remember parts of your past lives! She just seemed to me to be too flaky and materialistic for me. She was more worried about going shopping than she was trying to figure stuff out. When a conflict would arise, she would run before trying to sort out a better solution. Very disappointed in that aspect of our heroine. She just was not super relatable to me, and I need a stronger female character than what Lailah provided for me. I’ll fight for Aelin over Lailah anyday!

Ugh, so with any YA book about vampires and angels what else are we missing? A love triangle! Oh joy, more reasons for Lailah to not have her act together. So introduce Jonah, a bad boy vampire, and Gabriel, the ever overly attractive love of all my past lives main angel. Between these three and everyone else trying to get in on this love mess, it really starts to detract from what’s left of the plot. I would just like to put out a PSA that stalkers are not someone you want in your life, run away from them as soon as possible. Don’t let them in your bedrooms! YA tends to overly romanticize bad boys a bit too much, and I felt that Jonah crosses the line to way too creepy. Gabriel is just a jerk.

There was way too much insta-love for me. I prefer to see the relationship blossom and grow into something magical, like Hazel and Gus. I am a huge fan of angels and demons/vampires, and was a bit disappointed in the whole side dimension, not real heaven and hell type thing. Don’t use Angels if you’re afraid of also writing about the existence or absence of God.

I don’t seem myself reading the rest of the series, unless someone thinks that I’m missing out and it’s gotten way better! I do believe in book second chances. But for right now, I’m not super pleased. It sounds like the author had some good ideas, but the execution was not there. Definitely a better story if it’s just for Wattpad.

I would like to thank Meredith for sending me this ARC. I didn’t like it as well as I wanted to, but I’m at least owning up to that. I had such high hopes for this book. Just because I didn’t like it, doesn’t mean that someone else won’t. If you loved Lailah, I’m not dissing you or saying that you have bad taste in books, just that we have different preferences! If you loved it, then that’s great for you. Keep reading! I think I’ve ranted enough for now. :)