Salvage Blog Tour

*Where did you get the inspiration for Salvage?

Some of my inspiration for Salvage – the portions aboard the merchant crewe ship where Ava lives in particular – came from growing up as a preacher’s daughter in a small, rural church. In the town where I lived, everyone knew everyone, and there were very strict expectations about behavior, especially for girls. I wanted to write about the phenomenon of women simultaneously being put on a pedestal, yet also treated as weak or incapable, but when I tried to write about it in a contemporary setting, it felt tired and flat. I’ve always been a huge science fiction and fantasy fan, though. I believe those are some of the best genres for reframing real-world issues in a different light. So in 2009, I wrote a short story called “Bad Matter” that was published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Part of that story took place aboard Ava’s ship, the Parastrata. When I finished the story, I knew I wanted to keep exploring that world. Salvage grew out of that desire.

* Is this a stand alone? If not, can you give us any hints for the sequel? If so, what's next for you?

Salvage isn’t part of a series, but I do have a companion novel in the works. It picks up the story of Miyole, who is a little girl in Salvage, when she is a teenager aboard a research ship. I have to be a little bit mysterious about it at this point, though.

*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

Ooh, I’m really bad at this, but it’s so much fun. Okay, for Ava I’d pick America Fererra. I loved her in Real Women Have Curves and Ugly Betty. For Perpétue, I’d pick Lupito Nyong’o, and for Miyole, Amandla Stenberg, who played Rue in The Hunger Games. (Actually, I think she’s a teenager by now, but this isn’t real and she was an adorable kid.) Soraya would be Gina Torres from Firefly, because nothing is complete without Gina Torres. Now for the love interests. For Luck, I’d pick Richard Madden, who plays Robb Stark in A Game of Thrones, and I think Dev Patel would make a good Rushil. Have you seen how cute he is in glasses?

*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

I haven’t really had any bad experiences thus far. I started out writing short stories in my early 20s, which helped me when I moved on to novel-writing and trying to find an agent. I’ve certainly had my share of rejections and rewrites, but those things are part of the process and ultimately made me a better writer. What I have struggled with is juggling writing, my full-time job as a librarian, and grad school classes.

*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

I ate up Rachel Hawkins’s Hex Hall novels, and I also loved Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, by Lish MaBride, which I just found out has a sequel. Both of those series have a great mix of creepiness and humor that reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. As far as recent titles, I really liked Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, by April Tucholke, and The Madman’s Daughter, by Megan Shepherd.

*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

I love worldbuilding. I like bringing together music, myths, traditions, clothes, and food to make a believable culture, and I like reading stories in the worlds other people have created, as well.

*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

One time I went hitchhiking on the switchback mountain roads of the Alpujarras in southern Spain. My friends and I were trying to make it to the next town over in order to catch a bus back to Granada. The roads there were only wide enough for one car at a time, with a sheer face on one side and a thousand-foot drop on the other. Going around curves usually meant putting your foot on the gas and laying on the horn so anyone coming in the opposite direction could pull off into the ditch. The driver that gave us a ride had a Bristish pickup truck with a steering wheel on the right hand side of the cab, which meant he had almost zero visibility of oncoming traffic. Thankfully, we didn’t die in a horrible crash or get axe murdered, and we caught the bus on time.

*Finish this statement: "You'll like Salvage if...

. . . you like character-driven stories or science fiction based in sociology and medicine.

Thanks Alexandra!

Author Info:

Alexandra Duncan is a writer and librarian. Her short fiction has been published in several Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy anthologies and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Her first novel, Salvage, is forthcoming from Greenwillow Books in April 2014. She loves anything that gets her hands dirty – pie-baking, leatherworking, gardening, drawing, and rolling sushi. She lives with her husband and two monstrous, furry cats in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Representation by superagent Kate Schafer Testerman of KT Literary.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Info:

Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.… 

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Early Review: Stone Cold by Devon Monk

Stone Cold by Devon Monk

Broken Magic #2

Marked by Life and Death magic, Shame Flynn and Terric Conley are “breakers”—those who can use magic to its full extent. Most of the time, they can barely stand each other, but they know they have to work together to defeat a common enemy—rogue magic user Eli Collins.
Backed by the government, Eli is trying to use magic as a weapon by carving spells into the flesh of innocents and turning them into brainless walking bombs. To stop him, Shame and Terric will need to call on their magic, even as it threatens to consume them—because the price they must pay to wield Life and Death could change the very fate of the world...and magic itself.

It seems impossible, but prior to diving into STONE COLD I had almost forgotten how much I love Shame. As I've said before in previous reviews, he's so broken and really has such a bleak outlook and yet he always tries so hard to not let the Death part of him take over. And when he slips up he's so devastated that my heart only breaks even more for him. It's because of that attachment that a lot of this book made me very angry. Being in Shame's head you see how damaged he is, and just how determined he is to use his abilities for good and not let the dark take over. BUT there's times where his control slips and he tries to get away from the people around them to keep from hurting them. But they never listen, and only make it so much more difficult for him, which led to a few bad, bad slipups, and yet these people wanted to cry foul and act like he was a monster. He warned them, and they didn't listen so they only have themselves to blame, and it really broke my heart to see the suffering and self-hatred he went through. That being said, never fear, there is a good bit of character growth and resolution in this book as it is the last one in the series, so it's not all doom and gloom completely. There's hope, and sometimes that's really all you need.

Speaking of growth and resolution, we saw a little bit of this in the last book, but the dynamic between Shame and Terric plays an even bigger role in this book and I couldn't have been happier. I had been dying to know how these two would resolve their issues and find a way to manage some sort of middle ground and I'm so glad I stayed along for the very long ride between both series to see it. That being said, this book was by far the bumpiest of rides between them, and yet somehow it brought them even closer and that much needed clairity seemed to finally be in reach.

While I'm sad to be saying goodbye to all of these much loved characters between the two series, I'm very happy with the way things ended up. Things aren't all happiness and roses, but I was definitely left feeling a sense of satisfaction and completion that felt true to the story. All I can say is trust me, if you are as big of a fan of Shamus and Terric as I am, this book is absolutely not to be missed. I can't wait to see what Ms. Monk cooks up next!

(Received a review from the publisher)

Rating:

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Other reviews:
     BiblioSanctum

Previous Books:
     1. Hell Bent

Circle of Blood Blog Tour

*Where did you get the inspiration for Witch Hunt series?

I was speaking at a convention in Salem and I absolutely fell in love with the town and all its fun stores filled with witch-centric souvenirs. The town has managed to turn the dark history of the Witch Trials into a modern day tourist heaven. While I was there I had the sudden thought that if you were an actual coven of dark magic practitioners that this town would be the perfect place to hide. That was the genesis of the idea for the series.


* Since this is the last book in the series, what's coming next for you?

I always have several projects in the works. I’m pleased to announce, though, that I’m doing a trilogy of supernatural books retelling the Robin Hood legend with my friend and co-author James R. Tuck.


*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

My husband and I love playing this game. Who would you cast? For the Witch Hunt series I could totally see Amanda Righetti (Grace Van Pelt from The Mentalist) in the lead role of Samantha. Her captain would be played by Jackie Earle Haley because I think he’s a brilliant actor and I’d happily cast him in all the films made of my books. Samantha’s wise-cracking partner would be played really well by Adam Baldwin (Firefly, Chuck)


*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

That’s a very broad question! Every writer has their share (often more than their share) of ups and downs in this crazy business. One of the lows was in 2003 when my co-author and I found out that our publisher didn’t want to publish a fifth Wicked book to resolve the cliffhanger we left book four on. For years they said no until one day they suddenly said yes. The series had surged in popularity several years after it was initially published. That whole thing was a crazy roller coaster and one of the highest points was the day I got the call from my editor congratulating me on making the NYT Bestsellers list for a book that had already been in stores for a little over 6 years!


*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

I love anything written by Nancy Holder or James R. Tuck.


*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

My books are almost always about people triumphing over the darkest of circumstances. I believe that evil exists but that light always conquers the darkness. I write about that all the time.


*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

I have to say this one is so incredibly hard to answer because a lot of crazy things have happened to me in my life! I can tell you, though, that I have had a wide variety of cool experiences. For example, I’ve ridden on top of a horse, a donkey, a camel, an elephant, and.... a manta ray! When I was five my parents took me on a trip to Tahiti. My dad and I rowed out into the ocean in a canoe and we were quite a ways out when we felt something bump the bottom of the boat. We looked over the sides trying to see what could have hit us but couldn’t see anything. We were bumped again, harder. We looked over the side and saw only darkness for a few seconds until suddenly we saw this massive flash of white and realized that there was a manta ray directly below our boat and that he had just turned over to expose his underside. He then bumped up under the boat again. He was much larger than our boat and he lifted us clear out of the water so we were just balanced on top of him! It was very thrilling! He carried us along for a little ways before setting us back down and taking off.


*Finish this statement: "You'll like the Witch Hunt series if...

you love picking up a book and not being able to put it down until you’ve finished it.
Thanks Debbie!

Author Info:

Debbie Viguié is the New York Times Bestselling author of over a dozen novels including theWicked series and the new Crusade series co-authored with Nancy Holder. Much of Debbie’s writing has a dark edge to it, including her retold fairy tales, her latest being Violet Eyes, a retelling of The Princess and the Pea. In addition to her epic dark fantasy work Debbie also writes thrillers including The Psalm 23 Mysteries and the upcoming Kiss trilogy. When Debbie isn’t busy writing she enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, visiting theme parks. They live in Florida with their cat, Schrödinger.

Find Debbie Online:

Website Blog Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Book Info:

Samantha Ryan—cop by choice, witch hunter by necessity—is about to confront the witch who has been secretly manipulating her life. But her search for the truth about her past may end in her death.…

All her life, Samantha Ryan has been haunted by a circle of blood, which she has tried to keep at bay—ever since she escaped a vicious Salem coven of witches as a child. But now her carefully constructed life has given way to the darkness she might have embraced, had she not run away.

Angry, focused, and more than willing to use her powers on anyone who gets in her way, Samantha travels to New Orleans to confront Lilith Black, the witch who has been mercilessly shaping events around her for months.

But little does Samantha know that her own nightmarish past and Lilith’s are inescapably intertwined—and that what Lilith wants most of all is for Samantha to suffer until her final breath.… 

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Kirsten Reviews: The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield

The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield by Jack Campbell

Lost Stars #2

New York Times bestselling author Jack Campbell returns with the next chapter in the overthrow of the Syndicate Worlds’ oppression…

Following a successful coup, the leaders of the rebel Midway Star System struggle to forge a government free enough to please its citizens yet strong enough to secure power. But in a world where former rulers have become new foes, an alien threat to humanity may turn old adversaries into uncertain allies.

General Artur Drakon knows three words describe someone who confides in a Syndicate CEO: Stupid. Betrayed. Dead. Despite his misgivings, he partnered with another former CEO to overthrow Syndic forces. Now, with an enigma fleet menacing their hard-earned independence, he can ill afford to trust her—or lose her support.

President Gwen Iceni believes Midway is humanity’s defense against the enigmas. Syndicate training taught her self-preservation in a crisis, yet she’s determined to fight for the star system’s fate…even if it means joining forces with Drakon—and an officer of the hated Alliance.

Their plan places the Midway flotilla at great risk in hopes of greater reward: recruiting the personnel necessary to man warships against the enigmas. But before facing the alien advance, Drakon and Iceni must survive hidden dangers closer to home: all-too-human threats that could jeopardize Midway’s freedom…and their own lives.

The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield by Jack Campbell, the alias of John G. Hemry, a retired United States naval officer is the second in The Lost Stars series. This series is actually a spinoff from the other ten books in his Lost Fleet continuity. Suffice to say, if a reader hasn’t read any of the previous novels, this is not where they should start. Unfortunately, it’s also not a very strong installment in the series.

Campbell’s books are, as whole, great for anyone who wants the drama of intergalactic battles but doesn’t want to waste much time with learning about the characters that populate the stories. In Perilous Shield, the decreased number of space battles means that the lack of character development is painfully obvious.

The first book in this series introduced readers to a group of ex-Syndicate Worlds officers. They come from a culture that excels at Borgias-esque behavior. Paranoia, assassinations and conspiracy are the norm, but somehow they all pulled together in order to build an independent star system and that could withstand their enemies. This premise would seem ripe for rich characterization against a political and intergalactic landscape.

However, characters such as Colonel Rogero, officer of the ground forces, President Gwen Iceni and Alliance liaison officer Captain Bradamont, who has a romantic history with Colonel Rogero are little more than cut outs and move through the story without having much effect on it, or each other.

This issue is later compounded with an operatic turn that would fit in well on daytime television, and two of the women take on the sort of rivalry that only seems to crop up in books written by certain male authors, and the book loses whatever credibility it sought to build for this series.

Space battles are all well and good, but nobody should have to put up with such ridiculous and unnecessary drama all for a few exploding spaceships.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

Rating:

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Other Reviews:
     PG's Ramblings

Previous Books:
     1. The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight

Stone Cold Blog Tour

*At what point in the Allie Beckstrom series did you know you would write Shame's books?

I think it was somewhere around book six when I knew Shame would be fun as a point of view character. But I also knew his path was leading toward pretty dark things, and I wasn't sure readers would be interested in a flawed, but (I hope) loveable character going through some of the hardest times of his life. When one particular reader (and Shame fan) asked me a particular question, Shame's books snapped into focus for me. That was probably when I was writing book #8 in the Allie series: Magic Without Mercy.

* Since this is the last book in the series, what's coming next for you?

House Immortal, book one of a new trilogy comes out September 2nd! My editor calls it "Allie Beckstrom meets Firefly" and I hope I have captured the essence of that. I call it my Frankenstein farm girl, near-future, gently dystopic, steampunk-light, not-quite urban fantasy, save-the-world fantasy series.

*If your books were to be made into a movie, who would be your top picks for the cast?

Oh, man. I suck at this question because I don't keep up with movies stars like I should. So...I'm going to say....cool people. Cool people should totally be the characters from my books. Or just one really cool person with a lot of wigs and costume changes.

*Could you tell us a little about the ups and downs you have experienced in publishing?

I started my publishing career writing short stories, which are a very different beasty than novels. After somewhere around six pounds of rejections, and several dozen sales, I decided to give novel writing a try. My first novel, in fact, is based off of a rejected short story.

I came into the urban fantasy genre when it was just picking up steam, and I feel very lucky to have had a chance to write the nine-book Allie Beckstrom series and the two-book Shame spin off series. I also have written three steampunk novels which blend magic, steampunk, and the old west, and now I'm writing a not-quite-urban fantasy near-future fantasy. So to say I'm a fan of the rise of cross-genre work is an understatement.

When I started in novels, ebooks were a fairly new thing, and we were all wondering if anyone would really read for pleasure on a hand-held screen. I've seen the fall of Borders, the closing of excellent genre magazines, the decline of mass market print orders, the rise of self and epublishing, the growth and death of various social media platforms, plus many, many other ups and downs in the industry.

But one thing that has remained constant is that good stories will always find their reader, and writers will always find a way to get those stories in their reader's hands.

*What are some of your favorite books in the paranormal genre?

I love Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series and Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series. I also think ML Brennan's American Vampire books are a great fresh take on vampires.

*If you could tell readers one thing about yourself or your books, what would that be?

That I am always unprepared and panic when people ask me this question. Um: kumquats! For some reason I have never found a way to work kumquats into my books.

*What is the craziest or at least most interesting thing you have ever done?

Maybe not all that crazy, maybe not that interesting...is silly okay? I recently spent one night gnome-bombing my friends and family. Basically, I snuck to all their houses in the middle of the night and anonymously left random gnomes in their yard.

*Finish this statement: "You'll like the Broken Magic series if...

You like dark heroes who are flawed but doing their damndest to make sure their loved ones stay safe in a crazy world filled with crazy magic that is trying to kill them. Or maybe you'll like it if you are tired of reading books with all those kumquats in them.

Thanks Devon!

Author Info:

Copyright Diane Beals Photography 2010-2011

Devon Monk spent her early childhood tucked behind couches or any other place with low light, “ruining her eyes” and reading. Her love of fairytales turned into a love of adventure, magic, future science, romance, mystery, humor, noir, and anything else she could get her hands on.

Devon has sold over fifty short stories to fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, and young adult magazines and anthologies. Her stories have been published in five countries and included in a Year’s Best Fantasy anthology.  In 2010, Fairwood Press published twenty-two of her short stories in a collection titled: A Cup of Normal.

She is currently writing two series.  The Allie Beckstrom books (Magic to the Bone, Magic in the Blood, Magic in the Shadows, Magic on the Storm, Magic at the Gate, Magic on the Hunt)  are urban fantasy set in modern-day Portland, Oregon where magic is the new technology.  The Age of Steam books (Dead Iron) are steampunk set in the 1800′s American West.

Devon has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She lives in Oregon and is surrounded by colorful and numerous family members who mostly live within dinner-calling distance of each other. When not writing, Devon is knitting strange things, remodeling the house-that-was-once-a-barn, or hosting a family celebration.

Find Devon Online:

Website Blog Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Book Info:

Marked by Life and Death magic, Shame Flynn and Terric Conley are “breakers”—those who can use magic to its full extent. Most of the time, they can barely stand each other, but they know they have to work together to defeat a common enemy—rogue magic user Eli Collins.

Backed by the government, Eli is trying to use magic as a weapon by carving spells into the flesh of innocents and turning them into brainless walking bombs. To stop him, Shame and Terric will need to call on their magic, even as it threatens to consume them—because the price they must pay to wield Life and Death could change the very fate of the world...and magic itself. 

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Waiting on Wednesday (190)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights an upcoming release we are greatly anticipating.

Our pick this week:

Rebel - Reboot #2
by Amy Tintera
Publication Date: May 13th, 2014
Pre-Order:



The sequel to the action-packed Reboot is a can't-miss thrill ride, perfect for fans of James Patterson, Veronica Roth, and Marie Lu.

After coming back from death as Reboots and being trained by HARC as soldiers, Wren and Callum have finally escaped north, where they hope to find a life of freedom. But when they arrive at the Reboot Reservation, it isn't what they expected. Under the rule of a bloodthirsty leader, Micah, the Reboots are about to wage an all-out war on the humans. Although Wren's instincts are telling her to set off into the wilderness on their own and leave the battle far behind, Callum is unwilling to let his human family be murdered. When Micah commits the ultimate betrayal, the choice is made for them. But Micah has also made a fatal mistake . . . he's underestimated Wren and Callum.

The explosive finale to the Reboot duology is full of riveting action and steamy love scenes as Wren and Callum become rebels against their own kind.

Early Review: Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

SALVAGE is more of a dystopian in space rather than a true scifi, and that worked well for me. I'm one of those funny people that absolutely love scifi movies, but the same can't typically be said for books. So, I do have to admit that I went into this book with a little trepidation. But luckily that was unnecessary as this book focused much more on the social and controlling issue of the world rather than the space and tech. The book goes through several settings as it progresses as it moves along with Ava's progression, and I really enjoyed seeing the different social implications in each. It was like a dystopian x10 different situations all in one world, and it definitely made things interesting.

Unfortunately however interesting the world building was, the story at the core is very character driven, and while I loved Ava and getting to see her progression, the romance did absolutely nothing for me. I just didn't get the ridiculously instalove between Ava and Luck, and despite thinking they were betroved, at one point in the book I literally said out loud "Are you kidding me!?" and had to re-read that section to make sure what I read actually happened. Then as you know by the blurb, Ava is exiled and stays incredibly hung up on Luck for no reason that I could figure. But that in itself was one thing, but then surprise surprise another boy comes into play which left me sighing. It just felt forced to me, and I would have largely preferred one of two things. Either Ava had gotten over her girlish extreme crush on Luck early on to allow for real development with dude #2. Or dude #2 should have just stayed in the friend zone. But as it was, it just didn't work for me.

I did have another complaint that kept me from enjoying SALVAGE as much as I would have liked, and that's the "off" dialect. I realize that this was probably done to convey just how different these people are, but honestly their lifestyle and control factors would have done that more than enough without adding in the confusing dialect. Perhaps I'm being picky, but considering how long it took me to go with the flow of it, I feel it's worth mentioning. So as I said, I loved the world building and the main character's progression but the romance and strange dialect didn't work for me, making this a solid three read. That being said, for a debut SALVAGE was pretty impressive and I'll be on the lookout for more from this new author. 

(Received a copy from the publisher via Edelweiss)

Rating:

Pre-order:

Other Reviews:

     Ivy Book Bindings

     Dark Faerie Tales

     Litslut

Covet March Releases & Giveaways

Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.


Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's March releases:

Sex and the Single Vamp by Robin Covington

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Cici Trent, vampire and media darling, spends her days finding true love for humans and supernaturals (the “Others”) at her dating agency. But someone is trying to sabotage her business and she needs help. Unfortunately, the best man for the job is the one who broke her still-beating heart two hundred fifty-four years ago.


Deacon is a patient vampire. He’s only loved one woman in over three hundred years— CiCi— and she chose another. So when she shows up in his office asking for help, he finally has the chance to lay that demon to rest. He’ll help her, but for a price—a night in his bed.


Adrenaline, mischief, and a little late-night B&E light the passion that even a couple of lifetimes couldn’t put out. But Deacon has a secret and when Cici is suddenly mortal, his deception might be the only way restore her immortality. Can love bridge the gap between a heartbeat and forever?

Find Out More!

Love and Other Cosmic Nonsense by A.D. Marrow

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Breaking it off with her long-time non-magical boyfriend, Evan, was for his own good. At least that’s what Maggie Owen tells herself. After all, a witch and a human can have no future together. Her vision told her so. But now it seems the universe is exacting revenge for upsetting the balance of what “should be” and her heart is telling her she was wrong.

Evan Jackson can’t believe his bad luck. It’s been a year since Maggie broke his heart, and now his business partner has hired her as their new receptionist. Fine, they need the help. But no way will he let her get close again. He can’t take another heartbreak from the woman he still dreams about, even if it feels like there’s still a magical pull between them.

Being in the same building with Evan is a start, but it’s going to take more than Maggie’s special talents and a wink to get the hard-hearted bad-boy to see that love is really more than just cosmic nonsense and set the universe back into balance.

Find Out More!

Also don't miss:

January's releases, Love At Stake and Haunt Me, are on sale for only for a limited time only! If you missed out before, now's your chance to snap them up at just $0.99 each!

(Click on the covers to grab the limited time deals)

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Monday Wrapup (190)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading, hosted by Book Journey, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Reviews for the past week:


Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam (Release Day Review)

"When I first read the blurb for this book I was really excited to read it as it seemed like it would be right up my alley. That being said, ELUSION had the makings of a really great book, but the elements never seemed to come together and were never fully formed as much as I would have liked"

Other Posts:

The Taking by Kimberly Derting was featured for Waiting on Wednesday.

Upcoming List:

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan (Early Review)
Stone Cold by Devon Monk (Early Review)

Kirsten Reviews: The Lost Stars: Perilous Shield by Jack Campbell

Review: Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam

Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam

Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.

A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.

Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.

Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.

Suspense, thrills, and romance fuel this near-future story about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world, and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.

ELUSION has a really interesting premise. It's kinda like the Matrix with a conspiracy theory mixed in rather than robots. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the story was seeing everything unfurl and build upon itself, even if that building did become rather overwhelming at times. There were frequent sections of info-dumps and a lot of things required suspension of belief, but that's to be somewhat expected in this type of book so I didn't mind too much as the world was very well fleshed out, almost to the point of being a character itself as everything revolved around Elusion.

So, what did all that heavy focus on the virtual world mean for the character development? Nothing good. I felt that so much time was spent on creating this world and the suspense involved in the plot line that very little was let over for the characters to shine. Every one of them, even Regan seemed to be two dimensional at best, which didn't lend to any attachment on my part. The romance was just as bad as things seemed very cookie cutter with her childhood friend suddenly having feelings for her when she suddenly becomes involved with a "bad boy." It just made things too predictable for my tastes.

When I first read the blurb for this book I was really excited to read it as it seemed like it would be right up my alley. That being said, ELUSION had the makings of a really great book, but the elements never seemed to come together and were never fully formed as much as I would have liked. Honestly it's books like these that are by far the hardest for me to review because on one hand it kept my attention enough for me to keep reading, and it had a good premise, but at the same time I cannot give it a glowing review as I never fully connected. Reading for me is an escape, so I want to be swept into the story and the romance from the very start. There's nothing more enjoyable than when you are reading something incredible that has sucked you so far in that you don't notice time passing. Unfortunately while I wasn't bored reading ELUSION, I also was in no way swept up in the story.

(Received a copy from the publisher via Edelweiss)

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