Blog Tour: Lobizona by Romina Russell Garber

Some people ARE illegal. 

Lobizonas do NOT exist.

Both of these statements are false.

Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who's on the run from her father's Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.

Until Manu's protective bubble is shattered.

Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past--a mysterious "Z" emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.

As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it's not just her U.S. residency that's illegal. . . .it's her entire existence.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. No payments made between me and the publisher.

I've been eyeing this book since I saw it on Twitter and I am surprised to get an advanced copy. I am so thankful for this. I am so thankful for the extra free time due to quarantine. In all honesty, I am not much of a fan of werewolves stories because the previous books I've read didn't catch my attention that much - first impressions right? Anyway, this book is really different! It has this charisma where you just want to read it. I love the book cover as well, it is attracting and the illustration is really awesome.

Lobizona, it started with a very interesting chapter. It got me hooked easily and it was honestly hard to put down the book. All I wanted is to turn the pages until I get to know all the mysteries hiding from the story. How will the character discover her true self? What would be her reaction? What is her future? Things like those are in my head until I was able to discover the answers in the book. I liked how the story were made, the twists of the story was shocking especially that one near the end. I didn't expect that turn.

Manu is the main character in this story and she only wanted to live normally. She's been hiding all her life with her Ma and all she wanted is to become a citizen so she won't be discriminated and no more hiding from the authorities. But, her life changed in an instant when she discovered some of the things about her life, her true nature and soon her future. There are other interesting characters as you go along, Catalina, Saysa and Tiago are some of Manu's close friends who helped her discover herself. Every character are interesting and the power they poses is something else. They might not know their full capacity yet but it does sound like promising and amazing. Also, isn't it cool that they have a school for werewolves, witches and other creatures? I seriously can't wait for everyone to fully discover their true nature especially Manu she recently discovered hers and I'm curious what else can she do. How powerful can she be?

"Our trust in each other is the only thing they can't take from us."

Before I end this, I do suggest that this book is really worth reading. I'm excited for the next one and the book twist is really something I didn't expect. I have a feeling that Book 2 will be more exciting! Also, more Tiago and Manu story.

My Rating

Romina Garber is a NYT/International Bestselling YA author who also writes under pen name Romina Russell. Born in Buenos Aires and raised in Miami, Romina currently resides in Los Angeles but would much rather be at Hogwarts. As a teen, Romina landed her first writing gig—“College She Wrote,” a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core. For more information about her books, follow her on Twitter/Instagram: @rominagarber.

Book Review: Me Myself & Him by Chris Tebbetts

When Chris Schweitzer takes a hit of whippets and passes out face first on the cement, his nose isn't the only thing that changes forever. Instead of staying home with his friends for the last summer after high school, he's shipped off to live with his famous physicist but royal jerk of a father to prove he can "play by the rules" before Dad will pay for college.

Or . . . not.

In an alternate time line, Chris's parents remain blissfully ignorant about the accident, and life at home goes back to normal--until it doesn't. A new spark between his two best (straight) friends quickly turns Chris into a (gay) third wheel, and even worse, the truth about the whippets incident starts to unravel. As his summer explodes into a million messy pieces, Chris wonders how else things might have gone. Is it possible to be jealous of another version of yourself in an alternate reality that doesn't even exist?

With musings on fate, religion, parallel universes, and the best way to eat a cinnamon roll, Me Myself & Him examines how what we consider to be true is really just one part of the much (much) bigger picture.

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. No payments made between me and the publisher.

I've seen this book from Facebook and Twitter so, when I got the chance to request this on NetGalley, I really didn't think twice and try to get a copy and, it's an honor to have my request granted. I was really curious about this book since from the start, as far as I remember, I haven't read a book with an alternate universe yet (and if I do, it's not a lot since I can't remember LOL). Anyway, this book was a good read. It made me realize some things personally especially when I'm thinking about life and what's the worse thing that could happen...right? 

I like the characters, especially Chris. I feel like you really traveled to his world and how he thinks. It's sort of confusing at some points but everything is good. I somehow can relate to his life about his dad though. I knew how hard things are and how to pretend everything is okay but it's not, and one day, it will just feel like everything is alright and things are working well. I think, there's no such thing as permanent when it comes to this. Good things happen, yeah?

"A problem is a problem, and when it's not addressed, it gets worse. Sometimes, that's not about the substances, but about the way our choices impact our relationships with other people. Everyone's here for their own reasons."

I really enjoyed reading this book, a parallel universe where you have other possibilities yet, both endings could turn out good or it could be the opposite but whatever is the outcome, I think, it all points back to the decisions we made.

Anyways, I am looking forward for more books from Chris Tebbetts. I really had a great time with this one and the book cover is interesting. I loved it. Once again, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity.

"I don't need every little thing to be predictable," she went on. "I know God has a plan for me, and that's very comforting."

My Ratings

Blog Tour: Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger

Kate Moreton is in Ireland on sabbatical from her teaching position at Dartmouth College when she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a fisherman and a veteran of the American war in Afghanistan. The Ferriter family history dates back centuries on the remote Blasket Islands, and Ozzie – a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States – has retreated to the one place that might offer him peace from a war he cannot seem to leave behind.

Beside the sea, with Ireland’s beauty as a backdrop, the two fall deeply in love and attempt to live on an island of their own making, away from the pressures of the outside world. Ireland writes its own love stories, the legends claim, and the limits of Kate and Ozzie’s love and faith in each other will be tested. When his demons lead Ozzie to become reckless with his life—and Kate’s—she flees for America rather than watch the man she loves self-destruct. But soon a letter arrives informing Kate that her heroic husband has been lost at sea, and Kate must decide whether it is an act of love to follow him or an act of mercy to forget.

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. No payments made between me and the publisher.

I've been honored to be part of this book tour so I'd take this opportunity to thank the publisher for the invite and for sending this book in exchange of an honest review.

As you all know, I have the habit of not reading the blurb fully, I will just read the book and wait for that feeling of wanting to continue or stopping and not finishing the book (so far this doesn't happen much). For Seven Letters, the moment I read the first few chapters I fell in love with it already. I feel like reading and traveling with the character at the same time. The way the sceneries and people were described in the book, I feel like I am actually there. I haven't read a book that has featured Ireland until this one and I felt giddy, I guess I should put that as my travel destination in the future. The book is beautiful.

I enjoyed reading each characters as well, especially Kate and Ozzie. Can this book be a movie? I'd love to watch them in the big screen. Reading their story is just amazing. You know, meeting a stranger and falling in love in a new place where people doesn't know anything about who you are. Their story was impossible for my mind to grasp but of course stories like this really happen in real world right? It's just beautiful and it's like a fairy tale story. Also from the book, the challenge of what will happen in the future hangs in the air but Kate and Ozzie with their dog Gottfried are just enjoying the present. Future will come for them but together, they will face it. Kate is a sweet lady who decided to visit Ireland to continue her research while Ozzie, is the grandson of one of the rich people in Ireland, he was once a soldier but he decided to quit and stay in Ireland. The story of Kate and Ozzie are pretty much one of a kind.

On a serious note, I do hope this really become a movie. I think it would be beautiful in the big screen. The book is already a masterpiece what more if we're watching it right? Also, I would love to see who will be Kate and who will be Ozzie.

My Ratings

JP MONNINGER, author of The Map that Leads to You, is an award-winning writer. He has published novels for adults and teens and three works of nonfiction. The New York Times Book Review has said of Monninger that he “comes to writing with his five sense wide open”. His work has appeared in American Heritage, Scientific American, Readers Digest, Glamour, Playboy, Story, Fiction, The Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated and Ellery Queen, among other publications. He has twice received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and has also received a fellowship from the New Hampshire Council for the Arts. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso, from 1975-77. He is a Professor of English at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire where he lives in a converted barn near the Baker River.

Book Feature: Shadowland by Robert B McKnight

BLURB:

Shadowland is a book about stretching your imagination into another universe that's here on our own planet. There are creatures that live among the world's population, without detection. What happens when ordinary people come face to face with them?

In the 1990s, a dark discovery was made deep in the shadows below Raymond and Sandy Watson’s quaint little home in Cleveland, Ohio. Ray and his band of cohorts; he was not sure if they all qualify as friends; delve deep into the Shadowland to discover its secrets. In the process of pursuing the mysteries below Ray’s rec room, they battle with issues of greed, friendship, loyalty and love while trying to outsmart and outrun death. Some are winners. F.L.I.C.K.E.R. Some are losers.

FLick…er…

Wanting more from Shadowland than they initially obtain, Ray’s group enlists the help not of hired mercenaries, but a team of experts from E.F.F., Environment First and Foremost, and archaeologists from the Cleveland Natural History Museum. Everyone was searching for treasure but for very different reasons, some for the historical perspective of finding ancient artifacts and others, like Ray, for the pure power of the riches. Team leaders Laura Hatch and Bernie Edelman command the excavation with volunteers from the museum led by the minuscule Dr. A. E. Slattery and a team of Cleveland State University archaeology students led by the tall beanpole Professor Engstrom. What they find does include a long list of archaeological treasures, but also death and darkness in Shadowland.

The group’s journey into the world of science fiction reveals a secret world that they try hard to understand. They must work together to preserve not only their own lives, but perhaps the fate of the world. In the present day, does Shadowland still exist in the depths of the earth?

FLICKER…….

- - - BOOK EXCERPT - - -

Ray stood transfixed, inside a ring of fire. He was looking up at a giant statue. In all his childhood nightmares, in all the fire and brimstone preaching he had endured as a child, in all of his adult life, he had never imagined the ugliness that towered above him. The stone creature was gigantic...forty, fifty feet, maybe more in height. The feet of the beast were cloven. The body nude and muscular. The face was frozen into a sneering smile. Long flowing tangled locks adorned the head, crowned by what looked to be horns from the ground level. The statue seemed to stare down on this mere human with an arrogant air, despising the puny surface creature at its feet. Ray had trouble focusing on the statue, with the fires surrounding the stone Goliath flaring to new heights. Ray had to squint to get a better look at the face. Wait!!! What was that flash? Ray tried to lock out the devilish dancing flames from his view. He tried to ignore the demonic shadows that darted about, just out of reach and conscientiousness. He tried to concentrate on the face staring down in disdain. “There it goes again,” he said out loud. The right eye of the beamouth gleamed when the flames hit just right... not gleamed, sparkled. The right eye sparkled like a diamond.

ROAR...FLASH....FLICKER....FADE...FAde...fade.....fade.. 

Amazon BUY link

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1691087599/

Robert B. McKnight has had a long and varied life.

Bob is a 1958 graduate of The College of Wooster with courses at Case Western Reserve University and Illinois University. He served in the U. S. Air Force as a recreation specialist and combat defense air policeman. He was stationed in Texas, Montana, Illinois and as far as Reykjavík, Iceland.

He has written articles for magazines, written humorous greeting cards for American Greetings, designed a brochure and catalog for an industrial sales company, sold advertising and written for The Cleveland Press newspaper. Most recently he has written, produced and directed commercials for an ad agency including one that was Emmy-nominated.

To round out the various types of employments, he has also spent some time bottling produce in a factory, driving a tour bus and selling appliances .

In the theatrical world, Bob started out by winning a play-writing award in college. He has now directed over 100 plays and shows and written five produced plays and musicals. He was the director of the Willoughby South High School drama department for several years.

Bob is a sports enthusiast that currently lives in Ohio with his wife Carole not far from daughter Michelle's family of five and son Douglas' family of three. He coached softball for 14 years and basketball for 4 years in youth league. He enthusiastically follows all Cleveland sports teams, plus Ohio State football.

Author Website: https://themcknightmares.wixsite.com/mysite/books

Book Feature: The Dragon's Rising (Ancient's Armor, #1) by Nathan Ayersman

Falkier Inalumin has spent the past six years imprisoned by the king whom he had served under as a scribe. He hadn't attempted to escape even when the opportunity arose until one night when a stranger comes to break him out of prison at knifepoint.

After his escape, he is granted the power of the Dragon Sword, a weapon imbued with the power of one of the Ancients who created the world. He is also tasked with assembling a suit of armor imbued by the rest of the Ancients so that he may kill Rakar Gorxand, a man who had been granted a set of armor by the Ancients which was corrupted by the evil he was chosen to eliminate.

On this first leg of Falkier's journey, he becomes a mercenary, learns a sword style which allows him to fight without sight, and faces off against a man with the power to weave the fabric of the universe.

 

--- BUY LINKS ---

Paperback copy | Kindle copy

--- EXCERPT ---

The men woke early the next morning. Swagin had drunken himself stupider the night before, so Falkier and Jofalk had needed to haul the Dhorn into a room above the tavern. They doubted that he would notice they had paid their bill from his pocket with an additional small fee for themselves. The burly man’s face showed the wearying effects of the previous night as he and Jofalk saddled their mounts in the light of early dawn. Falkier would have offered to help out except that he had no idea how to prepare an Aoun for travel, and the tavern owner’s young son was helping Jofalk with his bay.

Watching the men get ready to leave, Falkier pondered over all that had happened in the last two days. He’d been rescued from prison by a mysterious man, became an accomplice to the deaths of six men, been saved from being captured or freezing to death in the woods twice, joined a band of mercenaries, and received a sword from his dreams. The sword was slung over his shoulder, a weight that was becoming more familiar than when he had woken with it the previous morning. He was still unsure how it had gotten there. If his dream was to be trusted, it was a sword given to him by the Ancients, but for what purpose? And why had they picked him? Though his imprisonment had been unjust, he was still an escaped prisoner and far from the most moral person in the world to deserve such an honor.

The cloth wrapped around his hand was stained with blood. The X-shaped wound had started to scab over, but he kept the cloth on it in case it opened again. He had been perturbed when he discovered that it had been ultimately unnecessary and would mean nothing if he was rejected by The Archer, but Swagin had been adamant that Falkier would be accepted since he needed to repay a debt. Jofalk had asserted that, as Archer’s protégé, he could convince their leader to accept a new member. The Archer could be very welcoming to people when he wanted to be, and Jofalk knew how to hit his soft spot. Falkier held onto that idea as he mounted Olorn with Swagin.

The Bronze Bulls mercenary guild was located in an abandoned stronghold a day’s ride northeast, so they hoped to get there by nightfall to allow The Archer to evaluate him. According to Jofalk, Archer had started the Bronze Bulls not long after Falkier had been imprisoned following a botched assassination attempt. After narrowly escaping with his life, Archer’s reputation as the perfect assassin was marred and nobody would hire him. He had been training Jofalk for years and decided to expand his horizons by bringing together a group of young non-nobles who had shown the potential to be great warriors. Swagin had been the first recruit and had been initially paired with Jofalk to help him acclimate to the mercenary life. Upon seeing how well they complemented each other, they were permanently made a team, and The Archer modeled his following choices after them. Since then, the Bulls had slowly grown to a point where it could compete with other mercenary guilds.

The Bulls competitive edge stemmed from their ability to be customized to the task at hand. Whereas most mercenaries were simply strong-arming fighters, every member of the Bulls had a skill that they specialized in, like spying or robbery. Jofalk’s specialty was assassination at range while Swagin’s skill was unarmed combat. As a unit, they could handle most combat situations, which is why they were given their escort mission. The two were also sent on missions where the employer seemed unlikely to pay, as both made more than adequate debt collectors. 

Blog Tour: Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan

BLURB:

When a powerful viceroy arrives with a fleet of mechanical dragons and stops an attack on Anlei’s village, the villagers see him as a godsend. They agree to give him their sacred, enchanted River Pearl in exchange for permanent protection—if he’ll marry one of the village girls to solidify the alliance. Anlei is appalled when the viceroy selects her as a bride, but with the fate of her people at stake, she sees no choice but to consent. Anlei’s noble plans are sent into a tailspin, however, when a young thief steals the River Pearl for himself.

Knowing the viceroy won’t protect her village without the jewel, she takes matters into her own hands. But once she catches the thief, she discovers he needs the pearl just as much as she does. The two embark on an epic quest across the land and into the Courts of Hell, taking Anlei on a journey that reveals more is at stake than she could have ever imagined.

With incredibly vivid world building and fast-paced storytelling, Stronger Than a Bronze Dragon is great for readers who are looking for something fresh in epic fantasy.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. No payments made between me and the publisher.

Stronger Than A Bronze Dragon, is one of the challenging books I've read. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but at some point I had a hard time finishing it. I think it's because I get distracted a lot when reading it. I really liked the book cover too! It's catchy and I do love dragon related covers and books. I need to find this in our local bookstore soonest. 

I guess, this book is something new to me that it got a hard time catching my attention. I think this is the first book I've read for this year with a Chinese plot as well. I just love the idea of it being modern with a mix of old era. The book itself is enjoyable to read on it's own way. I was curious on Anlei's journey, I knew deep in my mind that she has more potential in her, she's more into strength and her father was a soldier, I wonder what would it take for her to protect her family and her place. Then, a switch in her life happened when the viceroy comes into the picture and that's what makes the whole book more exciting as well because real adventure happened. I liked the twists and turn of the story and I didn't expect the ending until after Anlei & Tai's journey. The book was full of surprises. Anlei and Tai's team was actually fun. I liked their chemistry and I liked how they annoy each other. Well I think, there's so many friendships or relationships that starts from there but still, I think it's cute. Aside from that, I liked the small hints on the book both characters are in denial but fate speaks in a different way.  

Anyway, despite the challenges on reading the book, I actually enjoyed it. Although the ending is not a cliffhanger, I am thinking if there will be more story about Anlei and Tai. I really liked both of them and their partnership. 

"Many choices come down to love or hate. Choose love, every time."

My Ratings

Mary Fan is a hopeless dreamer, whose mind insists on spinning tales of “what if.” As a music major in college, she told those stories through compositions. Now, she tells them through books—a habit she began as soon as she could pick up a pencil.

Mary lives in New Jersey and has a B.A. from Princeton University. When she’s not scheming to create new worlds, she enjoys kickboxing, opera singing, and blogging about everything having to do with books.

Blog Tour: Bright Burning Stars by A.K. Small

BLURB:

Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure.

But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. No payments made between me and the publisher.

I saw this book on NetGalley, I got curious right away. I honestly don't know much about ballet because to me it sounds so girly. I never tried enrolling to one of the ballet schools either. I just know that this type of dance is beautiful I always imagine watching one live though, maybe I will try one day.  Also, in our family, only my youngest sister tried having ballet classes when she was in grade school and I go with her practice sometimes. Watching those little kids dance are the cutest thing ever.That's my little memory about ballet but to me this book is interesting enough to catch my attention. The blurb actually got me, I was curious on what will happen to Marine and Kate. Friendships and sacrifices, I wonder what would win?

Ballet, friendship and ambition, in my opinion, these three are the main focus of this. Bright Burning Stars is a good book, fun to read and of course there are some parts that you will annoy you like any other books made, but that's what makes it exciting right? There's no such thing as a perfect character. The book shows us what would happen once the ambition takes over and clouded our heads. Things you do for something you badly wanted to achieve? it could be insane plans. I liked the main characters; Marine, she's kind, innocent and amazing. She sacrificed some parts of her because she wanted to honor Oli, her twin. She's the best friend of Kate and they both liked the same person, Cyrille the Demigod. Her other best friend is Luc who looks after her every single time. Kate, she's kind but ambitious. She's from USA and will do anything to fit in, to be number one. She's a different kind of trouble. Marine & Kate had a pact, that no matter what happens they will stay together, but with every thing that happened in the ballet school, every challenges, things are getting shadowy. The real question is that, will they still regain friendship or will it be destroyed? That's what the readers needs to find out. To me, the book is sort of challenging because there are some terms that I had to Google because, like I mentioned earlier, I am not really familiar with ballet.

Anyhow, Bright Burning Stars is a good young-adult book. This is the first book of A.K Small and I suggest this to people who likes dancing, music, ballet etc. I enjoyed and learned a lot of terms from this book though. I can also imagine their movements like I'm watching them live. 

Lastly, I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and of course A.K Small for this amazing book. I am looking forward for more A.K Small books. 

My Ratings

A.K. Small was born in Paris. At five years old, she began studying classical dance with the legendary Max Bozzoni, then later with Daniel Franck and Monique Arabian at the famous Académie Chaptal. At thirteen, she moved to the United States where she danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet for one summer in Seattle and with the Richmond Ballet Student Company for several years. She’s a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her husband, her puppy, and her three daughters, and practices yoga. Bright Burning Stars is her first novel.

 aksmallwords.com | Twitter: @aksmallwords |
Instagram: @aksmallwords

Twitter: @camelle_r | Instagram: @homeofabooklover

Blog Tour: This Is Not a Love Scene by S.C. Megale

BLURB:

Lights, camera—all Maeve needs is action. But at eighteen, a rare form of muscular dystrophy usually stands in the way of romance. She's got her friends, her humor, and a passion for filmmaking to keep her focus off consistent rejection...and the hot older guy starring in her senior film project.

Tall, bearded, and always swaying, Cole Stone is everything Maeve can't be. And she likes it. Between takes, their chemistry is shockingly electric.

Suddenly Maeve gets a taste of typical teenage dating life, but girls in wheelchairs don’t get the hot guy—right? Cole’s attention challenges everything she once believed about her self-image and hopes for love. But figuring this out, both emotionally and physically, won't be easy for either of them. Maeve must choose between what she needs and what she wants, while Cole has a tendency to avoid decisions altogether. And her failing lungs might not wait for either.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. No payments made between me and the publisher.

This Is Not a Love Scene is one of the cute stories I've read so far. The story was simple and straightforward. I enjoyed reading this book as well, curious on what will actually happen to Maeve being the lady-in-the-wheelchair and what are her adventures in this book.

I could say that the book is inspirational for every reader. Despite Maeve's situation she knows what she wants, she pursue her dreams and she actually get what she likes. She's fighting with fate and dictating her own path. She's amazing in her own way and she actually didn't let anyone pull her down. Some things might be difficult for her but she thinks positively and her friends and family help her achieve what she loves. What's a little off for me is that, she likes someone so much that I feel like it was one sided. To me, Cole was the type of person who is hard to read. His actions, the way he talks, it was mysterious. Cole to me is like the complete opposite of Maeve, that's not a bad thing though, it's cute. 

The story focuses on how Maeve overcome all her trials, high school life, friends, love life and family. It is actually worth reading. I got hooked on it. If I see a physical copy here I'd definitely get one. I the book cover is simple too. I like how it was designed plus it is blue! That's one of my favorite color. LOL. 

Also, I would like to add before I end my review, I do LOVE the concept of the book. I think this is the first book I've read that focuses on filmmaking. I totally enjoyed how Maeve directs her characters. In my head, it's like watching a movie about some play. 

I'm looking forward to more S.C. Megale books and thank you for letting me be part of this blog tour. I really enjoy everything.

"The thing was, to notice something, you need to at least look at it."

My Ratings

S. C. MEGALE is an author and filmmaker. She's been profiled in USA Today, The Washington Post, and New York Newsday, and has appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” and the CBS Evening News for her philanthropic and literary work. As a humanitarian, she's spoken on the USS Intrepid, at the NASDAQ opening bell, and to universities and doctors nationwide. She enjoys making connections all over the world.

Megale was raised in the long grass of the Civil War, hunting for relics and catching fireflies along the banks of Bull Run. A shark tooth, flutes, and a flask are some of the items that hang from her wheelchair, and she had a fear of elevators until realizing this was extremely inconvenient. She lives with her family which includes her parents, sister and brother, service dog, and definitely-not-service dog.

This is Not a Love Scene is her first published novel.

Blog Tour: Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

BOOK BLURB:

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy..

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. No payments made between me and the publisher.



Wicked Saints caught my attention the moment I saw it. I read the blurb and I was so eager to start reading it until I come across this blog tour and I didn't hesitate to join. To be honest, I am so glad I did take part of this blog tour. It is a great opportunity. Also, I fell in love with the cover, I badly want to have a physical copy of the book.

This book doesn't have idle time. I mean, the first chapters are already exciting, a bit confusing at first but as soon as you keep reading, you will get hooked! I can't stop reading chapter every chapter. I was curious about Nadya's power and who are the gods she's talking to? How strong she is and what else can she do? What are the things she's willing to sacrifice for her gods? The next chapters are even more exciting, she met the prince who tried capturing her. She met Malachiaz, a mysterious boy who lives in Tranavia together with two Akolans. She'd been part of a small group until their one goal was to destroy Tranavia. The war that was going on for centuries must be stopped, but the real question here was "how to stop the war?" This book have so much actions that I really enjoyed and of course the magic, the way they casts their powers are interesting to know.

Aside from their exhausting journey to Tranavia, I liked the little romance at the side. The story itself was intense and all you wanted to know was, what will happen next but the romance made it chill and of course spice up the story. The twist of it is what makes my heart ache for Nadya. With all the things happened around her, what would be her next move? I am looking forward to the sequel. I don't read much series type of books but this next book of Something Dark and Holy series is much awaited.

I'd like to give a round of applause to the author Emily Duncan for this lovely book. I enjoyed every part of it. I loved the revelations, the book contains so much. I'm sad that it ends for now but, also happy for finishing a good story. More books please? Also, thank you to the book tour organizer for letting me be part of this. I had a great time. I'm looking forward to working with you all again.

My Ratings

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L A P T E V A

Horz stole the stars and the heavens out from underneath Myesta’s control, and for that she has never forgiven him. For where can the moons rest if not the heavens?
—Codex of the Divine, 5:26


“It’s certainly not my fault you chose a child who sleeps so deeply. If she dies it will very much be your fault, not mine.”

Startled by bickering gods was not Nadya’s preferred method of being woken up. She rolled to her feet in the dark, moving automatically. It took her eyes a few sec- onds to catch up with the rest of her body.
Shut up!

It wasn’t wise to tell the gods to shut up, but it was too late now. A feeling of amused disdain flowed through her, but neither of the gods spoke again. She realized it was Horz, the god of the heavens and the stars, who had woken her. He had a tendency to be obnoxious but generally left Nadya alone, as a rule.

Usually only a single god communed with their chosen cleric. There once had been a cleric named Kseniya Mirokhina who was gifted with unnatural marksmanship by Devonya, the goddess of the hunt. And Veceslav had chosen a cleric of his own, long ago, but their name was lost to history, and he re- fused to talk about them. The recorded histories never spoke of clerics who could hear more than one god. That Nadya com- muned with the entire pantheon was a rarity the priests who trained her could not explain.

There was a chance older, more primordial gods existed, ones that had long since given up watch of the world and left it in the care of the others. But no one knew for sure. Of the twenty known gods, however, carvings and paintings depicted their human forms, though no one knew what they actually looked like. No cleric throughout history had ever looked upon the faces of the gods. No saint, nor priest.
Each had their own power and magic they could bestow upon Nadya, and while some were forthcoming, others were not. She had never spoken to the goddess of the moons, My- esta. She wasn’t even sure what manner of power the goddess would give, if she so chose.
And though she could commune with many gods, it was im- possible to forget just who had chosen her for this fate: Mar- zenya, the goddess of death and magic, who expected complete dedication.

Indistinct voices murmured in the dark. She and Anna had found a secluded place within a copse of thick pine trees to set up their tent, but it no longer felt safe. Nadya slid a voryen from underneath her bedroll and nudged Anna awake.

She moved to the mouth of the tent, grasping at her beads, a prayer already forming on her lips, smoky symbols trailing from her mouth. She could see the blurry impressions of fig- ures in the darkness, far off in the distance. It was hard to judge the number, two? Five? Ten? Her heart sped at the possibility that a company of Tranavians were already on her trail.

Anna drew up beside her. Nadya’s grip on her voryen tightened, but she kept still. If they hadn’t seen their tent yet, she could keep them from noticing it entirely.

But Anna’s hand clasped her forearm.

“Wait,” she whispered, her breath frosting out before her in the cold. She pointed to a dark spot just off to the side of the group.
Nadya pressed her thumb against Bozidarka’s bead and her eyesight sharpened until she could see as clearly as if it were day. It took effort to shove aside the immediate, paralyzing fear as her suspicions were confirmed and Tranavian uniforms be- came clear. It wasn’t a full company. In fact, they looked rather ragged. Perhaps they had split off and lost their way.

More interesting, though, was the boy with a crossbow silently aiming into the heart of the group.
“We can get away before they notice,” Anna said.

Nadya almost agreed, almost slipped her voryen back into its sheath, but just then, the boy fired and the trees erupted into chaos. Nadya wasn’t willing to use an innocent’s life as a distraction for her own cowardice. Not again.

Even as Anna protested, Nadya let a prayer form fully in her mind, hand clutching at Horz’s bead on her necklace and its constellation of stars. Symbols fell from her lips like glow- ing glimmers of smoke and every star in the sky winked out.

Well, that was more extreme than I intended, Nadya thought with a wince. I should’ve known better than to ask Horz for anything.

She could hear cursing as the world plunged into darkness.

Anna sighed in exasperation beside her.

“Just stay back,” she hissed as she moved confidently through the dark.

“Nadya . . .” Anna’s groan was soft.

It took more focus to send a third prayer to Bozetjeh. It was hard to catch Bozetjeh on a good day; the god of speed was notoriously slow to answer prayers. But she managed to snag his attention and received a spell allowing her to move as fast as the vicious Kalyazin wind.

Her initial count had been wrong; there were six Tranavians now scattering into the forest. The boy dropped his crossbow with a bewildered look up into the sky, startling when Nadya touched his shoulder.

There was no way he could see in this darkness, but she could. When he whirled, a curved sword in his hand, Nadya sidestepped. His swing went wide and she shoved him in the direction of a fleeing Tranavian, anticipating their collision.

“Find the rest,” Marzenya hissed. “Kill them all.” Complete and total dedication.

She caught up to one of the figures, stabbing her voryen into his skull just underneath his ear.

Not so difficult this time, she thought. But the knowledge was a distant thing.

Blood sprayed, splattering a second Tranavian, who cried out in alarm. Before the second man could figure out what had happened to his companion, she lashed out her heel, catching him squarely on the jaw and knocking him off his feet. She slit his throat.

Three more. They couldn’t have moved far. Nadya took up Bozidarka’s bead again. The goddess of vision revealed where the last Tranavians were located. The boy with the sword had managed to kill two in the dark. Nadya couldn’t actually see the last one, just felt him nearby, very much alive.
Something slammed into Nadya’s back and suddenly the chilling bite of a blade was pressed against her throat. The boy appeared in front of her, his crossbow back in his hands, thank- fully not pointed at Nadya. It was clear he could only barely see her. He wasn’t Kalyazi, but Akolan.

A fair number of Akolans had taken advantage of the war between their neighbors, hiring out their swords for profit on both sides. They were known for favoring Tranavia simply because of the warmer climate. It was rare to find a creature of the desert willingly stumbling through Kalyazin’s snow.
He spoke a fluid string of words she didn’t understand. His posture was languid, as if he hadn’t nearly been torn to pieces by blood mages. The blade against Nadya’s throat pressed harder. A colder voice responded to him, the foreign language scratched uncomfortably at her ears.

Nadya only knew the three primary languages of Kalyazin and passing Tranavian. If she wasn’t going to be able to com- municate with them . . .
The boy said something else and Nadya heard the girl sigh before she felt the blade slip away. “What’s a little Kalyazi as- sassin doing out in the middle of the mountains?” he asked, switching to perfect Kalyazi.

Nadya was very aware of the boy’s friend at her back. “I could ask the same of you.”

She shifted Bozidarka’s spell, sharpening her vision further. The boy had skin like molten bronze and long hair with gold chains threaded through his loose curls.

He grinned.

“Emily A. Duncan was born and raised in Ohio and works as a youth services librarian. She received a Master’s degree in library science from Kent State University, which mostly taught her how to find obscure Slavic folklore texts through interlibrary loan systems. When not reading or writing, she enjoys playing copious amounts of video games and dungeons and dragons. She is represented by Thao Le of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.”

Review/Rating Policy: I am a creature of many strong wills and book opinions so I only rate books I deeply adore. Everything else is just marked as read.

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