Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Review: The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian

The Wicked We Have Done
Author:Sarah Harian
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Publisher: Headline
Chaos Theory Book #1
ISBN13: 9781472218100
Genre: New Adult/Dystopian
Review Copy Source:NetGalley
Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she’s been sentenced to a month in the compass room—an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice.

If she survives, the world will know she’s innocent.

Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random.

She doesn’t plan on making friends.

She doesn’t plan on falling in love, either.

THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE was interesting. The whole premise of the story is what made me want to read it and it kept my attention. Evalyn is an accused killer who takes the option of going to The Compass Room to test her morality. While there she meets friends, falls in love and rebels against the prison that holds them all.

Evalyn doesn't think she will make it out of The Compass Room. She committed a horrible crime and as she is forced to relive it while waiting to finally be killed for it. We slowly learn the circumstances behind her crime and the role she played in it while we also meet the other participants and why they are there. You have a small idea of who will make it farther than others but things go hinky many times. You can guess pretty quickly who the romance is with. Although this character is a little bit younger than Evalyn they quickly become part of each others life's and fight to take care of each other. The characters all seemed well rounded. I had no problem liking Evalyn's allies and despising her enemies. The prison obstacle course was very Hunger Games like. There are tests, hallucinations, people bent on killing others but it was also unique in the sense of the technology used and its purpose.

I still had a lot of questions when the book was over and I can't decide if the author made it that way or if I missed something which is a tad frustrating. Depending on what I read when the blurb for A VAULT OF SINS is released I might read book 2.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

New Releases: 3/16-3/22


Tue March 18

 Elusion by Claudia Gabel, Cheryl Klam
 Storm Bound (Grim #2) by Dani Harper 

Happy Reading!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Dead Awakening by Rebekah R. Garniere

UFI welcomes Rebekah R. Garniere Author of Dead Awakening. Thanks for Joining us!!

Hi! I'm Rebekah. Thanx so much for having me today! My debut novel Dead Awakenings is an Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance about Deaders. A new form of Reanimated Undead.

I frequently get asked if I have a playlist I like to listen to when I write or if I write without noise. I have to have noise when I write. I have four kids that I home school and if there isn't noise around me I get antsy and think there's something wrong. I can't stand silence. Unless I'm asleep. I have to have total quite when I'm sleeping.

But when I'm writing I like to have the television on for noise, or I have a specific playlist. I've been listening to some of these songs for a long time. I've always loved music. I've been able to deal with emotions through songs before. It hits me hard. I cry to so many songs when I hear them, yeah I'm sensitive that way.

Anyway, since music touches me so deeply, I use it as a tool in my writing. I write Tortured Alpha Males and Kick Ass Heroines. I have no problems with the heroes. They actually are really easy for me to write. The heroines are a different story though. I have problems sometimes getting them to come across well. So I need a bit of help. And for that help, I turn to some tough and amazing singers.

Pink! Yes, Pink. She is my favorite tough, balls to the wall, all out female. Her music is strong, and inspires me to write hard hitting females who don't take crap from people. Even though they are sensitive inside.

Kelly Clarkson. I love her music. She has strong women songs, but she also has many touching songs that hit me deep, so I like the emotion behind her singing.

Katy Perry. I think she is great. Her songs are fun and uplifting and teach people to be who they are.

For strong males, I like Green Day, Live, Train, Imagine Dragons, Fun and several others.

My actual list looks like this:
Pink – Just Give Me a Reason
Kelly Clarkson – Dark Side
Train – 50 Ways To Say Goodbye
Christina Perri – Jar of Hearts
Pink – Bad Influence
Kelly Clarkson – Breakaway
Pink – U + UR hand
Sarah Bareilles – Brave
Katy Perry – Roar
Jordin Sparks – Battlefield
Imagine Dragons – Demons
Jean Simon – Cups
Passenger – Let Her Go
Green Day – 21 Guns
Pink – Try

I love music. If I had to choose between going blind and going deaf, I would choose to go blind. It would be tough, but I know I couldn't live without music.

Thanx a bunch for having me today! I hope that when you read my writing you can hear a bit of these songs in them. Feel free to let me know if you do, and what your favorite songs are, or what songs you write to.
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Rebekah grew up on both the east and west coasts and currently lives in the Los Angeles area. From the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to The Stand by Stephen King, Rebekah immersed herself in other people's made up worlds. She began writing in junior high and then found she liked pretending to be other people's characters in high school. Lettering in drama she went on to study theater in college as well. After college she continued acting till becoming a mom. Ultimately, she ended up going back to writing her characters down instead of acting them out, so she could stay at home with her kids.

Rebekah is a member of Romance Writers of America and is a board member of both the Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal and her local Los Angeles chapters. When she isn't spending time telling the lives of the characters constantly chattering inside her head, you can find her with her husband and four children; reading comic books, gaming, at the movies or taking care of the menagerie of pets. A dog, a rabbit, two bearded dragons, and three tortoises. Wonder woman, the escaped snake, has yet to be located.

Find Rebekah and her books
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Dead Awakening
Amazon BN ARe
Evaine, a struggling New York theater student, enters an unsanctioned drug trial in an effort to pay bills. She awakens in a derelict hospital, chained to a bed with no memory of who she is, or how she got there. A band of pale skinned men, led by the gorgeous Luca, burst in, whisking her away to safety.

Once at Haven House, Evaine is introduced to The Family. Like them, she has become A Deader, a reanimated Undead.

Luca is hell-bent on stopping the experimentations, and killing those responsible. He has no time for a Newborn who is struggling to control her rages, hunger, and powers. Nor does he have the desire to deal with the feelings she's awakening within him.

Despite their best efforts, Evaine and Luca find their connection intensifying when suddenly, she remembers not only who she is, but also her fiancé, Tristan; who is still looking for her.

Torn between her first love and her new heart’s desire, Evaine runs back to Tristan putting everyone in danger. When a rogue faction of Deaders, called Feeders, attempts to kidnap her, Luca suspects Evaine is the key to the experiments.

Can everyone band together to keep Evaine off the cutting table of those she escaped from? Or will second death tear her away from everyone, for good?
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Sunday, March 16, 2014

Week in Review: 3/9-3/15


Books I've Bought/received

* The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa- eARC- Netgalley

* Deliver Me by Kate Jarvik Birch- eARC- Netgalley

* Frozen Desires by Jessie Donovan- eCopy- Author

Books I've Read

Luck of the Dragon by Susannah Scott
Fashionable Dead by Robyn Peterman
Twisted Miracles by A.J. Larrieu
The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Reviews Posted

Fire & Blood by Victoria Scott
Blaze of Secrets by Jessie Donovan
Spirited by Mary Behre
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

*Monday- Guest Blog and Giveaway for Witch's Bounty by Ann Gimpel

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
 
 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Fire & Flood
Release Date: February 25, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Fire & Flood Book #1
ISBN:   0545537460
ISBN13: 9780545537469
Genre: Dystopian
Review Copy Source:NetGalley
A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

The only people that know about the Brimstone Bleed are those who have been invited to participate and survived. They are forbidden from speaking anything about it to others. When Tella's brother becomes ill her parents pack her up and move her to Montana. Until she gets a bluetooth type device out of nowhere Tella doesn't realize that her parents have been hiding her to keep her protected. The only problem is that if Tella participates and wins she will get the cure to save her brothers life and she would do anything to make that happen. I was hesitant to read FIRE & FLOOD after reading some other reviews but I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it.

I admit, Tella started out by being on the vain, depend on others side but as the challenges came she really grew into her skin and started to go head to head with the other contenders. She was loyal to the people she considered friends and I would want her on me team in this sort of situation. I absolutely loved the animal companions and just like Tella, everyone underestimates hers. I wasn't sure what to think about Guy in the beginning. He came off as kind of a jerk but he did little things that showed you otherwise. He slowly grows on you as his real character is revealed and by the end of the book I liked him just as much as I liked Tessa.

FIRE & FLOOD brought us plenty of action, adventure and twists. I enjoyed the budding romance between Tella and Guy and when the final sentence was read I searched and searched to find out when book two would be available. SALT & STONE is already on my wishlist.

I gave it 5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Review: Blaze of Secrets by Jessie Donovan

Blaze of Secrets
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: LHK
ISBN:  061585219X
ISBN13: 9780615852195
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Author
To avoid persecution, the Feiru will do anything to keep their elemental magic a secret from humans—even lock away their children for life. Few know about the experiments going on inside the prison system for magic users, but that is about to change…

Kiarra Melini overhears the dangerous secrets of her blood and decides that if Feiru elemental magic is to survive, she needs to die. But before she can finish the deed, a handsome black-clad man kidnaps her from prison and introduces her to an anti-prison activist group. As the prison retrieval squad hunts for her, Kiarra must overcome the demons of her past or risk losing not only her newfound freedom, but also the man who reawakens her desires and captures her heart.

Jaxton Ward finally rescues his older brother from prison, but instead of helping with his brother’s recovery, he’s ordered to train Kiarra—a stubborn elemental fire user who claims her magic is gone. But just as Kiarra starts trusting him with her secrets, the prison enforcers catch up with them. Now Jaxton must find a way to keep his family safe while also protecting the only woman able to ignite both his temper and his passion.

Kiarra has spent most of her life locked away in a prison for the Feiru. She has been experimented on, beaten, and now someone is breaking into her cell and she has no clue why someone would want to kidnap her. Jaxton finds the means to rescue his brother from Prison but the condition is that he also needs to rescue a girl that is also in prison there. When he gets her back to his base of operation he is ordered to train her and quickly finds out why she is so important.

I am a big fan of books where the characters have elemental powers. I don't know why but they usually end up being pretty exciting. The fact that Kiarra's powers are a little more special makes her character a bit more exciting. I liked Jaxton right away. He quickly started caring about Kiarra and although he could be a bit brutish at times I understood him. 

I enjoyed BLAZE OF SECRETS. It is one of those books that takes you by surprise when it pulls you in but when it's over you don't have a whole lot to say about it. It just is/was. The characters were likable, the world is on the way to being nicely developed and overall the series is off to a good start. Kiarra's sister will be the star of book 2 and I look forward to reading.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Review: Spirited by Mary Behre

Spirited
Author:Mary Behre
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Berkley
Tidewater Book #1
ISBN:   0425268616
ISBN13: 9780425268612
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher
She’s running from who she is…...

All Jules Scott wants is to live a normal, quiet life—preferably one that doesn’t include ghosts. Jules’s talent for communicating with the dead has brought her nothing but trouble. Despite her best efforts, needy spirits always find her and draw her into their otherworldly drama. When one implicates her in a series of deadly crimes, she may need to entrust her secrets to the person least likely to believe her.…

He’ll do whatever it takes to catch her.

Detective Seth English can’t get distracted from the big case he’s working on, not even by his alluring new neighbor. He doesn’t believe that Jules had anything to do with the string of robberies-turned-murders that he’s investigating, but when she keeps showing up in all the wrong places, his gut tells him she knows more than she’s letting on. To solve his case, he’ll need to expose what the sexy redhead is hiding—no matter how impossible the truth may be….

The opening chapter to SPIRITED was fantastic and it only got better from there.

I want to start out by saying how much I loved Jules parents. What a loving couple they are and I can see how much their influence has had an impact on Jules after her rough start in life. Jules wants nothing more than to ignore her gift. She wants nothing to do with ghosts and wants to live as normal a life as possible. When a woman is murdered and the evidence points to her she has to help solve the murder with the clues that the ghost lays out for her. I enjoyed Jules personality and heart. Her character was well planned and executed.

Seth English is a detective and meets Jules as she climbs into his window dressed as a hooker. He is ready to haul her down to the station for breaking an entering when his neighbor comes out and confirms that she is his daughter. Seth from the moment he laid eyes on her, wanted her. The distractions she causes him during the case both pulls him close to her while he fights to push her away. Their romance is filled with sexual tension and is anything but smooth but when they stop fighting each other and give in feels right.

The humor, mystery, storyline and characters made this series a keeper on my bookshelf. Not only were the main characters great to read about but I felt so close to the secondary characters as well. I am very much looking forward to reading Shelley and Dev's story next in GUARDED. 

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.