Review: Rylee by Shannon Mayer

Rylee

Author: Shannon Mayer

Release Date: October 14, 2016

Publisher: HiJinks Ink Publishing, Ltd.

The Rylee Adamson Epilogues Book #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy Investigations

Review Copy Source: Author

My name is Rylee and I was a Tracker.

The final battle is over and The Blood of the Lost was spilled. In the aftermath, the humans still have mysteries they call upon me for. Except I can no longer Track and my new abilities terrify me.

A salvage is offered to me, and with it, a chance to redeem myself. A missing girl, her brother desperate to find her. Simple and straightforward, this salvage should be a piece of cake - and a chance to learn some discipline with my powers.

Except the girl is somehow tied to the world of the Elementals, and with that comes a danger I could never have expected.

As I search for her, I realize it is not only her life that is on the line, but my soul and sanity as well, as the voices and unnatural needs in me grow more demanding.

If I am to save us both, I must face the darkness within; and this time, I must do it all by myself. 

Our hearts were left a bit broken at the end of BLOOD OF THE LOST. Shannon Mayer is giving us a chance to heal them with the first book in The Rylee Adamson Epilogues.

I was a bit hesitant to jump into RYLEE. I absolutely loved the Rylee Adamson series, but it ended and I was content. I was worried that RYLEE would end up like one of those movies where they decide to do a sequel and it totally failed to meet the expectations of everyone that couldn't wait to see it. My hesitations were quickly proved unfounded though as I dived into chapter one. Rylee is back and the story drew me in as all the stories before it. I enjoyed catching up with Rylee and Liam and I really enjoyed seeing the babies after the final battle. Fair warning: Rylee is no longer a tracker and she has a lot to work through from beginning to end of RYLEE. There is a lot of emotion involved and you will probably need some tissue.

I hate this, but I disliked the ending. Why? Because it leaves us with a huge cliffhanger and I hate those. Who doesn't!?! It looks like epilogue two will be from Liam's POV. I love Liam and all, but I will miss being in Rylee's head. I hope we get back to her quickly.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

New Releases: 5/15-5/21

Mon. May 16th

 Divine Descendant (Nikki Glass #4) by Jenna Black

Tue. May 17th

 Circle of Jinn (Becoming Jinn #2) by Lori Goldstein

 Company Town by Madeline Ashby

 The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game #1) by Evelyn Skye  

Dark Alpha’s Demand (Reaper #3) by Donna Grant

 Devil and the Bluebird by Jennifer Mason-Black

 It Wasn't Always Like This by Joy Preble  

Marked (Tracked #2) by Jenny Martin

 Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1) by Jennifer Anne Davis

Roses and Rot by Kat Howard

 Runtime by S.B. Divya

 Rylee (The Rylee Adamson Epilogues #1) by Shannon Mayer

 The Summon Stone by Ian Irvine

 Withering Rose (Once Upon a Curse #2) by Kaitlyn Davis

Happy Reading!!

Guest Blog + Giveaway: A Midsummer Night’s Mechanical by Kirsten Weiss

UFI welcomes Author Kirsten Weiss. Thanks for Joining us!!

Steampunk Stagecraft

Guest post by Kirsten Weiss, author of A Midsummer Night’s Mechanical.

True confession: the story for A Midsummer Night’s Mechanical, book three in my Sensibility Grey series of steampunk suspense, started with the title. One of the most popular stage plays during the Victorian era was A Midsummer Night’s Dream, partly because so many of its characters are fairies. Not only had fairies made an appearance in the first two books in my Sensibility Grey series, but I’d also boxed myself in with my titles, which are all riffs on the classics. And Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream certainly qualifies as a classic.

But I’d also been thinking hard about a steampunk novel involving a theater. The Victorians were masters of stagecraft, playing with lighting and trap doors, so adding steampunk-inspired mechanicals to a theater seemed a natural fit for Victorian-era sci-fi.

One popular theatrical event in Victorian England was the tableau. You might have heard or seen movies of these tableaus being conducted at house parties. Guests dressed in costume (generally taken from the host’s attic), formed a tableau, a curtain was pulled aside, and guests guessed the scene being produced. But these tableaus took place in theaters as well. And the audience didn’t just walk in, look at the tableau, and leave. The theater owner would never be able to sell tickets for an event that simple. Fortunately, the Victorians were creative with lighting and with trap doors. So fairies would appear as if by magic in certain parts of the stage, or the lights would first shine in one part, then then next to bring out different elements of the tableau.

There were significant improvements to stage lighting during the nineteenth century, transitioning from oil lamps to gas lighting in 1817, then to limelight in 1837 to electric arc lamps in 1848, and electric filament lamps in 1881. This allowed actors to perform over a wider range of stage and for portions of the theater to fall into impenetrable blackness.  Colored light projected on smoke was also used, along with colored flares. And the Victorian stage workers achieved backlighting with translucent gauzes.

The Victorians also instituted improvements in scenery design, using scrolling panoramas and projecting images from magic lanterns. Machinery above and below stage was used to move scenery and manipulate objects and people through trap doors.

Trapdoors, lighting, moving machinery… the theater seemed a perfect place to incorporate steampunk tech. Until I got to actually writing the story, and took the concept further by developing a stage that can move itself from place to place. But that’s only one of the secrets hidden inside the stage in A Midsummer Night’s Mechanical.

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Kirsten Weiss worked overseas for nearly fourteen years, in the fringes of the former USSR and in South-east Asia.  Her experiences abroad sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.

Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes steampunk suspense and paranormal mysteries, blending her experiences and imagination to create a vivid world of magic and mayhem. Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine.

Sign up for her newsletter to get a free copy of the full length urban fantasy novel, The Alchemical Detective, and updates on her latest work at: 

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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 A Midsummer Night’s Mechanical
Sensibility Grey Series of Steampunk Suspense #3
Kobo Amazon

A Midsummer Murder 

The California Territory, 1849

Blamed for burning down the San Francisco wharf, clockwork inventor, Sensibility Grey has spent the last three months in hiding. Now all she wants is to depart the gold-crazy boomtown for a new life in the East. So when the owner of a traveling theater offers her work embellishing his mechanical stage, she turns him down. Then he turns up dead on her doorstep along with his enigmatic stage.

An explorer of the mysteries of aether, Sensibility has her own secrets to keep, and adversaries who’ll stop at nothing to learn them. Is the mechanical stage a part of a bigger game? Or the key to unlocking her true, magical potential?

A Midsummer Night’s Mechanical is book three in the Sensibility Grey series of steampunk suspense.

Excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

San Francisco, California Territory, June 1849.

Sensibility sat cross-legged upon her bed and tried not to think. She tried not to think of the ache where her stays pinched her back. She tried not to think of tomorrow’s journey across the American wilderness. She tried not to think about the clamor of banging drums and tootling fifes and—

“Oh, good gad!” She clenched her fist, pieces of quartz crystal biting into her flesh. Sensibility sprang from the bed and threw open the boarding house window. Oppressive heat, acrid from the nearby outhouse, rolled into the room. Wrinkling her nose, she leaned out over the fenced back yard and craned her neck. The afternoon sun streamed through the laundry, hanging limp on the line. From her position, she couldn’t see the street procession. But neither could she avoid hearing their blasted parade.

Something scuttled near her elbow, and she jerked away, slamming her head on the window frame. White pain arced through her skull.

A baby raccoon, not much larger than the palm of her hand, cowered on the other end of the narrow sill. It scrabbled, hunching into a tight ball, trapped on the high ledge.

“Ow.” She winced, rubbing her throbbing head and glad her chignon had taken the brunt of the blow. “How on earth did you get up here?”

The raccoon mewled.

“You shall have to make your own way home, for you cannot come inside. Mrs. Watson has a strict rule about animals inside her boarding house.”

Gently, so as not to disturb the creature, she shut the window. The raccoon peered over the ledge then looked at her, his expression plaintive.

Attempting to ignore the animal, she paced the denuded room, her brown skirts swishing.

They had ample space to swish. Nearly all her belongings lay compressed into a single carpetbag, set before the empty wardrobe. The bedroom had an air of abandonment.

Unsettled, Sensibility rattled the quartz crystals in her hand and glanced to the window.

The animal stared inside, forlorn.

She tugged at her collar. It was such a small thing. But rules were rules. “You found your way onto the ledge. You can find your own way down.”

Sensibility turned to the journal open on the desk. Her sketch of an unworldly creature she’d once encountered scowl from the page. Frowning, she slammed the book shut. It had been careless of her to have left it open. Strange, she couldn’t remember examining the journal before she’d gone downstairs to retrieve her luncheon.

The crystals pressed into her palm. She was so close to a breakthrough in aether technology, but the clues remained buried. Buried in the remains of her father’s last journal. Hidden in a journal from a traveling occultist. Scattered throughout her own notes and theories. One day soon, she would fit those pieces together. It was madness to hope she could solve that problem today.

Sensibility opened her hand and gazed at the quartz crystals. She’d mastered the use of aether to power small devices. But aether had other applications, such as distance control and distance vision. These applications eluded her. “There has to be a way…”

She glanced at the window.

The animal raised itself on its hind legs and pressed its tiny black paws to the glass.

Sensibility groaned. “I know I’ll regret this.” Pocketing the crystals, she opened the window.

The raccoon cowered.

“You,” she said, “being a wild animal, will attempt to bite me if I rescue you. But I will have none of it. I shall pick you up, I shall take you outside, and you shall neither bite nor scratch. Do you understand?”

In a swift motion, she grasped it by the scruff of the neck and lifted it inside. It writhed, and her grasp on it loosened.

She gasped. “Don’t….”

The raccoon dropped to her desk and shook its head. Whiskers twitching, it scuttled to her abandoned luncheon tray and made free with a bit of toast.

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Week in Review: 5/8-5/14

Books Received for Review

Remnants by John Hennessy
All Fixed Up by Linda Grimes
Shadow Rider by Christine Feehan
Flight From Mayhem by Yasmine Galenorn
Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge

Books I've Read

Remnants by John Hennessy
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Siege by K.F. Breene

Reviews Posted

Smoke and Mirrors by Jess Haines

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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

* Monday- Cover Reveal for Awakened by a Demoness by Felicity Heaton

* Thursday- Promo for The World Weavers by Kelley Grant

* Friday- Promo for Grim Tidings by Caitlin Kittredge

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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

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Promo: Grim Tidings by Caitlin Kittredge

Title: Grim Tidings 

Author: Caitlin Kittredge 

Release Date: April 19, 2016 

Publisher: Harper Voyager 

Genre: Paranormal 

Format: Ebook/Paperback

In this thrilling sequel to Black Dog—the first volume of award-winning Caitlin Kittredge’s dark urban fantasy series, Hellhound Chronicles—a soul catcher must stop demonic monsters from her past from infecting the world.

After winning her freedom from a reaper and facing off against a fearsome demon boss, Ava is now a masterless hellhound. Her friend, Leo, has found a new life after death: He’s returned as the Grim Reaper—the first in centuries. As both try to adjust to their new circumstances, Ava’s dark past comes back to wreak havoc on her . . . and the entire world.

A breed of monsters as smart as vampires—but who behave like zombies—has been sighted in Kansas. Ava can’t believe these “zompires” are back. She thought she’d kicked their asses for good when she first battled them in a Nazi death camp. Now, they’re spreading their infection across America’s heartland thanks to a nasty piece of business named Cain.

Free at last after being locked up in Hell for millennia, Cain has some scores to settle. To stop him, Ava must form an unholy alliance with some old foes . . . a bargain that will lead her to uncover deeply buried truths about her past—and Leo’s future.

 

Meet the Author:

Caitlin started writing novels at age 13. Her first was a Star Wars tie-in. Fortunately, she branched out from there and after a few years trying to be a screenwriter, a comic book writer and the author of copious amounts of fanfiction, she tried to write a novel again. Her epic dark fantasy (thankfully) never saw the light of day but while she was struggling with elves and sorcerers she got the idea of writing a story about a werewolf who fought crime. Two years and many, many drafts later, she pitched Night Life to a bevy of agents and one of them, Rachel Vater, sold the series to St. Martin’s. Caitlin collects comic books, print books, vintage clothes, and bad habits. She loves tea, loud music, the color black (especially mixed with the color pink) and ghost stories. She can drive a stick shift, play the violin and knows more English curses than American ones. Caitlin lives in Olympia, WA with two pushy cats.

———————

Tour Schedule

Monday, April 18 - Book featured at Harmonious Publicity

Tuesday, April 19 - Guest blogging and book reviewed at Books on the Knob

Wednesday, April 20 - Book featured at The Review From Here

Thursday, April 21 - Book featured at The Dark Phantom

Friday, April 22 - Book featured at Voodoo Princess

________

Monday, April 25 - Guest blogging at Wicked Faerie Tale's and Reviews

Tuesday, April 26 - Book featured at The Literary Nook

Wednesday, April 27 - Book featured at A Title Wave

Thursday, April 28 - Book featured at My Bookish Pleasure

Friday, April 29 - Book reviewed at I'm Shelf-ish

________

Monday, May 2 - Book featured at Bent Over Bookwords

Tuesday, May 3 - Guest blogging at Born to Read Books

Wednesday, May 4 - Guest blogging at Preternatura

Thursday, May 5 - Book reviewed at Happy Tails and Tales

Friday, May 6 - Book reviewed at The Recipe Fairy

________

Monday, May 9 - Book reviewed at FU Only Knew

Tuesday, May 10 - Guest blogging at I Smell Sheep

Book reviewed at Taking it One Book at a Time

Wednesday, May 11 - Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge

Book featured at Around the World is Books

Thursday, May 12 - Book reviewed at Curling Up by the Fire

Book reviewed at Tez Says

Book reviewed at Deal Sharing Aunt

Book featured at Dawn's Reading Nook

Friday, May 13 - Book reviewed at Cover2Cover

Guest blogging at Urban Fantasy Investigations

Book reviewed at Natural Bri

Book reviewed at Live Love Books Blog

Book reviewed at Kayl's Krazy Obsession

Promo: The World Weavers by Kelley Grant

Title: The World Weavers 

Author: Kelley Grant 

Release Date: April 19, 2016 

Publisher: Harper Voyager 

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy 

Format: Ebook/Paperback

It has been a year since Sulis Hasifel fled to the desert, narrowly escaping death at the hands of a vengeful god. The time of the final battle, the final confrontation with the deities of her world, is nearing. Lured by the call of their long-trapped powers, the deities will descend upon the Obsidian Temple, where the Chosen await.

But the war between gods and humans has enveloped the entire land. Sulis’s twin, Kadar, joins forces with the nomadic warrior tribes of the desert. Little by little, the desert armies draw the deities away from their stronghold in the north, towards their doom.

In the face of a battle that will reshape mankind’s destiny and the face of the earth itself, old friendships will be tested and new alliances forged.

In this spellbinding denouement to Desert Rising and The Obsidian Temple, Kelley Grant brings her epic trilogy to a thunderous and powerful conclusion.

 

Meet the Author:

Kelley Grant grew up in the hills of Ohio’s Amish country. Her best friends were the books she read, stories she created and the forest and fields that inspired her. She and her husband live on a wooded hilltop and are owned by five cats, a dog and numerous uninvited critters. Besides writing, Kelley teaches yoga and meditation, sings kirtan with her husband, and designs brochures and media.

 For More Information

  Visit Kelley at her website

    

———————

Tour Schedule

Tuesday, April 19 - Book featured at 3 Partners in Shopping

Wednesday, April 20 - Book featured at Voodoo Princess

Thursday, April 21 - Book featured at Bent Over Bookwords

Friday, April 22 - Book featured at The Recipe Fairy

________

Monday, April 25 - Book featured at Cover 2 Cover

Tuesday, April 26 - Book featured at I'm Shelf-ish

Wednesday, April 27 - Book featured at Write and Take Flight

Thursday, April 28 - Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge

Friday, April 29 - Book featured at My Bookish Pleasures

________

Monday, May 2 - Book featured at A Title Wave

Tuesday, May 3 - Book featured at The Review From Here

Wednesday, May 4 - Book featured at Literal Exposure

Thursday, May 5 - Book featured at Book Cover Junkie

Friday, May 6 - Book featured at Confessions of an Eccentric Bookaholic

________

Monday, May 9 - Book featured at A Taste of My Mind

Tuesday, May 10 - Book featured at Around the World in Books

Wednesday, May 11 - Book featured at Chosen By You Book Club

Thursday, May 12 - Book featured at Live Love Books Blog

Interviewed at Urban Fantasy Investigations

Friday, May 13 - Book featured at Talking Books Blog

Interviewed at Deal Sharing Aunt

________

Review: Smoke and Mirrors by Jess Haines

Smoke and Mirrors

Author: Jess Haines

Release Date: May 1, 2016

Publisher: Self-Published

Blackhollow Academy Book #1

ASIN:   B01EQF5CAW

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Author

A girl who uses her illusions to fool the world into thinking she's just like all the other magi.

A dragon who sees through her lies.

Together they just might survive a world that wants to control or destroy them both.

Kimberly may wield ultimate cosmic power, but even a mage has to pay the rent. No one will hire her for her magic talents until she's got the credentials, so she’s stuck in a crappy rent controlled apartment with her mother, yearning for treats she can't afford at her part time job in a café, counting down the days until she graduates the secret Blackhollow Academy school for magi. Only then will she have the certificate she needs to land her dream job in a coven.

The problem? She needs a familiar to graduate.

As an illusionist, she doesn't have the ability to summon or create a familiar of her own. Her only option is to convince a supernatural creature to let her bind it instead. Since having a powerful Other at her beck and call would guarantee her a place in a coven after she graduates—and legendary treasure hoards are an added bonus—she thinks binding a dragon as her familiar will solve all her problems...

Because sometimes a girl needs a dragon, not a knight....

Loved it, couldn't put it down. Jess Haines new series, Blackhollow Academy, takes place in the same world as her H&W Investigations series. We do get to hear about and see some characters, but the Blackhollow Academy series has characters and a storyline of its own.

I was completely enthralled with the story in SMOKE AND MIRRORS. I found the main heroine Kimberly to be extremely hard working and down to earth. It was very easy to tap into Kimberly's emotions which made the story that much more enjoyable as the trials and tribulations she went through came to pass. Even though she has not lived an easy life and doesn't have much herself, she was very willing to help others in need. I just really liked her and can't wait to see how her life will continue to unfold in the next book. There is romance in SMOKE AND MIRRORS. It's slow and a bit turbulent, but it was also real and well played out. The development of said relationship is another thing I'm looking forward to in book two.

My only complaint about SMOKE AND MIRRORS is that sometimes it read like a YA novel and sometimes like an adult novel and to this day I'm not quite sure where it should land. As I said already, I'm looking forward to reading book two and I keep checking the authors pages to see when it might be planned.

I gave it 5/5 stars

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