Sunday, July 16, 2017

Week in Review: 7/9-7/15



Books Received for Review

Nothing this week!

Books I've Read

Wolf's Mate by Celia Kyle
Ashes by Suzanne Wright
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
Shadows and Gold by Elizabeth Hunter

Reviews Posted


Fury of a Phoenix by Shannon Mayer
Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller

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

* Monday- Guest Blog for Waking for Winter by Katherine McIntyre

* Tuesday- Promo + Giveaway for Tales from Harborsmouth by E.J. Stevens

* Friday- Interview for The Rift Uprising by Amy Foster

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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, July 14, 2017

Interview: The Rift Uprising by Amy Foster

UFI welcomes Author Amy Foster. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview? 

I am a hardcore knitter. I have been knitting for fifteen years and I knit EVERY day. Even if it’s just one row.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

Apart from the knitting?! I read a lot. I work out every other day (I hate it, but I like to eat). I watch a lot of TV. Basically, I have the opposite of ADD. I can sit in the same position doing nothing for hours. Like a cat.

What is your Favorite part of writing? 

For me it’s about the story. I have an over active imagination so writing the story down is like letting the pressure out so I can fill it back up again with more crazy plot ideas.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write? 

I bought a condo ten minutes away from my house. This is my own private place (visitors are highly discouraged) where I can write for hours at a time uninterrupted. It’s not a routine exactly but, it’s become a necessity.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres? 

Terri Windling, Charles DeLint, Stephanie Meyer, Laini Taylor, Victoria Aveyard, Danielle Page, James Dashner and William Ritter.

How would you pitch The Rift Trilogy to someone who has not heard of it before? 

It’s about a teenage super soldier guarding a portal to the multiverse and her ever growing awareness that she and all her fellow teenage soldiers are probably the last people on (this) Earth who should have such an important job.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that The Rift Trilogy is set in? 

Well, it’s not Dystopian. It really irritates me when people call it that! It’s Crypto Historical which is a great genre term that people don’t use enough IMHO. Basically, it means that everything is business as usual in the world except there is this whole other thing that’s going on that no one knows about- sort of like Harry Potter. The first book in the series is about the protagonist uncovering a portion of the truth about her origins. In the second book, Ryn goes through the portal and into the multiverse and the book kind of switches things up and becomes more fantasy. The final book is about how she’s going to get her life back and how far she’s willing to go to do that.

Do you have a favorite scene in The Rift Trilogy ? 

In the second book, The Rift Frequency, Ryn lands on an Earth where the Roman Empire never fell. That was a blast.

Which one character out of all your books was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

Ryn is always going to be my favorite. She’s like another daughter to me which is why it was EXTRA weird when I had to write the sex scenes- So while I do believe the sex scenes ended up being pretty hot, it was just awkward to write them. I would like, blush, leave the room, scrunch up my eyes, cover my face…

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

I’m working on another series but it’s early days and I don’t want to jinx anything!
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Amy S. Foster was born in Victoria, Canada to singer B.J. Cook and legendary record producer David Foster.  But Amy opted out of a career in music and chose international business instead.  While going to American University in Washington DC, she took a course in creative writing with renowned poet Ann Darr that would change the direction of her life.  After graduating, Amy moved to London to hone her literary skills, determined to get a collection of her own poetry published.  It was there that she met producer Martin Terefe (Mike Posner, Shawn Mendes, James Morrison) who asked her if she wanted him to put some music to her poetry.  The two made a ground breaking spoken word record which turned Amy’s focus entirely to music and from there, the progression to becoming a lyricist was natural.  Since then, artists have sought out Amy’s easy, conversational style of writing and her uncanny ability to help them tell their own stories.  She has penned four number one hits with Michael Buble (Home, Everything and Haven’t Met You Yet, Beautiful Day).  “Home” has also been covered by Westlife and Blake Shelton which gave Amy her first country Number One.  She has worked with artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Destiny’s Child, Solange Knowles, Eric Benet, Diana Krall, Josh Groban, One Flew South, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, John Paul White of The Civil Wars, RyanDan, Who is Fancy, Chris Mann, and most recently a collaboration with Michah Wilshire of the band Wilshire. The two have formed their own group called QOINS .

“When Autumn Leaves”, Amy’s first work of fiction was published by The Overlook Press in September 2009.   Currently, Amy lives in Portland, OR with her husband Matt Freeman and their three children, Mikaela, Eva and Vaughn. Her next release is, the first in The Rift Trilogy, for Harper Collins is coming to a bookstore near you in the Fall of 2016.

Find Amy and her books
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The Rift Uprising
The Rift Uprising Trilogy #1
Heroine Ryn Whittaker isn’t like other teenagers who Instagram and binge-watch Netflix. She’s a genetically modified gun-toting take-no-prisoners super-soldier, designed to protect The Rifts, a series of fourteen mysterious portals that lead to a billion alternative Earths. Foster’s fantastical narrative both transports and inspires - it’s imaginative and challenging, with a badass, brilliant, break-neck heroine expressly created for the authors’ daughters. She’s chockful of character traits YA readers will both adore and adopt, using her innate combat skills to guard, and fight, whatever materializes out of The Rift, from mutants to advance humanoids.

Then there’s the guy thing…. When otherworldly Ezra Massad appears, he pierces her emotional armor.  He also turns her worldview on its axis, questioning The Rifts themselves, and the entire structure of their society, leading to uncomfortable, even dangerous answers. Ryn and Ezra are pivotal in starting a coup; in the ensuing fray, he vanishes back into The Rift. Ryn launches a plan to rescue him. But he could be anywhere in the world… on millions of worlds…  Here Foster delivers an incredibly cinematic, pulsing book with a breakneck pace, with unforgettable action sequences led by an unforgettable leading lady.

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Thursday, July 13, 2017

Review: Fallen Flame by J.M. Miller

Fallen Flame
Author: J.M. Miller
Release Date: June 19, 2017
Publisher: Self-Published
Fallen Flame Book #1
ASIN:  B072KNSWZD
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Nineteen years ago, on the island kingdom of Garlin, a girl was born. With charred skin as rough as rock, Vala was instantly feared. For how could one be scorched by magic when it had perished ages before?
Recognizing an asset, the royal family welcomed her on their Guard. Her detail: the prince.
To watch. To protect. She has grown with him, lives her life for him.
When the high kingdom’s princess comes to assess the prince, assassins of rival courtiers come to claim his life. One nearly succeeds in his mission. But with shadowy movements and charred skin like her own, Vala knows he is not like the rest.
As threats to the prince continue and questions about Vala’s life begin to rise, she faces a fear worse than fire or water, worse even than losing him.
She fears finding out who she truly is.

I picked up FALLEN FLAME from Netgalley on a complete whim and I'm so glad I did. The story was easy to follow, the pace was nice and the characters and their development kept me reading.

I loved Vala. She is a mystery to those in Gala and even to herself, but she has made a good life for herself and lives to protect the prince. I found Vala to be strong, loyal and willing to get her hands dirty to protect those that needed protecting.

There are a two love interests in FALLEN FLAME. I liked prince Caulden when he was introduced and was rooting for things to work out between Vala and him, but I slowly lost respect for him as the book went on and by the end knew that even if they could have been something, they weren't right for each other. Xavyn was a huge mystery when he was introduced, but was very open with Vala and really opened her eyes to the world outside of Garlin and how she could fit into it. Although nothing happened romantically between them in FALLEN FLAME, I look forward to the time when something does.

The plot was interesting. Some things were predictable, but I still very much enjoyed the way things were revealed. The mystery surrounding Vala and her birth was very intriguing and made the plot even more exciting. Vala is a true fighter and I enjoyed the action throughout FALLEN FLAME. There is zero doubt in my mind that I will be grabbing a copy of book two when it is out. In fact, I am stalking the author's pages in hope that there will be information about it soon.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Review: Fury of a Phoenix by Shannon Mayer

Fury of the Phoenix
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Publisher: Hijinks Ink
Nix Book #1
ASIN:   B06ZYBFVVN
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author

"I knew the sins of my past would call to collect what was left of my soul. If I'd known the price I'd pay, I would've sacrificed more to stay hidden from the magic." 
 
In the middle of Wyoming--away from the abnormals of the world--I thought I was free and clear. I started a new life. Found a love I'd never known in a husband, and a son who was my everything. 
 
And in a blinding instant, that life was stolen from me. 
 
The rage of a grieving mother is an ugly beast. More so when she has the skills and killer instinct to back up the wrath and the knowledge that an accident was anything but. 
 
Once more, I will pick up my guns. This time to hunt those who took my husband's and son's lives.
 
Let them see the assassin, trained to kill abnormals, stalk the shadows again. 
 
Let them see the Phoenix rise from the fragments of a broken life as she burns with a fury that cannot be contained.
 
Let the killing games begin.

Shannon Mayer is BACK with a brand new urban fantasy series. I haven't loved the last couple books that Mayer has put out, but Nyx knocked my socks off.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm a mother or just the fact that it was such a young life lost, but the death of Nyx's son tore me apart. The blurb tells us that it happens, but it didn't make it any easier to read about. Mayer did a really good job at conveying the level of grief that would come during this kind of tragedy and I felt like I lost Bear right beside Nyx.

FURY OF THE PHOENIX isn't all sad moments. Nyx is pretty bad-ass and can kick butt like no other. She doesn't let her grief drown her, instead it helps her do what needs to be done. The cast of characters was another interesting part of FURY OF THE PHOENIX. I didn't know who to trust and even when I thought I knew, something threw a wrench into the mix and showed me I was wrong.

There are quite a few questions left unanswered and lines left open at the end of FURY OF THE PHOENIX. I'm very excited, to be excited, to read the next book in Shannon's new Nyx series.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Promo + Giveaway: Tales from Harborsmouth by E.J. Stevens


Happy book birthday, Tales from Harborsmouth! We're celebrating the new Ivy Granger Psychic Detective book release with a party and a giveaway. Keep reading for a chance to win an Ivy Granger Prize Pack, including a flashlight keychain, button, glow-in-the-dark fangs, and a collectible Passport to Ivy Granger booklet signed by the author.

Let's party!

Tales from Harborsmouth Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective Urban Fantasy Collection
Tales from Harborsmouth
Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective #0.5, #1.5, #2.5, #5.5

In Tales from Harborsmouth, readers get to delve deeper into the award-winning world of Ivy Granger.

Ivy Granger is a psychic detective with ties to Harborsmouth's paranormal underworld. Too bad those ties tend to ensnare Ivy and her friend Jinx in the Machiavellian schemes of the city's teeming population of bloodsucking vampires and psychotic faeries.

Tales from Harborsmouth is the first time the Ivy Granger novellas are together in one collection and features two exclusive short stories the series prequel Frostbite and the newest Ivy Granger tale Thrill on Joysen Hill.

Featured in this collection:
     • FROSTBITE (Ivy Granger #0.5)
     • BLOOD AND MISTLETOE (Ivy Granger #1.5)
     • CLUB NEXUS (Ivy Granger #2.5)
     • THRILL ON JOYSEN HILL (Ivy Granger #5.5)

Add to my Goodreads TBR List.

We're giving away fun swag prizes, but first, grab a cupcake and check out these teasers.

Tales from Harborsmouth Teasers

A detective’s job is to take note of the little things, the small details that can break a case wide open, but having anthropomorphic snot treat you like you smelled worse than a troll fart could give a girl a complex.
—Ivy Granger, Frostbite

If a faerie, a vampire, and a demon walk into a bar, you wait for the punch line.  At Private Eye, when a faerie, a vampire, and a demon walk through the door, it’s just another day at the office.
—Ivy Granger, Blood and Mistletoe

Of all the nightclubs, in all the cities, in all the world, the freakin’ demon had to walk into Club Nexus.
—Jinx, Club Nexus - Jinxed

I’d seen a lot in my nine lives, but nothing so strange as Ratfink’s Family Fun Palace and its tone-deaf taxidermied talent.
—Torn, Thrill on Joysen Hill

Want to read more books in this series? You're in luck.

Books in this Series
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Tour Wide

Want to win fabulous swag? We've got you covered.

Tales from Harborsmouth Swag Giveaway

We are giving away an Ivy Granger Prize Pack, including:

     • Ivy Granger Flashlight Keychain
     • Ivy Granger "Private Eye" Button
     • Glow-in-the-Dark Fangs
     • Passport to Ivy Granger *signed*

To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends July 26, 2017 midnight EST. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Releases: 7/9-7/15


Tue. July 11th

Thur. July 13th

 Shag Lake by Susan McEachern

Happy Reading!

Monday, July 10, 2017

Guest Blog: Waking for Winter by Katherine McIntyre

UFI welcomes Author Katherine McIntyre. Thanks for Joining us!!

Top Five Paranormal Romance Series
While I’m a paranormal romance addict, the series I read also have to pass the feminist reader test. Are there complex female characters? Is there consent and lack of abusive behavior? Thankfully, a lot of modern books are really getting away from the old issues the genre was mired in, so there’s more selection for the savvy reader. Here are some of my top five series in the genre, even though there’s a whole plethora out there to choose from.
Black Dagger Brotherhood
This is one of those growly alpha male series that I plunged into and wasn’t super thrilled with the first book. However, the writing is SHARP, the story was interesting, and I liked it enough to read the following books. By book two, I was smitten, and book three, Zsadist’s book, is one of my absolute favorites. JR Ward has the sort of urban style I’m completely jealous of, as it leaps off the page to drag you into the world of the broken Black Dagger Brotherhood. Each character was meticulously defined and their backstories and histories made them engaging.
Psy-Changeling Series
Nalini Singh is a master of characterization and sensuality. Similarly to reading Black Dagger Brotherhood, the first book didn’t grip me as much, but the third was what had me committed to the series for good. She spins such an engaging tale, and we get so deep into the character’s perspectives. Nalini Singh isn’t afraid of diversity, of variation in gender roles, and it’s such a relief and joy to see. On top of the unique concept with the Psy, her Changelings are one of my favorite examples of shifters.
The Southern Vampire Mysteries
Despite Sookie Stackhouse coming off like the ‘everygirl’ in the beginning of the series, she has this stubborn practicality I adored. And when dealing with multiple varieties of supernaturals, that sort of pragmatism is something to be admired. The books are short, but they take you for an entertaining ride, and at the time it came out, the series provided a refreshing take from all the urban-centric supernatural stories, providing a real Southern flair.
Kate Daniels Series
Ilona Andrews tends to top the charts for me every time. Not only does this urban fantasy series contain one of the best slow-burn romances I’ve ever read, but also the best female lead. Kate Daniels is a queen in urban fantasy, the sort of take-charge, smart-mouthed merc we can all fall in love with. And the version of Atlanta in this series is both terrifying and entertaining, providing a wonderful landscape as the story delves deeper into Kate’s history.
Hidden Legacy
More Ilona Andrews on the docket? You betcha. This series finishes this year, and already, the first two books take you on one hell of a ride. Nevada Baylor and Mad Rogan have the sort of chemistry that makes you giddy. Nevada continues with their brand of competent heroine, though I really loved the family loyalty she espouses and the big sister attitude. Mad Rogan is layered and complex, a soldier who’s never left the war. And with the interesting system of Primes and magic created in this universe, the story is always entertaining.
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A modern day Renaissance-woman, Katherine McIntyre has learned soapmaking, beer brewing, tea blending, and most recently roasting coffee. Most of which make sure she’s hydrated and bathed while she spends the rest of her time writing. With a desire to travel and more imagination than she knows what to do with, all the stories jumping around in her head led to the logical route of jotting them down on paper. She writes novels with snarky women, ragtag crews, and guys with bad attitudes. High chances for a passionate speech thrown into the mix.

Find Katherine and her books
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Waking for Winter
Philadelphia Coven Chronicles #4
Loose ID
The Philadelphia Coven has thwarted the Order of the Serpent’s every attempt to destroy their city only to draw out the scariest nightmare from the Otherworld, the Caoranach. One of the Coven’s own, Cami Akiyama, has already met this creature—the very monster who tortured her, branding her with a mark. Given Cami’s history with the big bad, the Coven leader assigns her a bodyguard, none other than the gorgeous and lethal necromancer, Dante Martinez, the ex-boyfriend she disappeared on years ago. One conversation confirms the spark between them never died, and based on the way Dante flirts, he won’t allow that flame to extinguish out without a fight.

No one has ever compared to Dante and the incendiary passion he inspired in her, but the Caoranach broke her—Cami’s too damaged for any sort of relationship. Not like that stops him. If anything, he fights harder for the memories of a love that kept her sane on the bleakest nights. And despite every effort to distance, she finds herself falling for him all over again. Except the Caoranach isn’t finished with her—the branded mark holds the secret to the city’s destruction or salvation, and Cami stands in the center of the storm.

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