Book Review: The Forsaken by Lisa M Stasse

Title: The Forsaken (The Forsaken #1)
Author: Lisa M. Stasse
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Hardcover
Source: For review

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

First of all, I'd like to give a big thank you because I got provided with a review copy. Second, I just have to admire this cover greatly. This is perhaps the best cover out there. Very creative, and perfectly fits with the story. It's great to see a change from the girls dressed up on covers.

On to the review:

By now you might think: Enough of dystopia! It's everywhere. Soon there will be a "dystopian corner" just like there was the all famous "vampire corner". You probably are starting to get bored of them.

BUT

The Forsaken is different. It is one of the best ones out there. And that is saying something.

There are many things I loved about this books and they are:

1-World: Honestly, I don't think I've ever read about a dystopian world this unique. Stasse has a very imaginative mind. She has created a dystopian world with fresh unique ideas. All the other dystopian books have very similar atmospheres. 

2-Story: From that first page, I was hooked. The writing style and pacing of this book is perfect. There isn't a single page that won't keep you on the edge of your seat. I must admit, it was extremely addicting. There was enough of everything, in the perfect places. There were LOTS of shocking moments. There were emotional moments as well.

3-Characters: I won't go into detail about the characters. I liked each and every one of them; whether brave, cocky, mean, really anything. I must admit, I really liked Alenna, our main character's personality. She wasn't exactly strong, but she was the type who believed in teamwork and wouldn;t give up easily.

4-Romance: I am EXTREMELY grateful there wasn't a love triangle in this book! Lisa THANKS A BILLION! I'm really getting sick of this trend! I'm not a fan of romances in general, but this book had a really nice romance in it. I liked the relationship of the two lovers. 

Finally, I'd like to mention that I loved the ending. I can totally see an action-packed sequel that will blow my mind coming soon. I can't wait to read The Uprising (yes, that's what the second book is called)  I loved this book. Now, all I have to do is recommending it to people. Also, books like these motivate me! They make me feel like I will someday pursue my dreams and get a book published. 

A huge thank you to everyone who was responsible to bring this book to life. I loved it. I devoured it. I will support it.

 

Author Spotlight: Gina Rosati

BIO:
Gina Rosati grew up in Boston suburbia and now lives with her husband, two teenagers and two chubby guinea pigs in Merrimack, NH. Gina is a long time volunteer at her local middle school library, and a member of SCBWI, the Apocalypsies and the Class of 2k12 debut author groups.  Her debut YA paranormal romance,AURACLE, is available on August 7, 2012 from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan. Visit her website at www.ginarosati.com.

Synopsis:

Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and hears but cannot touch the one she longs to hold.

Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between them. Auracle by Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship between body and soul and the power of a single touch.

LINKS:

Blog Tour Schedule:

AURACLE LINKS:

Amazon:
Hardcover
Kindle

Barnes and Noble:

 Hardcover
Nookbook 

Book Depository:

Hardcover

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Cold Fury Blog Tour

T.M. Goeglein:

Bio:

T.M. Goeglein began his career as a writer of print and television ads for a host of advertising and media companies. As a screenwriter, he created both original scripts and worked as a script doctor for several production companies in Los Angeles. He was an original contributor to the Huffington Post 'Living' section, and continues to write for both the national edition and Huffington Post Chicago. Read T.M. Goeglein's stories on the Huffington Post.
His debut young adult novel, COLD FURY, will be published by Penguin/Putnam in 2012 and is the first in a trilogy; he’s currently working on the second book. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Laura, and two young children.

 

Synopsis:

The clues lead her to an ancient, worn notebook that contains a guide to a Chicago hiding in plain sight— safe houses, secret doors, mysterious phone numbers are all suddenly at Sara Jane’s disposal. But it also contains darker, more troubling secrets concerning the Rispoli family, including the revelation that a rare and powerful hereditary trait passed down from the time of Alexander the Great enabled certain male members of the Rispoli clan to become major figures in the Outfit, Chicago’s storied crime syndicate.
Sara Jane realizes the secret-filled notebook is the reason why her family was taken, and why she’s being pursued by three different factions: her turncoat uncle, Police Detective Dotty Smelt, and the huge, shambling freak in the ski mask. Learning of the gift awakens a realization in Sara Jane that she, too, possesses the powerful phenomenon.

With the help of a weight-challenged sidekick, an angry Italian greyhound, and a legion of guardian angel sewer rats, Sara Jane is chased, attacked, and fights back with cold fury, staying one step ahead of her pursuers and circumnavigating the male-centric Outfit while also keeping a growing romance.

Today we have a question that T.M. Goeglein will answer.

“Do you have a favorite quote that you keep visible in your work environment to help inspire you?

The best quotes are like good jokes; they’re short, easy to remember, and capture human emotion as precisely as heart surgery. Whenever I come across one that appeals to me, I resolve to use it in conversation (That reminds me of what the Babe once said about baseball being like life…) but then the perfect moment arises and I can’t remember a word of it, only that it had to do with hitting a ball, I think, and maybe something about crossing home plate. Now and then I’ve ripped out or transcribed a quote, and pinned or taped it somewhere for a while. But then I begin to look past it, or maybe upon further reflection, it has nothing to do with my present condition.
The quote hasn’t changed; I have.
There is, however, a bit of writing that I look at frequently and which, as time passes, means more and more to me. It’s printed in black crayon, in tall capital letters, and reads:
MICHAEL
O.T DADDY
FROM.
This is one of the first notes written by my son when he was five years old; for clarification, his intention was to write ‘To Daddy, from Michael.’
I will be pleased if he grows up to be a neurosurgeon, or a hot air balloonist, or whatever; I could care less, as long as he’s happy and it’s legal. Also, to be clear, I don’t look at his note as the foreshadowing of a scribe-to-be, but do see in it something that applies to writing as an avocation: how hard he tried to get it right. Besides the sweet sentiment, it’s a perfectly worded reminder that capable writing requires effort and hard work. Hopefully, the result – whether forty thousand words or four – will capture human emotion in a way that makes a reader care about it.
Like a good quote.
Like my son’s note.

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Links:

BLOG TOUR LINKS :

http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2012/07/cold-fury-tour-schedule.html 

 T.M GOEGLEIN LINKS :

Website: http://www.tmgoeglein.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/TM-Goeglein/205572012847746

Twitter:  @TMGoeglein https://twitter.com/tmgoeglein

COLD FURY LINKS:

Amazon

Hardcover

Kindle

Barnes & Noble

Hardcover

NookBook

Book Depository

Hardcover

Author Interview: Nadège Richards + Giveaway

Hi guys, I have an author interview with you today.
Today I have questions for indie-published author Nadège Richards. Nadège is a friend of mine, and I'm really excited to read her book.

Here is a short bio:

Born in New York and raised in Pennsylvania, Nadège has traveled to five other states and two countries, but aspires to travel the world some day. Her name is of French origin, though she's never been to France (she's actually West Indian-American!). Forever a lover of art and all things pertaining to Literature, she hopes to obtain knowledge from her writing career, rather than popularity or fame. She wrote her first novel about aliens and goats in the 8th grade and has had a passion for story-telling ever since. Her friends and family are her biggest inspiration, and the occasional cup of coffee. She enjoys being part of the Indie community and sharing her stories with the world.

When not reading, writing, and blogging obsessively, she's usually found hiking, studying, camping, or at home with her family. She's been a martial artist for two years, a singer for three, and always seeks a common ground in everything. She considers her writing very personal, as she's always been a private person. She enjoys writing about what could or should happen, rather than what did happen--she's a dreamer and a procrastinator.


Her name is pronounced [Nah-dej]

Do or Die...


In a world that has been divided amongst the Hunter race and the Warrior, prisoners who have fallen prey to King Cyrus' decrees are forced into the arena to fight until death. Winner is granted mercy and privilege to see another sunrise. Death unto the weak. In an attempt to get back at everyone who has ever shut her out, seventeen year-old Princess Echo becomes another victim, dragging Ayden, her forbidden love, along in a race to freedom, to find out who she really is, and to put a world that has been swallowed by lies back together again.


When death threatens the forbidden love of an unlikely couple and they are forced to do the unthinkable, to what extent will they go to be together?

1-Introduce yourself. Tell us about the best of things about your childhood,teenage life, and adulthood.

I’m a student, friend, sister, blogger, and a volunteer. I currently live in Pennsylvania with a good majority of my family. I grew up in New York and occasionally go back to visit Manhattan when I can spare a weekend. My parents are from the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, to be exact, so I’m a Caribbean girl! As a child I never liked to read, but I always loved telling stories. I’ve also had an obsession for reading the dictionary since high school (weird, I know!), but it’s just something that soothes me. My Mother always taught me to deal with my problems single-handedly, as a woman would have to someday, so writing things down became solace for me.

It’s unnatural to say that my love for reading and writing started with Twilight four or five years ago, but it did. Not the book itself, but the YA genre. I always thought books to be boring and quite contrite, so when learning about a whole other spectrum of books, I became infatuated. That’s followed me through the years until now. I never even considered myself a writer until now.

2-You obviously seem to have a passion for writing books. What made you think you want to get published?

Oh, I do! And I honestly think it was all the great comments I began to get on my writing over the years that did it for me. I had joined a website called Figment about a year ago, and after someone said I write like a seasoned author, I knew.

3-You are a self published author, how do you think being indie-published is different than the normal one?

No. Deadline. I’m a huge procrastinator, so deadlines would be horrible for me. Especially being in school and volunteering. Also, I get to say who I want to give my books to and set them at whatever price pleases me. I’m big on free will so the extra bondage that comes with be a seasoned author would kill me. On the bad side, you have to market a lot.

4-What are your biggest influences on your work? 

Great question! My mother, Julia de Burgos (one of my favorite poets), God, and my friends and family.
 

5-Who is the person who designed your cover? It is really well done. Great colors etc...Are you happy with it yourself?

OH! That would be the wonderful Silviya Yordanova hailing all the way from Bulgaria. She’s really sweet and was a blast to work with. I am very pleased with how it came out. The orange hues and everything from the model, her hair, the city in the background, and the necklace in her hands is just perfect. Silviya can be found at: Morteque.deviantart.com.

6-Can readers find your book, Burning Bridges, in bookstores when it gets published? What about online stores? Where can they find it?


Bookstores, yes, but that’s if you live in my area. As for others out-of-state or international, Burning Bridges can be found on Amazon.com, Smashwords.com, Goodreads.com, and Createspace.com. 

7-For the readers who don't know about your book, introduce it briefly.

Burning Bridges is a tale about two forbidden lovers in a post-apocalyptic world built on lies and fears. They're forced to make a hard decision that may just lead to their demise and the end of their race. It’s a mix of social class drama and gladiator arena battles.

8-What are writing challenges? What is the best thing about writing?

Well, my writing challenge is writing so much in a certain amount of time. I am an extremely slow writer, and it isn’t because I procrastinate or because of writer’s block. I just like to be sufficient with my writing and I feel if I type too fast, I won’t be able to portray a scene how it deserves to be portrayed. Best thing about writing is making up the characters (whose personalities always coincide with me in some kind of way) and creating the worlds in which those characters must live. I’m a big fan of dystopian and my imagination tends to get away from me sometimes, so I enjoy it the most.

9-What are some of your pet peeves?

Immature writing and too mature writing. I hate when a character is supposed to be a forty year-old woman and they whine like a four year-old child. I just think if a writer is going to take on that kind of character, they should know what they’re doing. Too mature writing is the worst, which is why I like the YA genre so much. If it gets to the point where I feel like I’m being forced to read through tons of lecturing and no dialogue, I won’t read. And there has to be personality in the writing, something that gives incite on the type of person the author is.

10-Do you have any weird reading habits while reading/writing?

Trick question, right? I have tons! I don’t like stopping between chapters, I fell like it’s all or nothing. I don’t like to be sitting while reading either, it’s so uncomfortable and my back starts to hurt. The list could literally go one for years.

11-What are some things you really love collecting?

Wristbands. I love them and I hate anything that I have to take off if I’m doing the dishes or going in the pool, so they’re convenient.

12-Finally, to end this in terview...is there anything you'd like to say to people who are reading this?

Yes! I have lots, but I’ll sum it up. I just want to thank all the indie-lovers out there, you are the reason us indie authors strive to do our best. This is also my first interview, so of course I want to thank you! And to those who are thinking about reading Burning Bridges and delving into The Bleeding Heart Trilogy, I’ll tell you this: expect the unexpected.

The second book in this series is called Deceiving Destiny, which is going to be published in December 2012.
You can follow Nadege in the following places:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NadegeRich

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15143545-burning-bridges

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NadegeRichards

Blog: http://www.authornadegerichards.blogspot.com

GIVEAWAY

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Book Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate (Newsoul #1)
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

New soul


Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.


No soul


Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?


Heart


Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

The cover. The cover. The cover. The cover. The cover. The cover. The cover. The cover. The cover.
It is driving me insane. Seriously. The people who designed this cover are GENIUSES!!!!!!! They should be given some honor award. It is PERFECT! I can't stop staring at it. In fact, I am staring at this cover as I am reviewing this book. Get all positive adjectives in the world and put it here;it would still be an understatement. Everything about it is attractive: the model, the colors, the butterfly, the fonts...EVERYTHING! WOW.
Enough with the cover. I'm here to review the book, not the cover =P

I have to start by saying this book was not how I expected it to be.
Some books, like this one, have an impact on you after you finish it. I will talk about what I mean exactly in details.

Things that stood out in this book:

1-Writing style: This book is written beautifully. BEAUTIFULLY. I love how Jodi Meadows writes. Very unique. Many people have unique writing styles, but how Jodi Meadows writes is just pure. It is very passionate. It's coming out of the heart.

2-World Building: Heart was one of the most imaginative worlds come to life. I have no idea how Meadows came up with it. It's beautiful. It's complex. It's overly creative. Seriously. A world that is a heart, it has a pulse. People come back to life when they die. It's a world where sylphs and dragons are real. The most interesting creatures live. Wow. Just WOW!

There definitely are more things, but I can't really put them into words. Just know this: Jodi has a magical talent.

Things that disappointed me:

1-Story Focus: This book was more about Ana than the world. It was about he she was different, how everyone reacted to her, how she was the "freak" of their world. I wanted there to be more story to it. More twists and turns.

2-Pacing: This book had action, twists, turns, but only in the end. It took time to get used to this book. I felt that nothing much was happening. It felt too slow and I felt that I wasn't enjoying this book as much as I wanted to.

However, this gets me to something I mentioned earlier: Some books, like this one, have an impact on you after you finish it.
Like I said, I felt that I wasn't enjoying this book, but once I was done with it, I kept remembering things from this book. It had an impact on me. I could feel the awesomeness of this book. I could get flashes from the book and kept enjoying the flashes.

I really liked this book, and I will definitely check out Asunder, which comes out next year. Check the cover below.