Angel of Song Release Blitz with L.L. Hunter

Title: Angel of Song (Angels of London: Book 2)
Author: L.L. Hunter 
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: KILA designs
Publication Date: Mar. 31st, 2018
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb:
After failing to stop Samson and his demon army from taking over the world, Gabe, Melody and their friends know they have another battle on their hands.
Trying to hold back the wave of demon souls has taken its toll on Gabe.
While being forced to rest and recover, he and Melody grow closer.
During an intimate training session at a safe haven, Gabe and Melody cross paths with someone from Gabe’s past.
But, when the meeting goes horribly wrong, and Gabe is kidnapped, Melody begins to doubt her abilities as a guardian angel.
She must learn to forgive herself if she is to save Gabe.
In the second instalment of the Angels of London series, Melody needs to find herself before she can find Gabe.
After all, she never expected to fall for her assignment.
Will loving him mean she’ll have to sacrifice everything?
L.L. Hunter is the author of over 20 published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Garden of Eden. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author. 

She has been writing since her teens – everything from fan fiction, to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her “fur babies.” Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @llhunterbooks, and her blog – http://llhunter.blogspot.com.au.

Buy Links:
Angel of Hope:Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2j2CIcI
Amazon UK: http://amzn.eu/5M3n4Ms
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B077XY96W7
Amazon CA: http://a.co/2zJ46PJ
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/do/book/angel-of-hope/id1193302213?l=en&mt=11
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/angel-of-hope-2
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-of-hope-ll-hunter/1125461352?ean=2940153952086

Angel of Song:
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2He2J3N
Amazon UK: http://amzn.eu/8Xxx28Y
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B079L1BVXB
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B079L1BVXB
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/do/book/angel-of-song/id1193303292?l=en&mt=11
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/angel-of-song
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angel-of-song-ll-hunter/1125461353?ean=2940153952093

Shade Pre-Order Blitz with Mere Joyce

Title: Shade
Author: Mere Joyce
Genre: YA Paranormal
Cover Designer: Molly Phipps of We Got You Covered Book Design
Publisher: 7 Sisters Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: April 10th, 2018
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb:
Fourteen-year-old Callum Silver sees dead people. It’s not a gift. His family thinks he’s crazy. Sometimes he thinks he’s crazy. He has no friends. He’s forced to live his life surrounded by nothing but the searing pain, sickening smells and desperate moans that accompany the murdered ghosts who seek him out.
When he’s offered a place at Camp Wanagi, the ten weeks in the French countryside isn’t a vacation, it’s a lifeline. A way to meet others like himself and prove his ability can offer more than years of loneliness and expensive therapy bills.
Run by a mysterious group known as the Oracle of Senders, Camp Wanagi brings together teens from around the globe who all possess the unique ability to see the dead. While Cal is relieved to find others like him, he learns quickly that not everybody experiences the spirits as he does. Some of the campers revere their abilities and don’t understand his hesitation, while others—like quiet bookworm Meander Rhoades—have good reason for wishing they could get rid of their ‘gifts’.
While researching their final project, Cal and Meander find an unmarked grave which reveals aspects of their abilities neither knew existed, forcing Cal to decide if the torture of seeing ghosts is worthwhile and, more importantly, if being a part of the Oracle of Senders is necessary, dangerous…or both. 


  

Mere Joyce is a Canadian author of books for young adults. Her writing includes contemporary tales, high-action mysteries, and her personal favourite—ghost stories. When she’s not writing, Mere can be found recommending books as a librarian or spending time at home with her husband and two sons. She’s also been known to be a selective, yet highly enthusiastic fangirl.

Author Links:
Pre-Order Links:

Review of the Azure Kingdom by Michelle Dare

“One key, one door, one man, one leap.

Alison Wescot inherited the antique store the day her mother died. It was nothing she wanted, but she couldn’t part with it. The antiques inside were all she had left of her mother. She thought she knew every piece in the store, until one day she discovered a box with a key inside, along with a letter from her mother. A key to a door she never knew existed.

Lucas Azure is the leader of the kingdom’s elite guard, a group of men whose sole purpose was to protect their territory and people. The youngest of the king’s four children, he was also the deadliest. The men in his group followed him faithfully, never questioning his orders. When Alison appeared, he knew he had to protect her at all costs.

The day Alison walked through the door, her recurring dream became a reality. The man who always remained a mystery was standing before her. There were dragons flying overhead and a castle in the distance. She was now in the Azure Kingdom.”

Solid 4.5 Star
Alison gave up everything to go and look after her sick Mum, unfortunately she passed away quickly leaving her with an antiques store to run and slim to no friends, not even any from her old job and life. A year passes and life is very lonely and boring but that all changes when she finds a key and a hidden door which opens to the field she has dreamed about for so long. She also meets Lucas who was also in her dreams but nothing of this world is romantic or dreamy for Alison as she finds out who her absent farther is, as well as the war going on Between her fathers Kingdom Pine and Lucas’s Kingdom Azure along with secrets that affect Lucas’s family. I really loved how this was such a well rounded and involved read, yes there is romance too, but not the whole jumping in bed as soon as they meet the good ole fashion kind. You get to know so many characters and connect with them, Yes even Oliver as they have substance and real feelings to them you can relate to. I was glad to see books 2 and 3 in the series are also out so no waiting to see what happens next for the Pine and Azure Kingdoms!

The Azure Kingdom is available from Amazon and is currently free to download!

Entombed in Glass Release Blitz with Stacey Rourke

Title: Entombed in Glass
Author: Stacey Rourke
Genre: YA Fantasy/ Fairy Tale and Folklore
Cover Designer: Najla Qamber Designs
Publication Date: March 29th, 2018
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb:
Mirror, mirror on the wall.
What’s behind that fated call?
He’s the seer of present, future, and past,
Yet remains a nameless face entombed in glass.
Raised as a servant in the underwater kingdom of Atlantica, Alastor worked his way up to a regal member of the Royal Guard. Only as a decorated soldier did he stand a chance of winning the hand of the woman he’s loved since childhood … Poseidon’s only daughter, Princess Vanessa. But, when the war against humans rages, dark magics are evoked to give the mermen a fighting chance. Temporarily granted legs, they charge from the sea into a doomed battle.
Doing the bidding of his masters as a trusted pawn,
The claims of his loyalty couldn’t be more wrong.
Waking on land, with bodies all around, Alastor’s lone goal becomes returning to the ocean and the only life he’s ever known. A plan that is quickly diverted when Hades, Lord of the Underworld, appears with a twisted agenda all his own. Cast to a land far from the lapping comforts of home, Alastor’s sole companion is a troubled misfit named Sterling that soon comes to depend on him. Trained to be a hero, how far is Alastor willing to go to return to the woman he loves? And can he live with the sacrifices he’s forced to make?
Each day he schemes to break free from their thrall,
and honor a self-made vow … to kill them all.

RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel
Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012
Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013 
Stacey Rourke is the author of the award winning YA Gryphon Series, the chillingly suspenseful Legends Saga, and the romantic comedy Adapted for Film. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. 
Author Links:
Instagram: Rourkewrites.
Buy Link:
Rise of the Sea Witch: http://amzn.to/2th8hTW
Entombed in Glass: http://amzn.to/2GV2OJD

 

Bookish Ramblings: Farewell to Fairyloot and hello new book boxes!

In November last year I got excited about the book world for a whole new reason.  I discovered that there were such things as book subscription boxes and despite most of them being based in the US one of the more popular boxes was based in the UK, so I set about getting subscribed to Fairyloot.  Over the last 5 months I have looked forward to the box arriving, got frustrated with being the last in the delivery line, rejoiced at being first, avoided Instagram for days to avoid box spoilers and opened boxes with a mix of delight and disappointment.  Ultimately Fairlyloot, for me, has been really inconsistent.  When they get it right (November and January) it’s amazing, but when they don’t (December and March) it’s such a let down. I appreciate it’s a hard task to please everyone all the time (i’ve loved boxes that others have hated) and cover all the fandoms that such a wide range of readers want to see, but for those of us with very little in the way of disposable income it’s frustrating when a box doesn’t live up to the hype.  The much anticipated anniversary box arrived on Monday and sadly I felt so strongly that it was a poor box I’ve cancelled my subscription.  I’ll probably regret it especially as their April box contains an Ink and Wonder item and an item based on Fantastic Beasts, but the trouble with subscription boxes is that they are entirely a mystery, you pay for it and then hope for the best – it’s actually quite a baffling concept now i’m writing it down. However, even now I’m sat here wondering if I should re-subscribe, but I think it’s time that I see what else is out there in the terms available boxes!

I recently took part in an instagram rep search for a new box company called Ravenswand and whilst I didn’t get selected I was so intrigued by their Monthly Raven boxes that I put in an order for a single purchase and with free UK delivery I was sold!  Content wise, they have fewer items than fairyloot (they are also cheaper) but of the items they always include, are a fantasy book or books! A candle, a bookmark and some other bookish goodies.  From the unboxing I have seen the candle looks to be full size and their last book was one I really wanted to read! The great thing about this company is that they are ultimately an online shop selling fantasy book, gaming and TV fandom items so I have high hopes that their box content will be reflective of the quality of the items on their online store – watch this space!

I have also signed up for Illumicrate, this a quarterly book box and has consistently good reviews for content, they often contain 2 books (one being an Arc) and are not restricted to YA fantasy, from what I have seen they appear to offer good value for money, especially as again they offer free UK shipping and with a rep code I saved even more!  This box isn’t due until May so it maybe some time until I get to see if the hype lives up to the content.

In the interim months I will likely look into one of the boxes from suppliers I have discovered through fairyloot, you may remember that I adored the box I received from Bookish Teas, I want to try and get another cushion cover from Stella Bookish Art and also a candle box, most likely from UK based Bookish Burns this time around.

So lots to look forward to coming up and if it seems after all that actually Fairyloot offered the best value I may consider resubscribing or I may just spend the equivalent on books and candles that I actually want!

Do you use any subscription box services?  Which ones and would you recommend them?

NB: I wrote this post yesterday to publish today, sadly today I found out that my beloved cat Leeloo is suffering the beginnings of kidney failure.  I’m not sure what the ongoing vet bills will be like but clearly my priority will be making the best for her for the time we have left together. My income for book boxes is likely to be depleted so once I have the boxes I have paid for it’s unlikely I’ll be getting more for a while.

Review of Curse of the Sands (Relic Hunters book 2) by Martin Ferguson

“Thousands of miles away from London and The British Museum, in the mysterious Land of The Pharaohs, a pyramid has been discovered, or more accurately, one has suddenly appeared. 

As treasure hunting teams from across the globe dash to the historic discovery, the race is on for the Hunter brothers, and their 
fellow members of the British Museum team, to unlock both the pyramid’s secrets and its relics. 

Only, not all is as it seems, and as the treasure hunters begin to die one by one, it soon becomes apparent. the pyramid has its own vengeful agenda. 

In this second book of The Relic Hunters’ Series, seventeen-year-old Adam Hunter must learn to work as part of the team in order to save the day and win the heart of the girl he’s falling for.”

After reading the first book in the Relic Hunters series, I immediately started reading this second book. And, I was not disappointed!

The book continues the adventures of Adam Hunter and the rest of the British Museum’s team on their quest to find ancient relics. “Curse of the Sands” finds Adam and his brother, along with the rest of the team, entering a previously unknown pyramid in Egypt. Teams from Sweden, France, Italy and the US are also allowed to enter this pyramid after an Egyptian team is attacked and killed by an unknown force.

If you enjoy Raiders of the Lost Ark, Lara Croft and the Librarians, you will love this series. Mr. Ferguson does a wonderful job in his action scenes and you really feel like you are watching it on a screen in your mind. The story was well written, the characters are great and the action never stops. I love the way that the author alternates the story between the modern day adventurers and the ancient people who set up the story.

I really didn’t know much about the myth of Osiris and Isis, but this book was a great way to learn about their love. Of course, there are villains, ancient curses, plagues, booby traps and all the other things that you would expect from disturbing an ancient Egyptian tomb.

My favorite line from this book: “In this life or the next, we shall be reunited”. This story definitely convinces the reader that this is the truth!

5*

Curse of the sands is currently available through Amazon

Review of Hell Gate by Josh Matthews

“Sixteen-year-old Jason is living a nightmare within a nightmare. He is trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world that has been overrun by demons from another realm, but it was his mother who opened the door in her experiment gone wrong. In a last ditch effort to redeem his family name and unload his guilt, he joins a squad whose mission is to destroy the Hell spawn around Mont St. Michel. When his team arrives in Paris to close the Hell Gate they discover an environment more frightening than anything they could imagine and demons more terrifying than they had ever encountered before. Time is now racing against them Can he gain his redemption along with the respect of his peers or will a new web of lies threaten to rip apart his world and jeopardize his team’s only chance for success?”

Hell Gate by Josh Matthews was an engrossing military story full of excellent paranormal twists and turns. The book is immediately exciting, but then slows considerably. Although it was a bit of a push to get through the first part of the book, the character development that happens there is masterful. It takes a special talent to give back story to every single character, even the minor characters. This approach is present throughout the book and gives to the reader a truly stunning panoramic view of the post-apocalyptic world. During part two, the excitement is back to stay. Nothing is spared during the gory showdowns between the survivors of Hell unleashed on Earth and the deadly demons pouring out from The Hell Gate. Everything is laid out in vivid detail, a true depiction of our deepest apocalyptic nightmares. Matthew kept his talents at work with his interesting approach to showing the various points of view. Battles moved quickly, and the reader is taken through each stage of the adventure as though it were a movie. This was a fantastic read, and though I look forward to reading the second book, I think this story would have had more of an impact on the reader if it had stood alone. The lead into a sequel feels forced, and because of this and a few grammar and spelling errors, I give the novel four stars.

Hellgate is currently available through Amazon and is currently free on Kindle Unlimited!

Review of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

“The dream choses the dreamer

Since he was five years old, Lazlo Strange has been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to go in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself – in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep to cut it off from the world? What did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do many more mysteries – including the blue-skinned goddess who visits Lazlo’s dreams . . .”

When I first started reading Strange the Dreamer my first feeling was that I was in for something special.  I have never read a Laini Taylor book before and I was immediately struck by her use of language and the writing style is almost musical with a lilting flow.  The language is mature in nature and very different from what you would normally expect in a YA read. The story itself is told in 3rd person but moves between the two main characters, Lazlo and Sarai.  Lazlo is a wonderful character, quiet and unnasuming but full of wild dreams about the lost city of Weep.  The stories that fuelled his play as a young child become his lifes work as an adult, channeling his time into learning all he can of the city from scraps left behind in the library he finds as his workplace. He is wonderfully earnest, yet there is a fire in him – so when a delegation arrives that promises an answer to his dreams he comes out from his shadow, his lifes work given meaning.  Sarai is also in a strange form of existence, one of only 5 surviving children of the citadel of Weep her life is sheltered and borderline to poverty.  As with all children of the citadel, she has a power passed down from her parents, Sarai holds the power of dreams but as the daughter of the Godess of Despair her world becomes one of never ending nightmare.

When Sarai’s and Lazlo’s worlds collide within their dreams they start to unravel the truth behind all that took place in Weep and a mystery that has haunted both the residents of Weep iteslf and those who remain in the citadel.  The world building is beautiful, the story is quite a slow burn, providing you with the minimal amount of information that you need to form a picture of what is happening.  This makes the reveals all the more satisfying and really gives you a chance to understand the world and appriciate the depth of thought put into its creation.

The only downside to this approach is that for the most part I felt that the side characters got left behind. Whist time was spent on the others within the Citadel, I felt that those who were met by Lazlo during his journey were almost a side thought and they appeared just enough to progress the story.  There were some members of Lazlo’s party that I was desperate to find out more about, and I felt that there was plenty of opportunity within the 500+ pages to accommodate this as some parts could have done with a little trimming; the delicious slowness treading a very fine line between frustratingly dull at times.  There is a second book in the works, so maybe these characters may get there turn then, but from the ending i’m not sure that they will.

In summary I found Strange the Dreamer to be a wonderful read if not a little slow at times.  It was so beautifully different to the fantasy I have been reading recently and I give this 4*

New Release! Angelicus (Book 4 in the Meadowsweet Chronicles) by Katie M John

When you discover your love is as old as time, and cursed for eternity there’s only one thing you can do – fight for redemption.

With paranormal elements running amok in Heargton village and the villagers so paranoid they’re even reporting sightings of an angel, the arrival of the young and enigmatic priest, Father Nathanial Abaddon, can’t come at a better time.

But whereas the villagers fall for Father Abaddon’s charm, good looks and confidence, Jeremiah Chase has other feelings about their unwelcome house guest, especially when his sister, Lucia, falls completely under the priest’s charms.

With family histories unravelling in both the Chase and Meadowsweet households, Fox and Jeremiah find their bond both an increasing comfort and distress as it pushes them together and pulls them apart. And, after a disastrous occurrence at Will’s eighteenth birthday party, Fox is forced to make a choice between one heartbreak and another.

Buy links!

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078N34MBP                                                  

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078N34MBP

SERIES BLURB:

There’s no light without dark.

Fox Meadowsweet is a Witch. Jeremiah is a Witch Hunter. The Meadowsweet bloodline has lived in the sleepy English village of Heargton for thousands of years. Jeremiah Chase is a New York boy in exile.

Neither of them asked for their past, but now it’s the only thing that can save their future as dark and ancient paranormal forces threaten to obliterate the world.

When a local college girl is discovered ritually murdered and covered in strange symbols, old suspicions rise, ancient fears manifest, and centuries-spanning blood feuds reignite between the old households of the village.  

With their ancestral reputation of magic and witchcraft, eyes turn to the three beautiful Meadowsweet sisters. Including the eyes of Jeremiah Chase, who finds himself inexplicably drawn the quirky wild beauty of the middle sister, Fox.

But as Jeremiah learns the history of her bloodline, he also unearths the dark and tangled story of his own family, giving him knowledge of a terrible and diabolical legacy.

There is an amazing release week givaway going on too! Giving away a Witchy Hamper of surprise goodies worth $75 and a Semi-precious stone pendant made of amethyst and rose quartz.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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FREE BOOK 1

Witchcraft’ BOOK 1 of the SERIES IS ON FREE DOWNLOAD

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NG5CLTE

Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NG5CLTE

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id950645919

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/witchcraft-16

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchcraft-kati…/1127088200

 

 

 

Bookish Ramblings: Wondercrate Unboxing – Dark and Light theme

For those of you who have followed me for a little while will know that I have a small obsession with Ink and Wonder designs.  Earlier this year they announced that they were producing a “Wondercrate” on a one time trial basis and I believe me when I say I had one in my cart ready to go the very minute they went on sale! As they are based in Austrailia I then had the long wait for the box to arrive and clear customs, but today I got my little mits on all the goodness!  The theme for this box is Light and Dark.

Ink and Wonder are best known for their ethically sourced woodmarks and in this box I received 4, yes 4! of these beautiful items. Out of the 4 my favourite gives a quote from an Emily Dickenson poem and I love that it’s an outline design on red cedar.  The other 3 are a more traditional Ink and Wonder colourful design and are based on the Mortal Instruments, Stephen King’s It and finally Dracula, with cute little bats which I just know will end up next to Draculaura on one of my Monster High based bookstagrams

There were plenty of smaller Items too, I was happy to see an enamel pin (I love my night court one) which is based on Harry Potter’s Lumos spell and it’s glow in the dark!  A sticker with a quote from Sarah J Maas’s the Assassin’s Blade, I’m really happy with this as I am a huge fan and I actually read that book just this month, I think I’m going to stick it onto the back of my kindle. A sew on patch featuring a quote from Lord of the Rings and features the Phial of Galadrial, which was gifted to Frodo. The final small item was a magnet featuring a quote from Princess Leia, extra poignent as it’s a line from The Last Jedi, my children love it too as it features BB8 on it!

More art based items include a tote with a wonderful latern and the famous Dumbledore quote “even in the darkest of times one must simply turn on the light” I have become a big fan of totes recently and I can’t wait to take this one out and about with me.  More Harry Potter based items (and lets face it, I can never have enough) an A5 card print featuring Sirius Black as Padfoot and finally a A4 print showing both the light and dark side of a Clash of Kings by George RR Martin.

All in all this was a gorgeous box (even the box itself was wonderfully colourful) so many wonderful items that I will use not only day to day in life but also for my bookstagram.  The only downsides are, and one is outside of the company’s hands, firstly the padding in the box is almost like a wood shaving, it ended up stuck to the fabric items and pretty much got everywhere in my living room (and in my car as it bits came out the side as I was bringing it home) and secondly, the customs charges.  The smaller items I have received from them in the past have alwasys made it through but this box came in at a fairly hefty (in my view) £13.60 in added customs charge for the UK.  The box itself, including shipping, came in a just a touch more than my fairyloot usually does which was great but the customs charge took it outside of what is really going to be affordable in the future. Ink and Wonder have yet to confirm if they will be doing boxes again (given that these sold out I expect they will) but at this time I feel very lucky to have received one of these first boxes and who knows if it’s a very special theme in future I may treat myself again.

I have to apologise for my photography in ths post, by the time I got back from work there was no natural light left and I was just too excited to not get this post up today!  I will post a properly staged unboxing over on instagram, probably on Sunday if you want to take a closer look at the goodness 🙂