Review #85: Program 13- Nicole Sobon

Two identities. One Body.

17-year-old Emile Reed, may have died, but she isn't dead. Her body now belongs to Program Thirteen, where her every thought, every movement, is controlled. Until Emile begins to find her way back inside of Thirteen's core, where she manages to fend off Thirteen’s programming to reclaim the life that she lost. But Charles McVeigh, the owner of Vesta Corp, isn’t willing to let Thirteen go. And he will stop at nothing to reclaim control of Thirteen's programming. Because without her, McVeigh has nothing.

What makes you human?

Title: Program 13

Author: Nicole Sobon

Series: The Emilie Reed Chronicles 

Pages: 316

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review: Normally, sci-fi novels are my least favorite genre to read, but Program 13 was awesome. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I was entertained throughout. When reading this book, I thought of The Cold Awakening Series by Robin Wasserman. They have similar plots. I found Program 13 to be an easy and fun read. Also it was packed full of action. Nicole Sobon gave such great details in this story. 

I loved to internal struggle that Emilie, the main charcater, continually has to fight against Program 13 to stay herself. I would probably go crazy in her position. I would hate to have to listen a little voice on my head try to escape and take over my mind. I hope in future books we learn more secrets and why Emile was targeted. I found her to be a very strong character who overcame so many obstacles and deals with the constantly. Colton was also fun to read about. But I have this weird feeli about him. Like he is hiding something. I though it was weird how him and Emile became such fast friends and that he accepted her secret, no questions asked. Hopefully we also learn more about him and that he has no ulterior motives. I want to know if there will be a romance between these two. This book has no romance what so ever lol.

This is definitely a book to add to your TBR pile. Even if sci- fi isn't your thing, give this book a shot. I did and I don't regret it one bit. I would recommend this book to everyone. I will be continuing this series for sure!

Nicole Sobon is the author of the Emile Reed Chronicles, Capture, No Place Like Home, and various short stories.

Cover Reveal: Dark Salvation- Katie Salidas

Synopsis:

A gathering storm of violence is on the horizon. Whispered threats of the Acta Sanctorum’s return have the supernatural world abuzz. Only recently aware of the other world hidden behind our own, Kitara Vanders has barely scratched the surface of what being supernatural truly means. A special woman in her own right, she possesses unique telepathic abilities, gifts that have recently come under the scrutiny of the Acta Sanctorum, a fanatical organization whose mission is to cleanse the world of anything supernatural. Targeted, and marked for death, Kitara’s only hope lies with the lethally seductive yet emotionally scarred warrior, Nicholas. 

Knowing full well the atrocities the Acta Sanctorum is capable of, Nicholas is all too eager for the battle to begin. Fueled by pain and rage from the loss of his mate, he’s itching for a fight, but one thing stands in his way, Kitara: a beautiful dark-haired woman with unique psychic abilities and an unusual link to the Saints. Despite his resolve to remain focused on his mission, a purely physical relationship binds them together in a way neither of them expected. And when her life hangs in the balance, Nicholas finds his own is teetering on the edge too. 

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime... And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale...

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

You can find out more about Katie Salidas,and her vampire novels at KatieSalidas.com

Blog Tour This or That: Ashes & Ice - Rochelle Maya Callen

Today is my day for the blog tour for Ashes & Ice, featuring Rochelle Maya Callen. I hope you enjoy.

This or That?

• 1). Ashes or Ice?
  Ashes!

  2). Hot or Cold?
  Cold. You can always put a sweater on, but if you are in public you can’t just start stripping. Well, at least I don’t. I’ve seen otherwise on TruTV.

  3). Food or Drinks?
  Sigh. I have a love/hate relationship with food and drinks. I LOVE BOTH, but my hips tend to hold onto every calorie. Unless I am indulging, food wins.

  4). Socks or Shoes?
  Shoes without socks… not so hot. Socks without shoes means I am relaxing somewhere. SOCKS!

  5). Underwear or Commando? Lol
  How about barely there underwear? LOL.

  6). TV or Music?
  Music!

  7). Reading or Writing?
  Oh my goodness… this is a treacherous question. *thinks* Ehem, don’t mind the steam coming out of my ears. I can’t decide!

  Pants or Dresses?
  Pants!

  9). Sweet or Sour?
  SWEET!

  10). YA or Adult?
  YA  Although I do enjoy some Adult books, YA will always own my heart.

  11). Books or Ebooks?
  Hardcover books. I am transitioning to Ebooks though! My house can’t fit more books.

  12). Facebook or Twitter?
  Facebook! I  Facebook! I am starting to get into Twitter…

  
  

  

  About this author

  
  
  So you want to know more about me, eh? Well, the short of it is: I grew up with a book under my arm. I frequently read until dawn by flashlight so that no one could see I was up by the light under my door. I scribbled stories in the corners of notebooks and was convinced I would be a novelist one day. And then *BAM* twelve years later it happened!
  
  Hmmm, what happened in that twelve years? I entered high school at thirteen and promptly abandoned my stories and dreams of being a novelist for a path of study that I hoped would make me suitable for political office and would eventually land me in a big white house on Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. My fervent passion for social & political justice fueled my studies and I did not read a single fiction book (unless my study required) until two years after I graduated college. I worked up to four jobs at a time. Only one stuck: behavioral therapy. I have been a behavioral therapist for the past 8 years and have focused on cases of severe mental illness and autism.
  
  ​So, how did story telling creep back into my life? I owe it all to my daughter—then in my ever growing pregnant belly—and the fabulous nausea that she insisted on blessing me with. For a period of time, I was so sick that I could barely get out of bed. It was then that I decided to pick up a novel. I fell in love again. I tore through books and read them late into the night. I think my husband worried about me. He would wake up to see me sniffling or laughing or taut with anxiety all because of the book in my hand.
  
  ​During this time, I found a chapter and character sketch about an extraordinary girl named Jade that I had written at 12 or 13. Those few pages were the catalyst to writing Ashes and Ice. It took years to write. I was so intimidated by the process! It wasn’t until my sister said she would not speak to me if the rough draft wasn’t finished by her birthday (earlier this year). That got me writing!
  
  ​Now, I am writing every spare moment and have not only the rest of the Ashes and Ice trilogy mapped out, but also three other projects in the works.
  
  I feel incredibly blessed to have found my love of books and writing again. It truly was and is my dream—I had just forgotten about it for a time. And finally, I am living it.

Blog Tour: Surrender (The Ferryman and the Flame #1)- Rhiannon Pallie

Description: How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?                                                                                                                            Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

  

Title: Surrender: The Ferryman and the Flame

Author: Rhiannon Pallie

Pages: 402

Series: The Ferryman and the Flame #1

Rating: 3 Stars

Review: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This cover drew me in, when I saw how beautiful it was I knew that I had to read the book. Plus, this book is about elves which I feel is a fairly newer concept. I don't really recall reading any books about elves. But once I got into the book I knew that it wasn't for me. It almost contained too much fantasy, which made me confused for most of the book. I kept feeling like the characters had known each other before, but i still don't know if that's right or not. And I felt like I had to make a lot of assumptions about things. For instance, I assumed that The Land of Men was referring to Earth and with humans but the reader never finds out, but i kept thinking of it as "No Man's Land" because it always seemed like a punishment to be sent there and was never fully explained why. 

The characters were okay. I had a hard time with their names because I found them to be similar so i kept mixing them up and having to go back and re-read. I just wished that there was more information on the characters. All I know is that the two main characters fell in love. I NEED BACKGROUND!! I also wish that the roles of the characters were explained more. I still don't know what the importance of the Ferryman or the Flame.

I feel like this book has a lot of potential if more information was added. I would still recommend it to fantasy lovers. Surrender had amazing descriptions but just wasn't my kind of book.

About this author

Rhi is the weird one in the red lipstick. She writes Young Adult Fantasy, Dystopian, Urban Fantasy and sometimes Contemporary. When she's not writing she's reading minds, singing karaoke, and burning cookies. You can find her sipping iced cappuccino at www.yafantasyauthor.com

Guest Post:The Tale of Lucia Grandi- Susan Speranza

The Tale of Lucia Grandi

When an old woman is asked to tell the story of her life, she tells an intense and poignant tale about growing up in and surviving a warring suburban family during the 1950s and ’60s.

Written as a memoir, each chapter describes a particular incident in Lucia’s life which shows the constant struggle between her parents and the perverse effect it has on her and her family. From her complicated and unwanted birth, to her witnessing a suicide at age 3, to her stint as a runaway at age 14, the story progresses to the final crisis where as a young woman she is turned out of her house and banished from her family forever.

Told in breathtakingly beautiful prose, this is a powerful and timeless story of a dying woman’s courageous attempt to come to terms with her past and the troubled family that dominated it.

Purchase The Tale of Lucia Grandi: The Early Years
Kindle | Paperback | Barnes & Noble

Guest Review By Carrie Spooner

This review is from: The Tale of Lucia Grandi, The Early Years (Kindle Edition) The Tale of Lucia Grandi was a heart wrenching story. I felt sorry for Lucia and all the negativity she had to grow up around but she found strength in one family member and herself. This book tells the story of Lucia's life even giving the background of her parents and her grandparents. It weaves a tale of how parents' actions make children who they become from one generation to the next. The book was well written and I will look for other books by Susan Speranza. 

About the Author:

ONCE UPON A TIME…

…I was born in New York City and grew up on Long Island where I had an interesting and creative childhood. Once in college, I studied Psychology and Philosophy, but since “thinking” didn’t translate into earning money or job security, I worked at a variety of different and unrelated jobs both in New York City and on Long Island.

In order to keep me sane through all the craziness of life, I spent my spare time writing. Anything and everything. The culmination of this was a fantasy – The City of Light – which has recently been reissued as an ebook.

I took up the hobby of dog showing and breeding and produced many Pekingese Champions. You can see them over at our Castlerigg Pekingese website.

Somewhere in the middle of my life so far, after a great personal upheaval, I went back to school, became a High School Librarian. I managed to fulfill my childhood dream of living in the country when I finally escaped suburbia and moved to Vermont where I now happily live with my beautiful Pekes.

But I’ve never stopped writing.

My biography (as with my life, I hope) is to be continued…

Follow Susan Speranza
Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Cover Reveal: Don't Kill Dinner- Jennifer Martinez

Title: Don’t Kill Dinner

Series: The Rules Trilogy

Author: Jennifer Martinez

Genre: Urban Fantasy/New Adult Paranormal Romance (Mature audiences only. Mild to moderate swearing and sexual situations)

Quote for Cover: “I love you Kenna and I will never lose you. I promise.”

Official Blurb:

There are three rules when it comes to being a vampire in New Orleans. 1) Don’t kill dinner. 2) Don’t feed from people you know. 3) Don’t tell anyone. Not too hard, right? Wrong. Kenna is a new vampire filled with a passion that has turned into an uncontrollable lust for blood.

 Will Arthur be able to stop her feeding spree before the coven comes after her or is Kenna beyond saving?

Arthur has been watching Kenna for years, wanting her to try her own hand in life before he gave her the ultimate proposal. Now that she has accepted, will his love be enough to save her?

Author Bio:

One day while slaving away at her monotonous day job, Jennifer Martinez found her true calling. Like a firefly in the night, the pages called to her. Once she caught the bug there was no stopping it. Her fingers flew furiously across the keyboard winding tales of love, mystery and anger. She snapped out of her reverie to find herself still behind the desk but at least she knew who she was… Author Jennifer Martinez.

I like to think of myself as a beautiful conundrum. When I am not writing, I can be found surrounded by my amazing family and 4 dogs or volunteering at a local animal rescue. I love who I am and don’t mind at all when I get strange looks from people. I am a tattoo covered, child and animal lover who looks forward to destroying peoples preconceived notions of what “someone like me” would be interested in. You only live life once… you may as well make it interesting.

I love to get lost in a good book and hope that everyone will get lost in mine.

Jennifer Martinez on Facebook
Jennifer Martinez on Twitter
Jennifer Martinez on Amazon
Actor for Hire, The Rules Trilogy 0.5 Kenna's Story on Amazon
Actor for Hire, The Rules Trilogy 0.5 Kenna's Story on Smashwords

Review #84: Katie's Hellion- Lizzy Ford

Description: 

Katie didn't send her boyfriend to Hell, but she's going there to bust him out! 

Katie thinks she’s going crazy when a baby angel and death’s personal assistant appear on her doorstep. Both claim she’s destined for something great. If she can survive, that is. She’s drawn into a world filled with immortals like Rhyn, an outcast who claims her as his mate in a show of defiance to his brothers. Katie rescues Rhyn from Hell, and he discovers fast just how special his little human is. With Death counting his days on one hand, Rhyn must learn to love, before his own time is up and Katie becomes the first human casualty in the brewing war between immortals. Will the love between a gifted young woman and an immortal outcast save the world-- or destroy it?

Title: Katie's Hellion

Author: Lizzy Ford

Pages: 220
Series: Rhyn Trilogy #1

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review:  I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

When I had first seen/ heard of this book, I wasn't sure if I would like it. I felt this way from the cover and reading the summary, but I decided that it was by the amazing Lizzy Ford so I would give it a shot. At first, I ought it would be an adult book but then I decided its more New Adult. It doesn't have too many inappropriate or graphic scenes. Lizzy Ford just has this amazing way with words. In this book I felt like there was this huge buildup to the climax which didn't happen until near the end. It was a sex scene but a very mild one. I had been feeling the buildup and the sexual tension all through the book waiting for it to finally happen. I really did enjoy the worlds that Lizzy Ford created in the novel. Also I loved the immortals, demons, vamps and various other paranormal and fantasy creatures that make an appearance. 

As for characters, I really liked Katie. I felt that she grew to be a stronger person by having to deal with the crap that she had been dealt, and only wanting to give up for a short time. Then Bam! She took the bull by the horns and her life into her own hands, as much as she could, after having been claimed. I also found her to be quite funny and rebellious which made the story more entertaining. Rhyn was the next best character. I felt that he also grew a lot. He had to learn to control himself but at the same time let go so he could care for another person. And I think that he would be super hot!!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I think it will be a trilogy that only gets better which each new novel. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal/ fantasy romances. I will be continuing the series to see where it goes.

About this author

Lizzy Ford is the author of over seventeen novels written for young adult and adult paranormal romance readers, to include the internationally bestselling Rhyn Trilogy, Witchling Trilogy and the War of Gods series. Considered a freak of nature by her peers for the ability to write and release a commercial quality novel in under a month, Lizzy has focused on keeping her readers happy by producing brilliant, gritty romances that remind people why true love is a trial worth enduring. 

Lizzy’s books can be found on every major ereader library, to include: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Sony and Smashwords. She lives in southern Arizona with her husband, three dogs and a cat. 

To reach Lizzy, contact her here through Goodreads or by any method below!

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

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LizzyFord2010

Email: LizzyFord2010@gmail.com

Lizzy’s books include:

Rhyn Trilogy:

- "Katie’s Hellion" (#1, May 2011)

- "Katie’s Hope" (#2, September 2011)

- "Rhyn’s Redemption" (#3, March 2012)

- Short story: "Rhyn Trilogy: Origins" (October 2011)

Rhyn Eternal series:

"Gabriel's Hope" (#1, Dec 2012)

"Deidre's Death" (#2, Fall 2013)

Witchling Trilogy (YA- Paranormal)

"Dark Summer" - (#1, Aug 2012)

"Autumn Storm" - (#2, Nov 2012)

"Winter Kiss" - (#3, 2013)

War of Gods (Damian) Series:

- "Damian’s Oracle" (#1, Oct 2011)

- "Damian’s Assassin" (#2, Nov 2011)

- "Damian’s Immortal" (#3, Dec 2011)

- "The Grey God" (#4, July 2012)

The Foretold Trilogy (YA)

- "Elle's Journey" (#1, Dec 2011)

- "Shadow Rising" (#2, Summer 2013)

Anshan Saga

- "Kiera's Moon" (#1, Aug 2012)

- "Kiera's Sun" (#2, Spring 2013)

Single Titles

"The Warlord’s Secret" (April 2011) 

"Maddy’s Oasis" (novella, July 2011)

"A Demon’s Desire" (October 2011)

"Rebel Heart" (May 2012)