[Book Tour Review + Giveaway] The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien

The Vault of Dreamers
by Caragh M. O'Brien 

From the author of the Birthmarked trilogy comes a fast-paced, psychologically thrilling novel about what happens when your dreams are not your own.

The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success:  every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras in the school. What's worse is, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

The Vault of Dreamers  is a Dystopia novel filled with mysteries, an intense plot and relatable characters. Setting of the novel is the future and involves Forge - a prestigious arts school where every moment of the student's lives are televised on a famous reality show. To fully understand the structure of this world, we follow 15-year old Rosie Sinclair who skips her sleeping pill one night and discovers that Forge is not what it seems... 

With high tech development and the future setting, it definitely has a lot of details that involve all the things-dystopia. What sets apart this book is the intensity with which it is written. Even though Rosie is the main character, we don't fully learn anything about her and what her life was like before entering Forge. This was one of the reasons why I couldn't connect with Rosie as much as I wanted to. 

Rosie's discoveries are horrifying, unnerving, and each time you feel as though everything is figured out and revealed, a new piece complicates the puzzle. This is definitely a page turner and with the way it ended, I definitely am excited to see where the story will take us in the next book.

My final thought? READ IT! Specially if you're a fan of Dystopia!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caragh M. O'Brien is the author of the BIRTHMARKED trilogy and THE VAULT OF DREAMERS, both from Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O'Brien was educated at Williams College and earned her MA from Johns Hopkins University. She recently resigned from teaching high school English in order to write young adult novels. For more information, visit http://www.caraghobrien.com.

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[Book Review] Follow Me Through Darkness by Danielle Ellison

Follow Me Through Darkness
by Danielle Ellison 

The truth won't always set you free.

Less than a year ago, Neely Ambrose’s biggest worry was having the freedom to follow a path that wasn't chosen for her.

Less than a year ago, she believed she could trust the Elders who said they had everyone’s best interest at heart and who said they were keeping them safe from the outside.

Sixty days ago, she discovered what they had planned for everyone she loved—and that all of it centered around her.
Now she’s on the run through a dangerous wasteland full of killing machines, secret organizations, and people who want to sell her back to the Elders for their own safety. The whole world outside the Compound is living proof that everything in Neely’s life was a lie manufactured by the Elders, which may even include the boy she loves.

All Neely wants is the truth, but each new piece of it drives her further from what she thought she knew. With only forty days until everyone she loves falls under the Elders’ mind control, Neely must decipher who to trust, what questions to ask, and how to get one step ahead of the Elders, who will do anything to keep their secrets buried.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

Follow Me Through Darkness is an interesting mix of Dystopia, Action, thriller, little bit of romance, and a whole lot of confusion. 

The story itself is very interesting. Neely is a part of a world that's build to maintain perfection so that the human race won't end like it did previously. She lived under the rule of Embers' that have been telling everyone lies about people that are still out there, behind the walls. But when she finds documents that say they have a plan for her, she fakes her death and runs away in hopes of saving everyone. 

*sigh*...

Where do I start. The story itself was very mesmerizing but the way it was formatted is what I found to be very irritable. There is no order in which the book is written so you either have the present time in which Neely is traveling to find her answers or you have different fragments of her past. I like to see the difference in the time frames but not when they go randomly from 4 years in the past to ten days and everything in between... 

Neely is weird. She has a "twin" who she loves (yes, in that sense. & no, they're not actually related to each other) who she's obsessed with. So she basically travels all over the country to try to save him and then BAM! Ha you're just gonna have to read it to find out ;) 

My final thought? Meh, it's alright. Could have been better but if you have time to waste, check it out.

5th Annual Gratitude Giveaways Hop

Hosted by  I Am A Reader, Not A Write

5th Annual Gratitude Giveaways Hop

November 15th to 30th

$10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Open Internationally

Ends 11/30/14

INTL Giveaway - One lucky winner will receive choice of $10 Amazon or Paypal Gift card! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Please ensure that you enter correct email address - winner will be contacted via that info. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. Good luck beautifuls!

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The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse‏

The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse
by Lauren Wilson, Kristian Bauthus

Just because the undead’s taste buds are atrophying doesn’t mean yours have to!

You duck into the safest-looking abandoned house you can find and hold your breath as you listen for the approaching zombie horde you’ve been running from all day. You hear a gurgling sound. Is it the undead? No—it’s your stomach.

When the zombie apocalypse tears down life and society as we know it, it will mean no more take out, no more brightly lit, immaculately organized aisles of food just waiting to be plucked effortlessly off the shelves. No more trips down to the local farmers’ market. No more microwaved meals in front of the TV or intimate dinner parties. No, when the undead rise, eating will be hard, and doing it successfully will become an art.

The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse is a cookbook and culinary field guide for the busy zpoc survivor. With more than 80 recipes (from Overnight of the Living Dead French Toast and It’s Not Easy Growing Greens Salad to Down & Out Sauerkraut, Honey & Blackberry Mead, and Twinkie Trifle), scads of gastronomic survival tips, and dozens of diagrams and illustrations that help you scavenge, forage, and improvise your way to an artful post-apocalypse meal. The Art of Eating is the ideal handbook for efficient food sourcing and inventive meal preparation in the event of an undead uprising.

Whether you decide to hole up in your own home or bug out into the wilderness, whether you prefer to scavenge the dregs of society or try your hand at apocalyptic agriculture, and regardless of your level of skill or preparation, The Art of Eating will help you navigate the wasteland and make the most of what you eat.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

The Art of Eating through the Zombie Apocalypse is one of a kind. There, I said it. The author uses the idea of ZPoc to teach us about surviving in the wild and try not to die from hunger since we all watched enough movies to know how to dodge the zombies!

What I really liked is that author starts off with several options of how to put together a fire. Of course, we won't always have an oven available so making "Earth oven" or "Mud oven" is very informational. There are also parts where the author helps you with which seeds sprout better than the others, which beans are the best to cook, and even how to find and eat seaweed. 

Recipes themselves are 50/50. One of the interesting ones are the Overnight French Toast which I will probably make. Want to know something completely awesome? Here's the picture of how it's supposed to look:

Does this look completely AWESOME?? I'm so making it & definitely gonna post an update on how I do hehe Other recipes probably will never happen. Why? Because I will most likely will never have access to 2012-issue MRE (military Meal, Ready to Eat) Menu #10 to create Hamburger-type chili. Overall, this is useful for any occasion if some sort of disaster strikes but one thing I definitely know - get some military food, yo! So hey, come at me zombies because I got this covered ;)

[Trailer & Giveaway] My Name is Bryan by Stacy Lynn Carroll

My Name is Bryan
by Stacy Lynn Carroll

If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump too? Bryan chose to dive. Moments later, as he lay on the beach, unable to move his arms or legs, two questions ran through his mind: Would he walk again? And would he ever have kids? Based on the incredible true story of life, love, and never giving up.

 Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Smashwords * Kobo

Praise for the book:
“I plowed through his story, amazed at how he could so easily accept something that would destroy anyone else and just move forward with such a positive attitude. I don’t give many 5 stars, but it’s well-earned. This book really touched me. It’s the kind of story that stays with you for a long time.”
–Amazon customer

“I actually love stories like this. Ones that show the power of the human spirit and what love and determination can achieve. I cried multiple times while reading this but they were a happy sort of hopeful tears. If you are looking for something uplifting and motivational read this heart-felt story of love and hope.”
–Inspired Kathy 

“You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wring your hands in frustration, and you won’t be able to put it down to go to sleep as you keep waiting to read about Bryan’s happily ever after. This is one of those books that stick with you long after you’ve finished reading it.”
–Bookmom

“Each chapter begins with an inspirational quote to lead the reader into the goodness, hardship, unconditional love, and humor that is Bryan’s life. The 30 year journey the reader takes runs smoothly page after page. You will cry and you will laugh. You will want to hug Nedra and Bryan when you are finished.”
–Kriss A.

 Follow the Blog Tour hosted by I Am A Reader
October 29th to November 14th

Book Trailer:

Author Stacy Lynn Carroll

Stacy Lynn Carroll has always loved telling stories. She started out at Utah State University where she pursued a degree in English. Go Aggies! She then finished her BA at the University of Utah (to be closer to her then boyfriend, now hubby) where she got an emphasis in creative writing. After college she worked as an administrative assistant, where she continued to write stories for the amusement of her co-workers. When her first daughter was born, and with the encouragement of a fortune cookie, she quit her job and became a full-time mommy and writer. It seemed like fate when Matt and Stacy married. She was a writer, and her father-in-law had a story that demanded to be written. She and her husband have three children, two Corgis, and a fish named Don.

Website * Twitter * Pinterest * Facebook

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/21/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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[Book Review + Giveaway] The Shotgun Arcana by R.S. Belcher

The Shotgun Arcana

by R.S. Belcher 

R. S. Belcher’s debut novel, The Six-Gun Tarot, was enthusiastically greeted by critics and readers, who praised its wildly inventive mixture of dark fantasy, steampunk, and the Wild West. Now Belcher returns to Golgotha, Nevada, a bustling frontier town that hides more than its fair share of unnatural secrets.

1870. A haven for the blessed and the damned, including a fallen angel, a mad scientist, a pirate queen, and a deputy who is kin to coyotes, Golgotha has come through many nightmarish trials, but now an army of thirty-two outlaws, lunatics, serial killers, and cannibals are converging on the town, drawn by a grisly relic that dates back to the Donner Party…and the dawn of humanity.

Sheriff Jon Highfather and his deputies already have their hands full dealing with train robbers, a mysterious series of brutal murders, and the usual outbreaks of weirdness.  But with thirty-two of the most vicious killers on Earth riding into Golgotha in just a few day’s time, the town and its people will be tested as never before—and some of them will never be the same.

The Shotgun Arcana is even more spectacularly ambitious and imaginative than The Six-Gun Tarot, and confirms R. S. Belcher’s status as a rising star.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

*ARC copy was received from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Wow.

From the very first page I was hooked. Horror and steampunk is not generally my main genres but I do enjoy them and so far, Shotgun Arcana is one of the top creepiest books I've read.  

I want this in a movie. NOW please & thank you. 

Story begins with a group of men saving villagers from "It". Something so absolutely terrifying that it turns people against each other. And not just simple fighting but actually to the point where they eat each other. The details in that first chapter gave me chills. Freaking love it!

Fast forward to the next chapter, we are introduced to Mutt and Jim that chase some animal that have been bothering the town. And that's just the beginning. I literally cannot describe the details and some of the horror that was written so well, it was amazing. Perfect combination of history, legend, religion and modern sensibility put together to create that absolutely insane and exciting world. 

R.S. (Rod) Belcher is an award-winning newspaper and magazine editor and reporter. He has been a freelance writer for over a decade. He has written for local, state and international publications.

Rod has been a private investigator, a DJ, a comic book and game store owner and has degrees in criminal law, psychology and justice and risk administration, from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has done Masters work on a degree in Forensic Science at The George Washington University, as well as worked with the Occult Crime Taskforce for the Virginia General Assembly’s State Crime Commission.

Rod has written and edited for magazines like Starlog, Virginia Living, Virginia Business, Verve, and The Roanoker. He was managing editor of The Vinton Messenger newspaper and editor for numerous trade publications. He has done technical writing and has ghost-written political editorials and advertising copy. Both the politics and the advertising greatly honed his fiction writing skills.

He has been a writing guest at numerous conventions and writing conferences for many years. He is available for Bar Mitzvahs…

Rod began writing stories when he was 9 years old, selling stories and self- drawn comics to his mother’s beauty shop customers for a quarter a piece. That first quarter was the start of his road to Hell…

In a creative writing course he was selected for in 6th grade, Rod was told his SF/Fantasy writing was “silly trash” ( kinda true, but hey, I was in sixth grade…) but the lack of support from an adult “expert” made him feel like he couldn’t “really write” and he stopped writing for a few years. Thanks to the love, encouragement and support of his mom, Mabel, Rod started writing again when he got a typewriter for his 12th birthday. Thanks Mom.

You can write. Yes, you. You have a story, maybe a bunch of stories inside you screaming to be let out. Don’t let anyone tell you can’t write, or that your writing is no good. It’s good for you, good for the thing inside you that demands you get that story out somehow. Don’t write for praise, or for money, write for you, only you, and to hell with the rest of them.

He was once told by Elizabeth Taylor, he was “hot” and once told by George Takei he “looked terrible” ( he did). He watched a man die in the electric chair, investigated homicides, pissed off politicians and located missing children. The CIA told him to “clean up his act”- this was one of his proudest moments. 

In his spare time ( which he has damn little of these days), Rod enjoys reading, hiking, shooting, gaming ( mostly tabletop RPG or board games, but some console), comics, researching the weird, spending time with his amazing kids, and long, thoughtful, walks in the rain…OK, the last one is crap, but the rest is true.

He lives in Roanoke Virginia with his children: Jonathan, Emily and Stephanie, Three cats and two dogs.

   

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[Release Day Review] The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

The Walled City
by Ryan Graudin 

There are three rules in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run. 

Jin, Mei Yee, and Dai all live in the Walled City, a lawless labyrinth run by crime lords and overrun by street gangs. 

Teens there run drugs or work in brothels—or, like Jin, hide under the radar. But when Dai offers Jin a chance to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, she begins a breathtaking race against the clock to escape the Walled City itself.

AMAZON | GOODREADS 

*ARC copy was received from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

This is a standalone.

Yes, I just wanted to point that out because there are so many Dystopia novels that have sequels and trilogies so it's refreshing to see a story end how it's supposed to end. The Walled City is an incredible book! It was full of actions, had great characters that were easy to love or hate and it made you want to keep reading. 

This needs to be made into a movie. Period. 

The actual story is actually based on a real city. Kowloon was known as Walled City, based in Hong Kong. Just as in the book, it used to be a military fort that was highly populated and later was torn down and recreated into a New Kowloon which area is mostly a beautiful and peaceful park. I loved how the reality and fiction met in the place because it shows how author can take an idea and breathe area into it. 

Book itself was told in three different POVs - Dai, Mei Lee, and Jin Ling. Every one of them has a different story. Jin Ling has been looking for her sister, Mei Lee, ever since their father sold her to a brothel in Walled City. She has to dress and act like a boy so that others wouldn't touch her. The only thing that's saving her is that she's fast. Really fast. And that's what Dai needs to escape Walled City and take it down. 

This might have been the most detailed city that I have ever read about. Once you get familiar with the story, you can actually feel like you're there and where places are. One of my favorite things about Walled City is the relationship between the characters. Dai and Jin Ling have a bound but even after he finds out that she's a girl, there's no sobby emotions. He treats her with respect, as if she was his sister and he would do anything for her. That's why relationship with Dai and Mei Lee seems even stronger because even without saying much, you know that they meant to be with each other. 

So GO READ the book! Just go. You'll love it :)