Friday, May 31, 2013

Cover Reveal: My Life as a Lumberjack

Title: My Life as a Lumberjack (or How I Fell for the Wrong Guys)
Author: Sara V. Olds
Publisher: Astraea Press
Publication Date: May 30, 2013
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Good-looking rangers, fresh mountain air and an avalanche of crazy adventures await unsuspecting Mercedes “Benz” Bennion in her summer job with the US Forest Service.

ABOUT AUTHOR:
Sara V. Olds has been telling stories for as long
as she can remember. One of her favorite memories is of unfolding a tale for friends while they were all bundled in sleeping bags watching a comet shower in the Uintah Mountains.
Mother of three: Large, Medium and Small, she welcomes her newest role, that of mother-in-law.
Life has taken her from thither to yon and back again—she's moved 22 times during her marriage. She breathes to travel. Longs to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a horse. Is an addictive reader. Enjoys swimming, skiing, violin and movies. Wonders if she'll ever get to SCUBA dive again. And has found a calling that fulfills her in ways she never could have imagined—teaching history to—wait for it—8th Graders.
Her stories consume her. There's nothing she'd rather do than spend all day, all night and the next day conversing with her latest set of characters. History, adventure, action, romance, humor. Adults, YA and kids. Yep, she does it all. Looking for something to enjoy on a quiet rainy afternoon? Or wanting a pulse-pounding, stay up all night turning pages adventure? Or a you've-GOT-to-be-kidding romp? You'll find them in her pages.

Follow Sara

What a beautiful cover, I love the purple and the green, especially the purple hiking boots. I cannot only imagine the situations Benz is going to get into working for the Forest Service. 

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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Book Review: Seizure (Virals #2) by Kathy and Brendan Reichs

Seizure (Virals, #2)

Title: Seizure
Authors: Kathy Reichs, Brendan Reichs
Series: Virals #2
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Length: 496 Pages
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

Ever since Tory Brennan and her friends rescued Cooper, a kidnapped wolf pup with a rare strain of canine parvovirus, they've turned from regular kids into a crime-solving pack. But now the very place that brought them together - the Loggerhead Island Research Institute - is out of funding and will have to shut down. That is, unless the Virals can figure out a way to save it.
So when Tory learns of an old Charleston legend about a famous she-pirate, Anne Bonney, whose fortune was never found, she can't believe her luck - buried treasure is exactly what she needs to save the Institute on Loggerhead! Trouble is, she and her friends aren't the only ones looking for it. And this time, the Virals' special powers may not be enough to dig them out of trouble . . .
MY REVIEW
If Seizure was a treasure map, then danger marks the spot. The Viral series and Seizure makes me nostalgic every time I read it. The elements of Seizure remind me of the books I grew up on the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series. In Seizure, they have the added bonus of super powers due to a mutated parvovirus, which connected them as more than friends but as a pack. As an added note: Fans of the Temperance Brennan series will get to see their favorite character make a brief appearance.

In Seizure, the funding for Loggerhead Island is being cut, and possibly being sold along with all the housing. As their parents search for new jobs, Tory, Ben Blue, Hiram, and Shelton risk being split up and moving to different states maybe even different countries. Tory decides it is up to the Virals to save Loggerhead and their friendship by going after the legendary Anne Bonney’s pirate treasure. Tory is not going to give up, but the bad guys are not too far behind.

There is also not any lack of love interest on Tory’s part either, from the popular jock, Jason to Ben, possibly. Ben seems to be protective of Tory and he hates her hanging out with Jason. I might be reading too much into Ben’s actions, but I am kind of rooting for him in the who wins Tory’s love cage match.

Seizure has more action and danger lurks around every unexpected corner. The tension is higher, and the payoff is better. The Virals series is a great young adult paranormal detective series, and that is something that is sorely lacking in the Young Adult genre. I cannot wait to continue the Virals adventures in Code.

**Unabridged Bookshelf purchased this book** 

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Waiting on Wednesday: Tidal (Watersong #3) by Amanda Hocking

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we cannot wait to get our hands on.

 I am waiting on:

Tidal (Watersong, #3)
Title: Tidal
Author: Amanda Hocking
Series: Watersong Series #3
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Length: 342 Pages

With Penn and Lexi determined to kill Gemma and replace her with another siren, Gemma's life is in grave danger...unless she can break the curse before it's too late. With the help of Harper and Daniel, she'll delve deep into her enemies' mythical past--and their darkest secrets. It's her only hope of saving everything she holds dear: her family, her life, and her relationship with Alex--the only guy she's ever loved.

Why am I Waiting?
I loved both Wake and the novella, Forgotten Lyrics. I just recieved Lullaby as a gift a little while ago, and I cannot wait to read it. With the final book coming out in August I hope I can get caught up before its release. 

What are you waiting on?
Leave me a link or let me know in the comments!

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Teaser Tuesday: With All My Soul


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
  • Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!
Make sure to share the title and the author so other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their to be read piles.

My teaser this week comes from:

With All My Soul (Soul Screamers, #7)
Title: With All My Soul
Author: Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers #7
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: MArch 26, 2013
Length: 377 Pages

What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...
After not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.
But then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything she has....

TEASER:

"The hell he won't. Face it, tiny dancer. The only real problem you have is that people acutally give a damn about you."
Page 206

While I am sad to see one of my favorite series end, I am also excited to see where Kaylee's final fight takes her and those that she cares about. 

Sidenote: Tod Hudson from Soul Screamers is in the Wild Card vote for this year's YA Crush Tourney. The voting ends at 8PM EST tonight so make sure to get your votes in, you can only vote for one and if you are having problems decieding who to vote for, might I suggest that Tod could use all the help he can get! VOTE HERE

If you have a teaser to share, leave me a link in the comments!

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf! 

Cover Reveal: Cry Me a River by Devyn Dawson


ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Cry Me a River
Author: Devyn Dawson
Publication: July 2, 2013


Caide Palmer, Emerald Isle's resident chef and grieving father.  Everything in his life is turned upside down when his ex-girlfriend Heather dies from an accidental overdose.  She left behind their eighteen month old daughter.  Heather's parents filed for emergency custody of baby Lucy.  Now Caide is in the fight of his life to raise his daughter to the best of his ability.  The courts order Caide to attend parenting classes and Al Anon meetings.  It is there that he meets twenty-two year old River.  She is drawn in by his story, and she wants to mend his grieving heart.  Will Caide allow River in to his world, or will he find his role as single father is to be faced alone?  There's something about her that he wants to save.  Can they really save each other?  
Cry Me A River is a New Adult book with sexual situations and explicit language.  If you've ever mourned the loss of someone you loved, Cry Me A River will show you that love can conquer when you meet the right person.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author Devyn Dawson is from Oklahoma, but she kicks up her boots in New Bern, NC.  She spends her days writing about the characters who live in her head.  Devyn has been intrigued by the young adult world and is now branching out to new adult.  This is her first non-paranormal book.  Although the characters are fictional, grief of losing someone you love is drawn from her own experiences of death and loss.
Stalk Devyn:

Website | Blog (lots of giveaways) | Amazon


Young Adult Books by Devyn

The Legacy of Kilkenny - book one
The Seduction - book 1.5
Malevolence - book two

The Light Tamer
Enlightened
Light Bound - Summer 2013

The Wisdom Series
Trust - book one  Winter 2013

New Adult Books

Sapphire, A Werewolf Love Story

I love the premise of the story, and it sounds like a real tearjerker. The cover with the rain falling all around if very fitting!

What do you think?

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Stacking the Shelves: Back in Business


STSmall
Stacking The Shelves was created and is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is where I will be sharing the books and goodies I have received for the week. This will include both physical and eBooks that are purchased, borrowed, gifted, or for review. 

*Covers take you to Goodreads*

FOR REVIEW
The Chaos of StarsPODs
Big thanks to HarperTeen and Spencer Hills Press!

BOUGHT
Defiance (Defiance, #1)Virals (Virals, #1)Seizure: A Virals NovelCode (Virals, #3)The Camp

THIS WEEK AT UNABRIDGED BOOKSHELF
Cover Reveal: Shattered Souls by Karice Bolton
Teaser Tuesday: Renegade by Amy Carol Reeves
Book Review: Shift by M.R. Merrick
Waiting on Wednesday: Phantom Eyes by Scott Tracey
The Sentinels of New Orleans Blog Tour: Guest Post and Review of River Road by Suzanne Johnson
Book Review: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

NEXT WEEK AT UNABRIDGED BOOKSHELF
Reviews:
Seizure: A Virals NovelWith All My Soul (Soul Screamers, #7)Black Dawn (The Morganville Vampires, #12)

As the end of the first offical week of the new posting schedule, and I could not be more excited.
I also got two amazing books for review, and I cannot wait to read them.

What did you get this week?
Leave me a link, so I can checkout all your goodies!

Thank you for visting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Book Review: The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

The Madness Underneath (Shades of London, #2)
Title: The Madness Underneath
Author: Maureen Johnson
Series: The Shades of London #2
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Length: 290 Pages
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance. But Rory's brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she's become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades—the city's secret ghost-fighting police—are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it's too late.
In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
MY REVIEW
The Madness Underneath did not have the same creepy factor that The Name of the Star did, but it has a level of suspense all its own. From the beginning to the SHOCKING ending, The Madness Underneath takes the Shades of London to a new level. Rory wants to be around those that actually know what happened to her, but the only people that know are the Shades. They seem to want nothing to do with her, until she discovers that the tragic attack has turned her into the impossible, a human terminus. She has developed the power to eliminate ghosts with a single touch. While this puts her in a unique position to help the Shades, it also puts her in danger.

Rory is recovering from the nearly fatal attack of the Ripper copycat, and her parents refuse to allow her out of her sight. At the secret request of the Shades, Rory returns to London and Wexford, but she does not feel connected to the school. . Rory does not know how to get back into the rhythm of her life before the attack, and feels very out of place. This leads her to start lying to everyone she cares about, and failing school. Rory soon realizes that something else maybe happening around Wexford, and it may have something to do with her. As mysterious deaths start to happen around Wexford, Rory starts to suspect more than just coincidence.

I really love that direction that Maureen Johnson took with The Madness Underneath, because it really does change the direction of the story. When I first started the book, I really thought that ghosts no one else could see would be the most dangerous, just like The Name of the Star proved. In The Madness Underneath, it shows the danger of the unpredictable human element. I know that some of the reviews I read before diving into this book did not think the story lived up to the thrill of the first one. I will admit that the suspense and creepiness were not as potent in this book, but it still took the story to a new level of crazy. I can appreciate that, and with the events of The Madness Underneath, I can only imagine where the next Shades of London book is going to take us.

The events of The Madness Underneath are setting things into motion. I think that the third installment in this series is going to blow the first and second one out of the water. The ending has also left me with so many questions that I cannot wait until The Shadow Cabinet is released.

**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review** 

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Sentinels of New Orleans Blog Tour: Guest Post and Review of River Road by Suzanne Johnson

Welcome to Unabridged Bookshelf's stop on The Sentinels of New Orleans Blog Tour, organized by Bewitching Book Tours. Today I have a review of Book 2, River Road and a wonderful guest post by author, Suzanne Johnson. To check out all the amazing stuff going down on this tour, just click the button above for the complete schedule.

ABOUT THE BOOKS



Royal Street (Sentinels of New Orleans, #1)
Royal Street
Sentinels of New Orleans Book One
Suzanne Johnson

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Tor Books

ISBN: 978-0765327796
ASIN: B006OM459U

Number of pages: 337
Word Count: approx. 94,000

Cover Artist: Cliff Nielsen

Amazon    Barnes and Noble  
Book Depository



As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco's job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond. 
Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans' fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters. While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering soldiers sent to help the city recover. 
To make it worse, Gerald St. Simon has gone missing, the wizards' Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ's new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and the killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter roux.




River Road (Sentinels of New Orleans, #2)
River Road 
Sentinels of New Orleans, Book 2
Suzanne Johnson

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Tor Books

ISBN: 978-0765327802
ASIN: B00842H5VI

Number of pages: 336
Word Count: approx. 92,000

Cover Artist: Cliff Nielsen

Amazon  Barnes & Noble
Book Depository  Indiebound


Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.
Wizards are dying, and something—or someone—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two.
It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans series continues.





About the Author:

Suzanne Johnson writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance from Auburn, Alabama, after a career in educational publishing that has spanned five states and six universities.  She grew up halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis' birthplace and lived in New Orleans for fifteen years, so she has a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football and fried gator on a stick.

Website: www.suzanne-johnson.com

Blog: http://suzanne-johnson.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Suzanne_Johnson

FB: http://www.facebook.com/Suzanne.Johnson.author

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5046525.Suzanne_Johnson

Publisher Page: http://us.macmillan.com/author/suzannejohnson


MY REVIEW OF RIVER ROAD


I have been in love with The Sentinels of New Orleans series since the very first pages of Royal Street, and I could not wait to continue DJ’s story in River Road. In another action packed novel, Suzanne Johnson keeps readers on their toes, with twist and turns coming complete out of left field(in a very good way). What I have loved about this series is that you really do not know what is going to happen next or how the story is going to end until those last few pages. 

It has been a few years since the end of Royal Street, but the characters are still there just trying to keep the peace between all the preternatural creatures now that the border between The Beyond and now has been completely removed. DJ is just as I remember her, and I would not want her any other way. Of course, a few other favorites were there too, including my favorite character the sexy, undead pirate Jean Lafitte. There are multiple love interests for Drusilla in River Road, and I kind of want to root for them all so picking a team is going to be oh so difficult.

The story expands the mythology of The Sentinels of New Orleans world to include many characters and new types of preternatural creatures. One of these being Merpeople, and I love the unique spin on the mermaid myth in River Road. I love the world that Suzanne Johnson has created, and all the amazing creatures that seem to pop up throughout the story. 

River Road was an excellent edition to a wonderful and imaginative series. The characters are the type that you fall in love with and cannot help but root for them every step of the way. I am even more in love with this series that I was, and I cannot wait to continue the journey in the third installment, Elysian Fields. Anyone looking for a sarcastic, funny and still out of this world amazing Urban Fantasy should pick up this series today. Fans of Royal Street are going to love this one. 


 Twisting the Myth of the Loup-Garou
I remember hearing the term loup-garou not long after moving to Louisiana. It’s French for “werewolf,” of course, and Louisiana once belonged to France. So the legends of the loup-garou (also called “rougarou” or “roux-ga-roux”) date back to the land’s settlement.
Much of my fiction is heavily tied to South Louisiana culture, so I’ve had fun playing around with the loup-garou legends. In a digital short called Christmas in Dogtown, I used the most common “rougarou” tales heard around Acadiana (south-central Louisiana, where the Acadians, aka Cajuns, settled). To the old timers, the rougarou is a monster that lives in the swamps. Sometimes he’s seen as a white dog; sometimes a black bear; sometimes a wolf. 
Sometimes the rougarou only partially shifts and has the body of a man but the head of a wolf or dog. While the rougarou is used to threaten kids to behave, his nature isn’t clear—in some versions of the legend he’s evil; in others, he might show up as a warning or a benign creature.
In some of the legends, becoming loup-garou (which is a curse brought on by having your blood consumed by a loup-garou) isn’t a life sentence but lasts 101 days, as long as the cursed person doesn’t speak of it to anyone. In other legends, the rougarou is turned by a witch’s curse. 
For my Sentinels of New Orleans series, I decided to twist the loup-garou legend to tie it even more firmly to Louisiana culture. I didn’t want my garou to be an ordinary, garden-variety werewolf. Bor-ing! 
So my loup-garou came to Louisiana with the Acadians when they were driven out of Canada by the English in the 1700s and settled in the remote French colony of Louisiana. He (or she) carries a demon’s curse that can be easily passed to a human through an open wound. My loup-garou is, like a werewolf, affected by the moon cycles, but shifts more easily. He has less control over his wolf, avoids packs and social structures, is always an alpha, and is bigger than your average wolf. He has a deep red coat and golden eyes. He’s a mean SOB. 
How mean? My loup-garou are not innately bad, but they’re very other. It isn’t yet clear in the books how much the human mind stays in control once the wolf takes over the body, but the Louisiana rougarou legend is of a creature who retains his human ability to think and reason, only with perhaps less inclination to do good. Which means anyone who comes across his path at the wrong time, or angers him, or makes him lose control…well, that person might be in trouble. 
Um…did I mention that one of my major series characters was turned loup-garou? He’s not handling it well and it’s something he and my other characters are going to be dealing with for quite a while, which means lots of interesting twists and turns ahead.
One of the things I most love about writing paranormal fiction is the ability to take a common mythology—a vampire or a werewolf or, in River Road, a merman—and twist it to create a fresh look at an old convention. Who’s your favorite werewolf? What do you most like about him or her? Or are you over the whole wolf thing?

Leave a comment to be entered to win a copy of your choice of Sentinels of New Orleans books (Royal Street or River Road—coming in paperback June 25), or an author swag pack!

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!