Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Storm

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:

Title: Storm
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Series: The Empire Chronicles #5
Publication Date: December 3,2015
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, 
Underneath our greatest flaws lie our greatest strengths.
Jared barely has time to process the revelation that his mother is a witch before his life is once again turned upside down. He wakes up in a time and place he thought he had left behind with no clue how to get out. When Vera shows up the stakes are even higher.
Racing to find a way back to reality and to fix mistakes, both must face new truths about their identities, and what they are made of.
Why am I waiting?
Simple answer...because Alyssa Rose Ivy wrote it. The long answer is that her shifter series are among my favorite of her books and I cannot wait to read the final installment in Jared's story. I also think this one maybe a game changer for the whole series!

What are you waiting on?
Make sure to let me know in the comments

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Friday, November 20, 2015

Cover Reveal: Storm


Storm by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Empire Chronicles #5
Expected Publication: December 3, 2015
 Cover Design by Phatpuppy
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Underneath our greatest flaws lie our greatest strengths.
Jared barely has time to process the revelation that his mother is a witch before his life is once again turned upside down. He wakes up in a time and place he thought he had left behind with no clue how to get out. When Vera shows up the stakes are even higher. 
Racing to find a way back to reality and to fix mistakes, both must face new truths about their identities, and what they are made of.
 Haven't started The Empire Chronicles Yet? Soar is FREE!
FREE ON AMAZON | IBOOKS | KOBO
In the city that never sleeps the Chronicles continue…
Serving coffee is temporary, just like Casey's year off from school. She’s going to come up with a plan to stay in New York City and go back to college, and that plan does not involve dating a paranormal creature—let alone two.
Running the supernatural society of New York is not as fun as it sounds, especially when you still have to answer to your ex-girlfriend’s fiancĂ©. Toby doesn’t mean to bring Casey into the chaos of his life, but he can't resist the girl who makes him smile when he thought no one else ever could.
Jared's in New York checking out a security risk for his best friend, the king. He plans to return to New Orleans quickly, but not if it means losing his chance with the brunette who pretends she wants nothing to do with him.
In over her head with a bunch of winged creatures who most definitely are not angels, Casey has to figure out who to trust with her life and maybe her heart.


 About the Author
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance
and
a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.
    
My Thoughts: I am so excited to see how everything changes with the conclusion of the Empire Chronicles! I have a feeling this one is not going to be an easy read for fans of the Crescent or Empire Chronicles. But I also know if Alyssa is writing it, it will probably be the best one yet.

I want to hear what you think!
Let me know in the comments

Cover Reveal organized by

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Truthwitch

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:

21414439
Title: Truthwitch
Author: Susan Dennard
Series: The Witchlands #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, 
On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.
In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.
Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.
Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.
Why am I waiting?
This fantasy sounds like just the type of epic adventure I want to read about, and I like the idea of different witches with different powers. Each power being both a blessing and a curse. I am curious to see if Safi and Iseult manage to win their freedom or if I have to wait for future installments. Also, the cover is beyond gorgeous and makes me want to read this story just one its own. 

What are you waiting on?
Make sure to let me know in the comments

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Monday, November 16, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
There is a new topic each week, and bloggers around the world share their top ten picks.

This Week's Topic is Top Ten Quotes I Loved From Books I Read In The Past Year Or So

My Choices

1. “Sometimes in the winter, when the fog rolled in and silenced the waves, it felt as if death had its fingers around my neck. Fingers like frostbitten twigs that made me ache inside.” 
― The Foxglove Killings by Tara Kelly

2. “I have come from the End of the World. From the River of Dreams, through the gauntlet and the Briar and the Deep Wyld, in order to stand before you today. I have but one request—to take my place at your side. To resume my duty as your knight, and to protect you and your kingdom for as long as I draw breath.” 
― The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

3. “There weren’t many people in this world who would let you be vulnerable and still believe you were strong.” 
― The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas

4.“You love me. Real or not real?"
I tell him, "Real.” 
― Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

5. “Tearing down the rest of the world won't make you happy. Look inside yourself. Because finding who you were meant to be? What you were put into this world to do? That's what fills the emptiness. It's the only things that can.” 
― Splintered by A.G. Howard

6.“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love. 
It did not end well.” 
― Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

7.“Only survivors are allowed the luxury of sadness.” 
― Sunrise by Mike Mullin

8. “Lucky for you, I have another scheme. First I need a hundred ducks, but after that it will be pretty simple."
"What do you need the ducks for?"
"I´m going to put a whole bunch of them in a giant catapult and launch them over Aurimere," Kami said. "This will create a distraction. My message will be: Look at all the ducks I give.” 
― Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

9. “Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.” 
― Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

10.“No one knows what he or she is capable of until things are at their darkest.” 
― Splintered by A.G. Howard



What are your picks this week?
Leave me a link in the comments so I can come check out your list

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Friday, November 13, 2015

Dead Ringer Release Book Blitz: Excerpt and Giveaway

Welcome to Dead Ringer Book Blitz!  Today I have an excerpt and a giveaway for you today to celebrate the release of Dead Ringer!

About the Book
Title: Dead Ringer
Author: Jessie Rosen
Publication Date: November 11, 2015
Publisher: Full Fathom Five Digital
Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, 
From the moment Laura Rivers steps foot into Englewood High, she notices the stares—and they aren’t the typical once-overs every pretty new girl endures. The students seem confused and…spooked. Whispers echoing through the halls confirm that something is seriously off. “That new girl looks just like her,” they say.
It turns out Laura has a doppelgänger, and it isn't just anyone—it's Sarah Castro-Tanner, the girl who killed herself by jumping into the Navasink River one year ago.
Laura is determined not to let the gossip ruin her chances of making a fresh start. Thanks to her charming personality and California tan, she catches the eye of Englewood’s undisputed golden boy, Charlie Sanders, and it’s only a matter of time before they make their relationship official.
But something is making Charlie and his friends paranoid—and Laura soon discovers it has to do with Sarah Castro-Tanner.
What really happened to Sarah? Why is Charlie unraveling? And how does Laura Rivers fit into it all?
After all, she’s the dead ringer for a dead girl.

About the Author
Jessie Rosen is a writer, producer, and performer. She grew up in New Jersey, attended Boston
College in Massachusetts, and began her writing career in New York. Her live storytelling series Sunday Night Sex Talk has received national attention. She was named one of “The 25 Best Bloggers, 2013 Edition” by TIME magazine for her blog 20- Nothings, which was also named in “The 100 Best Websites for Women” and “The Top 10 Best Websites for Millennial Women” in 2013 by Forbes.
Rosen is the oldest of four girls, which gives her a special window into the minds of teenagers. She now lives in Los Angeles, where she’s working on film and television projects, as well as her next novel.
   

EXCERPT FROM DEAD RINGER
Charlie

Charlie’s first morning back at Englewood was as busy as any. He owed Principal Hayden a plan for the Volunteer Core’s winter trip, Coach Stanley the results of his latest physical for the soccer scouts who were already swarming, and Mrs. Smelson his application for student representative to the district school board. And then there was the requisite time spent floating around the halls and catching up with friends about the last few weeks of summer.
Charlie didn’t like to admit it, but he was pretty much a celebrity in the halls of EHS. For the past two years, he’d led the soccer team to state and national victories, and this year he would serve as captain. All the hard work and sacrifice was paying off. In nine short months, Charlie’s high school career would be over and his real life would begin, hopefully with a full ride to his first-choice college.
Right now it was hard to believe he’d ever fought his mom on the decision to leave their comfy home in Toms River for a tiny apartment in this rich soccer mecca. He hadn’t wanted his hobby to uproot their little family of two, but Pattie Sanders had turned out right, as always—it had been worth it. Applications still needed to be finished, but Charlie’s grades were right where they needed to be. Now it was all about what he did on the field, and that was the easy part. It’s nice to feel so confident and relaxed at the start of senior year, Charlie thought to himself as he slipped into Ms. O’Malley’s room. It had been a long, long time since he didn’t have something making the insides of his body churn.
Within seconds, that comfort was gone.
“Charlie, raise your hand for Miss Rivers to see,” Ms. O’Malley said seconds after the first-period bell rang. He lifted his hand as he followed her gaze to the front of the classroom. Then his mind went blank.
Standing in the doorway was… No. How could it be? Charlie clenched his stomach to stop the sick feeling from crawling any higher up his insides. Wait. Of course not. This wasn’t her—it couldn’t be. She was gone. Plus, this girl had blond hair, not black. This girl’s face was round, not long, and her nose was completely different. So then, what was it? The way she was staring? The shape of her body? Or maybe it was her eyes? Something about this girl reminded Charlie so much of her.
He let his hand fall back down, flashed a quick smile, and then looked away. You’re the only one seeing it, Charlie thought to himself. You’re looking for it. Get her out of your head. It’s been long enough.
“Mr. Sanders, Miss Rivers,” O’Malley bellowed from the front of the room.
Before he knew it, the new girl was sitting directly in front of him. He was pretty sure she’d said something cute. There was a chance he’d said something clever back. All he knew for sure was that her name was Laura Rivers, and she was from Southern California. Could she see him staring at her face? Had other people stared, too? They must have. They must have all stared. That is, if they all remembered her half as well as he did.
Forty-five minutes later, Charlie was kicking himself as he watched Laura Rivers walk toward her next class. He’d invited her to sit with them at lunch. He couldn’t explain why, but in two short hours he’d have to—to Kit, Miller, and Amanda.
Charlie may have been the ringleader of their foursome, but he did very little without the approval of the other three members of their set. In fact, the fifty-minute English class that just ended was the first time they’d been apart since 7:30 a.m.
The morning started like it had every single school day in the six years they’d been best friends—except that today, for the first time, Charlie was their ride in the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am convertible he saved his rec-soccer-coaching money to buy for his seventeenth birthday.
Kit and Miller were waiting on the curb between their two houses when Charlie pulled up. Kit was fidgeting with her cellphone while telling a mile-a-minute story to Miller. Miller was half asleep and fake-listening while chugging an orange juice that Charlie knew he would later leave in the back of the convertible car. Without missing a beat, Kit saw Charlie approach, grabbed the almost-empty carton out of Miller’s hand, and tossed it in the trashcan next to the curb. What would Miller do without her? Charlie thought.
“Were you two out here waiting for Bertha’s boob-mobile? If so, I can just meet you at school…”
“I hope I never see that crazy bitch again,” Miller said as he climbed into the back of the car.
“Sean! Be nice. You took that bus for five days and poor Bertha probably had serious back problems because of those boobs,” Kit said as she climbed in beside him. “Let’s go. Amanda is waiting.”
Leave it to Kit to defend the only bus driver in the world that got lost four times a week, Charlie thought as they sped off toward Amanda’s house.
Predictably, Amanda was not waiting at the curb. Amanda Hunter did not wait for people anywhere, ever. After two beeps, she finally appeared with a fake-apologetic look on her face.
“Happy first day, Carly!” she said as she approached the convertible.
Charlie had long since given up on convincing Amanda to drop the dumb nickname she’d given him when he’d first arrived at Englewood Middle School.
“Your name is Carly?” she had said when he introduced himself to her all those years ago.
“No, it’s Charlie!”
“Well, I heard Carly, so I’m calling you that…forever.”
Charlie had thought forever would last about a year, but he’d underestimated Amanda. That was a mistake he’d never make again.
“Hey, kids,” she said, and climbed into the front seat. “Thanks for leaving me the front.”
“Like we have a choice,” Miller said.
“Exactly,” Amanda responded.
Charlie glanced over at Amanda as she sidled in beside him. Sometimes it was impossible to look at her without seeing all the history that had passed between them, but today all Charlie could focus on was the fact that she was gorgeous. She probably spent an hour making her curls look like she just got out of bed and picking out her shorts and top, but Charlie saw right through it. Amanda cared deeply what other people thought of her. Charlie knew how she felt because he was exactly the same.
Amanda must have sensed his gaze because she reached out and gently touched her hand to his knee. “I have a good feeling about this year,” she whispered.
They had decided not to tell Kit and Miller that they’d been talking about getting back together. Kit would explode with delight at the thought of all the double dates in their future, and Miller would immediately inform the rest of the soccer team that Amanda Hunter was off the market again, courtesy of his best friend. Charlie wasn’t ready to jump back into things quite yet, despite Amanda’s very convincing ways.
“You know we’re the best when we’re together,” she’d said to him the other night as they lay on the couch in her pool house. She was right: when he and Amanda were great, they were really, really great. She was demanding and could be a brat from time to time, but underneath that tough edge was a girl who knew what she wanted and how to get it. Charlie always admired that about Amanda. She forced him to work harder to make all his goals a reality. He wanted them to get back to being the couple they were always meant to be, but they had been through more in two and a half years of dating than most people would experience in a lifetime, and it sometimes made Charlie wonder if he and Amanda were cursed.
He took her hand in his and gave it a quick squeeze as he backed out of her family’s long driveway and headed toward school. So what if Kit or Miller noticed? Right then, it felt right.

* * *

But now, as he caught Amanda’s face watching Laura Rivers slowly glide down the lunch line en route to their table, Charlie wasn’t so sure.
 “You guys hear there’s a new girl?” Miller asked, his mouth half-full with the first of two meatball subs he’d grabbed from the cafeteria line. As usual, his timing was terrible.
Amanda glanced at Kit, who acknowledged the look, but quickly turned away. So much for Charlie seeing things that weren’t really there.
“Yeah. We have English together first period. I actually invited her to sit with us today,” Charlie said. He knew the Band-Aid approach was best with this group. Better to just rip it off so there was more time to deal with Amanda’s freak-out.
“You did what?” Amanda barked.
“What’s the problem?” Charlie was bluffing, and he knew that she knew it.
“Fine. Since no one else is going to say it…” she lowered her voice and leaned in, “she kinda looks like you-know-who.”
 “I think she does, too, Charlie,” Kit chimed in. “But maybe that’s just because we’re paranoid…”
“You girls are crazy,” Miller said. “I don’t see it.”
“You don’t see anything, Sean,” Kit said.
Charlie had no interest in dwelling on the issue. “Her name is Laura and we all need to get over it,” Charlie said, mostly to himself.
The next second, she was standing inches from the table. Charlie looked over at Miller as he registered Laura’s features. Within a second, Charlie could tell that he saw it, too.
Charlie watched Laura nervously touch a chunk of her gold curls and felt his entire body clench. In that moment, any thought about moving on seemed ridiculous. Laura looked like her, yes, but the bigger problem was that Charlie found her totally captivating.



Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday: Hellraisers

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:

23310749
Title: Hellraisers
Author: Alexander Gordon Smith
Series: The Devil's Engine #1
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror
From the author of the Escape from Furnace series, an explosive new horror trilogy about an ordinary American kid caught up in an invisible war against the very worst enemy imaginable.
There is a machine from the darkest parts of history, concealed in an impossible location, that can make any wish come true, and the only price you have to pay is your soul. Known as the Devil’s Engine, this device powers a brutal war between good and evil that will decide the fate of every living thing on Earth. When a 16-year-old asthmatic kid named Marlow Green unwittingly rescues an ass-kicking secret soldier from a demonic attack in the middle of his Staten Island neighborhood, he finds himself following her into a centuries-old conflict between a group of mysterious protectors and the legions of the Devil himself. Faced with superpowers, monsters, machine guns, and a lot worse, Marlow knows it's going to be a breathless ride—and not just because he’s lost his inhaler along the way.
Why am I waiting?
I never read the Escape from the Furnace series, but I have heard great things about that series. I am curious about Alexander Gordon Smith's new series now. I like the premise where an unsuspecting kid gets pulled into a war with the Devil himself. This sounds like it is going to full of action, and danger. I will defiantly be picking this one up when it releases. 

What are you waiting on?
Make sure to let me know in the comments

Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Kiss Kill Love Him Still Release Day Blitz

Welcome to Kiss Kill Love Him Still Book Blitz!  Today I have a character police interview and a giveaway for you today!

About the Book
Title: Kiss Kill Love Him Still 
Author: Dawn Rae Miller & Jamie Blair
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Genres: Mystery, New Adult, 
Jackson Landis kept secrets. It’s how he got girls into bed, the grades he wanted, and a reputation for being the life of the party.
But now he’s dead, and no one knows how or why. Especially not the four girls whose secrets he protected. Secrets so scandalous they could cause each girl to lose something valuable. Secrets so dark, someone may have killed for them.
The four girls – a campus drug dealer, an overweight bookworm, a closeted lesbian, and a spoiled princess have one thing in common – they’re terrified the things Jackson knew may not have died with him. As Reggie, Haddie, Val, and Livie try to piece together her own role in Jackson’s death, each girl realizes Jackson had some not-so-pretty skeletons of his own.
Which makes a girl wonder, who really wanted Jackson Landis dead?

About the Authors
About Jamie:

Young adult author of the Kirkus-starred novel Leap Of Faith (Simon & Schuster 2013), and Lost To
Me (2014), featured in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling anthology, Dirty Boys of Summer. Represented by Rebecca Friedman of RF Literary.
   
About Dawn:

Dawn is a Twitter and fashion addict whose favorite things in life are her family, gorgeous dresses, tea leaf salad, and French macarons. She splits her time between San Francisco and Northern Virginia, and is always up for a trip to Paris.
   
Character Police Interview


Suspect Profile: Valerie “Val” Ortiz


Height: 5’7”
Weight: 125 lbs
Hair: Brunette. Long.
Eyes: Brown
Demeanor: Haughty. Fidgety. Can’t focus.
Motivation for killing Jackson Landis: He knew she was bi-sexual.


Officer Ruiz: Val, you need to answer my questions.
Val: Why? All they do is make me look like a criminal.
Ruiz: Are you?
Val: Isn’t that your job? To prove my guilt. Why would I help you with that?
Ruiz: This is getting us nowhere. The longer you stonewall, the longer we sit here.
Val: That’s fine. I have nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Ruiz: But you’re hands are shaking. You need a drink – something stiff, don’t you?
Val: I don’t need alcohol if that’s what you’re asking.
Ruiz: Were you drinking the night Jackson died?
Val: Yes.
Ruiz: Maybe that’s why you don’t remember anything? You had a black out?
Val: It happens.
Ruiz: Have you had anything to drink today?
Val: A few. But you can’t book me on that. I’m of legal age and didn’t drive anywhere. I’ve done nothing wrong.
Ruiz: Fine. I’m letting you go, but don’t leave town. We’re going to have to talk to you again - when you’re sober.
Val: Then I’ll see you never.


a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!

Cover Reveal: Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows

Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows is the first in a new series that fans of Percy Jackson and The Secret Circle will love!

Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow
Elementals #1
Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks
Expected Publication: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy,
When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.
Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.
When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.

 About the Author

Michelle Madow grew up in Baltimore, graduated Rollins College in Orlando, and now lives in Boca
Raton, Florida. She wrote her first book in her junior year of college, and has been writing novels since. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.
To chat with Michelle and other fans about her books, join Michelle Madow's Street Team on Facebook!
   
Michelle is offering one lucky winner a signed paperback ARC of Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I want to hear what you think!
Let me know in the comments


Thank you for visiting Unabridged Bookshelf!