Bargain! Indie Downloads #2

OK, so I've managed through all the hubbub to read a couple more indie novels as promised. In fact, today I got completely lost in one and will now have to spend tomorrow hopped up on Red Bull so I can write tomorrow's work as well as today's.

The first novel on the bargain indie downloads list is in fact the one that annihilated my work schedule today...

Eden by Keary Taylor

I downloaded because of the amazing cover and cool premise and ended up giving Eden my rarely given ten stars. You can check out my review HERE.

This is a fairly lengthy novel and you're getting it at the bargain BARGAIN price of £0.69 on amazon Kindle.

Destiny Binds (Timber Wolves #1) by Tammy Blackwell.

Destiny Binds was a fantastic YA werewolf read with one of the coolest, dry-witted narrators in town. You can pick up this gem of novel for the bargain download price of £0.70 from amazon Kindle.

Beautiful Demons (Peachville High Demons #1) by Sarra Cannon.

A fresh take on YA paranormal, Beautiful Demons is a fun, quick read with a gorgeous southern twang and an intriguing air of mystery. Another bargain download at only £0.70 from amazon Kindle.

Sam x

 

IMM - Blood Will Tell Edition

Another vlog post guys...

please forgive my 'granny (ooh I'm writing and don't give a rats ass what I look like) look', the overuse of the word 'um' and my butchering of Lisa Desrochers surname...






If you're a legit blogger and would like to receive an ebook review copy of Blood Will Tell, contact me at sam_young_scotland AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk


Cheers!

Sam x

Review: Slumber

Yay! My first official review for Slumber is in... and it's a good 'un :-)


"This exciting and harrowing tale will keep readers flying through the pages..." Fiktshun


Head on over to the awesome blog (and I'm not just saying its awesome because I got a great review :pYou'll have heard me mention it before, I love this blog), Fiktshun, to check out the 5 star review!


Click on the button.



Sam x

Teaser Tuesday - BWT #3

It's official... This will be my last Teaser Tuesday for Blood Will Tell...

Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1)

Teaser...


"“So, we’re just… sitting?” Noah asked her, a teasing smile in his eyes.
       Eden smirked back at him, hoping the sadness she felt wasn’t written all over her face...

...They were parked down by the lake in a near empty parking lot and the rain was lashing against the windscreen. There was a hush in the air that soothed her and slowed her frantic heartbeat. “We’re just sitting.”

He nodded slowly and relaxed back into his seat. As if sensing her mood he didn’t even turn on the radio."

Sam x

Sooner Than Expected

Hey guys,

Things have been progressing really well with Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh#1) in regards to editing and the paperback sooo... I'm moving the release date up from July 11th to July 4th, which I know is Independence Day in America so it's double the celebration (haha I'm not that egotistical... I promise :-p). Actually as always I've got the ol' butterflies for the release of a new book but I'm really looking forward to this series going out into the verse.

So that's what to look out for. Blood Will Tell. Out in one week. Amazon. I'm afraid the release date for my novels on Barnes & Noble is always a few weeks after the original release because of shipping, so I'd expect it to be available on B&N by mid to late July. I'll keep you updated anyway.

Remember to check out the current giveaways page if you're a reviewer to enter for the chance to win a review paperback copy! I'm more of an ebook review copy giver-outter (yeah, not a word, please don't hold that in reflection to my actual writing) because of economy etc etc so this is fun for me to be able to provide a few paperbacks.










Sam x

Blood Red Road

This weeks book recommendation is...

Blood Red Road (Dustlands #1)
by Moira Young

amazon - paperback £5.11

Blurb

In a lawless future land, where life is cheap and survival is hard, Saba has been brought up in isolated Silverlake. She never sees the dangers of the destructive society outside. When her twin brother is snatched by mysterious black-robed riders, she sets outon an epic quest to rescue him. The story's searing pace, its spare style, the excitement of its fabulously damaged world, its unforgettably vivid characters, its violent action and glorious lovestory make this a truly sensational YA debut novel.


My Review
****Great Read

Set in the distant future, Blood Red Road is narrated by the colourful Saba, a girl whose life changes one day when her brother is stolen by four men in black robes. After they kill her father and disappear with her brother, Saba takes in hand her little sister and decides to cross the dustlands of their world to bring her brother back. Along the way, she encounters trouble, disaster, friendship and love.

This is a great read. I admit to being a little disappointed because I wanted it to be an amazing read, but nonetheless Blood Red Road is a page turner and I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel. This was a difficult one to begin with because Moira Young not only writes in present tense, but in first person narrative with no quotation marks to separate prose from dialogue. I'm guessing the unique style had a literary function – in Young’s world there is barely anything left of our technology and culture, including literature, and so Saba has no understanding of the written word. The book is written in an unbroken, spoken style that reflects that. However, I found it very confusing, not entirely sure when Saba was speaking and when she was thinking. Eventually I caught onto the flow, but there were still moments throughout where I was caught out. Other than that I liked Young’s style. Her short, sharp sentences and choppy dialect made for fast reading.

There is plenty of action in Blood Red Road, and although not overly original or fresh, the plot devices were fun and often exciting and allowed my favourite part of the novel to shine – Saba. Saba is a great heroine. She’s got defences as high as Fort Knox; she’s impatient, she’s surly, and yet she has heart; she’s brave, she’s fiercely loyal and she has the ability and willingness to change. Saba was Blood Red Road for me, and I’m looking forward to reading more about her, and in particular her developing relationship with Jack. The chemistry between these two characters was fantastic and it’s the thought of the unknown with regards to their future together that makes me want to pick up the next book.

Great read.

Four Stars!
On a side note: Blood Red Road for me is a media amalgamation of Patrick Ness' The Knife of Never Letting Go,the movies Beyond The Thunderdome, The Postman, Gladiator and Tremors. There was definite influences from lots of fiction but as I say it didn't really bother me. It was actually fun, well done, and an enjoyable read.



Sam x

Bargain! Indie Downloads

I have a ton of indie books downloaded onto my Kindle and I'm trying to make my way through them. Some I've liked, some I've... really not, and some I've absolutely loved. Indie books, in general, are a bargain buy for the Kindle and Nook and other ereaders, and sometimes you come across an absolute gem that cost you less than £3.00/$3.00. I've already shared some of those with you, and after reading them I am desperate for the sequels. At the top of that list is....

I read Hush Money by Susan Bischoff a few months ago and absolutely loved the world she created (click on the pic to take you to goodreads and the book description) and the characters. The story is told from two characters perspective and both are absolutely fantastic and so likeable. I picked up Hush Money for my Kindle for the bargain price of £0.69 on amazon.

Now I am eagerly anticipating the sequel...

Heroes 'Til Curfew. I love this cover.

These last few weeks I've managed to get through quite a few of the indie novels on my Kindle, and I've come across a couple of bargains for recommendation. Remember, you can download these books even if you don't have a Kindle device by downloading Kindle for PC from amazon.

Sam I Am by Heather Killough-Walden is a fast-paced, paranormal read that really entertained me. Again I'm looking forward to the sequel. You can download Sam I Am for the bargain price of £0.71 from amazon.

Between the Lines by Tammara Webber. This is YA contemporary drama and a fun, light read, perfect for summer reading. You can download this for £0.69 from amazon.

I'm not a massive fan of contemporary romance but Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire has taken its place among my favourites in the genre. An epic tale of a volatile college romance, Beautiful Disaster had me completely addicted. It will be one of those books I'll read again and again and I picked it up for the winning price of £2.12 from amazon.

Another by Jamie McGuire. After reading Beautiful Disaster I picked up Jamie's paranormal romance, Providence. In my opinion, not as good as Beautiful Disaster, but still a great read with some brilliant angel mythology and another round of addictive, addictive writing. You can download it for £2.08 from amazon.

Requiem by Jamie McGuire is the sequel to Providence. I'm just about to begin reading this one and you can pick up for £2.09 from amazon.

I have so many more indie novels to get through and I will let you know what other ones I think are bargain buys!

Other than my own of course :-p

Sam x

Teaser Tuesday - BWT #2

As promised, another Blood Will Tell teaser in honour of Teaser Tuesday...

Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1)

Teaser...

"Noah swallowed his laughter in his Coke, a strange gnawing sensation niggling his ribs, near his heart. Maybe his friendship with Eden wasn’t pretend. She had a way of climbing under your skin and making you forget all the serious stuff. He now knew it was her way of trying to forget her own problems. Noah felt his heart thump a little harder. He wanted to move things along. With her hunger growing more obvious, maybe it was time. But he had to be certain. His heart told him Eden was everything Cyrus hoped she would be.

    But then she’d pull stunts like she did with the freshman."

Sam x

Starcrossed

I was super excited to see the postman this morning, and no it's not because he looks like Alexander Skarsgard who plays Eric in True Blood (although how freaking AWESOME would that be *wipes drool from chin*). No, indeed it was for the parcel he came bearing. The parcel with my giveaway prize! Yay. I won Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini from the fantabulous blog, Fiktshun, and not only did it arrive today but it arrived and it's the US version which, in my opinion, is sooo much prettier than the UK version. I've heard great things about this book, and like my own novels, Angelini delves into the world of Greek mythology. Starcrossed is supposed to be an homage to The Illiad and Romeo & Juliet, two plays I've read about a million times, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the author has done with it. If you haven't heard of Starcrossed check it out...

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1)
by Josephine Angelini

amazon - paperback £4.12

Blurb

How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.



Really looking forward to this one. And a huge thank you to Rachel @ Fiktshun for holding such a great giveaway and sending on my prize so promptly :-)
Fiktshun is one my favourite blogs, so if you like well-written, stylish reviews, interesting blog posts, and awesome giveaways you should definitely head on over and check it out http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/



Sam x

Happy Father's Day!

I'm extremely lucky. My dad is a very cool dad and one of my best friends. Throughout my entire life, every second of it in fact, I've known that I can go to my dad whenever I need him. And there have been a lot of times in my life when I've needed that support. I'm also aware that sadly not everyone has that kind of support, so I consider myself very lucky and I appreciate the support I receive from my dad and my mum (she's an awesome mum too!). From hunting around every shop in Central Scotland for a medieval dress to wear to my Halloween Dance, to providing unfailing faith that I would get great grades and go to the university of my choice, to pushing me to write and self-publish and reach for dreams that other parents might call fanciful, and to offering up creepy ideas and problem solving in my writing, my dad is the best dad EVER. So in honour of Father's Day and my dad, this Sunday's book recommendation is one of mine and my dad's favourites. A recommendation to the older readers who read and follow my blog... here's the Father of all daddy's...

The Godfather
by Mario Puzo

amazon - paperback £4.99


Blurb
 
The Godfather is an extraordinary novel which has become a modern day classic. Puzo pulls us inside the violent society of the Mafia and its gang wars.
The leader, Vito Corleone, is the Godfather. He is a benevolent despot who stops at nothing to gain and hold power. His command post is a fortress on Long Island from which he presides over a vast underground empire that includes the rackets, gambling, bookmaking, and unions. His influence runs through all levels of American society, from the cop on the beat to the nation's mighty.







My Review
**********Awesometastic Read

For those of you who have watched Coppola's brilliant 1972 film adaptation of Mario Puzo's novel, awaiting you within the original pages of this masterpiece is a deeper insight into the brilliant characters, family, history and criminal underworld you have already been introduced to in the movie. The novel provides a greater understanding of Don Corleone's family and of the other characters within their 'community'. For those of you who have yet to see the film, then this book is the beginning of an extremely addictive journey into the heart of the Corleone's. Puzo's narrative is compelling, the action is tense, the history interesting and evocative and the Don a mesmerising All Father who somehow manages to capture your affection despite his criminality.

A must read.

Ten Massive Stars!




Happy Father's Day, Dad.
Love Sam x

Nevermore

I'm doing my weekly book recommendation a day early while I'm still aware of everything (I've descended into the world of Warriors of Ankh and it's taking a lot to pull me out). This week I'm recommending a book that has been out since last year... but I only recently became aware of it...

Nevermore (Nevermore #1)
Kelly Creagh

amazon - hardback £8.87

Blurb

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

My Review
*****Awesome Read

Well, they say never judge a book by its cover. ‘Tis true. ‘Tis true. I would not have picked up Nevermore if it hadn’t been for an extremely well-written review that absolutely raved about it.
I am so glad I picked it up.
Kelly Creagh has created one of the most vivid worlds I have ever discovered. If a book could be described as IMAX then Nevermore is that book; the characters and scenes sprang from the pages of the book to play out in front of me in striking clarity. In a word, it was wonderful. I don’t know what I was expecting. Perhaps a run-of-the-mill supernatural teen romance – to me that’s what the cover says. But Nevermore is so much MORE. It’s gothic and creepy as all hell sometimes, but there is also a perfect blend of realism and social drama. I loved how Creagh highlighted the cliques at high school and the way certain people are seen for the way they look and act – goths, jocks, cheerleaders etc. She does this without being cliché, and actually brings attention to the often dangerous consequences of making people feel ‘other’.
As for the characters of Nevermore… I fell in love with them all. Isobel is the perfect teen girl’s voice. She cares about school and cheerleading and what her friends think about her, but the slight shallowness of what she deems important is offset by the strength of her character. And Isobel is definitely a strong character with an ingrained sense of right and wrong. Best of all she has the courage to go against the grain and stand up for what’s right when she sees wrongdoing.
Varen is that guy in school I would have had a crush on; dark and broody with the soul of a poet. He can be sarcastic and cold but he has a vulnerable side and a great backstory, and who doesn’t love that in a hero?
Other characters that really shone for me were Danny – Isobel’s annoying and hilarious little brother (the sibling relationship was beautifully described, I really believed in it) – and Gwen, who is quite possibly one of the funniest, quirkiest and likeable sidekicks in YA fiction.
The supernatural element of Nevermore is really different; Creagh’s use of Edgar Allen Poe’s works to build a storyworld is so original and fantastically done, and having not read everything by Poe there was probably some great subtleties I didn’t even pick up on. As I said, this is gothic YA, and there are some very creepy moments, all of which kept me hooked and intrigued. My only criticism of Nevermore would be that I felt the last 15 to 20% could have been edited down. As we were pulled into the dreamworld I found myself skipping some of the description, impatient for some understanding in the sensationally surreal universe Creagh created. However, that alone is not enough to drag this down from the five star rating it deserves.
I can’t believe I have to wait until 2012 for the next book. Not fair.

Darkly beautiful and utterly captivating.

Five Massive Massive Stars!


Sam x

A Quadrilogy Me Thinks...

Yup. It's done. I have decided to expand Warriors of Ankh into a quadrilogy. The fourth novel is titled Shades of Blood, and I've just uploaded the cover art for it. So... here's the cover art for the whole series so far...

Sam x

P.S At this very moment I'm #597 in US Kindle store. How cool is that? Well... it is to me :-p but I'm a geek.

Teaser Tuesday - BWT

Hey guys,

In honour of Teaser Tuesday I am going to post a teaser of my upcoming release, Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh#1), every Tuesday until its release date July 11th.

Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1)

"Her brother, Stellan, was always telling her curiosity killed the cat. She was too young to take this as the warning it was. She was curious. Curious about the noises she thought she heard from below the house. Curious enough to venture downwards."

Sam x

P.S. A massive thank you to the awesome Karen @ The Slowest Bookworm blog for gifting me with a copy of Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs! If you haven't checked out The Slowest Bookworm blog then you should because it's just fantastic :-)

http://www.theslowestbookworm.com/

Slumber in Paperback

Hey guys,

Slumber (Chronicles of the Fade #1) is finally available in paperback format from amazon.com. Sorry it took so long!
Also remember to check out my current giveaways page, to win a signed copy of the entire Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy and a chance at winning an arc for Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh#1).
On a side note, the more I write Warriors of Ankh, the more convinced I become that this is turning into a quadrilogy. That's exciting. We'll see though. :-p

Sam x

Raised By Wolves

Book Recommendation time...

Raised by Wolves (Raised by Wolves #1)
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

amazon - paperback £3.99

Blurb

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?


My Review
****Great Read

Arrgh it's totally frustrating that I have to give Raised by Wolves four stars rather than five stars, because this would definitely be a five star rating if it weren't for the fact that it took 100 pages before it transformed into a brilliant novel. For anyone who picks up Raised by Wolves and is tempted to put it down because of the slow-paced beginning, please keep reading! The novel's heroine fleshes out into a single-minded and determined narrator; Ali, her adoptive mother, an awesome 'mama bear', and the storyline so realistically developed that it is one of the most authentic werewolf novels I have yet to read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes style reminds me of Rachel Vincent and her Shifter series, giving this YA book a harder, more adult edge than others in its genre. After the first 100 pages the pace picks up, the plot unravels fast and Barnes dishes out some refreshingly original surprises, like Bryn's 'gift'. A very cool addition to the genre. Cannot wait to read Trial by Fire.

Four Huge Stars!




Sam x

IMM Giveaway

As promised I said I'd do a giveaway. Received the books so I'm posting it a bit earlier than I said. Excuse the rambling in the video below. And when I say 'arc', I mean proof. Such a numpty.





UPDATE: There will be only one Tale of Lunarmorte giveaway, but there will be a winner and a runner up prize.

Sam x

Lunarmorte Paperbacks, Numb Butt and Other stuff

Aw man, I have a numb butt (not that any of you really want to know that), a sore back and a crick in my neck (I'm sitting with one of thse microbead cushions around my neck that my aunt gave me. It's shaped like a blue elephant. I'm so cool) and usually I can put up with all those things because it means I've been sitting writing for hours. Not today. Today I was supposed to be editing, because lets face it, an indie author spends as much time editing as they do writing (or they should, is my advice). Instead I thought 'hey, wait a minute, you haven't reached out to any new bloggers this week'. Even with the fantastic YA Bloggers List available to me, scrolling through, trying to discover bloggers who will accept not only ebooks but an ebook from an indie author is a LOT harder than you think :-s
Just a heads up to anyone considering the self-publishing road (and I've said this before) it's a lot of hard work and a lot of hours in the day disappearing, sometimes with little result and sometimes with great results. But if you're as serious as I am, it is worth it.
I got totally excited earlier on today because I was #917 on US kindle store and am a bestseller in two categories - fantasy and vampires. There was squealing. That might sound crazy but you have no idea how cool I find it to be in the top 1000. People are reading my books. And wait for it... liking them! :-) I'm in a dream.

OK, so good news!!! The paperbacks for The Tale of Lunarmorte are now available again on amazon.com, with the brand new cover art. It feels like a million years of waiting.

I know I promised in my vlog that I would be doing a giveaway to mark my 2000th sale but we're kinda past that now, and I'm still waiting on those copies... sooo... I will be hosting a giveaway to mark my 5000th sale and hopefully that will be next week or so. The giveaway will be international, still haven't worked out the other details but I will! And there will be a giveaway for Slumber and Drip Drop Teardrop, a Novella as well. I will also be holding a giveaway for a few lucky winners to receive an ARC of Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh#1) with the proviso that the winners provide a review somewhere online, but again, I'll have this all worked out hopefully next week and I'll launch the giveaways SOON.

One last note... if you're a ya book blogger interested in reviewing any of my novels or even would like to host an author interview you can contact me at sam_young_scotland AT yahoo DOT com

At present I'm only able to provide ebook review copies.

Righto. Back to editing.

"Does she have a life?"

"No."

"So sad."

"I have a life! This is my life, baby!"

Sam x

Blood Will Tell

Hey folks,

I'm excited to tell you that the release date for Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh#1) is July 11th 2011. I will be releasing it in ebook, and hopefully the same day in paperback. Here's a little taster of what's to come... the book trailer for Blood Will Tell. The soundtrack song is Sway, one of my all time favourite songs from one of my favourite bands The Kooks.






Sam x

Quote Trailer

I was sitting around, musing, and I started thinking about ways to get people interested in my books in a more commercial/aesthetic way, and then I thought about book trailers, and widgets and slideshows, and then I thought 'hey, a book quotes trailer'. That little idea turned into a 3000 word sacrifice. I started making it and it took longer than I thought because windows movie maker windows 7 version is weird and I had to relearn how to navigate the damn thing,and before I knew it I had spent the equivalent of what would have been 3000 words on Warriors of Ankh, on this. But once I start something I just can't stop. I think it's pretty cool, though, maybe a bit long, but it gives people little snippets of the novel. I used Cosmic Love - Florence and the Machine as the soundtrack song since it's the 'theme song' for The Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy.
So here's the result...

Sam x

You Against Me

OK, so I had to do another book recommendation this weekend because I just finished a fantastic novel, which I'm sure some of you have heard of and/or read. If you haven't, you should check it out. Awesome.

You Against Me
by Jenny Downham
Amazon - Hardback £7.71

Blurb
If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another.




My Review
*****Awesome Read

You Against Me is an incredible and beautiful addition to contemporary YA. Set in the UK, Jenny Downham gives a stunning portrayal of two families struggle to deal with the consequences of rape. Mikey and Ellie are our two main characters – Mikey is the brother of the rape victim and Ellie the sister of the accused. From the very beginning of the novel the reader does not know who is telling the truth and the more the facts unfold, the greater the emotional struggle becomes. What I loved most about Downham’s novel (second are the brilliantly drawn protagonists, so likeable and real) was the realistic and heartbreaking study of the consequences of the crime for the family of the accused. Most often in stories such as these the sympathy is of course with the victim and their family, but I found myself just as torn up for Ellie and her parents, as they fought with familial solidarity and doing what was right. Truly an amazing feat by a fantastic author. If you're a fan of Simone Elkeles, then this is a must read.

Absolutely wonderful; made my chest ache with its painful brilliance.

Five Massive Massive Stars!


Sam x

The Girl in the Steel Corset

This weekend my book recommendation is a truly refreshing novel, and the only one of its kind I've really come across...

The Girl in the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles #1)
By Kady Cross

The Book Depository - Hardback £9.68

Blurb
In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.
When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….
Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.
Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.
But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

My Review
****Great Read

Other than Clockwork Angel, this is my first real venture into the genre of Steampunk and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Kady Cross’ speculative fiction The Girl in the Steel Corset is a flamboyant and vivid ride into an alternative Victorian London. Cross manages to capture the grim and seedy underworld of late 19^th Century London and infuse it with ‘modern’ peculiar inventions and clever fictional evolutionary discoveries. Finley and the rest of the steampunk gang are colourful and well-rounded, and the action is perfectly described and wonderfully outrageous. This would have been a five star rating if it weren’t for my misgivings over Finley’s Jekyll & Hyde storyline. Unfortunately, I just didn’t feel as if there was enough distinction between Finley’s two personalities to make that part of the plot authentic. Also, despite much action, the pacing of the prose - although beautifully written - is slow and somewhat meandering, and this does make it more a leisurely read than a taut one.

However, overall I had a great time with The Girl in the Steel Corset and its slightly The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen-ish overtones. I look forward to the second book in the Steampunk Chronicles.

Plus… beautiful cover. Lush.

Four Huge Stars!

Sam x

Moon Matched

So... just because I'm a giant book tease I've already uploaded the blurb for the first book in the Lunarmorte Repercussions series, which is the spin-off series from the Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. So far I've mapped out five novels but there will probably be at least one more than that. I'm so looking forward to diving back into the Lunarmorte universe: it's my favourite. Although there will be a main plot thread running throughout the Lunarmorte Repercussion novels, and familiar characters will be making cameo appearances, each book will be told from the perspective of a new character.
The first novel Moon Matched, starts off the series with some familiar and not so familiar faces, as we pop back for a visit with Pack MacLachlan, who for those of you have already read the Tale of Lunarmorte, know are a strong, somewhat small, pack responsible for producing Pheobe MacLachlan, the stoic yet brilliant Rogue Hunter who befriends Caia in the first trilogy.

Moon Matched (Lunarmorte Repercussions #1)

Book Description

Mackenzie MacLachlan knows what it’s like to live in the shadow of greatness. Not only is she the youngest daughter of the respected Alpha of Pack MacLachlan, but the baby sister of Phoebe, The United Council of Supernaturals’ greatest Hunter and close, personal friend to Caia Ribeiro. Like most girls, Mac wants to be like her heroine of a big sister – a kick-ass, renowned Hunter. But her dad has other plans for her. Determined to keep their bloodline in leadership, her father wants Mac to mate with the next Alpha of the Pack. That means no action and no travelling the world enforcing the new laws. Instead she’ll be stuck in the same town she grew up in, mated to one of the young lykan males she has no time or patience for.

Quinton Sinclair also knows what it’s like to live in the shadow of greatness. His big brother, John, died a hero in the Great Battle for Concord. Quinn knows he can never live up to John’s legacy, especially when all he wants to do is head off to college and pursue his dream of becoming a writer. But with a father still grieving for his hero son, Quinn is finding it impossible to refuse his dad’s plans for him. He wants Quinn to be the next Alpha of Pack MacLachlan; even if it means dumping his girlfriend to pursue the stuck up princess of the pack, Mackenzie. No thank you.

Adamant their judgemental assumptions of one another are correct, Mackenzie and Quinn have never seen eye to eye. But when Phoebe is kidnapped while on a top priority assignment, and Mac takes off on her own, believing she alone can find her sister, Quinn follows her, determined to save the impetuous lykan from inevitable disaster. And perhaps, just maybe, as they tumble into a danger far bigger than two small town teens can handle, Mac and Quinn will discover they have a lot more in common than just a pack name.




 Lunarmorte Repercussions. Coming 2012. It's up on Goodreads if any of you want to add it to your tbr pile :-)

Eeh exciting. I know this is a few months off yet, and this constitutes as a cruel wait for those of you who enjoyed the novels, but I just like to keep you updated on my writing plans :-p


Sam x

Warriors of Ankh

Hey folks,

Hope everyone had a nice weekend and all you folks from the U.S. had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. It was a bank holiday Monday here in the UK so we got a long weekend too. What were you guys up to? You know what I was up to. I was celebrating my awesomtastic sales for the month of May (1900 sales this month!!). You guys are amazing, thank you so much for all your support; I really hope you're all enjoying the novels :-).
Anyhoo, in my vlog last week I promised to host a giveaway with the new paperbacks for The Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy, however, I am still waiting on them from the printers! It's a bit of a pain, but there is a delay because I live in the UK (damn this tiny island :-p) so hopefully it will be soon. And once I have them I promise to make it a great giveaway.

So next in line for release is the Warriors of Ankh trilogy. I'm going to try my best to get the three books released over the summer, and am actually contemplating releasing Book One and Two at the same time. We'll see. It's funny how, even when you sketch a novel out and do all the chapter summaries, it can still manage to become something you weren't expecting in the beginning. When that happens I try not to push it back into the mould. This time around it was actually the length of Blood Will Tell (WOA #1) that surprised me. It's not quite as long as my other novels, and in fact almost half the length of Slumber. The second novel Blood Past is longer than the book one. And I've been chewing over this. But in the end, I don't want to start adding chapters to the novel just to add length. It feels right this way. Pushing would be wrong. But hey ho. These things have a life of their own half the time. Anyway... before I started rambling nonsense I had every intention of putting up a teaser. So here we go, the first teaser for Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1) coming July 2011...

Blood Will Tell (Warriors of Ankh #1)

"A calm fell over Eden. Her reassuring body told her it would take care of everything. And it did. In one movement, she jerked back from the fist, grabbed a hold of the woman’s wrist with both hands and twisted her arm back and up, the snap of bone followed closely by the woman’s shrieking. Eden’s leg came up, her foot connecting with the base of the woman’s spine, her preternatural strength shooting through her muscles so that, with little effort, the female warrior flew through the air, past her fellow fighters.

Eden barely had time to question her body’s knowledge of self-defence, when two more of the warriors attacked. She ducked and punched, her knee connecting with a stomach, her elbow with a nose. Blood slicked her knuckles; the sting of a blade sliced her upper arm. The two men were barely down when she caught sight of the samurai girl hurrying towards her. She spun out from the spot and ran at a thick tree trunk, her feet gripping the bark with ease before she used it to push off, her leg snapping out from the knee, her foot connecting with the girl’s head with a sickening thud.

Eden landed on her feet with no sound. Her breathing had hardly increased, although her heart was racing like a cheetah after a gazelle. Her eyes took in the warriors, three of them heaving to their feet.

Holy moly, Eden tensed. These guys were strong for humans."

Sam x