Pre-Release Blitz: The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent

   Hello and welcome to the Pre-Release Book Blitz for The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent! I adore everything Rachel Vincent, I've read all of her work expect for this series actually. I just haven't had the time, but that hasn't stopped me from wanting to read it really badly! 

   Anyhow, today I have for you an interview with Rachel, as well as a giveaway. Good luck!

The Flame Never Dies by Rachel Vincent

Release Date: August 16th, 2016

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Series: The Stars Never Rise, #2

Format: Hardcover , 352

Description from GoodReads:

   ONE SPARK WILL RISE. Nina Kane was born to be an exorcist. And since uncovering the horrifying truth—that the war against demons is far from over—seventeen-year-old Nina and her pregnant younger sister, Mellie, have been on the run, incinerating the remains of the demon horde as they go. 

   In the badlands, Nina, Mellie, and Finn, the fugitive and rogue exorcist who saved her life, find allies in a group of freedom fighters. They also face a new threat: Pandemonia, a city full of demons. But this fresh new hell is the least of Nina’s worries. The well of souls ran dry more than a century ago, drained by the demons secretly living among humans, and without a donor soul, Mellie’s child will die within hours of its birth.

   Nina isn’t about to let that happen . . . even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice

Interview with Rachel by her sixteen-year-old daughter (Codename: Melody), who’s thinking about actually reading her mother’s book.

Melody: So, this is a series is about demons, right?

Rachel: Sort of. Not really. A century ago, Nina’s world was invaded by residents of another reality who can only remain in our world by taking over a human body. People called them demons, because that’s the only association they had for the concept of possession.

Melody: So these “demons” aren’t actually bad?

Rachel: Oh, no, they’re totally bad. They’re entertained by the suffering of humanity. They’re just not the residents of hell most people think of when they hear “demon.” But that’s all I can say without spoiling anything from THE STARS NEVER RISE!

Melody: Okay. But if they’re not religious demons, why is the government in this world run by the Church?

Rachel: Because people assumed that only the Holy could fight the unholy. So a fictional “Church” stepped in to do just that. To fill the power vacuum, when secular government couldn’t protect the people. 

Melody: So THE STARS NEVER RISE is a book about faith?

Rachel: No. It’s a book about false faith. About the frailty of untested beliefs. About how accepting everything you hear as the truth can mean living a lie. That’s true with every predatory situation, from abusive relationships to investment scams. I just chose to tell that story on a larger scale, where the entire world has accepted a lie because it was easier to believe a hero has come to save us than to stand up and fight our own battles. Take from that what you will… ;)

Melody: Wow, Mom. That was deep. (Teenage eye roll.)

Rachel:  (shrugs) There’s also lots of fighting, kissing, and setting demons on fire.

Haven't read the first book in the series? 

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

Release Date: June 9th, 2016

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Series: The Stars Never Rise, #1

Format: Hardcover, 368 pages

Description from GoodReads:

   Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

   When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

   To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

   Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

   In anticipation of the upcoming release of THE FLAME NEVER DIES, the publisher is dropping the price for the eBook version of the first book in the series - THE STARS NEVER RISE! So if you haven’t yet discovered this series, now is the perfect time!

   Just head over to your favourite online e-tailer to look for THE STARS NEVER RISE with its newly lowered price or visit one of these online stores - AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO. 

Please note that at the time of this post some stores may not yet have updated their sites to the promotional pricing. If they haven’t, be sure to check back for this awesome not-to-be-missed deal!

   Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy—but social media is a close second.

Courtesy of the author, there is a blitz-wide giveaway for…

ONE (1) winner will receive a SIGNED hardback set of THE STARS NEVER RISE + THE FLAME NEVER DIES

Giveaway is US only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Giveaway ends on August 14th at 11:59 PM Pacific.

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   Thanks for stopping by! Let me know if you end up picking up the series!

Book Review: The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Release Date: August 3rd, 2010

Read: 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins

Series: The Lorien Legacies, #1

Format: Hardcover, 440 pages

Source: Gift

Description from GoodReads:

   Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books--but we are real.

   Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.

   But they know.

   They caught Number One in Malaysia.

   Number Two in England.

   And Number Three in Kenya.

   They killed them all.

   I am Number Four.

   I am next.

United As One by Pittacus Lore

Release Date: June 28th, 2016

Read: July 12th-15th, 2016

Publisher: HarperCollins

Series: Lorien Legacies, #7

Format: Hardcover, 449 pages

Source: Bought

Description from GoodReads:

   The Mogadorians have invaded Earth. Their warships loom over our most populated cities, and no country will risk taking them head on. The Garde are all that stand in the way, but they’ll need an army of their own to win this fight.

   They’ve teamed up with the US military, but it might not be enough. The Garde need reinforcements, and they’ve found them in the most unexpected place. Teenagers from across the globe, like John Smith’s best friend, Sam, have developed abilities. So John and the others must get to them before the Mogs, because if they don’t their enemies will use these gifted teens for their own sinister plan.

   But after all the Mogadorians have taken from John—his home, his family, his friends, and the person he loves most—he might not want to put any more lives in danger. He’s got nothing left to lose, and he’s just discovered he has been given an incredible new Legacy. Now he can turn himself into the ultimate weapon. So will he risk his life to save the world, or will he realize that power in numbers will save us all?

Review:

Contains Spoilers:

   We're coming.
   I read the first book in the Lorien Legacies series way back in 2011, when they had first announced the I Am Number Four movie. I had asked for it for my birthday, and luckily I had gotten it. I fell in love instantly, and demanded the sequel, having only to wait a few months and an addiction to the series was born.
   Being a series of 7 books, with a new one releasing each year, I felt like I grew alongside the characters. From starting off with Number Four/John to meeting all the others, like Six, Eight, Seven and even our little surprise of meeting Ella/Ten. You couldn't not have a favourite that you'd be rooting for surviving, or becoming super bad ass! I'm going to miss them now that I'm done with them.
   I really enjoyed how planned out the whole story was, with everything leading up to the final battle.  But with large build ups, you're always going to expect something different they what you got or you're to be let down in some way. With United as One I'm happy to say that I was satisfied with the ending we received, of course there were a few things that I wish were different but overall I enjoyed it.
   The Lorien Legacies is one of my favourite series, and no matter what I say about them, my words won't do the series justice. With Pittacus Lore being a pseudonym for both James Frey and Jobie Hughes , I do hope they come together to write something else in the future!
   

Overall Rating:

Favourite Quotes:

"It's the little mistakes that lead to big mistakes." - I Am Number Four

"The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today." - The Power of Six

"Only by leaving someone good can you meet someone better." - The Rise of Nine

"There's no set futures, only the one we make." - The Fall of Five

"People tend to change when they find out aliens are real." - The Revenge of Seven

"I still don't have all the answers, but I'm no longer afraid to confront the questions."- The Fate of Ten

"It's not an easy thing, deciding how much to sacrifice." - United As One

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Aliens, Invasions, Superpowers, Survival 

Book Review: How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Release Date: July 26th, 2016
Read: July 16th-19th, 2016
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Series: Standalone
Format: ARC, 368 pages
Source: BEA 2016

Description from GoodReads:

   Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

   If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

Review:

   Names have power.
   I hadn't heard really anything about How to Hang a Witch until my sister had it on her gigantic list of books that she wanted me to pick up at BEA 2016. Then after grabbing a copy and heading home, I slowly started seeing mentions of it everywhere on Twitter. From the publisher, as well as other bloggers. After the book trailer was released, I knew I had to read it ASAP.
   No matter how many books I've read, I can never get tired of reading about witches. It was a new experience with How to Hang a Witch entirely, of course it had its made of moments with having ghosts and actual witches, but in a way I'd say that it was also a bit of a historical fiction. With the author being an actual descendant of Cotton Mather, the blame to the Salem Witch Trials, (You can read the authors note about it at the end of the book), she actually threw in a lot of historically accurate stuff. It was very interesting to see the mix of the real and the made up together.
   Adriana Mather's writing was past paced and easy to read through, making How to Hang a Witch the perfect book for anyone looking for a quick witchy read. Although her writing was that way, I still found her characters to be a little predictable and native. With that, I was constantly groaning at the characters actions, and was always irritated at them. Sometimes just reading on to get through particular parts.
   How to Hang a Witch was an intriguing yet sometimes predictable read, I would definitely recommend giving it a read for its historical accurateness if you're someone who can usually get past somewhat predictable plots.

P.S The banana, honey, and peanut butter sandwiches aren't that bad!

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"A peaceful rest before thou wake."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Mystery, Witches, Salem Witch Trials, Ghosts

Blog Tour: Wax by Gina Damico

   Hello, and welcome to the Wax by Gina Damico Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! I'm super excited to be apart of the tour, especially considering I get to host on Wax's official Book Birthday! So a big happy birthday to Wax! Today I have for you a quick interview with Gina Damico, my review of the book, and a giveaway! 

Wax by Gina Damico

Release Date: August 2nd, 2016

Read: July 22nd-23rd, 2016

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Series: N/A

Format: ARC, 368 pages

Source: Publisher in exchange for a honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   Paraffin, Vermont, is known the world over as home to the Grosholtz Candle Factory. But behind the sunny retail space bursting with overwhelming scents and homemade fudge, seventeen-year-old Poppy Palladino discovers something dark and unsettling: a back room filled with dozens of startlingly life-like wax sculptures, crafted by one very strange old lady. Poppy hightails it home, only to be shocked when one of the figures—a teenage boy who doesn’t seem to know what he is—jumps naked and screaming out of the trunk of her car. She tries to return him to the candle factory, but before she can, a fire destroys the mysterious workshop—and the old woman is nowhere to be seen.

   With the help of the wax boy, who answers to the name Dud, Poppy resolves to find out who was behind the fire. But in the course of her investigation, she discovers that things in Paraffin aren’t always as they seem, that the Grosholtz Candle Factory isn’t as pure as its reputation—and that some of the townspeople she’s known her entire life may not be as human as they once were. In fact, they’re starting to look a little . . . waxy. Can Poppy and Dud extinguish the evil that's taking hold of their town before it’s too late?

Review:

   7:10 a.m.: Escalate a scandal
   Wax was my first ever request from Raincoast, the Canadian publisher to HMH Books for Young Readers, as well as a quite a few others. When their June newsletter released with Wax as an option to request, I couldn't not request it once I read its description. Then I was accepted to be apart of its blog tour and I knew I had to read it asap!
   Now I've read many books in my lifetime, and never in my life have I read a book with a character as perky as Poppy. She, herself was a whole element to the book, besides everything else that was going on. Even with the incident that made her a "celebrity", she was always cheerful and full of life. In some cases you couldn't help but feel the cheerfulness yourself. Poppy was a different type of person than you usually experience when reading YA, and I have to say, it was a refreshing twist.
   I loved how Dud, our little wax boy, was such a newbie to everything, including speaking. It was great that he didn't just pop out a gorgeous YA boy for Poppy to fall in love with. Her teaching him about life was ridiculous to watch, and not to mention entertaining. Wax did not have any romance in it, and I can happily say that the book turned out great without it.
   Wax, itself was a completely weird and unique book to read. With wax people taking over a town, and hundred year olds being immortal as wax, everything is not as it seems. Gina Damico has a hit for people of all ages, and I can't wait to see what new she has in store for us!

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Milk comes out of the babies?"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror, Candles, Small Towns, Unique Stories

    

Wax is your fifth book to be released after your debut series Croak, in that time since you first

became a published author, what do you think has changed in your writing? What advice would you give other writers who are looking to one day publish a YA book?

   After five published books (and a sixth on the way) I think I’ve become more adventurous in terms of playing with formulas – in other words, writing plots and characters that are a bit more unexpected than what you might see elsewhere in the YA world. WAX is a strange mishmash of comedy, horror, and mystery, and if someone comes away from reading it thinking, “Well, that wasn’t what I thought it was going to be,” then I’m very happy with that reaction. I mean, I also hope they liked it. But I’m always aiming for something completely different, because there are readers out there who are itching for unique, funny, odd-in-a-good-way books – me included – and I like to be the one who can deliver on that. My books aren’t for everyone, but they are very much for a certain type of awesome weirdo, so awesome weirdo: I am here for you.

   As for advice for aspiring writers, I would say that you must, must, must get feedback on your draft. Pick someone you know and trust, give them free reign to be completely honest, steel yourself for some harsh truths, and listen. You don’t necessarily have to incorporate their feedback into your work, but it is important to give it its due, really think about whether changes would work and make it a better manuscript. The worst thing you can do is think that you’re infallible and your words are golden and not a single comma needs to be moved. Readers see your work differently than you do, and what makes sense in your head might not have been adequately expressed on the page. It’s very easy to get wrapped up in the bubble of your manuscript; fresh eyes should be appreciated for the godsend that they are. Use them liberally, and ply them with chocolate as needed.

   Gina Damico is the author of Croak, Scorch, and Rogue, the grim-reapers-gone-wild books of the Croak trilogy. She has also dabbled as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, movie extra, office troll, retail monkey, yarn hawker and breadmonger. A native of Syracuse, New York, she now lives outside Boston with her husband, two cats, and one dog, and while she has never visited hell in person, she has spent countless waking hours at the Albany Regional Bus Terminal, which is pretty darn close. Visit her website at www.ginadami.co.

3 winners will receive a hardcover of WAX! US Only.

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   Thanks so much for stopping by my stop on the tour! I hope you all pick up a copy of Wax! And Make sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour!

Week One:

7/25/2016- Once Upon a Twilight- Interview

7/26/2016- Eli to the nth- Review

7/27/2016- BookHounds YA- Guest Post

7/28/2016- Lisa Loves Literature- Review

7/29/2016- The Cover Contessa- Interview

Week Two:

8/1/2016- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

8/2/2016- Ohana Reads- Guest Post

8/3/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

8/4/2016- YA Book Madness- Interview

8/5/2016- A Gingerly Review- Review