Moonset by Scott Tracey - Blog Tour Review

Publisher’s summary: Moonset, a coven of such promise . . . Until they turned to the darkness.

After the terrorist witch coven known as Moonset was destroyed fifteen years ago—during a secret war against the witch Congress—five children were left behind, saddled with a legacy of darkness. Sixteen-year-old Justin Daggett, son of a powerful Moonset warlock, has been raised alongside the other orphans by the witch Congress, who fear the children will one day continue the destruction their parents started.

A deadly assault by a wraith, claiming to work for Moonset’s most dangerous disciple, Cullen Bridger, forces the five teens to be evacuated to Carrow Mill. But when dark magic wreaks havoc in their new hometown, Justin and his siblings are immediately suspected. Justin sets out to discover if someone is trying to frame the Moonset orphans . . . or if Bridger has finally come out of hiding to reclaim the legacy of Moonset. He learns there are secrets in Carrow Mill connected to Moonset’s origins, and keeping the orphans safe isn’t the only reason.

My take: Moonset was a lot of fun to read! What I loved most about this book were the many characters with diverse personalities, and I loved how very well Scott Tracey truly developed each of their personalities.

I have to say that I was a little worried during the first 30 pages because I felt like I was experiencing sensory overload. There was a heck of a lot going on in the story during those first 30 pages and, at the same time, a lot of characters were being introduced . . . and I felt like it was a little too much. But then, immediately after everything started to calm down, there was a scene that had me already falling for a couple of the characters. In this scene the main character, Justin, just knows that the orphans’ guardian is purposely pestering Justin’s “twin” sister Jenna in a quite hilarious way.

As I mentioned earlier, the characters were very well developed. When Ash was introduced, I almost grew a crush on her, right along with Justin. Her snarky personality was a lot of fun right from the start. Mal is the best “fun dude” in the story, but my fave character is probably Justin’s twin sister…her bossy, bitchy personality was my favorite.

The villain in the end was a little bit of a surprise and was done brilliantly. But this villain wasn’t even my biggest worry throughout the story. It seems a little too obvious to me that the “adults” (that’s what Justin calls them) in the story are really what we should all be concerned about. They are a little too secretive for my liking. I’m super eager to find out more in future books.





About the author!
Scott Tracey is a YA author who lived on a Greyhound for a month, wrote his illustrated autobiography at the age of six, and barely survived Catholic school (and definitely not for the reasons you might think).

He is the author of WITCH EYES, chosen as one of Amazon’s Best LGBT Books of 2011, as well as an ALA Popular Paperback in the Forbidden Romance category. The final book in the WITCH EYES trilogy, PHANTOM EYES, will be released in the fall of 2013.

He is also the author of MOONSET, a new series which will be released April 8, 2013, as well as a contributor to the SHADOWHUNTERS & DOWNWORLDERS anthology, edited by Cassandra Clare.

His career highlights include: accidentally tripping a panic alarm which led to nearly being shot by the police; attacked in a drive-thru window by a woman wielding a baked potato, and once moving cross country for a job only to quit on the second day.

His gifts can be used for good or evil, but rather than picking a side, he strives for BOTH (in alternating capacity) for his own amusement.

Website ☆ Twitter ☆ Facebook ☆ Goodreads

Cover Reveal! Silent Orchids by Morgan Wylie

The Cover!
The Age of Alandria (Book 1)

A dying realm.

The ancient evil of the Droch-Shúil has been unleashed.

The Orchids have been silenced… but for how long?

Daegan, elite of the Ferrishyn warrior tribe of Faeries, is charged with a mission to find the Sol-lumieth, a mysterious new power that could change the fate of all in the realm of Alandria. But he is conflicted by his purpose, and he cannot trust the motives of those he serves. He has too many questions and they must be answered.

Kaeleigh, a girl abandoned as a small child just outside Missoula, Montana, is now 18. She is trying to discover who she is and where she belongs. In her heart, she feels she has family out there… somewhere. Desperate to unravel the mysteries of her past, she embarks on a journey that will forever change her along with her two best friends, Finn and Chel—who have secrets of their own.

★ ★ ★
About Morgan Wylie
Morgan Wylie has been writing on and off throughout her growing up years, but started seriously working on her first novel in the Spring of 2009. 7 months pregnant with her first child, she didn't start off with a lot of focused writing time. But Morgan had an epiphany, if you will, and the story flashed before her so she began to write. And she’s still writing. Her debut Young Adult fantasy, Silent Orchids, will be out this summer.

Where you can find Morgan
Website ★ Blog ★ Twitter ★ Facebook ★ Goodreads

Cover Reveal! Clicks by Amy Evans

The Cover!

Born and bred to win, Cami’s family expects her to join a secret society called The Guard, marry one of the two identical twin boys next door, and stay on Pinhold Island for the rest of her life. Home to perfect waves, black sand beaches, and the world-famous Surf Carnival, Pinhold seems deceptively perfect. While visitors are jealous of the few hundred people who get to live there, Cami feels stifled. Thanks to the intense link she shares with her own twin, Mica, she can't even be alone with her thoughts. While Cami's more than happy to be a lifeguard, a lifelong commitment to the endless summer feels like a trap. For mainlanders, success in the Surf Carnival means a place to live on Island constant access to the huge, perfect waves that crash just off shore. Cami sees it as a way out til a seemingly small injury turns her world upside down and prevents her from the first competition.

Descendants of the ten families who originally settled on the Island, Cami and Mica are part of a new generation, the most perfect example of what nature and time can create. This summer was their time to prove that the years of training have paid off, but it's not going as planned. It's suddenly impossible for Cami to resist the magnetic attraction between her and Blake, one of the twins next door. Just as the Surf Carnival competition starts to heat up, the best swimmers start going down. Something is pulling them to the ocean floor where they wind up in comas and can't be woken up. When Mica goes down too, Cami can no longer wait for those in charge to figure out how to help him.

With her twin link silenced, the clicks that she used to get from her brother start coming from somewhere else. Can she trust her instincts and learn to listen in enough time to save her friends, or will she lose them along with the island home that she loves?

★ ★ ★
About Amy Evans
Amy Evans is a writer, game producer and interactive technology evangelist with fifteen years of experience. In 2000, she co-founded HIPnTASTY Inc., a mobile marketing and entertainment company known for creating content that merges communication and entertainment, using technology to connect users with stories, devices, and the world at large.

Amy has designed and launched many transmedia and mobile applications including Mobile Hunt, a location based scavenger hunt that took place in twelve cities for Lollapalooza, Name That Ringtone with BMI Music and Ringtone Trivia for Rogers AT&T.

In addition to designing content, Amy served the company as President, licensing HIPnTASTY technology to clients and partners including Marvel, Verizon, Ericsson, gurl.com, to name a few. As an early evangelist of mobile marketing, she consulted with a number of advertising agencies including McCannErickson, Footsteps Inc and J. Walter Thompson to help their brands break into the mobile marketing space.

As executive Producer for Immersedition, Amy is responsible for licensing technology, creative development and product launches.

Her first young adult novel, Clicks, will be released in May 2013.

Where you can find Amy
Website ★ Twitter ★ Goodreads

Impatiently Waiting! The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Expected publish date:
September 17, 2013

Author's summary: Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.


♥♥♥♥♥

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Publisher’s summary: Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood. Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

My take: Now that book was bizarre! I don’t even know how to review this book. And how the heck does a book end like that? I wouldn’t say that I’m too shocked by the ending because I should have seen it coming from a mile away. But, really? What the heck is going to happen now? And how the heck is this whole thing going to work out? You’re probably wondering why I’m asking all this; well, how about you read The Madman’s Daughter and maybe then you can give me some answers.

I can’t decide what part of the book was most bizarre. I’m sitting here putting all the pieces of the story together in my head, but I just can’t decide. The beginning of the book had a number of very disturbing things that happened, but then there are other disturbing things, on a whole-nuther level of bizarre, that happen all throughout the story. Then there was this big revelation that I put together probably earlier than I should have (I think it was supposed to be a twist but it was also very bizarre), and then that ending. What? OK. Really? Whatever.

I could go through all the characters that I liked, disliked or I’m unsure about, but I want to refrain from spoilers. And telling you anything about the characters at all might cause a spoiler.

Once again we have a love triangle, but most of the time I was wondering what’s the point of the love triangle because it wasn’t really much of a competition. But I love how it was brought around full circle in the end. Very well done.

I’m really looking forward to knowing what’s going to happen to this person and that person…and what will happen to all the bizarre stuff...and all those things I can’t really talk about. LOL

Cover Reveal! Wings of Nestor by Devri Walls

The Cover!
Solus (Book 3)

Kiora needs answers. Who is the Shadow? Who is Jasmine? Are they connected? And even more pressing: how can she stop Shadow from using Kiora’s dreams as a map to find them? They have escaped three times, but are living on borrowed time—and everybody knows it.

Her search for help will push her closer to Alcander, send her to the dragon mountain of Toopai, and straight back to Meros—where magic will finally return to the land of no magic. Answers will be uncovered and plans unearthed that have been waiting for thousands of years.

But with the Shadow’s forces gathering, it looks like the land’s path is hurtling towards one outcome: war with the Shadow and death to all rebels. Armed with knowledge and hope, Kiora is determined to change that path. But will fate allow it? Or will it deal her a hard lesson about following ones own destiny?

★ ★ ★
The Other Books! Solus (Book 1)

Goodreads ★ Amazon

Kiora thought she had never heard a lie until she was sixteen. But she was wrong. Her entire existence was based on nothing but. She thought that evil did not exist. Lie. That magic was not real. Lie. And that the land of Meros was all there was. One more lie. With Aleric telling her that evil is knocking on the door and that she is the only one who can stop them she has a choice to make. Refuse, or start the wildest most painful ride of her life. She reluctantly dips her toe into her new existence of magic and threads, dragons and shapeshifters, and the person who wants to take control of it all: the evil Dralazar. However, this journey was never meant to be hers alone. She will be accompanied by a Protector. To her disbelief, and utter irritation they name the hotheaded, stubborn, non -magical, (albeit gorgeous) Prince Emane. They will have to trust each other with their lives, but right now Kiora would settle for a non hostile conversation. And now it comes down to this, If you had never heard a lie, would you know when you heard one? Is knowing good from evil innate? Kiora finds herself having to decide who lives and who dies on those very questions.

★ ★ ★
Solus (Book 2)

Goodreads ★ Amazon

There is only one place forbidden to the people of Gavin's village; the island just off the shore, rumored to be haunted. Cursed.

All who venture to the island disappear.

But Gavin doesn't believe in such things. He is a hunter; since his father's death, he is the only one who can provide for the family. Silly rumors of ghosts aren't going to stop him from crossing the dark waters to the island in search of fresh game...

★ ★ ★
About Devri Walls

Devri Walls lives in Kuna ID with her husband, two kids and one very bouncy lab. After suffering from an abundance of creativity with not enough places to put it, she turned to writing. Which in the end, turned out to be exactly where she should have been putting it all along.
You can find Devri here:
Website ☆ Twitter ☆ Facebook ☆ Goodreads

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Publisher’s summary: It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but the also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail's legions of fans have come to adore.

My take: Etiquette & Espionage was a lot of fun to read. Apparently this is a spin-off from Gail Carrieger’s popular adult series, The Parasol Protectorate. Etiquette & Espionage is definitely young adult.

In the beginning of the story there is a really funny scene that had me realize these books are intended to be a fun and funny story. I mean, really, the girls are learning etiquette and espionage on a floating school and it takes a really fast, high jumping werewolf that wears a hat (even when he shifts) to herd them all onto the platform to get them to enter the school? That should tell you!

The characters are all really different. The main character, Sophronia, always seems really concerned about learning how to truly act properly, but she’s so distracted elsewhere that it almost seems like it’s too much of an inconvenience for her to actually learn how to be a lady…even though it’s not like she didn’t really want to learn. This isn’t the case for all of the characters. There’s another girl who I would really like to be consider as the “mean girl;” a girl who really only wants to be a lady and go to a proper etiquette school. And then there’s a girl who seems like she has no intention of being a lady at all. My favorite is Sophronia’s little clockwork dog. So cute! Oh…and the boy that is introduced is cute too.

There is this whole detective thing going on throughout the story, and it all unfolds in the end in a very fun way. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this series.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Publisher’s summary: A gorgeous, witchy, romantic fantasy by a debut author! Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and the Beautiful Creatures series!

Everybody thinks Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave. Then Cate finds her mother's diary, and uncovers a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. But if what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe--not even from each other.

My take: Oh! Crap! Did that ending really just happen? What? Seriously? Now I’m extremely upset that I loaned out my copy of Star Cursed because I really want to read it…like now!

I was a little leery about starting Born Wicked because I’ve heard some pretty mixed opinions about this book. But I’m now extremely happy that I read it! And I’m now thinking that the people who had negative thoughts about this book probably didn’t end up reading the whole book because I loved it! And the ending was absolutely phenomenal! Oh, that crazy, hectic ending for sure has set the tone for the remainder of this series, and I’m thrilled. I’ll have to admit it’s a pretty big cliffhanger, but it still ended perfectly brilliantly.

The characters were all very well developed. While reading Born Wicked, I came to feel really bad for Cate (protagonist) because she was left with the burden of protecting a huge secret and taking care of her sisters at such a young age. In their world, it is very dangerous to have any magical capabilities whatsoever, and Cate and her sisters have serious magical capabilities! They’re all witches! And Cate has to try super hard to keep this fact a secret…even from their very own father!

The world that these girls live in is very disturbing and dark. It, for sure, is not a time era I would envy living in, even if I didn’t have magical capabilities.

There is a little bit of a love triangle in this one but, in my opinion, there really isn’t a competition. So I’d be shocked if Jessica Spotswood played up that love triangle in the following books.

This book was a lot of fun to read. If you like witches in a world of historical fiction, you’ll for sure love this book. And those of you who never finished this book, you need to pick it back up!

Impatiently Waiting! Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Expected publish date:
June 4, 2013

Goodreads' summary: Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can't outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling's game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.


♥♥♥♥♥

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Vlog Q&A: Mindy McGinnis & Mindy! Blogger & Author Interview!

About the author!
Mindy McGinnis is an assistant YA librarian who lives in Ohio and cans her own food. She graduated from Otterbein University magna cum laude with a BA in English Literature and Religion. Mindy has a pond in her back yard but has never shot anyone, as her morals tend to cloud her vision.
Find Mindy Here:
Website ☆ Blog ☆ Twitter ☆ Facebook ☆ Goodreads

About the book!



Katherine Tegen Books
Expected Publish date
September 10, 2013
Author's summary: Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

Find Not a Drop to Drink:
Goodreads ☆ Amazon ☆ B & N ☆ The Book Depository

And NOW the Vlog! Enjoy!




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Guest Review: Alpha & Omega Graphic Novel

Summary: Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack…and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she’s learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer—and son—of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life.

Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna’s inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf—a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all the pack…

First, I (Mindy) would like to introduce you to Tiffany with Vivid Fantasy Reads. Tiffany is a big fan of all of Patricia Briggs books, so she’s already read the original Alpha & Omaga. I've asked Tiffany to do a quick Q&A of the graphic novel vs. the book itself.

You are not usually a fan of graphic novels or comics, but did Patricia’s graphic novel make you more interested? No, I do not like graphic Novels or comics.

What did you like about this story? This is a very difficult question for me because I loved, loved, loved the actual books & I didn’t get the same feel in the graphic novel. The books were very much a love story with some action. The graphic novels seem to focus just on the action. Which I guess is fine because that’s what comics are about, right?

What did you think about the illustrations? I thought the illustrations were very well done, and all the characters looked exactly how I pictured them in my head while reading the actual books in the Alpha & Omega series.

Do you think the illustrations helped you follow along with the story? Yes. If there were no pictures, the story would have been very hard to follow.

Is there anything you didn’t like? The beginning of the graphic novel was very confusing. If I hadn’t already read the actual books, I would not have understood and would be even more confused than I already was.

Are you interesting in seeing the second graphic novel in the series? No

How does the graphic novel compare to the original novel? It follows the story very well, and if it wasn’t for that I would not have understood what was going on the beginning of the graphic novel.


★Tiffany★

Guest review: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Publisher's summary: Mercy Thompson returns in the seventh novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.

Tiffany's take: In the beginning of the book Briggs dives into the relationship between Mercy and her new step daughter Jesse. And what better way to bond with your new teenage step daughter than Black Friday shopping.

And if you think Black Friday shopping is a pain, it doesn’t stop there for Mercy. Her night just keeps getting worse.

Car accidents, kidnapping a whole wolf pack, mystical coyote magic, and much more action make this book great. For the first time in long time I didn’t guess right away who the villain was. Briggs kept me guessing till the very end.

I also like how half way through the book it almost seems like the end, there is some resolution, then something else happens and you’re like…. WHAT! I didn’t see that coming.

I love this series, I like seeing the bond between Mercy and Adam get stronger. Her loyalty to the pack, even though there is some resentment from the other pack mates because of what Mercy is. It was nice to see Mercy really take her place in the pack and how she lets everyone know her place in the pack.

We also get some POV from Adam, which is awesome!

So if you have read the previous Mercy Thompson books, you have to read this one, it will not disappoint you.


★Tiffany★