Saturday, February 23, 2013

Fallen Ruler


Excerpt
The older, gray-skinned being Lya had seen in her dream now helped her off the soft bed. She was still disoriented. Her head felt detached from her body, like she had been on a rollercoaster for hours. She stared open-mouthed at the weird looking bald being, while she allowed herself to be led. Lya had a vague memory of being lifted from the green gel by him and the younger being. The younger one wasn’t around now. Lya’s feet touched the ground. She wasn’t dreaming. Oh, this was bad.
Her pain had subsided somewhat. Lya looked around the room. It reminded her of those sci-fi movies: clean and modern, with lots of glass. Aside from the narrow, high bed, the only other item in the room was a ten-inch panel, with rows of light running the length of the far wall.
She turned back to study the gray being’s face. He was ugly. He had no hair. The thick membrane around his eyes looked like fake eyelashes. Odd, pulsating veins covered his body. 
“Who are you?” Lya’s voice sounded like a rasp. With every word she spoke her head throbbed. “Where am I?” 
“In Ray.”
Lya frowned. “Is it near Delhi?”
“A few light years away. It’s a planet, in a parallel universe.”
His words acted like an electrical discharge, jolting Lya awake. She was hallucinating. She knew she was. There was no other explanation. She reached out and touched the gray being. She felt him. Okay, hallucination was real. Her mind was distorting her vision. That sounded plausible. Don’t freak out. Lya smiled. “Is it close to those Streams?”
“It’s beyond that.”
The smile faded from Lya’s lips. “You’re screwing with me, right?” 
“Don’t you worry, everything will be fine.” 
Lya continued to stare at the gray… man—she guessed he was a man—as his words echoed in her brain. They triggered an image. She saw this same being placing her into that green tank, saying those very same words. Or not her... Lya. Although it felt like her, and somehow she knew it was her, but it was really the albino. The albino didn’t want to leave. She hesitated, grabbing onto the tank’s edges, and asked what it would be like? Would she ever come back? She turned to the older gray being and said, “Natuc, will you bring me back?” 
“Natuc?” Lya whispered.
The gray being smiled. “You remembered. Good. Keep alert for those sudden burst of images, that’s how you will get your memory back.”
“My memory?” Lya searched Natuc’s face. “Please tell me this is all a mistake. A punishment for…” Lya couldn’t think of something she should be punished for, she hadn’t done anything all that bad to deserve being locked up in… what was this place? 
“Calm down. You’re not hallucinating, Tsaen.”
“Who?”
“Tsaen.”
“Tsaen? The albino, Tsaen? I’m not Tsaen.” Lya bit down on her lower lip. “I’m not Tsaen….” 
 Fallen Ruler 
4 of 5 stars false 
For sixteen years, Lya, has lived as a normal human, until her father, Walter, gets involved with the wrong people and puts Lya's life at risk. During a visit to Miami, Lya's older sister is kidnapped, and Lya and her father are subsequently taken hostage by Walter's associates and forced to board a plane to India. When the plane lands in Delhi, Lya is rescued by three monks and taken to a Monastery. There her reality is shattered, when she learns the true identity of her rescuers and, even more surprisingly, herself. Lya is now faced with the toughest decision of her life. Can she live up to her ethereal destiny and save her people and her family?

 Review

****This book was part of a blog tour, I was provided with a copy for my honest review****

Lya has always thought she was a normal girl, when her dad makes some bad decisions and she ends up in India being rescued by Monks her life changes forever. This book was a pleasant surprise, I don't really read alien books because I have not enjoyed the majority of them, but this book has changed my mind. The main character Lya came off as easy to relate to with a quiet inner strength. The plot line was unique and well thought out. I have to praise Eleanor for the writing, there were so many different aspects to this story, yet it wasn't disjointed. The story flowed together effortlessly; there was lightness and humor in certain spots that balanced out the dark seriousness. I really enjoyed Fallen Ruler and I would recommend it to people who enjoy young adult fantasy books.
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Tina Smith

Enter the rafflecopter at the bottom of the post to win an e-book copy of both Wolf Siren books, a charm bracelet with wolf and wolf sirens themed charms as well as a 3-D shifter themed book mark. This contest is open internationally.
  Tina Smith is an herbalist, Piscean and mother with a fondness for strong female protagonist's and a love of fantasy. She wrote Wolf Sirens, her debut novel after desiring greater depth from the paranormal genre. Fever further unfolds the tale of the heroine femme fatal, on her journey in the underworld between the lands of myth and reality.
Links:  Wolf Sirens Blog   Pinterest Goodreads Facebook






Interview with Tina
1. We have seen so many YA writers recently cross over into writing adult fiction. Do you feel the pull to switch over into writing adult stories?
 I write what I want to read, at the moment that’s Young Adult. I know Shades of Grey is all the rage and I have thought about writing Adult fiction. The one problem with writing Y/A is that to fit in you have to keep it a little chaste and I guess Adult fiction is where the money is. But at this point I want to finish my series and write another Y/A that isn’t Paranormal and then maybe some adult Paranormal. 
2. Why write a paranormal book?
  It’s for me just a heightened stylised version of life, a way to explore emotions and experiences we all encounter, but in a far more exciting way. I love the realistic edge that Paranormal gives to fantasy. As a writer and reader I examine my life through make-believe and characters that touch my heart. Paranormal is more raw when compared to fantasy and that appeals to me.
3. What is an iridologist? 
Iridology was founded in Germany, like Naturopathy, and is the diagnosis of conditions and disease states of the body indicated by looking at the iris. I am qualified, as most naturopath students are, but I am not currently practising. We use it to confirm diagnosis mostly as well as to indicate the state of health of the patient. It’s very detailed, interesting and telling and I do use the knowledge I have gained when describing the eyes of my characters – the windows to the soul. They are the windows to the health of your body. 
4. Do you have any ideas for the next book you will be writing? 
 Lots – it’s a shame time isn’t infinite and that the human body requires time to recharge. I plan to write more books in the Wolf Sirens Series. Lila and Sky have some hot scenes. Cres has a mega big surprise and Tisane drops a bombshell in book 3, which I am writing right now. We lose some beloved characters and gain a couple more, in the end things come full circle and the curse is broken. Lookout for WS3 in July which is titles Night Fall.
5. What is your favourite character trait of Lila’s? 
Her ballsy attitude. The way she is torn between love and desire and her duty. Lila is a strong protagonist, with a chip on her shoulder but she is realistic and unfortunately in love with the wrong guy. She isn’t spiteful and ultimately she cares, she doesn’t rely on anyone. She is the most like me of all my characters. But Cres is my fav.
6. What is it about shifters that intrigued you enough to write a story about them? 
I would like to be a wolf, wouldn’t you? I read White Fang and Call of the Wild in primary school twice and watched the movie versions, so I guess it started there. I feel like the issues my “cursed shifters” deal with, are both moving and relatable. I also think we, as humans, have a lot in common with the canine species. The pack dynamic versus the gang dynamic interests me. I like to explore the nitty gritty of emotions and to understand motivation and social dynamics. When you care about the characters because they seem real it drags you in and shows that even though there is violence that it has consequences. Emotions are something worth exploring. I wanted to take PNR to a another deeper level, that’s a big part of why I write.  So come and share in my world! Please Like me on facebook on my authors page. Read and rate me online and discuss the Wolf Sirens books with your friends. Facebook; http://www.facebook.com/wolfsirens

Thanks for having me Jillian!
Busy Moms Book Reviews

Books:
  When Lila unwillingly moves to the country town of Shade, she can’t imagine the life-altering events that lie in wait for her. Shade has a curfew and has always been surrounded by myths. A central feature of the town is its famous statue of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, whose spirit is said to protect the innocent. Lila falls in with a group of intriguing teenagers with luminescent eyes and soon she is drawn into the shadowlands of fantasy and reality, where destiny collides. A mysterious local girl, Cresida, warns her to stay away, but Lila is drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Cresida knows their fatal secret and she is honour-bound to protect those who are endangered. But she underestimates Lila’s passion for the mysterious and charismatic clan of youths. Lila begins to feel a call she cannot ignore. Yet her heart is filled with vulnerable desires that begin to turn the underworld upside down, for both hunter and hunted, as she learns they have been waiting for her… Inspired by the legend of the mythical femme fatale, Wolf Sirens is an intimate tale of unrequited and forbidden love in the underworld, a masterpiece of romance fantasy . 4 of 5 stars false 






Eternally Cursed to Love & Not Purely Desire… Temperatures rise as the flames of longing still burn. The thrilling sequel to Tina Smith’s masterpiece of romance fantasy, Wolf Sirens Forbidden, continues. A shadow has fallen over the heart lands of myth and reality. Prophecy says Apollo, god of deadly plague, conspires to undo his sister’s legacy. Increasingly, each successive slayer becomes more alluring to the enemy and the predestined struggle, to both resist and contain their fierce rival. The wolves and hunters are cursed to a mutual attraction, powerful enough to tear two worlds apart. The chosen is reborn broken-hearted, in the scorching embers of grief. Devastated Lila trains tirelessly as the chaste assassin never conquered by love. Forsaken, she must submit to deliver justice and protect the innocent of Shade. But is it love or revenge which motivates her? Will the huntress or her heart prevail? Breaking away from the call of destiny and fearing betrayal, Lila makes a desperate escape in search of her lost beloved. The history of the wolf pack is revealed and the intensity between two ancient enemies ignites. Devotion and desire in the underworld reaches fever pitch. If The Bite Doesn't Get You, Then the Fever Will. 5 of 5 stars false 
  



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Along Came Trouble 18+

The following review is for 18+ readers.
Along Came Trouble (Camelot, #2) 
3 of 5 stars false 
Ruthie Knox’s Camelot series continues in this sizzling eBook original novel, featuring two headstrong souls who bump heads—and bodies—as temptation and lust bring nothing but delicious trouble.
An accomplished lawyer and driven single mother, Ellen Callahan isn’t looking for any help. She’s doing just fine on her own. So Ellen’s more than a little peeved when her brother, an international pop star, hires a security guard to protect her from a prying press that will stop at nothing to dig up dirt on him. But when the tanned and toned Caleb Clark shows up at her door, Ellen might just have to plead the fifth.
Back home after a deployment in Iraq and looking for work as a civilian, Caleb signs on as Ellen’s bodyguard. After combat in the hot desert sun, this job should be a breeze. But guarding the willful beauty is harder than he imagined—and Caleb can’t resist the temptation to mix business with pleasure. With their desires growing more undeniable by the day, Ellen and Caleb give in to an evening of steamy passion. But will they ever be able to share more than just a one-night stand? 

Review

****NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book for my honest review****
Ellen is a single mother; she works hard and doesn't need a man in her life. Her brother is a celebrity and when the paparazzi start showing up on her property to get a glimpse at her neighbor, who was in a relationship with her brother, he hires a security. Caleb is Ellen’s bodyguard and while he is attracted to her, he is determined to ignore it. Ellen really bugged me in this book; she is so determined to prove she can do things on her own, she cuts off her nose to spite her face. Caleb was a good guy, he is patient and understanding, he gives Ellen the room to work things out in her own head. My only problem with him is that he seemed a little to perfect, at one point it was like oh come on no one is that understanding. I liked Carly and her grandmother they were hilarious. Ellen’s ex-husband was a complete waste of space; I hated him and was really hoping he would fall into a ditch somewhere. I loved that the couple did not have an instant love connection; they lusted after each other a lot.  They had fights and had to learn how to be together, they had a real relationship. This book was a good quick read; I liked the writing and would have rated it higher if I hadn't had problems with the two main characters.

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