Monday, June 10, 2013

Edge Of Truth


Edge of Truth 
4 of 5 stars false 
Citizens who report to work on time, obey the Overlord’s laws, and stay off the Synbot’s radar, live long lives. Long, dull, monotonous lives.
It’s not a bad plan for someone with a hidden, emotion-based ability to trigger earthquakes. In a world pitted against her, sixteen-year-old Rena Moon strives for a life beyond working herself to death at the factory. Seeing an alternative, she risks selling relics from the forbidden lands at Market. It becomes the worst decision she ever made. Someone kidnaps her best friend in exchange for the one thing that would end her oppression.
Driven by loyalty, Rena and seventeen-year-old Nevan Jelani, soulful composer, green thumb extraordinaire, and the secret love of her life, plot to rescue her friend and reclaim her salvage. Still, the thought lingers whether Nevan is a true hero or another thief waiting for his chance at her loot. Events spin wildly, deepening Rena’s suspicions and pushing her limit of control. With more than her chance for freedom at stake, she must decide if she’s willing to kill to protect what’s precious to her. For once, the Overlord isn’t holding all the power, but can Rena live with being reduced to what she’s trying so hard to escape? 
 

Review


****This book was part of a blog tour I received an ARC for my honest review****

Rena and her best friend Blaze find secret these artifacts, she thinks it will be her chance to get to Eden but Blaze gets taken by the people who want the artifacts more than Rena. With the help of Nevan her crush and new friend, they set out to find Blaze. Rena, however, has a secret she can feel the vibrations in the earth and can cause earthquakes with her emotions. This was one of those books that I read the synopsis and thought it looked kind of interesting and different, I was way off, this book went beyond kind of interesting into addictive territory. I loved how the author came up with new words this gave the book a certain quirky uniqueness. Rena poor girl was dealing with a lot and I felt bad for her. The way the author described her crush and feelings for Nevan were age appropriate, she also had problems with learning how to deal with her ability. Nevan was a nice guy and a good balance to Rena. What really made this book was the writing, the author did an amazing job of describing something little that you wouldn't think would matter, but when added all together it creates this great scene. My only problem was I needed more of a back story, there were a few missing elements that left me with a few questions when I was done. Edge of Truth is a great read that will suck you in, have you rooting for the characters and adding a new author to your favorites list.
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A Summer to Remember


 
"Life is really strange. Two events have shaped mine although I am only twentyfour, a successful entrepreneur and owner of my own gallery, Maison des Artistries, in Tribeca. One happened when I was ten: I realized I was in love with my brother's best friend, Paul. The other event happened while I attended Vassar College during my last semester." Jerrica Peterson doesn't believe in fairytale relationships but she does believe in friendship and she has three best friends who will stick by her through thick and thin. Jerrica and her best friends: Talia, Autumn and Savannah bond over a summer of heartbreaks and discoveries, love and scandal, and three unforgettable vacations to Southampton, Martha's Vineyard and Miami Beach. Every moment they spend together will enrich their lives and make it a summer they will never forget and one they will always remember.












Excerpt
The Beach Bar wasn’t merely a place in Westhampton where a bunch of wealthy kids got together and had too much to drink. Unfortunately, it was also home to the locals as well and that meant extra talent to be spotted. I didn’t see anything wrong with having a one night stand with a “townie” as we called them. As long as he had condoms and wasn’t named Guido, we were good to go.
I admit I went overboard trying to convince myself that I didn’t care when Ashley would show up to fawn all over Paul because an hour after we’d arrived, she still hadn’t made it yet.
I had several Absolut shots—in a variety of mango, vanilla and raspberry—before I ordered a Cosmopolitan and began to drink like it was my last night on earth.
Talia, ever worried about me, dragged me to the dance floor and as “Who’s that Chick?” by David Guetta featuring Rihanna began to play, I allowed my body to sway rhythmically and the music transported me far away from my current situation.
Out there on the dance floor, I forgot about my problems and my body took over. I knew men were watching, staring at me with open lust and attraction but I didn’t care about that. All I wanted was to feel good and forget about Paul, not temporarily but permanently.
Funny how life always decided to throw a monkey wrench in my carefully cultivated plan because I hadn’t been dancing for more than ten minutes when I heard a laugh so familiar, my heart felt like it stopped beating.
I stopped dancing but before I could step off the dance floor, Savannah and Autumn had joined Talia to help with damage control.
Come on, let’s get some air. You’re flushed and you’ve been dancing for a while.”
What are you talking about?” I inquired as all three shots of vodka seemed to hit me at once along with the Cosmopolitan I downed like it was water. “I just started and the night is still young.”
I’d almost forgotten about that deep, sexual voice and that laugh until it assaulted me again and this time, it claimed all of my senses.
I could smell his cologne: Ed Hardy’s Born Wild, a fragrance I’d picked up as a joke because this described his bad boy attitude though he was just as privileged as I was and liked to act all tough.
I could hear his voice as he spoke to another young woman, his latest victim of lust and the receiver of all the love and sex he used to provide so willingly to me.
The taste of his body was on my tongue now. So beautiful, creamy and lush followed by a slight fruity aftertaste.
I could feel the lean hardness of his body because like Paul and Jude, he’d also been a swimmer and had their exact body type. A diver, his physique was perfect and I loved the soft skin yet the roughness of his face when he hadn’t shaved and the way his facial hair would tickle my neck and my jaw ever so gently.
The sound of his voice, so perfectly masculine but there was an underlying sweetness and the way he could ease me out of a bad mood by just whispering softly into my ear.
What the hell was Kevin doing here?
Just my luck…what the hell is he doing here at the same place we’re at and why haven’t we left already?”
Talia gave Savannah a warning look before she scurried off to try to find Paul and Jude.
Honey, we had no idea!” Autumn exclaimed as she grabbed me by the shoulders and stared at me with frightened gray-green eyes. “Last time I heard, he was accompanying his parents on a trip to the south of France. He’s not even supposed to be in the States!”
That was definitely a problem about our small circles and who we chose to date and hung out with because there was no escaping Kevin. He worked for the same investment firm as my brother though Jude had no idea what had gone down at Vassar or Kevin’s balls still wouldn’t be attached to his body.
I’d told all three of my friends about the one incident but they didn’t know the fallout of said incident, no one knew except Talia.
I began to hyperventilate before Talia tried to pull me away from the scene but something inside me rebelled. I twisted away from her and marched straight up to Kevin and his group of friends.
My ex looked me over in an appraising manner, his golden-hazel eyes stared me up and down like I was just another piece of flesh and his dark brown hair was coiffed perfectly, longer in the back for a more preppy look. He was immaculately dressed and his left arm was slid around a platinum blonde with a glass of champagne in her hand. She looked me up and down with icy blue eyes before she glanced at Kevin.
Who’s this, babe?”
That sealed the deal. Her strong Australian accent mixed with her tanned skin, perfect body and the proximity to my ex-boyfriend had me seeing red. Who the hell did this Aussie bitch think she was? Obviously she was my replacement but I was determined to not go down without a fight.
I grabbed her by her long blonde hair and twisted it around my fingers in anger. “This cheap skank is who you left me for? After everything that happened to us—to me—this is what I get in return for…all that wasted time?”
Fuck off, Jerrica, and if you want to keep everything in tact, you’ll let Jenna go.”
Suddenly, the whole situation was interrupted by my brother who peeled me off of Jenna and my hand was clutched so tight, I didn’t realize I was holding strands of her fake blonde hair until I looked down at my right hand. I let them go as if they were diseased before I laughed in Kevin’s face.
You’re not even worth it. I wish I never met you and I wish you hadn’t changed my life to the point where nothing will ever be the same again…all because of you!” I screamed in sheer frustration and bitterness. “You ruined me for every man after you and if I was smart, I would have cut off your testicles and turned you into a goddamn eunuch! You deserve it you self-serving asshole!”
It was Paul who grabbed me by the waist and led me away as I collapsed in tears that began to flow whether I wanted them to or not. My heart beat like a piston in my chest and I cried gut-wrenching sobs that wouldn’t and couldn’t be silenced.
Talia walked over and tried to intercept me from Paul. “I can take over. I know what she went through and right now, she needs a friend.”

Author Bio
Elle Chardou is a world traveler and author of several different series.
Ms. Chardou is the author of The Ties That Bind Trilogy, The Atonement Series, The Hart Family Saga, The Vamp Saga, The Supernaturals, Undertow, and Beginnings: Book I (The Plague) series.
She is currently working on A Summer to Remember from the brand new Seasons of Love & Lust series, Only Love (The Atonement Series) and Queen of the Immortals from The Vamp Saga series.
Ms. Chardou has lived abroad in Stockholm (Sweden), Manchester (England), Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Portland. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Only For a Knight

After saving her love, Princess Elyne returns to the Otherworld by order of her mother. But it’s not the homecoming she expects. Furious Elyne has meddled with humans, the queen imprisons her and strips away her magic. The only way Elyne can get it back is to perform one selfless act. When Queen Maeve sends Derron to find the Guardian of the Sword of Light, he can’t leave without releasing Elyne. After all, she altered time to save his life. But freeing the princess comes with a steep price—he must take her with him on this dangerous quest. And the two must deal with feelings of past hurt and the love growing between them. Their search becomes more than a pursuit for the missing Guardian as Lord Kieran rises to dominate the Unseelie court. He will stop at nothing to gain control of both the Otherworld and the human realm. Even with the help of Elves, dragons and their human friends, the odds are stacked against Derron and Elyne.
Links: Goodreads Amazon Barnes & Noble 











Excerpt

“I’m sure it was because I’m so charming.”
This made him laugh out loud, showing off his deep dimples on either side of his kissable mouth. It sent her stomach plummeting to her shoes to see the joy in his face. Something he hadn’t had in far too long. As least since his last joust in the human realm when he nearly died…twice.
Derron slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as they walked. She stumbled, falling into him a lot closer than he probably intended. She could feel the warmth of him pressing through to her skin, delighting every sense she had. Her pulse quickened as he leaned toward her and kissed her on the cheek. Disappointment quickly followed when that was all she got. A sisterly peck.
“You are truly delightful, your highness,” Derron said.
“I wish you wouldn’t call me that.” Irritation clawed through her. Mostly because he didn’t take her in his arms and kiss her thoroughly. As though she were the last Fae woman worth kissing.
“Why not? Isn’t that your rightful title?”
“It is, but it’s unnecessary for you to continue to use ‘your highness’.”
“You don’t seem to mind when the others call you that.” Before she could answer, he asked, “Would you prefer ‘princess’, then?”
“No.” She pouted, clenching her jaw tight and trying not to pucker her lips. Still, she was incensed. And he still held her so close she could literally feel his pulsing heart. Or maybe that was her imagination.
“‘Your worship’?”
Now he was teasing her. She flushed to the tips of her pointed ears, her face burning hot.
“Not that either, I gather. How about ‘your grace’? I suppose I could bend the rules of address this once and call you that. Would that do?”
“No.” She punched him in the ribs to get away but he still held fast. “Let me go.”
He stopped walking so suddenly she stumbled again. This time he turned to her, grasped her arms and pulled her close. So close, her hands rested on his chest and she knew for certain she could feel his heart pounding through his tunic. Their eyes locked, his searching hers. Heat flooded her. Something she’d not known…well, ever. And especially for Derron.
It had been much too long since he’d looked at her like that. Ages, in fact. When he had tried to court her and all she wanted to do was run away from him. She’d wanted nothing to do with him. She had been such a fool to reject him. And why had she? She thought she hadn’t been in love with him. How wrong she was.
“Elyne, then. How about I call you Elyne?”
She liked the way her name sounded on his tongue. Oh, he’d said it before. But usually with princess attached to it. Rarely her name. And never looking at her like that.
Her gaze focused on his lips, perfect for kissing. The deep-set dimples on either side. The scruffy blond whiskers shadowing his jaw and cheeks. Neither of them wore their glamour here in the Otherworld to hide their true Fae features. His ears were tipped like hers, his blond hair fell over his forehead in thick waves and she longed to run her fingers through the silken strands.
“You may call me Elyne.”
His gaze landed on her lips, paused, and then lifted back to hers. He wanted to kiss her but he was afraid. Mayhap as afraid as she was for him to kiss her. That would mean they had deep feelings for each other and since they’d made such a mess of things with the broken betrothal, she wasn’t sure where that would leave them.
“Then ’tis what I’ll call ye.”
She blinked in surprise as he released her and resumed walking. For that brief moment, his Irish lilt came out so clear it took her aback. In fact, she couldn’t recall ever hearing it. He masked it so well.
“You coming, Elyne?” he called over his shoulder.
Elyne picked up her skirts and fell in step beside him. “Shouldn’t I be armed as well?” She steered the conversation as far from the two of them as possible. She didn’t want to acknowledge the need and desire Derron had managed to stir inside her. All she wanted to do was ignore it.
“You? Armed? Why?”
“All of you are armed,” she said. “You have a sword and a dagger. And I have no magic.”
“Fear not, dear prin—Elyne. I promise to keep thee safe.”
She snarled at him. Mocking me again. “Are you denying me a weapon?”
“Can you shoot a bow?” he asked, giving her a sideways glance. Even though he tried to keep his face passive, she could see the underlying smirk.
“Nay.”
“Wield a sword?”
“Nay.”
Derron chuckled. “Then, pray tell, what sort of weapon do you wish for?”
She’d never laid her hands on a weapon before but it seemed silly to be traipsing through the Woodlands Forest with nothing but her wits. She would feel much better if she had something within reach. Mayhap some sort of blade she could keep on her person. Something that could replace the fact she had no magic. She may as well be running around naked.
She looked over Derron, noticed the sheath tied to his thigh and knew that’s what she wanted.
“A dagger.” Aye, that would make her feel better to have one. “I know how to use that.”
“A dagger?” He splayed his fingers. “You have any ideas on where to get one? I don’t see Thuluke’s Weapons Shoppe here.”
Her gaze landed once again on his dagger. He put a possessive hand on it. “You want mine. Of course you do.”
“You could spare the dagger.”
“I could, couldn’t I?” Smiling, Derron unsheathed his dagger and handed it to her. “I expect you to take good care of that. It was a gift from my father.”
“It will be safe with me.” She ran her finger along the pearl hilt, admiring the iridescent colors dancing along it.
“Have any idea how to use it?”
Elyne blinked. “Not exactly.”
Grinning, he stepped behind her, wrapped his long fingers around her thin wrist. “Allow me to demonstrate.”
Derron’s body pressed against her back, molding to her easily. With her wrist in his hand, the delicious warm skin pressing hers, it was difficult for her to concentrate on his words.
“Thrust like this.” He pulled her arm back and then pushed it forward. “Aim for the heart. If you miss that, then the neck.” Heated breath cascaded over her nape. His woodsy scent filled her nose.
“Why?” she asked.
“Best way to kill a man, princess. How does it feel?”
Splendid. Though she was certain he meant the dagger in her hand. “It feels like a dagger.”
He chuckled and released her. “You’ll need this too.” He untied the sheath from his thigh. “But a lady, nay a princess, shouldn’t keep that in plain sight.”
“Why not?”
“She is more lethal with a hidden weapon.”
A mischievous light twinkled in his eyes, making her heart do a quick ka-thunk in her chest. Derron knelt at her feet, his gaze still on hers. When his hand went up her skirt and rested on her calf, she nearly came undone. Slowly, he slid his hand along her leg, pushing up her skirt to reveal an expanse of creamy white skin. Her heart throbbed, pounding wildly in her chest and ears. Her breath caught in her throat.
Elyne watched as he tied the sheath to her thigh in the same manner. She’d swear she could still feel the warmth of his skin on it as he secured it in place.
“There. The dagger?” He held his hand up for it.
She placed the pearl hilt in his palm and he deftly slid it into the sheath. All the while keeping his hands in constant contact with her leg.
“That should do it.” Derron rose to his full height.
He had two inches on her, his hair brushing his forehead as he gave her a wicked smile. He knew what he was doing and he liked doing it. She liked him doing it. Why did he touch her so intimately when they’d been at odds for so long? He’d gone to the court to have their betrothal broken and now this?
“Feel better, princess?”
“I—”
But that was as far as she got when an arrow went zooming between them and buried in the ancient oak beside her head. 

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